Higher Degree Theses

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Emancipating critical thinking through aesthetics
(The University of Waikato, 2025) Yazici, Furkan; Kingsbury, Justine; Ulatowski, Joseph W.
This thesis examines how critical thinking can be enriched by incorporating imagination, emotions, and aesthetic sensibilities alongside logical reasoning. Traditional models of critical thinking have often excluded these dimensions, limiting their ability to address complex and dynamic contexts. Beginning with an analysis of critical thinking textbooks, the thesis identifies two central gaps: (1) the absence of any role for imagination in critical thinking and (2) a reductive and largely negative view of emotions. It then engages with alternative frameworks, such as Michael Gilbert’s multi-modal argumentation framework, which attempt to move beyond traditional approaches. I argue that although these are a step in the right direction, there is still work to be done to fill these gaps. Drawing on the distinction between propositional and non propositional representations, the thesis proposes a hybrid framework that integrates logical analysis with aesthetic experience. Through an investigation of aesthetic experience and its connection to emotions, imagination and critical thinking, the thesis shows how critical thinking can become a more comprehensive intellectual practice. The application of this enriched model to philosophical inquiry, with a particular focus on the concept of beauty as it applies to philosophy, provides an illustration of the application of the model. Finally, the thesis introduces improvisation as a synthesis of reason, emotion, and imagination. This provides a practical example of the integrated critical thinking approach developed throughout the work.
Towards identification of floc compounds in water using multi-frequency fluorescence lifetime analysis
(The University of Waikato, 2025) Dissanayake, S.A.D. Asanka Nilakshi; Cree, Michael J.; Lay, Mark C.; Streeter, Lee; Glasgow, Graeme D.E.
UV disinfection is commonly used in water treatment to inactivate pathogens such as Cryptosporidium and viruses to prevent diseases such as cryptosporidiosis and norovirus in communities. Disinfection typically follows water treatment steps, such as coagulation, flocculation, clarification, and filtration. However, particles in water, for example, flocs 0.1 to 100 μm in diameter, made from humic and inorganic substances present in the water, surrounding a Cryptosporidium oocyst or virus, can protect the pathogens from UV exposure. Although water treatment steps prior to disinfection remove 99% of the particulates, particles can still be present in the 1000s to 10,000’s per litre after filtration. While the chances of a floc particle carrying a virus or oocyst are typically low, in some regions, particularly during calving in the dairy industry, oocyst concentrations in the water might be high due to cryptosporidiosis in calves. Therefore, it is useful to test the properties of the floc compound for UV penetration to determine whether the disinfection method is appropriate. In this thesis, a technique that uses multi-frequency analysis to measure the fluorescence lifetime of a fluorophore to provide information on particle composition is presented. Frequency-domain fluorescence fluorometry was used to determine the fluorescence lifetime. This was achieved using an experimental setup that used a laser diode operating at 100 mW and modulated at 10–60 MHz to excite the fluorophores, optical elements to focus and filter the light, and detectors to collect the fluorescence emission signal via a storage oscilloscope. The signals were then processed using a MATLAB program to determine the fluorescence lifetime. Fluorescence lifetime measurements were challenged by the chemical and physical behaviour of the fluorophore and the adsorption of the fluorophore to the floc particles. Therefore, standard measurements such as turbidity, pH, particle size, and fluorescence were used to understand the absorption/adsorption of fluorescein to flocs. Fluorescence was observed at the 260–490 nm excitation wavelengths, with fluorescence emissions at approximately 510 nm. The particle size and turbidity measurements showed that fluorescein acted as a flocculant, with the particle size increasing with increasing fluorescein concentration. Fluorescence intensity measurements from a standard fluorescence spectrophotometer were used to calculate fluorescein adsorption on humic acid and kaolin to generate adsorption isotherms. Fluorescein was bonded to kaolin 10 times more than to humic acid. Adequate flocculation required a pH of 6.5 to produce reasonably flocculated particles in the sample. Surface charge analysis showed that the use of buffer to control pH required more alum to neutralise the surface charge of humic acid and kaolin. Multi frequency measurements and subsequent analysis showed that the fluorescence lifetime and contamination ratio were 4.2 ± 0.3 ns and 0.09 ± 0.05 for fluorescein. The fluorescence lifetime of fluorescein was compatible with the results of previous studies using different techniques. The samples with floc particles had a larger excitation light contamination ratio than those without particles; therefore, the contamination ratio could be used as a measure of particle contamination in the samples. The fluorescence lifetime of fluorescein did not change when fluorescein was attached to humic acid particles, but increased by 0.6 ns for kaolin floc particles.
The embodied and lived experiences of welfare and care for highly impaired, high performance para-sport athletes in Aotearoa New Zealand
(The University of Waikato, 2025-10) Lowry, Amanda; Townsend, Robert C.; Johnston, Lynda; Petrie, Kirsten Culhane
Aligning with calls in critical disability studies to bring the body and impairment into disability sport, this thesis examines the welfare and care experiences of highly impaired athletes in high-performance sport. While a focus on athlete welfare has gained some international prominence, and a duty of care is increasingly invoked as an organisational and coaching responsibility, these developments remain largely disconnected from disability. The research is centred around two main objectives. First, to amplify the lived and embodied experiences of highly impaired, high performance disabled athletes as they prepare for, train, and compete in sport, and those who support them. Second, to understand how sporting institutions and regulations (within the broader context of government funding and national health care provision) influence welfare and care practices for high performance disabled athletes. Crip methodologies and Indigenous Māori storytelling methodologies such as pūrākau centres lived experience as a site of resistance and knowledge production. Using a reflexive, qualitative approach, including semi-structured interviews, autoethnographic vignettes, and visual ethnography, I expose how impairment effects are managed in ableist sporting environments that valorise normative athlete ideals. I interviewed 11 high-performance paraathletes, seven organisational representatives and two support workers. The research highlights the material, emotional, and temporal labour of care in highperformance sport. Findings are organised around three core themes: the embodied labour of care, impairment effects and interdependence; the tension between crip time, care time, and performance time; the intersecting structural, institutional, and ableist barriers that shape and constrain highly impaired athletes’ participation in disability sport. The first theme shows how high-performance sport privileges autonomous, efficient, and normative bodies, while marginalising those whose messy, gritty embodied impairment effects demand more time, support, and interdependence. The findings bring to the fore biosocial, psycho-emotional costs of navigating care and its impact on athlete welfare. The second theme uncovers how the rhythms of highly impaired bodies disrupt the linear, clockbound time of high-performance sport, revealing the incompatibility between care time and high performance cultures. It highlights the vital yet invisible labour of support workers, ii unacknowledged in contemporary sporting discourse. The third theme addresses the barriers that highly impaired athletes face when navigating ableist institutional and organisational structures. It exposes the complexity of the ableist disability sporting landscape and the gap between duty of care rhetoric and practice. Ultimately, this thesis calls for a radical reimagining of disability sport, one that centres interdependence, affirms bodily difference, and addresses the structural failures that marginalise highly impaired athletes.
