Masters Degree Theses

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://researchcommons.waikato.ac.nz/handle/10289/2224

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The educational philosophy of Sosaku Kobayashi
(The University of Waikato, 2025) Edwards, Alexander; Weijers, Dan M.
This thesis discusses the educational philosophy of Sosaku Kobayashi, the principal and founder of Tomoe Gakuen, the innovative school featured in the novel Totto-chan: The Little Girl at the Window. It begins with an introduction to the novel and its author, situating Tomoe Gakuen within the broader context of early-20th-century Japanese education. After discussing the features of the progressive education movement, I then explore the key principles, values, and teaching style that Sosaku Kobayashi employs, as illustrated through the anecdotes in the novel, and the goals they are intended to achieve. Following this, I discuss how learner-centered education has influenced modern curricula worldwide since the Second World War and examine the ongoing dialogue between its detractors and advocates. This segues into a comparison between the learning philosophy of Sosaku Kobayashi and other prominent styles of progressive education, namely Montessori, Steiner, and outdoor-focused education. Finally, I explore what Kobayashi’s philosophy might have looked like had it developed into a broader educational movement and continued to flourish into the 21st century beyond Tomoe Gakuen.
Angitūtanga o ngā tauira Māori: Supporting Māori students to succeed in psychology
(The University of Waikato, 2025) Martin, Dionne; Hamley, Logan
Many Māori seek out university degrees to make a meaningful impact on the health of their community. Psychology, is one avenue that attracts Māori to do so. Psychology training has often failed to meet the needs of Māori students, often creating barriers to Māori student success. This thesis will explore barriers and support mechanisms that Māori students experience while attending university in pursuit of psychology degrees. This study will focus on experiences had by those enrolled in The School of Psychology at The Univeristy of Waikato, on the Hamilton campus. Informed by kaupapa Māori guidelines and analysed though the use of pūrākau this thesis highlights some key experiences shared by Māori psychology students. Three key experiences were identified. First, the prominence of Western culture in The School of psychology and the impact that has on Māori sense of belonging and whanaungatanga. Second, support system realities for Māori, identifying key university supports systems and realities associated with ones home environment. Third, the transitional journey to becoming a psychologist and what impact that has on the university journey. With this in mind, some recommendations are made to support Māori student success in psychology. These recommendations advocate for the provision of a more bicultural learning experience, creation of a culturally affirming environment, recruitment and retention of culturally capable staff, appropriate resourcing, funding and training for support services, better support for Māori realities and pathway navigation support.
Integrating education for sustainability into secondary science classes: Practices and perceptions of New Zealand teachers
(The University of Waikato, 2025) Gundersen, Mandy; Cheng, Maurice M. W.
Global challenges like climate change and biodiversity loss necessitate a collective shift towards sustainable living. Education for Sustainability aims to equip students with the essential knowledge, skills, attitudes and agency to meet sustainability goals and forge a better future. It is a holistic approach, yet single-subject school structures at the secondary level mean it must be integrated into subjects such as science. However, there is limited research, particularly in New Zealand, on how this integration is practiced in secondary science classes. Grounded in an interpretivist paradigm, this study interviewed five New Zealand secondary science teachers to understand their conceptualisations of sustainability and sustainability education. It explored how their understanding was translated into practice through detailed descriptions of lessons and units. The study provides insights into how these teachers integrate sustainability across junior science, the new National Certificate of Educational Achievement Level One science standards, and senior science subjects, while also elaborating on the benefits they believed students received and the challenges they faced in this integration. This research found that these New Zealand teachers had a broad understanding of sustainability and recognised key components of sustainability education. They saw sustainability as a way to make science engaging and to develop scientific literacy among their students. To incorporate sustainability into science, they had all designed units which included place-based approaches, integrated topics, considered multiple perspectives, and interwove mātauranga Māori, or New Zealand indigenous knowledge. The boundaries of science as a subject, senior-level assessment requirements, and the time needed for some sustainability-focused activities were noted as challenges to sustainability’s integration. The research recommends that for the effective integration of sustainability, support is required, particularly regarding teacher education and the provision of resources that exemplify sustainability in science. Furthermore, curriculum and assessment changes designed to incorporate sustainability must remain clear about the required science content to ensure students are robustly prepared for senior science studies.
