Education Papers

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://researchcommons.waikato.ac.nz/handle/10289/27

This community houses research from the Te Kura Toi Tangata Division of Education at the University of Waikato.

Browse

Now showing 1 - 20 of 1554

Transformative leadership, regional solidarity, and the role of universities in a changing world
(University of Canterbury, 2026) Radclyffe, Charles JT; Vakaoti, Patrick; Rakuita, Tui; Levy, Benjamin; Nanau, Gordon Leau; Kalavite, Telesia; Faatoese, Allamanda; Schaaf, Michelle; Cornejo, Moira Fortin
At the University of Otago’s Annual Pacific Lecture for 2025, Solomon Islands National University Vice Chancellor, Professor Transform Aqorau, delivered a bold address about the importance of regional solidarity and cooperation, leadership centred on service and dignity, sustainable development for and by Pacific peoples, and recognising the vital role universities play in shaping these. These themes were then deliberated during a subsequent Public Panel. Here, we collate and present individual responses from the panellists. This is followed by a reflective discussion about the growing number of national universities and the changing socio-economic and political landscape of tertiary education in Oceania. Echoing Aqorau’s message of self-belief and finding strength in regional solidarity, we encourage Pacific university leaders and educators to strive for excellence by benchmarking first from within, and to work together to meet the growing educational and increasingly complex developmental needs of the Blue Pacific Continent.
Regenerative internationalization: Designing learning for a thriving future
(Nova Science Publishers, Inc., 2026) O'Brien, Ray; Levy, Benjamin; Cliff, Craig; Byker, Erik Jon; Medina, Adriana L
While internationalization of higher education can help develop global competencies, there are significant risks that increased international mobility will undermine the credibility of universities to address wicked problems like climate change. The social license for institutional strategies that emphasize the growth of internationalization, is now under scrutiny. In this chapter, the design of internationalized learning experiences for inbound international students are viewed through the lens of regenerative practice. This chapter proposes a transition towards regenerative internationalization. A set of reflective questions have been developed to allow those designing the next generation of international learning experiences to fully consider the extent to which the experiences will have regenerative impacts so that Universities realize the significant benefits of internationalization in a manner that will withstand their own critique. In doing so, this framework positions the designers of these experiences as leaders of change, actively contributing to a thriving future of internationalization.
An E-Talanoa of the comparative and international education research field: Relational Vā–decoloniality in Oceania
(Emerald, 2026) Wright, Tepora; Fa'avae, David Taufui Mikato; Levy, Benjamin; Packham, Emma; Virtue, Katie ; Watkins-Matavalea, Dassia
We align with Tuhiwai Smith’s (2012) critique of research as “one of the ways in which the underlying code of imperialism and colonialism is both regulated and realized” (p. 8). As emerging comparative and international education (CIE) researchers within Oceania, we recognize “the critical role that uneven power plays in the constitution of comparative knowledge” (Takayama et al., 2017, p. s3). In deliberately disrupting conventional academic formats, we adopted a dialogic and relational talanoa structure that foregrounds Indigenous Moana Oceania epistemologies and ontologies. This choice unsettles Western-centric norms of linearity, objectivity, and authorial detachment typically valorized in scholarly writing (Mignolo & Walsh, 2018; Smith, 2012). Rather than presenting knowledge as static and decontextualized, we adopt a flowing, reflexive structure that is responsive to contexts and centered around vā – the relational space – as an epistemic principle and a decolonial imperative (Johansson-Fua, 2016; Suaalii-Sauni et al., forthcoming). This format resists the dominance and privileging of Western academic structures and unfolds through sequences of e-talanoa, grounded in our distinct positionalities and experiences across Moana Oceania.