Mai i te kore, ki te pō, ki te ao mārama: He kohinga pūrākau hauora o ngā kaumātua Māori, Māori Elders health and wellbeing stories in life transitions
(The University of Waikato, 2025-11-04) Shelford, Pita; Oetzel, John G.; Simpson, Mary Louisa; Spiller, Chellie; Hokowhitu, Brendan
Introduction New Zealand’s general population is ageing. Kaumātua (Māori elders) only make up approximately 3.1 percent of the total population and yet, they are disproportionately overrepresented in poor health, wellbeing and ageing statistics. However, this is a one-sided story and the focus of a deficit approach. There is a strong need for a strength-based approach where kaumātua voices of problem-solving and resilience related to ageing and the changes it presents, are heard. The purpose of this study is to identify and share those voices and to respond to the call from Māori academics to apply pūrākau as an alternative to Western narrative approaches. Through a pūrākau approach, this thesis sought to answer three key research questions: 1)What are the cultural and communication features of the kaumātua teina narratives? 2) What are the cultural and communication characteristics of the kaumātua tuakana conversational styles? and 3) What is the nature of the kaumātua journeys in how the stories unfold, and relationships develop? Methods This study analyses pūrākau from the Kaumātua Mana Motuhake (KMM) collaboration project between the University of Waikato and the Rauawaawa Kaumātua Charitable Trust in Hamilton, Aotearoa New Zealand. The KMM project sought to enhance kaumātua wellbeing during life changes such as losses of licence, independence or spouse, health changes and retirement through a peer-support tuakana-teina programme. The KMM team implemented a tuakana-teina peer support programme where kaumātua (n= 121) engaged in up to three conversations as kaumātua tuakana-teina pairs. The conversations involved exploring the life changes the teina chose with the tuakana guiding the conversations and sharing potential services to help with the changes. This thesis analysed 30 kaumātua conversations in 10 tuakana-teina pairs to tell a strengths-based story of health and wellbeing. Taking a Kaupapa Māori approach, the research prioritised, privileged and foregrounded Māori and Indigenous epistemology, ontology, and axiology. A pūrākau-grounded analysis approach was developed and applied to the conversations. Findings Related to the first research question, the analysis revealed kaumātua narratives that spoke to stories about adversity, turning points, independence and resilience. Regarding the second research question, the study identified key cultural and communicational characteristics kaumātua tuakana used, speaking with words of kinship and reciprocation, words of ignition and guidance, and words of empathy and affirmation. Pertaining to the third research question, the analysis illustrated conversational and relational journey types kaumātua pairs travelled, consisting of conversations that went direct to topics, detours that became defining moments, small tiki tours that came back to the topic, stories that were revisited, and hospitality becoming defining moments. Conclusions The findings compiled weave a collective tapestry of kaumātua teina pūrākau, kaumātua tuakana communication styles, and kaumātua conversational and relational journeys. Kaumātua teina have voiced a pūrākau for us to understand inter-generational trauma and how cultural connection liberated their wellbeing. Kaumātua tuakana have composed a script of communication protocols emphasising connection and relationship development essential to upholding tikanga (practices, principles, communications). The paired kaumātua journeys have drawn a signposted road map that highlighted journey types, emphasising reciprocity in conversing, learning, guiding, connecting, developing, strengthening and enhancing communications, relationships, and wellbeing Implications Via kaumātua conversations, invaluable understandings into Māori and Indigenous wellbeing, ageing and development scholarship are offered, strengthening transformation, leadership and resilience theories. Pūrākau and whanaungatanga (relationships) methodologies are advocated for and culturally responsive research is promoted. Health, wellbeing and ageing programme development, policy and service delivery can be practically informed, accentuating mentorship, intergenerational initiatives, and culturally appropriate kaumātua support. Together, the findings can cultivate community wellbeing and nurture cultural continuity.
Machine learning techniques for accurate prediction and improved matching of renewable energy production, storage, and consumption
(The University of Waikato, 2025) Pasandideh, Seyedmostafa; Apperley, Mark; Kurz, Jason A.; Atkins, Martin John
In recent decades, the electricity industry has undergone considerable transformation, characterized by the expansion of competitive electricity markets, integration of renewable energy sources, and the deployment of digital systems. These developments have contributed to increased complexity and variability within power systems, highlighting the need for more accurate, adaptive, and intelligent methods for managing electricity generation, storage, and consumption. This thesis focuses on addressing these challenges, with a particular emphasis on advancing New Zealand’s renewable energy ambitions through the application of machine learning (ML) and digital twin technologies for optimizing renewable energy forecasting and management in both industrial and residential contexts. In the industrial domain, the research develops real-time solar power monitoring systems and predictive models employing convolutional neural networks (CNNs), recurrent neural networks (RNNs), and long short-term memory (LSTM) networks. These models are designed to enhance forecasting precision and system efficiency by accounting for the inherent variability in renewable energy generation. Complementing this, fuzzy logic-based control strategies are implemented to manage electricity consumption adaptively in industrial processes, including applications within the meat processing industry. The incorporation of digital twin technologies further facilitates real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance, and agile response to evolving operational conditions, thereby supporting system resilience and efficiency. In residential and community energy systems, the thesis introduces an innovative adaptive energy management framework combining streaming machine learning (SML) with a fractal-structured microgrid architecture. This framework utilizes incremental learning algorithms and digital twin principles to enable real-time adaptive control of energy flows, local trading of electricity, and dynamic adjustments in response to fluctuating supply and demand. The approach aims to enhance battery management, support local energy autonomy, and potentially reduce dependency on centralized grids. Comparative evaluations of centralized, distributed, and hybrid battery storage configurations provide insights into the trade-offs between grid interaction, storage longevity, and operational flexibility, offering practical solutions for optimizing residential microgrids. In conclusion, this thesis explores a combined, case-study based approach to enhancing renewable energy utilization through the combined application of advanced machine learning and digital twin technologies. By addressing both industrial and residential energy systems, the research contributes to the broader vision of developing reliable, efficient, and sustainable power infrastructures. The findings align with New Zealand’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions and advancing renewable energy technologies, offering case-study evidence and potential approaches to support the transition toward a low-carbon energy future.