Coastal evolution of the Rangitāiki Plains, Bay of Plenty, Aotearoa-New Zealand
(The University of Waikato, 2025) Rackham, Bailey; La Croix, Andrew D.; Carvalho, Rafael
The Rangitāiki Plains is a tectonically active alluvial plain in the Eastern Bay of Plenty, New Zealand. Throughout the mid-late Holocene (8 ka to present), the Rangitāiki Plains have undergone substantial geomorphological change, with the coastline prograding approximately 10 km over the past 6.5 ka, leaving relic shoreline features known as beach ridges. Previous studies of the Rangitāiki Plains have utilised tephrochronology and radiocarbon dating to determine the ages of several palaeoshorelines. These dates provided minimum ages for beach ridges and resulted in aging constraints; furthermore, limited textural and geochemical characterisation of beach ridges has hampered understanding of sediment provenance and reworking changes. Addressing these research gaps is important as this knowledge is especially relevant in coastal management, modern climate change, and increasing anthropogenic impacts on the coastline. Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dating on the Rangitāiki Plains produced older beach ridge ages than those derived via tephrochronology. OSL dating also showed that beach ridge ages coincided with volcanic eruption events. The OSL progradation rates extend to much older time frames than those based on tephrochronology, starting at 7.6 ka rather than 5.5 ka. New data concludes a prominent progradation peak up to 43.03 m yr⁻¹ between 5.202±0.368 ka and 5.187±0.447 ka, around the time of the Whakatāne eruption. By 4 ka, progradation had slowed to only 1.14 m yr⁻¹, suggesting that longshore drift occurred earlier than previously calculated (2 ka), or that progradation slowed before longshore drift commenced. XRF and XRD analysis of sediments from Rangitāiki Plains confirms that beach ridge sediments comprise of intermediate igneous sediments that have been tephra fingerprinted to the Taupō Volcanic Zone.
Tootling for supporting the inclusion of students with special needs in general education classrooms: A systematic literature review
(The University of Waikato, 2025) Kabalinskaya, Alevtina; Anderson, Angelika
Disruptive behaviours negatively impact students’ academic and social progress, leading to poor outcomes later in life. The effects can be especially detrimental for students with additional needs. After decades of reliance on a punitive approach to behaviour management in schools, positive behaviour interventions are gaining recognition for their ability to manage problematic behaviours by teaching students the appropriate ways to interact and creating positive and supportive environments. The Schoolwide Positive Behaviour Interventions and Support (SWPBIS) framework provides a proactive, flexible approach to behaviour management through a tiered system of supports. Supports are provided in accordance with the needs of a student, with the strategies of Tier 1 designed to support the needs of the majority of students. Considering that physical placement of special needs students in general education classrooms does not always mean meaningful inclusion of those students on academic and social processes of the classrooms, strategies for inclusion are needed. As inclusion strategies should target both typical and special needs students, they should be implemented schoolwide, as Tier 1 strategies. In this systematic literature review a positive behaviour intervention called Tootling is evaluated as a potential strategy for enhancing inclusion of students with special needs in general education classrooms. Being implemented classwide Tootling has a potential improving behaviour of special needs students without separating or singling them out in any other way. The review examined sixteen studies that assessed the effects of Tootling at the classwide level in inclusive classrooms, alongside three studies that focused on individual students with special needs. Studies were evaluated using the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) standards for research design quality (Institute of Education Studies, 2017). Data were systematically aggregated to provide an overview of participants, methodologies, and findings. Additionally, the outcome data was subjected to systematic visual analysis for additional validation. Findings indicate that Tootling is an effective, evidence-based intervention for reducing disruptive behaviour and increasing appropriate behaviour in inclusive classrooms, meeting the WWC “5-3-20” threshold (Institute of Education Studies, 2017). The evidence for the effect of Tootling on passive off-task behaviour was insufficient with a small number of studies that evaluated passive off-task and inconclusive results of those studies. The results regarding the effect of Tootling on disruptive and appropriate behaviour in individual students with special needs were promising. Further research from various research teams covering larger numbers of diverse participants is needed to strengthen the evidence base and explore long-term impacts.
Interrogating the intersection of participation and performance outcomes in school sport: A case study of sport in educational settings
(The University of Waikato, 2025) Sherlock Ludlow, Finlay; Roberts, William M.; Townsend, Robert C.
The aim of this research was to explore the challenges faced by educators when attempting to offer both participation and performance pathways for pupils in a school setting. Education is often overlooked when performance sport is integrated into community, youth, and school settings. This research sought to explore the nuances of school sport delivery within New Zealand. Amidst falling participation rates of youth in sport, it is evident that schools play a critical role in offering quality sporting experiences to young people. One of the driving factors of the falling rates of participation is the professionalisation (including specialisation) of youth sport. To counter this, initiatives such as 'Balance is Better' and GoodSports have been developed to prioritise youth development in sport. Yet schools and sporting academies can deliver sport how they see fit, and as such, do not need to align to these initiatives. It is therefore important to understand what the day-to-day delivery of youth sport looks like within schools. Specifically, this research considers the tensions that school sport staff face in delivering sport programmes within a complicated youth sport landscape. This thesis adopts a pragmatic paradigm, informing a qualitative case study. The primary tools for data collection were observations and interviews with nine staff across a range of roles within an independent school in New Zealand. Using Practice Architectures as a theoretical lens through which to analyse data, interactions within the school were grouped into social-political; cultural-discursive; and material-economic arrangements. Through the bundles of these arrangements, three key tensions emerge when considering some of the challenges faced by sport staff in education settings: 1) inconsistent and ineffective leadership to determine the direction of sport; 2) a disconnect in values between practitioners; 3) a need for processes to socialise the staff to the school values. The findings and implications of this study highlight the importance of schools offering opportunities for staff to align themselves with the values of the school, and the importance of the school having a sense of what day-to-day sporting delivery looks like to its students. Beyond this, it is argued that further research and sport governance platforms (such as that of Sport New Zealand) should work to support schools to ensure that sport is delivered in accordance with school values and youth development initiatives.