La educación en un mundo globalizado y postdigital: Debates, tendencias y giros inesperados
(2026) Estellés, Marta
Desde las reformas educativas neoliberales de los 80 en el mundo anglosajón, la mayoría de países han seguido, en grados y formas variables, politícas educativas caracterizadas por una creciente privatización de los sistemas educativos públicos, estandarización de los procesos educativos y la introducción de mecanismos de rendición de cuentas, promovidos, en buena medida, por organismos internationales como la OECD y el Banco Mundial. Los efectos más visibles de estas políticas sobre la desigualdad y el aprendizaje han estado bien documentados en la literatura de las últimas décadas y debatidos en múltiples foros. Las formas más recientes de responder a estos y otros desafíos (la pandemia, la IA, etc.) han dado lugar a una serie de respuestas que, sin alterar el sustrato neoliberal esencial de estas reformas, están reformulando los términos y preocupaciones centrales sobre los que gira el debate educativo. En este seminario, discutiremos tres de estos giros. El primero está relacionado con la reacción conservadora frente a, por un lado, el auge de pedagogías ‘blandas’ centradas en el niño que han florecido al calor de discursos neoliberales sobre la flexibilidad, la autonomía y el aprendizaje individualizado y, por otro, las políticas identitarias emergidas en el contexto de lo que Nancy Fraser denomina ‘neoliberalismo progresista’. En numerosos países anglosajones, esta reacción conservadora se está traduciendo en políticas curriculares que apoyan el retorno a las disciplinas tradicionales y métodos de enseñanza centrados en el docente. El segundo giro concierne al proceso que he denominado la ‘safetyficación’ de la educación y que se refiere a la reciente centralidad adquirida por la noción de seguridad, en su vertiente afectiva y emocional, en debates educativos. Esta preocupación sobre la seguridad, entendida como una condición indispensable para el aprendizaje, ha llevado a numerosos países a aprobar políticas relacionadas con la medición de la salud mental, el aprendizaje socioemocional, las pedagogías culturalmente sensibles y el uso generalizado de estrategias psicoterapéuticas para mejorar el rendimiento académico de los estudiantes. El tercer giro concierne al cuestionamiento emergente de la digitalización como piedra angular de la reforma educativa. Preocupaciones crecientes sobre los efectos de las pantallas en las habilidades cognitivas y el bienestar emocional de los estudiantes han llevado a países como Australia, Nueva Zelanda o Suecia a introducir restricciones en el uso de redes sociales, teléfonos móviles y softwares educativos respectivamente. Una ‘reacción digital’ que a menudo convive con procesos de progresiva dataficación y digitalización de la educación. Como veremos, estos tres giros, íntimamente relacionados y llenos de contradicciones, están marcando las nuevas direcciones en política educativa a nivel mundial, ofreciendo nuevas respuestas a la cuestión del rol de la educación en un mundo global y postdigital.
Intersecting knowledge worlds: Describing the cultural interfaces within a socioscientific issue
(Springer, 2026) Wagner, Brent; France, Bev; McKinley, Elizabeth
Increasing numbers of science teachers in Aotearoa New Zealand are exploring ways to incorporate indigenous mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge and ways of knowing) into their science programmes. This article presents findings from a study that examined how senior biology students in two English-medium secondary schools incorporated mātauranga Māori alongside biological science knowledge in their discussions about the use of 1080 poison to control mammalian predators. From a social constructivist ontology and interpretivist mode of inquiry using qualitative methodology, a triadic epistemic agency conceptual framework was developed inductively and used to analyse students’ written scripts for their national school leaving qualification (NCEA), and transcriptions of individual interviews. The study took place prior to the introduction of equal status to mātauranga Māori within the New Zealand Curriculum. Deductive analysis using the Triadic identified a group of ten students who drew from both knowledge systems, with varying degrees of knowledge integration. In addition to detailed representations of the theoretical space of the locale of the learner, the findings also identified three distinctive cultural interfaces occupied by the students: conflicted, parallel, and, connected. The findings underscore the importance of enabling diverse knowledge systems in biology classes to converge. Specifically, the incorporation of mātauranga Māori alongside biological science knowledge encourages a critical stance towards knowledge claims, supports pluralist knowledge use among culturally and linguistically diverse learners and promotes critical engagement with socioscientific issues (SSI) in senior secondary school biology.
Improving the uptake of cervical screening among sexual minority women
(The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners (RNZCGP), 2025-08) Ellis, Sonja J.