Why unavoidable moral wrongdoing is impossible
(The University of Waikato, 2025-10-17) Lane, Aaron; Van Zyl, Liezl; Munn, Nick
We can be faced with situations in which we act in accordance with the all-things-considered morally right course of action, and yet nevertheless experience an emotion of self-directed distress at the fact that we have so acted. Moreover, we have the intuition that this emotion is rational or appropriate. Literature is scattered with such examples, and they crop up not infrequently in life. The fact that agents experience justified distress in such situations has been taken as evidence that unavoidable moral wrongdoing is possible. However, if this is the case, then the compelling intuition that an all-things-considered morally right action cannot be wrong must be false. In this thesis, I offer a way of reconciling these two compelling intuitions that denies the possibility of unavoidable moral wrongdoing. I argue that existing attempts to dissolve this contradiction by arguing in favour of the possibility of unavoidable moral wrongdoing are unsatisfactory; and I contend that, by utilising Susan Wolf’s ideas on the “nameless virtue” (2001), developed in order to solve the problem of resultant moral luck, we can arrive at a more compelling method of dissolving the apparent contradiction. This solution is one that allows us to retain the intuition that a right act cannot also be wrong, while simultaneously allowing for the rationality of emotion of self-directed distress agents experience in situations of apparent unavoidable moral wrongdoing.
Phage display systems for antibody engineering and evaluation
(The University of Waikato, 2025) Hanning, Kyrin Rene; Kelton, William; Hicks, Joanna; Arcus, Vickery
Antibodies are versatile effector molecules of the adaptive immune system, distinguished by their capacity to recognise and engage diverse antigens with high specificity and affinity. The widespread adoption of antibodies, and their various formats, in diagnostics and therapeutics has been made possible through the co-operation of experimental and computational molecular engineering techniques. Functional screening of variant antibody libraries has proven essential for successful antibody development. Several protein display technologies have been deployed for this important screening phase, including phage display. Whilst one of the older approaches, phage display still offers many advantages over alternatives and synergises well with other advances in molecular biology techniques. This thesis demonstrates how phage display, when paired with modern techniques in novel ways, remains an extremely flexible and powerful tool for engineering and evaluating antibodies.
Nonequilibrium transitions in quantum optical systems
(The University of Waikato, 1979) Drummond, Peter David; Walls, D.F.; Gardiner, Crispin
The topic of this thesis is a theoretical study of nonequilibrium transitions and quantum statistical properties of nonlinear quantum optical systems driven by an external radiation source. In certain limiting cases, a comparison is made between these transitions and the phase transitions found in equilibrium physical systems. In chapters one and two, the mathematical tools are introduced. In operator terms, the time development is described by a Markovian master equation in the interaction picture. This is equivalent to a corresponding time development equation or Fokker-Planck equation in a vector space of c-numbers. In order to deal with the type of Fokker-Planck equation that results, we introduce a quantum classical correspondence resulting in a distribution function over a complex phase-space, which is a generalisation of the Glauber-Sudarshan P-function. In chapter three this is applied to a model of a coherently driven mode with nonlinear dispersion and absorption. We find in the limit of zero temperature, that the spectrum is symmetric relative to the input frequency, and an exact solution is obtained for the distribution function. For a detuned driving field and nonlinear dispersion, optical bistability can occur. In chapter four a model of sub/second harmonic generation is introduced. This has several non-equilibrium transitions, including dispersive optical bistability, and bistable behaviour with coherent phase-locked input to both modes. Exact solutions occur in the limit of zero temperature and adiabatic elimination of one mode. In both chapters three and four, steady-state photon anti-bunching occurs with an absorptive nonlinearity. In chapter five we include interactions between the radiation mode and a fluorescent atomic system. In this case different behaviour occurs depending on the relative decay rates of the individual atoms and of the radiation mode. In the case of a high-Q interferometer, the atomic variables can be adiabatically eliminated. Both dispersive and absorptive bistability can occur. We show by analytic and numerical calculations (in the case of inhomogeneous broadening) that dispersive operation has advantages in requiring a lower atomic density and input field to observe bistability. When the input field has Gaussian (rather than coherent) photon statistics, there is no bistability, but enhanced photon bunching occurs. Finally, there is a different type of behaviour when the field mode decays rapidly and can be adiabatically eliminated. Within the cooperation lifetime the system can be described by a J²-invariant Hamiltonian, giving the special case of only collective damping. The result is a new type of critical point transition in the thermodynamic limit, with the appearance of a family of solutions like Lotka-Volterra cycles for a coherent driving field above threshold.
Caldolase: an alkaline serine protease from Thermus strain TOK₃
(The University of Waikato, 1985) Saravani, G.A.; Daniel, Roy M.; Morgan, Hugh W.; Cowan, D.A.