An investigation of the accelerated loss of diastase (α-amylase) activity in mānuka honey
(The University of Waikato, 2025) Kaur, Harmanpreet; Grainger, Megan N.C.; Prentice, Erica J.
New Zealand’s multi-million dollar apiculture industry exports over 10,000 tonnes of honey annually. Each country has import guidelines to ensure honey quality. The diastase activity assay is used to determine whether honey has been exposed to harsh conditions (excess storage time or high temperatures will denature diastase) and reports the activity as diastase number (DN), where DN must be >8 for exports. Unfortunately, mānuka honey (NZ’s high value honey with unique properties) fails the diastase assay more often than other NZ floral honeys. Bioactive compounds [methylglyoxal (MGO), dihydroxyacetone (DHA) and 3-phenyllactic acid (3PLA)] in mānuka honey were predicted to decrease diastase activity by forming modifications on diastase. Hence, the extent, diversity, location and functional impacts of these modifications on diastase were investigated. Two fresh mānuka honeys, a clover control and clover spiked (MGO, DHA, 3PLA, 3PLA+MGO and 3PLA+DHA) honey samples were stored at 27 °C for ~200 days and periodically tested to observe chemical compositional changes in relation to the loss of diastase activity. The results corroborated previous data; DN decreased in honey over time with increased loss rates observed in mānuka. In the spiked clover samples both DHA and MGO increased rates of diastase activity loss and these rates were enhanced by 3PLA (a proton donor). Enzyme kinetics (enzyme-substrate binding and enzyme rate constants) suggest that denaturation is not the sole mechanism for reduced DN values in honey over time, rather, surface level modifications from bioactive compounds are affecting the affinity of diastase for the substrate. Diastase was isolated from the honeys (days 0 and ~200) using SDS-PAGE gels and analysed with LC-MS/MS to identify surface modifications on diastase. Results showed evidence of diastase modification over the time trial for all honeys. This occurred in unique locations for both mānuka honeys and MGO and 3PLA+DHA spiked clover honeys. Some of these locations were in proximity to the active site of diastase. The most abundant honey protein, MRJP1, was used to accurately identify trends in modification changes on proteins over time as a model for the effect occurring on diastase (since similar reactive amino acids are present on both MRJP1 and diastase). All honeys (except the clover control) had an increased number of modifications. The largest increases were observed for the MGO, DHA and 3PLA+MGO spiked honeys. Fewer modifications were detected for the 3PLA+DHA spiked honey despite this having the most pronounced changes in the enzyme kinetic parameters. This is likely because the modification library focused on MGO-induced modifications and did not account for DHA modifications. In summary, MGO modifications on proteins in honey were observed. DHA modifications and the role of 3PLA as a proton donor were deduced from the enzyme kinetic parameters. While time and temperature denature diastase, surface modifications on diastase may be contributing to the accelerated loss of diastase activity observed for mānuka honey. This necessitates the reassessment of diastase activity as a test for honey quality, especially in the context of complex honey matrices (such as mānuka honey).
Healing in community: Exploring experiences of support groups for survivors of sexual violence
(The University of Waikato, 2025) Burton, Margot; Hamley, Logan
This thesis examines the role of community-based support groups in fostering healing among survivors of sexual violence, with a particular focus on understanding the benefits and challenges of participation in such groups. Sexual violence is a pervasive social issue with long-lasting impacts on survivors. While individual therapeutic interventions are often prioritised, community-based support groups offer a unique pathway for healing through shared experiences, validation, and social support. The importance of support groups is highlighted in the literature on support services in Aotearoa New Zealand and globally, however survivors often face significant barriers in accessing support due to stigma and other systemic factors. This study seeks to address these gaps by exploring how support groups contribute to healing in the context of Aotearoa New Zealand. Using a qualitative research design, individual interviews and online qualitative questionnaires were conducted with survivors who had attended support groups. Reflexive thematic analysis revealed three overarching themes: Safety, Healing, and Navigating Systems. Safety emerged as a critical factor, encompassing the role of facilitators, group guidelines, and the overall group culture. Healing was facilitated through validation, connection, trust, and empowerment within the group setting. The theme of Navigating Systems highlighted the complexities of accessing services, engaging with support systems, and recognising healing as a continuous lifelong journey. The findings emphasise the need for trauma-informed, community-based interventions and advocate for policy and practices that enhance the accessibility and effectiveness of support groups. The findings of this study underscore the importance of safe, well-facilitated support group spaces and the need for greater accessibility to support groups for survivors of sexual violence. It also emphasises the role of policy in sustaining survivor-centred services that can foster healing and resilience tailored to meet the needs of different communities and cultures.