Current public health guidance recommends that everyone who has a cervix, is aged 25–69 and is sexually active undergo cervical screening. International research consistently indicates that the uptake of cervical screening among sexual minority women (e.g. lesbians, wahine takatāpui, bisexual women) is considerably lower than for heterosexual women. While many sexual minority women do regularly engage in cervical screening, a sizeable minority have either never been for a cervical smear, or if they have been in the past, they have not routinely participated. In a recently published research article (Ellis, 2024) fewer than half of the 206 sexual minority women who participated had regularly engaged in cervical screening. This is comparable to the reported participation rate of Māori and Pasifika women, indicating that sexual minority women may potentially be an ‘at risk’ group for cervical cancer.
A pedagogical framework for embedding computational thinking in authentic technology practice
(Japan Society of Technology Education (JSTE), 2025) Fox-Turnbull, Wendy; Wu, Shaoqun
Computational thinking is an aspect of digital technologies in the New Zealand Curriculum that teaches children to approach problems systematically, using logical and analytical reasoning. This paper presents a study undertaken in a small-town primary school in New Zealand with a high population of Māori students. The study drew on four aspects from Kotsopoulos et al.’s framework of pedagogical experiences: unplugged, tinkering, making, remixing to investigate pedagogical strategies that facilitate the successful embedding of computational thinking within authentic technological practice. The research aimed to identify learning pedagogies that support young learners in their understanding of computational thinking through designing and developing digital technologies. The qualitative methodologies were informed by the three pedagogical principles from Bishop and Berryman to guide the research design and frame learning support for students. Key themes that emerged from the data included the values of local context, self-autonomy, classroom organisation, use of physical and digital manipulatives. Finally, the paper presents a model for the pedagogical delivery of computational thinking when embedded in technological practice in primary schools, drawing from and adding to Kotsopoulos and colleague’s pedagogical framework. The most significant modification situates the existing model within authentic technology practice, providing context for learning. The model shows an adjustment from ‘Making’ to ‘Designing and Making’, thus strengthening the position of digital technologies within the Technology learning area. The model also signals that authentic technological within a primary classroom practice is heavily impacted by ‘the pragmatics of delivery’ through a range of pedagogical and organisational strategies developed to ensure the needs of all students are met and to support them through their learning journey in computational thinking. The last significant modification of Kotsopoulos and colleagues’ model is the removal of ‘remixing’ because the primary aged students in this study did not reach the level of sophistication required for remixing. The aim of the framework is to assist teachers and teacher educators to design and develop successful teaching and learning strategies for implementing computational thinking into authentic technology practice in primary schools.
Assessment practices in work-integrated learning
(2024) Zegwaard, Karsten E.
The purpose of this webinar is to discuss the purpose of assessment in work-integrated learning (WIL), what authentic assessments means and explore examples of high quality assessment in different modalities of WIL.
Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) identities
(Palgrave Macmillan Cham, 2023-12-28) Semlyen, Joanna; Ellis, Sonja J.
Psychology has a long history of pathologizing LGB identities. Although decades of sociolegal change and advancement of LGBTIQ+ psychology have afforded LGB people the right to self-determination, much of psychology continues to ignore the ways in which the power of LGB people can only exist within the framework of heteronormativity. Even in the western world, the inclusion of LGB people is not universally experienced. The existence of continued victimization, and more subtle forms of discrimination including the appropriation of "gay" culture, indicates that the privileging of heterosexual identities and "lifestyles" is still very much present. Interfacing with constructs such as heteronormativity, liberal humanism, and homonormativity this chapter explores the way in which LGB identities are impacted by politics and power. It also explores the way in which the constituent groups under the LGB identities umbrella are differentially affected by gendered politics, and the ways in which some ways of being LGB are privileged over others under heteronormativity.
Evaluation of STOP Children’s Service 2020-2021: Parents/caregivers and teachers’ perspectives on the effectiveness of the STOP Children’s Service
(Wilf Malcom Institute of Educational Research, The University of Waikato, 2023) Flanagan, Paul G.