The object of this investigation was the isolation of extreme thermophiles producing extracellular proteases, and the biochemical characterisation of a stable, chelator-insensitive protease. Two plate assay systems were developed for the initial screening of proteases. The first involved the incorporation of various protease inhibitors (particularly chelating agents) in casein agar plates, the second the inclusion of a variety of native and chromogenic proteins in the agar plates. In conjunction, these methods provided a basis for screening extreme thermophiles for particular proteases, and enabled the identification of fourteen new proteases. Included amongst them was an extracellular serine protease from a Thermus strain designated Tok₃, which was selected for further study. The protease was purified to homogeneity by ammonium-sulphate precipitation followed by ion exchange on DEAE-cellulose and QAE-Sephadex, affinity chromatography on CBZ-phe-TETA-Sepharose-4B, gel filtration chromatography on either Sephadex G-75 or TSK G3000 SW using HPLC system and finally Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. For convenience the protease was assigned a trivial name, and the term Caldolase was chosen. The prefix Caldo- is derived from Latin Caldo (hot) and the suffix ‘ase’ is a general term for enzymes. The specific activity of the pure enzyme was estimated to be 38,000 proteolytic units per mg (PU mg ml⁻¹) at 75°C using casein as the substrate. The purified enzyme had a pH optimum of 9.5 with an isoelectric point of 8.9. Caldolase demonstrated greatest stability between pH 7 and 10. The molecular weight of the protease was estimated by exclusion chromatography on Sephadex G-75 and TSK G3000 SW to be 25,000 daltons. The enzyme was inhibited by serine inhibitors (DFP, PMSF and di-phenyl carbamyl chloride), partially inhibited by heavy metal (CUCl₂), but not inhibited by metal chelators (EDTA, EGTA, 0-phenanthroline, and NEPIS), Cysteine inhibitors (PCMB, iodo-acetamide, and N-ethylmaleimide) or trypsin inhibitors. These results indicate that Caldolase is an alkaline serine protease. Neither Ca²⁺ nor Zn²⁺ ions were detected in the highly purified protease. The presence of four disulphide bonds per molecule of the enzyme was indicated with dithionitro-benzoate. No free sulphydryl groups were found. The purified protease contained approximately 10% carbohydrate. The amino acid composition of Caldolase was determined. The enzyme exhibited strong substrate inhibition when using casein, azo-casein, and azo-albumin as substrates. No substrate inhibition was observed when low-molecular weight synthetic substrates were used, indicating that substrate inhibition using casein and azo-albumin substrates may be due to steric hindrance rather than binding to the active site of the enzyme. The Arrhenius plots for both casein and peptide substrates were curved, but without any clearly marked discontinuity. It is concluded that the effect of temperature on the enzyme conformation is continuous rather than occurring at a particular temperature. No significant differences were observed in Kₘ values at various temperatures between 45° and 85°C. Caldolase hydrolysed several protein substrates, including casein, albumin, ovalbumin, haemoglobin, collagen, fibrin and elastin, and a number of synthetic chromogenic peptides. It also possessed esterase activity. The enzyme was not able to hydrolyse peptides possessing fewer than four groups (amino acid residues and terminal blocking group). Caldolase did not hydrolyse Bradykinin (Arg-Pro-Pro-Gly-Phe-Ser-Pro-phe-Arg). In contrast enzyme hydrolysis of insulin B chain resulted in a very complex pattern, suggesting a low degree of specificity. The enzyme was very thermostable. Half-life values were: 100°C, 5 min; 90°C, 45 min; and 80°C, 840 min. Caldolase was stable in denaturing agents (GuHCl, urea) at 22°C, but not at 85°C. Exposure of the enzyme to various organic solvents caused no significant loss of catalytic activity. Ionic strength had a marked effect on enzyme stability. The combination of low salt concentration (below 0.3M NaCl) and low temperatures (under 75°C) results in reversible enzyme denaturation. However, at high temperatures (above 80°C) this phenomenon is rapidly followed by autolysis by the remaining active enzyme.
The political economy of intrastate armed conflicts: The feasibility hypothesis in the case of Pakistan
(The University of Waikato, 2025-10-22) Maqbool, Muhammad Yahhya; Steff, Reuben; Rolls, Mark G.
This thesis examines the structural conditions that make intrastate armed conflict feasible in Pakistan. While much of the existing literature attributes Pakistan’s internal conflicts to ideology, identity, or historical grievances, this study argues that such explanations account for the framing and mobilisation of conflict but fail to explain why violence clusters in specific regions despite similar grievances elsewhere, and why multiple groups with varied motivations operate from the same locations. Addressing this conceptual gap, the thesis employs the feasibility hypothesis as its theoretical lens, which posits that sustained rebellion becomes possible where it is operationally and economically viable. The central research question asks whether operational and economic feasibility better explains Pakistan’s conflict dynamics than ideational or grievance-based accounts. The study adopts a mixed-methods design. The quantitative analysis uses district-level cross-sectional data to test the statistical association of six independent variables (terrain ruggedness, road density, border proximity, human development, poverty, and natural resources) with conflict intensity. This is complemented by qualitative analysis of secondary literature, policy reports, and historical narratives to interpret and contextualise the empirical results. The findings confirm that rugged terrain, proximity to porous borders (especially with Afghanistan and Iran), and low human development are significantly associated with higher conflict intensity. By contrast, poverty and road density show weak or insignificant effects, while natural resources influence conflict primarily through enabling illicit economies. These results support the argument that intrastate armed conflict persists where structural conditions make rebellion operationally and economically feasible. Theoretically, the study localises and refines the feasibility hypothesis for sub-national analysis using improved operational proxies. Methodologically, it contributes through a mixed-methods framework linking quantitative modelling and contextual qualitative interpretation. Policy-wise, it recommends strengthening border management, improving local governance, and investing in human development to mitigate structural enablers of violence. The findings advance comparative research on the political economy of conflict by demonstrating how structural feasibility, rather than ideology alone, shapes the geography of rebellion in fragile states.