Molecular insights into ecosystem health: Comparative characterisation of dietary ecology and spatial biodiversity patterns through DNA metabarcoding of threatened predator species in Aotearoa New Zealand
(The University of Waikato, 2025) Stanners, Ashleigh; McGaughran, Angela
Predator species play critical ecological roles, influencing food web dynamics, regulating prey populations, and reflecting the health of their surrounding ecosystems. In Aotearoa New Zealand, many threatened predators inhabit environments under pressure from habitat modification, invasive species, and climate change. Understanding their dietary ecology and the biodiversity of their habitats is essential for effective conservation management. Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding, which uses genetic material shed into the environment to identify taxa, offers a non-invasive and highly sensitive approach to investigating both diet and broader biodiversity patterns. My thesis aimed to compare the dietary ecology and incidental biodiversity detection of two threatened predators inhabiting contrasting ecosystems, and to evaluate how ecological context shapes the information recovered through molecular analyses. The first analysis (Chapter 2) examined the diet of the long-tailed bat (Chalinolobus tuberculatus) across multiple roosting locations within a single plantation forest over the summer season. This was the first study of its kind at this scale for the species, generating an unprecedented molecular dataset. Metabarcoding revealed a diet dominated by arthropods from multiple insect orders, encompassing both native and introduced taxa. Differences linked to reproductive status suggested shifts in prey choice driven by energetic demands, while variation between pre- and post-harvest periods indicated sensitivity to forestry management cycles. These results highlight both the potential role of this species in regulating introduced insects and its value as a bioindicator in managed forest systems. The second analysis (Chapter 3) investigated little blue penguins (Eudyptula minor) from an island breeding colony within a sheltered harbour, focusing on both dietary and non-diet biodiversity signals. While direct dietary resolution was limited, eDNA recovered a rich record of terrestrial and nearshore taxa, reflecting seasonal and spatial variation in colony-adjacent biodiversity. These patterns were potentially influenced by seasonal ocean productivity, prey migration, microhabitat heterogeneity, and anthropogenic disturbance, demonstrating the capacity of faecal eDNA to capture wider ecosystem information. Together, these studies demonstrate that predator faecal metabarcoding can provide complementary insights into species ecology and environmental condition, even when direct dietary resolution is constrained. By integrating trophic and incidental biodiversity data, this research contributes molecular baselines for long-term monitoring, enables the characterisation of hard-to-study or cryptic species that are otherwise difficult to observe directly, underscores the influence of ecological context on eDNA recovery, and supports the use of non-invasive molecular tools to inform evidence-based management and the conservation of threatened species and their habitats in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Removal of estrone (E1) in water: A comparative study of UV, natural light, and algal treatments
(The University of Waikato, 2025) Chen, Yixin; Lay, Mark C.
Estrone (E1) is an environmental estrogen that threatens both man's health and the ecosystem due to its endocrine-disrupting action. This research compared and evaluated three treatment methods - ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, natural sunlight exposure, and algal treatment with Spirogyra, based on the removal efficiency of E1 under controlled laboratory conditions. Because LC–MS identification of the first-round samples is still pending, a second round of experiments was conducted using UV–Vis spectrophotometry to track E1 degradation at higher concentrations (0–10 mg/L). The results demonstrated that natural sunlight achieved the highest E1 removal efficiency, with the 10 mg/L samples showing an 84.86% decline in absorbance by the second day. The UV group showed consistent but less degradation in E1 removal, while the algal group showed the least removal in E1. Further analyses, including light-field mapping, short-term reproducibility tests, pH condition experiments, and concentration-time curves, also provided mechanistic explanations and reinforced the robustness of these findings. This study gives proof that the non-catalytic photodegradation of E1 in natural provides experimental support for the development of energy-saving and green water treatment processes.
How do societal pressures influence the nutrition choices of adolescent boys in a New Zealand single-sex school context, and what are the implications for New Zealand educators?
(The University of Waikato, 2025) Grinter, Amy; Petrie, Kirsten
Understanding how nutrition choices of adolescent boys are influenced by social pressures in a New Zealand single-sex boys’ school is critical in informing science educators on how to design and deliver nutrition education. While there is a body of literature on social influences such as family (Berge et al., 2016), peers (Ragelienė & Grønhøj, 2020) and social media influence (Derenne & Beresin, 2006) on adolescents and children, much of the research had a focus on young females and overlooked the niche influences that shape the nutrition choices of adolescents’ at a single sex boys school. Adolescence marks a significant change period, including the shift in value of opinion from their parents to their peers (Mazzeo et al., 2024). Additionally, compulsory subjects at school are coming to an end. Therefore, there is a great responsibility on educators to highlight the importance of the nuanced factors that affect nutrition consumption throughout their lives and equip adolescents with a more realistic approach to nutrition that extends beyond calories and macronutrients. With this in mind, and to gather some initial data this study sought out to explore: How do societal pressures influence the nutrition choices of adolescent boys in a New Zealand single-sex school context, and what are the implications for New Zealand educators? Given the scope of the study, a mixed-methods survey was conducted with Year 11 students (16 years and older) combining quantitative questions with a small number of open-ended questions to capture nuanced perspectives associated with nutrition. This study not only considers the formal teaching of nutrition but also the informal culture of the school environment and how these factors play their part in influencing the choices adolescents make about their food habits. Year 11 students are at a key developmental stage of transitioning from childhood to adolescence. The findings from this study raise several implications for educators. A clear takeaway is the need to address the existing narrow scope adolescents have when it comes to nutrition. For many boys, nutrition has been reduced to a narrow mindset focusing on protein consumption, macronutrient balancing and body image. This mindset, reflected in many of the survey responses, prioritises physical measurements such as physique or athletic performance, rather than their overall health or well-being. Social media was raised as a contributor to this mindset with most participants reporting daily exposure to social media and fitness influencers who promote this hyper fixation on macronutrients. This culture of misinformation is corroborated by school sporting environments, where coachers try to deliver simplified nutrition advice, reinforcing this narrow, macronutrient tracking mindset. Compounding this issue is the segmented approach to nutrition education within the school curriculum, as well as the school culture and canteen options, which fail to cultivate healthy eating messages. These findings suggest the need for an educational reform. A more integrated approach that can suitably portray the nuanced and multifaceted factors that influence nutrition choices is required. Finally, this survey’s results indicated education is not sufficient alone to harbour healthy eating, but the school environment must also reflect and promote healthy eating. Therefore, nutrition should not be segmented to individual topics, but taught across departments in science, physical education (P.E.) and health, social studies and be displayed in everyday school practices. Additionally, providing education to sports coaches and trainers will enable them to offer more well-rounded, holistic nutrition advice to their students. Without considering an education reform, schools run the risk of continuing to instil this narrow-sighted ideology about nutrition.
Perspectives and expectations of person-centred and equitable cancer nursing care
(The University of Waikato, 2025) Leow, Clara; Wall, Lara; Parsons, Matthew
Abstract Background: The rising prevalence of cancer in New Zealand calls for a need to improve person-centred and equitable cancer nursing care, in order to enhance patient outcomes and alleviate burden on the healthcare system. However, achieving this can prove to be a challenge due to the increase in cultural diversity amongst patients and nurses. Therefore, understanding and embracing the perspectives and expectations of both patients and nurses would be beneficial and crucial to raising awareness and bridging gaps that could jeopardise person-centred and equitable cancer nursing care. With only one inpatient ward within the region, the acute Haematology and Oncology ward within Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora Waikato is no exception to these challenges. Objective: This research aims to explore the perspectives and expectations of patients and nurses in an acute Haematology and Oncology ward within Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora Waikato. Participants: Six patients from the inpatient ward were purposefully recruited in the qualitative phase according to the sampling framework, and through the application of inclusion, and exclusion criteria. All 53 registered nurses were invited to participate in an anonymous online survey during the quantitative phase. However, only 15 registered nurses responded. Methods: This exploratory sequential mixed methods research consisted of an initial qualitative phase that explored the perspectives and expectations of patients using semi-structured interviews. Braun and Clarke’s reflexive thematic analysis was utilised to identify themes from the interviews. An anonymous online Likert scale survey was then developed for registered nurses in the quantitative phase. Data from the surveys were analysed using descriptive statistics. Findings: Four main themes emerged from patient interviews as important aspects of person-centred and equitable cancer care to patients: (i) Holistic needs and care, (ii) Involving and engaging support system, (iii) Barriers and challenges, and (iv) Nursing roles and patient engagement. However, findings from staff surveys revealed that nurses had varying perspectives and were not consistently providing care that patients valued. When both data sets were compared, it was evident that there were significant misalignments in the perspectives and expectations of person-centred and equitable care between patients and nurses. Conclusion: Understanding and embracing the perspectives and expectations of patients and nurses in cancer care is a pivotal aspect to achieving person-centred and equitable care in New Zealand. However, barriers such as misaligned perspectives and expectations between patients and nurses can negatively impact the delivery of individualised care. As a result, this increases the risk for more unfavourable treatment outcomes and complications, thereby also placing more pressure on the already strained healthcare system. While this study has provided valuable insights, further research may be required to increase the generalisability and robustness of this topic. In addition, implementation of strategies, and interventions to encourage the alignment of perspectives and expectations between patients and nurses should also be explored at different levels of cancer care, including the incorporation of policy, educational and clinical support.