Exploring the experiences of Māori Wāhine in a STEM project-based secondary classroom: A relational and intersectional perspective
(The University of Waikato, 2025-10-17) Cheryl, Mitchell; Eames, Christopher; Cowie, Bronwen
Using phenomenology, an intersectional lens, and the principles of Kaupapa Māori research, this study investigates how young Māori (Indigenous) wāhine (women) ākonga (students) experience interdisciplinary project-based STEM education. Historical educational policies in Aotearoa New Zealand required Māori to assimilate into a Pākehā (European) school system, contributing to persistent academic underperformance, particularly in science. Māori have been more likely to leave school early, and those who remain often opt out of science subjects, especially Māori wāhine. International literature suggests that transdisciplinary STEM education grounded in social justice and equity can improve engagement and outcomes for underrepresented learners. The study was guided by two questions: (1) how Māori wāhine experienced the STEM programme, and (2) what their challenges were to succeed in STEM. In 2016, while teaching at a low-decile (socioeconomic disadvantaged), urban, co-educational English-medium high school, I trialled an integrated, interdisciplinary project-based STEM class that incorporated meaningful phenomena and culturally responsive pedagogy. The class’s success led to STEM becoming a core component of a broader school initiative. In 2018, the seven Māori wāhine ākonga enrolled in the Year 11 (age 15–16) STEM class were invited to become “Story Sharers” and reflect on their experiences. As a teacher-researcher (insider), I used reflexive practices and clear role delineation to leverage contextual knowledge while minimising bias. Narrative data were collected over two years (2018–2019) through six semi-structured discussion groups and one individual interview. Quantitative data included tracking attendance records, retention, and academic achievement. Findings indicate that the Story Sharers valued co-constructed topics and tasks, a supportive whānau (family/community) class format, and authentic project work undertaken over extended learning periods. They consistently identified strengthened relationships, particularly among peers as central to engagement, wellbeing, motivation to learn, and as the most salient indicator of success. Academic performance increased relative to prior Year-10 e-asTTle (Electronic Assessment Tool for Teaching and Learning in mathematics, reading, and writing) benchmarks, alongside improved STEM class attendance, retention in school, and intentions to continue in STEM. Interpretive thematic analysis using an intersectional lens revealed that racism, stereotyping, and impacts on wellbeing were significant barriers to learning. These discriminatory experiences were pervasive across school, community, and online spaces and were compounded by gendered and intergenerational dynamics. The Story Sharers described complex, fluid, and intersecting identities shaped by lived experiences, including witnessing discrimination against Māori wāhine in their whānau and the legacy of colonial schooling practices such as the suppression of te reo Māori. In this study, STEM project-based learning was shaped by two interwoven design elements: relational pedagogy and relational thinking. Relational pedagogy prioritised relationships and co-construction within a whānau-formatted classroom. Relational thinking described the interdisciplinary logic of the programme itself, connecting disciplinary knowledge to place, context, and community so that learning is organised around meaningful phenomena rather than siloed subjects. Together, these elements functioned as a counterspace that fostered inclusive engagement, affirmed identities, and supported belonging for Māori wāhine. Grounded in culturally responsive and whānau-based approaches, this model enabled learners to challenge deficit narratives and engage meaningfully in STEM. The outcomes offer assurance that integrated, project-based STEM education, underpinned by these relational frameworks, can improve outcomes for learners whose identities and experiences have been marginalised in traditional schooling. However, policymakers must remain attentive to historical policy barriers and intersectional factors that continue to perpetuate inequities within the education system.
Incorporating culture into English as a medium of instruction (EMI) teaching: An exploration of EMI teachers in Chinese higher education
(The University of Waikato, 2025) Zhou, Xi; Gurney, Laura; Bruce, Ian; Wang, Joy Yi
The increasing internationalisation of higher education in China has led to the widespread adoption of English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) across various disciplines. However, the integration of cultural elements into EMI teaching remains underexplored, particularly in the Chinese context. This study investigates the perceptions and practices of EMI instructors in Chinese higher education regarding the incorporation of culture into their teaching. The research aims to address the following questions: (1) In EMI programmes in Chinese higher education, what are the EMI instructors’ understandings of culture? (2) What do they think of the roles of culture in EMI? and (3) To what extent and in what ways are their understandings reflected in their teaching practices? The study uses a qualitative research design, involving online questionnaires completed by 56 EMI instructors from various disciplines, and in-depth data collection (semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and stimulated recall interviews) conducted with a subset of 10 instructors. Findings show that teachers view culture as being multifaceted, comprising material (language, artefacts) and nonmaterial (social norms, values, high culture) aspects. They also support different integration strategies: some favour embedding culture through interactive tasks like role-plays and cultural debates in a bid to foster intercultural communicative competence, while others endorse content-based integration on the basis of a lack of time and curriculum pressure. Their practice also mirrors such perceptions to some extent, as competency-oriented instructors actively engage with cultural narratives and guest speakers; however, time pressure demands superficiality, and instructors skirt culture with indirect exposure through textbooks. The study also suggests some of the difficulties that teachers of EMI face, such as coping with various cultural expectations, linguistic differences, and the necessity of providing a broad curriculum content while incorporating culture in their teaching. Despite these difficulties, teachers apply a number of strategies to incorporate cultural elements, such as role-plays, discussions of cultural festivals, and invitations to cultural experts to provide information. Such activities are aimed at developing intercultural communicative competence and providing students with proper preparation for international interactions. The findings contribute to the growing body of literature on EMI and cultural integration with practical recommendations for improving EMI practice in China and beyond. The study emphasises the critical need for a variety of professional development activities—beyond usual workshops—to give EMI instructors the capacity to incorporate elements of culture organically into instruction. This research effectively makes the case for an EMI model of change on the basis that by overcoming barriers in the shape of poor training, curricular constraints, and lack of university support, EMI programmes can actually equip students for competitiveness in the new globalising world—not just linguistic competence but also intercultural communicative competence.
Fostering a capacity for connectedness: The contribution of “humanness” in hybrid early childhood initial teacher education programmes
(The University of Waikato, 2025-10-12) Archard, Sara; Daly, Nicola; Forbes, Dianne Leslie
This thesis provides an in-depth understanding of human connections between lecturers and ECE student teachers in one hybrid early childhood initial teacher education programme in Aotearoa New Zealand. More specifically, the focus of the research is the ECE student teachers’ perspective of their experiences of human connections with their lecturers in the online component of the programme, and the role that digital technologies play in enabling or constraining the human connection. This research is informed by socio-cultural theory and adopts a phenomenographic approach to gather qualitative data. Data were collected from nine ECE student teachers by means of semi-structured interviews, focus groups and the ECE student teacher contributions to asynchronous online discussions. By analysing data from three different sources, I was able to gain a more in-depth understanding of ECE student teachers’ experience of human connections in the online learning environment with their lecturers and the ways that digital technologies mediated a connection. Key findings from this study suggest ECE student teachers can experience human connections with their lecturers in the online learning environment, which are mediated by the pedagogical use of digital technologies. The four main themes generated from the data analysis that were useful in nurturing a human connection between ECE student teacher and their lecturers were: knowing their lecturer as a real person, informal communication, lecturers’ feedback and feedforward and a sense of community. However, ECE student teachers had different perceptions of the human connections they experienced, how they experienced them, the value of those connections and the place digital technologies played in mediating such connections. Therefore, lecturers need time and space to employ a range of socio-cultural pedagogical strategies that align with the use of appropriate digital technologies to ensure that they respond to the diverse preferences of ECE student teachers when nurturing human connections. This thesis contributes new understanding to the growing body of scholarship advocating for community focussed online learning design and practice, particularly in relational qualifications such as hybrid initial teacher education in Aotearoa New Zealand. The new information from this study supports the argument that policy and practice for hybrid initial teacher education programmes in Aotearoa New Zealand should be grounded in relational, socio-cultural theory challenging the neo-liberal standardisation of hybrid learning.
The interplay between environmental social governance (ESG) performance, access to finance and growth in unlisted firms: Evidence from Eastern Europe and Central Asia Region
(The University of Waikato, 2025) Rasool, Nosheen; Arunachalam, Murugesh; Kumar, Vijay; Hewa Wellalage, Nirosha
This thesis is designed as “thesis by publication” and consists of three research articles, which are at various stages of publication in high quality peer reviewed journals. Article 1 has been published in Business Strategy and the Environment, an ‘A’ ranked journal. Article 2 is currently under revise and resubmission stage with the International Journal of Auditing, which is also classified as an ‘A’ category journal. Article 3 has been submitted to the International Review of Economics and Finance, another journal with an ‘A’ ranking. The articles, which form the empirical component of the thesis, are presented in Chapters 4, 5 and 6. Article 1 examines the relationship between Environmental Social and Governance performance and Growth of Unlisted Firms. Article 2 investigates the relationship between ESG performance and Access to Finance of Unlisted Firms with interacting role of External Audit. Article 3 explores the relationship between Access to Finance and Growth of Unlisted Firms with the interacting role of ESG performance and Technological Innovation. These articles use data of unlisted firms of Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The three articles are supplemented by chapters 1, 2 3 and 7 to link the 3 articles as well as to provide a comprehensive presentation of the thesis. Chapter 1 provides an overview of the thesis followed by Literature Review in Chapter 2 and Methodology in Chapter 3. The thesis concludes with reflections in Chapter 7. Environmental, Social, and Governance performance is fundamental to a firm's long-term sustainability. The adoption of ESG practices aligns with the United Nations 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals, which highlight the importance of sustainability and encourage strategic thinking across various sectors including business. ESG performance of companies is becoming essential because now a days firms are expected not only to focus on financial performance but also to prioritise ESG considerations for sustainable growth. Investors increasingly seek companies that demonstrate long-term sustainability and financial stability. Creditors tend to favour firms that demonstrate sustainable practices, offering them better loan conditions, which in turn can drive the growth of unlisted firms. This study fills critical gaps in the existing literature on the relationship between ESG performance and firm growth, specifically for unlisted firms. Previous research has primarily focused on publicly listed firms when examining ESG impacts. However, unlisted firms contribute significantly to global GDP and employment and face unique financial constraints. Despite their economic significance, there is lack of studies that have explored how ESG practices influence their access to finance and growth, making this an important area for investigation. While ESG research has extensively examined topics (such as financial risk, firm performance, earnings management and reputation), there is limited understanding of the role of ESG in fostering firm growth in unlisted firms. Growth—measured in terms of sales, employment and asset expansion—is crucial for competitiveness, yet the connection between ESG performance and access to finance in driving firm growth remains largely unexplored, particularly in unlisted firms of emerging economies. Additionally, most ESG studies focus on developed economies such as the EU, the US, and China, while research on the Eastern Europe and Central Asia region remains limited. This region faces unique sustainability challenges including climate change, resource depletion, and pollution. Given EECA’s commitment to international agreements like the Paris Agreement, understanding the role of ESG adoption in firm growth and financial access is important in this context. There is lack of prior studies that have examined how ESG performance interacts with financial access by unlisted firms. This study investigates the impact of ESG performance on access to finance, and firm growth, while also considering the interacting role of external audit in enhancing credibility and reducing greenwashing risks. While stakeholder theory, signalling theory and legitimacy theory have been widely applied in ESG research, their application in the context of unlisted firms remains underexplored. This study highlights how ESG-driven firms can strengthen their legitimacy, secure financing and achieve sustainable growth by aligning with investor and societal expectations. By addressing these gaps, this research provides new insights into the role of ESG in fostering financial access and growth for unlisted firms, particularly in the under-researched EECA region. This thesis aims to examine three interrelated aspects of unlisted firms in the EECA region including: the impact of ESG performance on the growth of unlisted firms; the influence of ESG performance on firm’s Access to Finance with interacting role of External Audit, and the impact of access to finance on firm growth with interacting role of ESG and Technological Innovation. ESG is the primary theme of the thesis, providing an understanding of the interplay between ESG performance, access to finance and growth of unlisted firms in the EECA region. This research follows the positivist view of epistemology, objectivist ontology, and an unbiased axiology. In the positivist approach, researchers use existing theories to develop hypotheses, which are then tested, analysed, and either confirmed or refuted. This process helps to refine and expand theoretical understanding, allowing future researchers to further evaluate the findings empirically. The positivist perspective is particularly useful when a significant amount of existing research is available on the topic, enabling a systematic and objective investigation. This thesis follows a deductive approach, which is useful for developing research questions and hypotheses grounded in existing literature. The empirical relationships between independent and dependent variables across the three articles are analysed using quantitative data. The thesis uses data from the World Bank Enterprise Survey and employs Principal Component Analysis to develop the ESG index for the measurement of ESG performance. In article 1 and 3, 2SLS is applied to address endogeneity by using instrumental variables. Validity of instruments is checked by applying the Wald Test. In article 2, IV probit is used to address the endogeneity issue. The results suggest that prioritising ESG initiatives enable the management of unlisted firms to secure financing and leverage resources more effectively. ESG-focused firms tend to experience growth in financial (Sales, and Asset Growth) and nonfinancial (Employment Growth) terms. This highlights the crucial role of ESG performance in enabling unlisted firms to thrive in a competitive market with access to finance serving as a key enabler for growth. This study highlights the significance of ESG performance for unlisted firms in the EECA region, emphasising their role in resource optimisation, eco-friendly production, and addressing regional issues like pollution and biodiversity loss. Adopting ESG initiatives helps firms align with societal expectations, enhance their reputation, and drive sustainable growth. Beyond business benefits, ESG practices foster trust, community well-being, and stakeholder relationships, creating a positive impact on both firms and society. Strong governance ensures transparency, accountability, and long-term stability, strengthening credibility and resilience in economic challenges. The study underscores policymakers' role in crafting regulations that promote sustainability and in aligning with SDGs. Collaboration between governments, financial institutions, and businesses is essential to overcoming financial constraints and fostering economic resilience. By integrating ESG principles, firms can secure better financing, enhance competitiveness, and contribute to a more sustainable economy.