"Ko au te whenua, ko te whenua ko au:" A Māori housing development process
(The University of Waikato, 2025) Fletcher, Marcus Anzac Kewene; Ringham, Sandra Lee; White, Iain
Tangata whenua (People of the land/Indigenous people of Aotearoa) are being recognised as emerging property and land developers in Aotearoa New Zealand (hereafter, Aotearoa). Literature and practice demonstrates how Māori are developing housing in different ways than traditional developers, supporting the wellbeing of whānau (families), hapū (sub-tribes) and iwi (tribes), while contributing to addressing the national housing crisis. The distinctiveness of these approaches are important to understand if we want to deepen our knowledge of urban development and the modelling of housing markets in Aotearoa. This thesis aims to reveal, codify and examine Māori decision-making processes relating to how and why we develop housing in Aotearoa and the values and principles that inform these approaches. Utilising Kaupapa Māori Theory and taking an insider/whānaunga (relatives) approach to the research, four whakawhiti kōrero sessions with Waikato whānau and kaimahi (workers) were undertaken to better understand how and why Māori develop housing and the processes and rationalities at play. The thesis has three contributions for academia, environmental planning and the housing sector in Aotearoa: insights into the values and rationalities that influence Māori urban development; the introduction of a Māori housing development framework; and insights into how the framework may be utilised to contribute towards more accurate and sophisticated agent-based modelling (ABM) or urban growth modelling. The findings and discussion identified six prominent values that Māori utilise to develop housing: kaitiakitanga, manaakitanga, orangatanga, whānaungatanga, ūkaipōtanga and rangatiratanga. Being rooted in Māori knowledge and epistemology essentially demands differing rationalities for when Māori undertake housing development, which are placed within an overarching framework. The framework represents a new tool to disrupt the current understanding of ‘developers’ as a single entity with a defined pathway that influences all development behaviour. Moreover, it demonstrates how whānau, hapū and iwi draw on the established learning and guidance of our tūpuna (ancestors) and the strides taken to reclaim tino rangatiratanga (self-determination). The thesis argues that academics, environmental practitioners and the housing sector should re-examine their understanding of developers in Aotearoa to become more pluralistic, which may present new challenges and opportunities for ABM and urban growth modelling. This framework argues some aspects may have potential to be incorporated into these technical analyses, while other aspects should be considered in the context of Māori and Indigenous Data Sovereignty to protect the contributions and mana of the participants within this thesis, or resist the ability to be captured altogether.
The cultural and ecological health of the Tokaanu Stream
(The University of Waikato, 2025) Eastwood, Kevin; Burdon, Francis
Freshwater ecosystems worldwide face increasing threats from human activities like land development and altered flow regimes. These pressures, along with climate change, jeopardize water quality and quantity. Despite these challenges, effective management can improve water quality and habitat, thus sustaining biodiversity and ecosystem services. Lake Taupō, Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest freshwater lake, holds immense significance for the local iwi, Ngāti Tūwharetoa. The Tokaanu Stream is a tributary of Lake Taupō that was once considered a premier fly-fishing spot. However, the stream has been severely impacted by the Tongariro Power Scheme, which required it to be bisected and channelized to accommodate the Tokaanu tailrace. Coupled with land-use changes in the catchment, these alterations have caused the local hapū, Ngāti Kurauia, who have mana whenua over the lower stream, to raise concerns about its ecological and cultural degradation. To address this problem, I developed a cultural monitoring framework (CMF) in collaboration with Ngāti Kurauia, alongside conventional stream monitoring, at six sites in the lower Tokaanu Stream. The bespoke CMF was developed through kōrero and wānanga (discussions and workshops) with Ngāti Kurauia. This participatory approach resulted in a CMF with 16 attributes covering vegetation, birdlife, water quality, pollution, engineering, and substrate. Regular assessments revealed a longitudinal decline in stream condition from the most upstream site (Site 1) to the most downstream (Site 6). The state of Site 3 was identified as the most desirable, whilst Site 5 was the most degraded. Alongside the CMF, I assessed stream health using conventional scientific measures. This monitoring also showed a longitudinal decline in stream ecosystem health moving downstream. Water quality worsened, with indicator bacteria increasing from 45 to 190 CFU/100 ml and total ammoniacal nitrogen from 0.029 to 0.125 g/m3 over the 4 km segment. Deposited fine sediment cover was high, increasing from 69% cover at Site 1 to 83% at Site 6. Cellulose degradation rates (a functional indicator) were diminished at Sites 5 and 6 in both years, even with warming from geothermal springs. Macroinvertebrate communities, monitored in 2023 and 2024, initially showed a linear decline moving downstream in 2023. However, in-stream remediation in early 2024, undertaken by a private contractor, significantly improved macroinvertebrate indicators at impacted sites (Sites 4-6). The challenges facing the Tokaanu Stream are complex, stemming from geothermal inputs, urbanisation, upstream agriculture, and channelization. Declining water quality may be linked to faulty sewage infrastructure in Tokaanu Village. The stream's diversion includes a tailrace spillway that prevents larger downstream flows, potentially reducing scouring events crucial for natural sediment dynamics. These changes have significant ecological and cultural ramifications for Ngāti Kurauia. To better understand and address these issues, I argue for an additional downstream State of the Environment (SOE) monitoring site. The current site, near the upstream spring, fails to capture the full impact of catchment inputs, including diffuse pollution from Tokaanu Village and altered sediment dynamics from the diversion. An additional SOE site, coupled with the findings of my thesis, would provide crucial knowledge to support efforts in restoring the Tokaanu Stream's ecological health and the mana of Ngāti Kurauia.