Deamination and hydrolysis of tertiary systems
(The University of Waikato, 1980) Van Der Beeke, Paul Gerard Johan; Carr, Malcolm
This thesis reports the aqueous nitrous acid deamination of two tertiary carbinamines; 2-amino-2-methylpropane and 3-amino-3-methylpentane (at 80°C, pH4). The hydrolysis (at 80°C, pH4) of the two corresponding alkyldimethyl sulphonium salts; dimethyl-(2-methyl-2-propyl) sulphonium perchlorate and dimethyl-(3-methyl-3-pentyl) sulphonium perchlorate, is also reported. A comparison of the two types of reaction (deamination and hydrolysis) shows small but definite differences. Both deaminations produced a greater proportion of elimination than the corresponding hydrolyses. The deamination of 3-amino-3-methylpentane produced lower 2-ene/1-ene and trans/cis ratios than the corresponding hydrolysis. It is suggested that the deamination carbocations are short-lived and shielding by the departing nitrogen prevents complete loss of the “excess” energy acquired from the irreversible decomposition of the diazonium ions. The “excess” energy of the deamination product precursors relative to the hydrolysis analogs makes the higher energy product-forming pathways more favourable in deamination than hydrolysis.
Some observations on the population dynamics of the Australian soldier fly Inopus Rubriceps Macquart (Diptera: Stratiomyidae)
(The University of Waikato, 1973) Wilcocks, Colin Richard; Pendergrast, J.G.
Inopus rubriceps (Macquart) is an indigenous Australian stratiomyid, whose subterranean larval stage has been recorded as a pest of sugar cane and pastures in Queensland for some time (Saunders 1963 and Hitchcock 1970). I. rubriceps has been known in New Zealand since the early 1940’s (Muggeridge 1944), but it was not until the late 1960’s that the N.Z. Department of Agriculture, under considerable pressure from the farming community, finally decided to initiate research work on this insect. The present writer was employed by the Department to commence work on the development of a pest management programme to be used in a pasture agro-ecosystem. At that time, there was an almost complete lack of knowledge about any aspect of the insect’s biology and ecology under N.Z. pasture conditions. The above, together with the failure to find a suitable chemical control from several insecticidal screening trials (Hewitt 1964) precluded, at least initially, any worthwhile work on direct control methods. Clark et al (1967) have argued that in those cases where no prior hypotheses can be made about an insect, the development of life tables provides much of the background biological and ecological information needed to put the development of control measures on a rational basis. Thus, the main aim of this work was to test the feasibility of developing life tables for the Australian soldier fly, under pasture conditions.
A study of knot-graphs
(The University of Waikato, 1984) Turner, John Christopher; Zulauf, A.
This thesis is an account of studies made of knot projections, the tools used being graph-theoretic methods and extensions of them. The basic tool is the adjacency matrix. In fact several kinds of adjacency matrix are defined, for knot diagrams which are either nonoriented or are given orientations which reflect certain topological properties of the knots concerned. First the properties of knot-graph adjacency matrices are studied. In particular, a matrix equation is derived which is shown to be satisfied by the α- and β-adjacency matrices of all knot-graphs; other matrices appearing in the equation are studied. Examination of types of walk that can be made on a knot-graph leads to a definition of walk-groups and groupoids on knot-graphs. Relations between the Cayley diagrams of walk-groups and certain other knots which are derived from the diagrams lead to interesting correspondences between knots, both finite and infinite. An extensive study of the spectra of knot-graph adjacency matrices is presented. Methods for obtaining spectra are given, both for general cases and for certain classes of knots. The concept of balanced orientations of knot-graphs is introduced; and numbers of rooted directed spanning trees of oriented knot-graphs are studied. It is shown that one type of tree number is a knot invariant, and evidence for the invariance of another one is given. A general inequality relating the two types of number is conjectured. The first tree number has several topological interpretations, and these are discussed. Tables of the numbers are given for knots of orders n = 3, ... ,10; and methods for calculating them for various knot classes are developed. A vertex deletion theorem relating tree numbers of three knot-graphs is proved. Families of twins which arise from vertex deletions in knot-graphs are defined and studied. It is shown that by repeatedly applying the deletion operation on a given alternating knot-graph, one is led to a certain distribution of ‘twists’, which is given the name ‘twist spectrum’. Twist spectra have many interesting topological properties: they are topological invariants, and their moments are powerful knot discriminants; they distinguish between a knot-graph and its mirror image and hence can be used to investigate amphicheirality. The twist spectra for prime alternating 1-links up to order n = 9 and for 2- links up to order n = 8 are tabulated. A general algorithm for computing a twist spectrum is given, and formulae are obtained for twist spectra of members of certain knot-classes.