Sallow men & shallow graves
(The University of Waikato, 2025) McPherson, Rogan; Chidgey, Catherine; Slaughter, Tracey
For almost 30 years, members of the ‘Ludditious Faith of Our Heavenly Father, and the Foretellers of the Ongoing Apocalypse’ have been living a peaceful life. Fleeing the impending Y2K disaster, these Luddites buried themselves deep in the neglected wilds of east Aotearoa, founding the settlement of New Eden. Here, they follow the strict tenets set out by their founder and prophet, Enoch, while avoiding the technological apocalypse that has plagued the outside world. From their perspective, Y2K came to pass as a gradual moral degradation brought on by the onset of rapidly evolving technologies, and the greed and vanity of the 21st century has only cemented these beliefs. However, Enoch's sacrifice protected the Valley of Eden; thus, the year 2000 (and the sin of the millennium) never reached it. But that doesn’t mean New Eden is free of sin altogether. Sallow Men & Shallow Graves follows Margaret “Peggy” Matheson, a private investigator who loathes her profession and is ready for a career change. After completing her ‘final job’, she is reigned back in when a woman from her bloody past comes calling. Peggy agrees to find the woman’s daughter, but all she gets in terms of clues are rumours of an eccentric religious group living in the hills north of Gisbourne. To Peggy, it all sounds a little far-fetched. But when she finds evidence of other disappearances in the area, she can’t help but wonder if this cult - the so-called ‘Ludditious Faith’ - is responsible. While Peggy is our central protagonist, the novel briefly dips into the lives of those around her, such as Paisley (the main target of her investigation), William (the ‘Druid’ of the Ludditious Faith), and Tama (her guilt-ridden protégé). I explore the themes of guilt and deception and how they intersect with one’s perception of reality, both in terms of personal relationships and the overarching narrative of the cult. Throughout my writing process, I have endeavoured to avoid vilifying the cult as a whole. So often are fictional cults depicted as ‘evil’, but if you examine real communities like Jonestown or Centrepoint, what you find is a collection of ordinary people who lost their way in life, and a charismatic leader who can captivate an audience, and convince that audience that they are exactly where they need to be. Evil often begins and ends with one person, and everyone else - whether Luddite or citizen - is just trying to get by. Every character in this story has secrets: lies they tell themselves and others. But one reality I have aimed to enforce is that sometimes in life, you don’t get all the answers. Some, I offer freely. Others, I leave for the reader to decipher, interpret, or neglect. This story seeks your attention in some scenes and rewards it in others. It is a slow-burning narrative with a few small embers and flares along the way, but once it truly ignites, it doesn’t stop until there is nothing left but cinders and ashes.
The role of thermal tolerance in biological invasion
(The University of Waikato, 2025) Wilde, Margot; McGaughran, Angela
Biological invasion and climate change are among the greatest threats to biodiversity currently. Several factors influence what makes a successful invasive species. Among these is the thermal tolerance of the invasive species. An organism’s thermal physiology underpins many aspects of its life, including the habitats in which it can survive, its reproduction and its development. Climate change is increasing global average temperatures at an unprecedented pace, which is increasing thermal stress on virtually all life around the world. These effects are particularly pronounced in ectotherms, which are reliant on environmental temperature to set their body temperature and drive their metabolism. Insects comprise a significant proportion of globally important invasive species. As well as being ectothermic, they have a complex life cycle with a number of developmental stages, all of which may be influenced by environmental temperatures. Invasive species can often tolerate or adapt to a broad range of environmental conditions. They may therefore be expected to have a broader thermal tolerance than their native counterparts, and than other invasives that have a narrower invaded range. This research used a blowfly model to investigate how thermal tolerance differed across temperatures, using a static temperature assay to measure thermal knockdown time. Key foci included the effects of both developmental heat acclimation and adult heat tolerance on thermal performance. In Chapter 2, variation in adult heat tolerance was assessed across three temperatures (41℃, 42℃, 43℃) in five blowfly species invasive to New Zealand. I found that the two more globally invasive species in the study exhibited higher heat tolerance than the three less invasive Calliphora species, whose native ranges are generally more temperate. In Chapter 3, the effect of developmental temperature on adult knockdown time in a single species (Calliphora stygia) was assessed. I showed that C. stygia reared at the lowest temperature (18℃) had the highest knockdown time and the smallest body size, while those reared at 26℃ 1 exhibited the shortest knockdown time and an intermediate body size, with those reared at 22℃ being the largest. Collectively, my results indicate that adult heat tolerance varies between invasive blowfly species, but that developmental acclimation temperature may not have a significant effect on adult heat tolerance. Given the increasing global temperatures seen with climate change, the effects of invasive species are likely to increase, with some species likely to do better than others in a warming world. Thermal performance will undoubtedly play a role in filtering out the ‘winners’ and ‘losers’, therefore further research into both heat and cold tolerance in both laboratory and field settings are crucial.
Personal therapy in psychology training: Perspectives from the practising field
(The University of Waikato, 2025) Mills, Briar; Mohi, Simone R.
The potential relevance of personal therapy for psychologists in training has long been discussed, yet few empirical studies have explored how it is perceived by psychologists themselves. This study investigated the views of 219 Australian psychologists who had engaged in personal therapy, drawing on their written qualitative responses to a larger online survey distributed across Australia. Thematic analysis was used to explore participants’ perspectives on personal therapy during training. Seven key themes were identified, reflecting diverse views on whether therapy should be required, the challenges and barriers that can affect access, and how stigma or normalisation influence uptake. Participants described how personal therapy during training was viewed as contributing to professional and personal development, enhancing self-awareness, emotional insight, and relational capacities, as well as offering support that extended beyond the limits of supervision. Some also highlighted the protective and sustaining role of therapy and its alignment with professional values. Views on whether therapy should be mandated varied, but many supported increased encouragement and visibility within training contexts. These findings offer timely insight into how psychologists with lived experience of personal therapy reflect on its role during training, highlighting considerations for professional development, trainee wellbeing, and the broader training environment.