The reception of Grabbe’s Hannibal in the German theatre
(The University of Waikato, 1980) Sutherland, Margaret Anne; Nieschmidt, Hans Werner
This study has undertaken to investigate the reception of Christian Dietrich Grabbe’s tragedy, Hannibal, in the German theatre. Before the main topic could be approached, an outline needed to be provided in an expositional part of the genesis of the drama and the history of its publication; for the appearance and publication of the text marks the beginning of any reception process. The thesis is divided into two major parts. The first deals with the adaptations of the drama, prepared with theatrical portrayal in mind. These act as a bridge between the original text and its realization in the theatre. The second part is devoted to the productions as seen mainly through the eyes of theatre critics who are able to give some permanence to a transitory experience by capturing it in writing. Between 1901 and 1940, there were five printed adaptations of Hannibal: those of Spielmann (1901), Kilian (1919), Jessner (1926), Martin (1940), and Haas (1940). The adaptors themselves were recipients and created examples of productive reception which were able to be passed on to the public by way of the theatre. The adaptors all encountered similar problems when confronted with Grabbe’s original, and to make the drama suitable for the stage, the structure had to be modified, lists of dramatis personae given and stage directions altered or added. A sixth adaptation was that of Brecht who began to prepare it for the Deutsches Theater, Berlin. It remained a fragment but shows that he wished to diverge from, rather than conform to, the original. The adaptations performed were those of Kilian, Jessner, Martin, and Haas. The productions of Hannibal spanned the period from 1916 till 1958, after which time the tragedy seems to have been ignored by the German theatre. The main aim of this part is to make use of critiques as a method of obtaining an impression of individual presentations and any special tendencies in interpretation and particular dramaturgical problems or trends. Apart from the 1916 portrayal, the productions have been arranged into three groups: those from 1918 to 1932, 1933 to 1945, and 1946 to the present day. From each group, two major productions have been regarded closely. Further productions have been dealt with more briefly at the end of each section. Receptive comments reveal that the presentations were usually understood in the context of the political, ideological, or philosophical climate of the time. The work placed enormous strains on the theatre. Innovative technological solutions had to be found to ensure fluency of action, and an outstanding actor was required for the title hero who was played by some of the greatest actors on the German stage: Steinrueck, Krauss, George, Meinecke, Schieske, and Zeidler. Whilst the drama was played on a number of occasions during the 1920s, it experienced its heyday in the theatre in the Nazi period and appeared at National Socialist festivals held in honour of the dramatist. Grabbe was repudiated in the years immediately after the war and the revival of interest in Hannibal in the 1950s was shown to be limited and apparently short-lived. To give a visual aid to the reader, I have included documentation at the end of my thesis in the form of a table of all productions, a play-bill for each of the six major ones, and photos of stage settings and leading and supporting actors.
Variable separation for Heat and Schrödinger equations
(The University of Waikato, 1984) Reid, Gregory John; Kalnins, Ernie G.
All R-separable coordinate systems are classified for the equation Δₘ Ψ + 2ε ∂/∂t Ψ = EΨ (*) where Δₘ = ᵐΣ ᵤ₌₁ ∂²/(∂yᵘ)² and the variables t and yᵘ are real. An R-separable coordinate system for (*) is a coordinate system yᵘ = yᵘ (xᵏ), t = t (xᵏ) such that (*) admits a solution of form Ψ = eᴿ⁽ˣⁱ⁾ ᵐ⁺¹Πᵢ₌₁ Ψᵢ(xⁱ;c₁, ···, cₘ₊₁). For ε = ⁱ/₂ and ε = - ¹/₂, E = 0, (*) yields standardised versions of the Schrӧdinger and Heat equations respectively. Recognition of (*) as a symmetry-reduced version of the Helmholtz equation on m + 2 dimensional Minkowski space, for which there is a well developed theory of separation, is central to the solution of the classification problem. The solution is built from the case ε = 0 which has been solved by Kalnins and Miller in an article submitted to the Transactions of the American Mathematical Society. We find the operators and separation equations for (*) and give a detailed treatment of the physically interesting case m =3. The operators are always in the enveloping algebra of the Schrӧdinger algebra. This means that much of the special function theory relating to the separated solutions can be reduced to problems in the representation theory of this algebra. Various complex extensions of (*) are treated. In particular a class of systems is uncovered leading to nontrivial R-separation for the Hamilton-Jacobi equation corresponding to (*). A formula is derived for expressing the second order Killing tensors describing separation in flat spaces in terms of the enveloping algebra. This formula forms the basis of a program written in the symbolic language MACSYMA capable of producing all the time consuming details of separation.
New Zealand newspapers 1840-1880: a sociological analysis of the political and organizational concerns
(The University of Waikato, 1985) Day, Patrick Adam; Bettison, David; Cleave, Peter
This study is of the New Zealand newspapers over the period 1840-1880. The years indicate, respectively, the first publication of newspapers in the country, and the formation of the United Press Association, an association whereby newspapers muted their competition in favour of a national cooperative interchange of news. It is argued that newspapers began and continued as partisan advocates for a developing ruling class; that newspaper controllers were influential in New Zealand politics; and that New Zealand newspapers are to be understood as the outcome of the ambivalent relationship between the organizational and political concerns of newspaper controllers. The various newspapers began under the influence of the Crown Colony Government or of the New Zealand Company and its offshoots. Prior to the gaining of self-government in 1853, newspapers became a major expression of the political opinion of the settlers. With the introduction of self-government newspaper controllers were disproportionately successful in winning elected political positions. During the early provincial period newspapers became recognized advocates for individual politicians. With later population growth a change towards daily journalism began. Consequent on this and the development of the telegraph, the New Zealand press began a process of nationalization. There arose an ideology that newspapers were not politically partisan. Newspapers, however, did not become politically neutral. Their advocacy changed from a loyal championing of individual politicians to an allegiance to more general political groupings.

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