Comparing the psychological well-being of working and non-working mothers
(The University of Waikato, 2025) Mir, Ayesha; Milfont, Taciano L.
The well-being of parents is essential for the health and development of both their families and themselves. Both parents contribute greatly to their children’s development and growth. In contrast to fathers, however, mothers have higher responsibilities in handling household chores and children, along with their professional obligations. Indeed, the employment status of mothers is a crucial determinant of their life satisfaction and happiness. Due to a lack of comprehensive cross-cultural studies that examine the psychological well-being among working and non-working mothers, the present pre-registered study was designed to explore the difference in psychological well-being measured as happiness and life satisfaction among working and non-working mothers in New Zealand and Pakistan. The study utilized the data from the World Value Survey Wave 7 and employed a quantitative cross-sectional research design to investigate the psychological well-being of 252 working and 206 non-working New Zealand mothers, and 78 working and 78 non-working Pakistani mothers. The findings demonstrated that non-working mothers in New Zealand experienced higher life satisfaction compared to working mothers, whereas in Pakistan, working mothers reported greater life satisfaction than non-working mothers. The result emphasizes the influence of culture, employment status, and social support systems in shaping the well-being of mothers. Recommendations are made for culturally relevant interventions that tackle the challenges faced by mothers in developing and developed countries. Future research can explore socioeconomic status, and ethnicities as additional factors that might influence the well-being of mothers.
Laying the tracks: Investigating the potential benefits for autistic children of a model railway initiative
(The University of Waikato, 2025) Gedye, Jacob; Anderson, Angelika
This study described a model railway programme in terms of its benefits for autistic children and their families/communities. A non-experimental mixed-method design was conducted, in which an observation schedule was designed to determine whether behaviours which are associated with language development were facilitated by the programme. Interviews with parents/caregivers were conducted to collect qualitative data about the programme, to better understand how it is perceived by visitors and what draws them to attend. Individual case studies with children and their parents/caregivers were done to build a clearer picture of what can be seen at an individual level. Finally, a focus group was arranged with members of the railway modeller’s club to find out their point of view and broaden the qualitative scope of the data. Findings suggest potential utility in this programme for autistic children and future research implications are discussed.
Studies toward an optimized synthesis of a Novel Imidazopyridinone DNA-PK Inhibitor
(The University of Waikato, 2025) Mora, Daniel A.; Dickson, Benjamin
Cancer is a disease of global significance, with cancer rates increasing year on year globally. A key challenge within the treatment of cancer is the cellular response to radiotherapy. When fractionated radiotherapy is targeted at cancerous cells DNA double strand breaks are promoted via free radical formation to induce cellular death. However, cellular responses activate the DNA double strand break repair mechanism to oppose these outcomes. Involved in this mechanism is the DNA-PK enzyme and the Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre (ACSRC) has developed an enzyme inhibitor SN39536 to inhibit the repair mechanism. Core aspects of the project surround the use and optimization of an alternative novel synthetic route to the drug as the original published route was developed allowing for structural diversity as opposed to efficiency. There are three novel reactions at the beginning of the alternative route leading to a point of convergence with the ACSRC route at an imidazopyridinone intermediate; a nucleophilic aromatic substitution, a base-catalyzed hydrolysis and a Curtius rearrangement. Analogous reactions were originally reported by Astra Zeneca (AZ) with pyrimidine analogues however in this work they have been adapted and optimized for pyridine variants. Post optimization the highest yield achieved for the pyridine substrates were; 85.3% for the nucleophilic aromatic substitution, 89.9% for the base-catalyzed hydrolysis and 69.5% for the Curtius rearrangement. These are comparable to the AZ yields with their pyrimidine analogues however in each case the addition of heat and/or increased reaction times were consistently required to match the AZ yields – highlighting that the novel pyridine substrates are not as activated for these reactions. The novel route generates the same imidazopyridinone intermediate as the ACSRC route in an overall yield of 53.3%. This is significantly lower than the 70.6% overall yield from the ACSRC route. Despite the novel route being viable for the synthesis of imidazopyridinones we propose it is currently an inferior alternative for the synthesis of SN39536. A rearrangement of the novel route steps was then attempted to explore if the altered electronics of the substrates aid or diminish the synthetic yield of the novel reactions. We placed the final Buchwald-Hartwig amination of the original syntheses after the initial novel nucleophilic aromatic substitution however, we were unable to optimize this novel cross-coupling beyond a yield of 19.0%. Investigation into the reaction conditions were unable to discern why the cross-coupling was consistently unsuccessful. The limited information from our substrate studies suggests that the substrate for this reaction does not have the correct electronics to undergo the proposed cross-coupling. The 19.0% yield of this reaction currently renders the rearranged novel route an unviable alternative to both previous syntheses.

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