This project explored the effectiveness of STOP’s Children’s Service through interviews with parents/caregivers and principals/teachers of child clients who accessed the Service during 2020-2021. This time frame included experience of the effects of Covid-19, providing the possibility of learning areas for improvement of the service to families in remote rural areas where access to in-person clinical services are limited.
Sexual identity and utilisation of primary healthcare services: Findings from the New Zealand Health Survey
(New Zealand Medical Association, 2025) Ellis, Sonja J.; Jankhotkaew, Jintana; Neville, Stephen; Adams, Jeffery
Using data extracted from the New Zealand Health Survey (NZHS), the purpose of this study was to compare lesbian, gay and bisexual people and heterosexual people on engagement with general practitioner (GP) and nursing services and patient experiences of GP services. Quantitative data spanning four waves of NZHS from the years 2017/2018 to 2020/2021 were used to undertake a comparative analysis of lesbian females, bisexual females, gay males, bisexual males and heterosexual males and females. Statistically significant differences were observed in the percentage of GP and nurse utilisation across sexual identity groups. Our analysis showed that both bisexual females and gay/bisexual males were significantly more likely to report poorer levels of trust in GPs and experience poorer explanation of doctors and health conditions. The findings of this study indicate that lesbian, gay and bisexual people have a poorer experience of GP services than do their heterosexual counterparts. These findings indicate the need for GPs and nurses to better understand the ways in which the health needs of lesbian, gay and bisexual people differ from those of heterosexuals to facilitate the provision of culturally appropriate care.
Contraceptive use in lesbian and bisexual women: Findings from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health
(Springer, 2026) Ellis, Sonja J.; Egan, Nicholas; Harris, Melissa
Contraceptive use is a key part of sexual and reproductive health for women, yet few studies have explored contraceptive use patterns in lesbian and bisexual women born between 1989 and 1995. Analysing data from an existing cohort study of reproductive-aged women this study explores contraceptive use among lesbian and bisexual women in Australia. Findings of the study showed that lesbians were least likely to use contraceptives compared to heterosexual women and that bisexual women used short-acting hormonal methods at lower rates and long-acting reversible contraception (LARCs) such as IUDs and implants at higher rates than their heterosexual peers. There was also a range of changes in contraceptive use across time including a decrease in use of both short-acting hormonal contraception and LARCs in combination with condoms while the use of LARCs on their own increased. The findings of this study also indicate that young lesbian and bisexual women are not only likely to use more than one type of contraception, but that their choice of contraception is dynamic and likely to change over time. This paper highlights the need for research that specifically explores the underlying reasons for patterns of, and changes in, contraceptive use among lesbian and bisexual women to better understand the contraceptive counselling needs of this group.
Health and wellbeing among lesbians, bisexual, and sexually diverse women in Aotearoa New Zealand: An exploratory study
(Springer, 2026) Ellis, Sonja J.; Fredricksen-Goldsen, Karen; Nelson , Christi
Introduction Compared to other western, English-speaking, nations there is limited research on health outcomes in LGBTQ + people in New Zealand; particularly among women. This study set out to explore health and wellbeing in sexual minority women with particular reference to differences between subgroups (i.e., lesbians; bisexual women; sexually diverse women). Methods This study utilizes data from an online survey of participants recruited in NZ in 2022 as part of the Global Pride Project. The analysis reported here is based on the responses of 67 sexual minority women on measures of health and wellbeing (e.g., general health, depressive symptomatology, quality of life, social support, community engagement). Results A primary finding of the study was that while sexual identity was a significant predictor of general health it was not a predictor of other study outcomes. Community engagement and social support were found to be significant associations of depressive symptomatology. Social support was also found to be a significant predictor of quality of life. Age was also a predictor of quality of life, with younger sexual minority women reporting lower quality of life. Conclusion The findings suggest that community engagement and social support play an important role in wellbeing; especially for specific subgroups of sexual minority women, which may be potential targets to improve sexual minority women’s health and well-being. Additional research with larger sample sizes is needed. Social policy implications The findings of this study underscore the need for sexual minority women to be specifically included in research, interventions and social policy aimed at ensuring health equity.
Health promotion opportunities for lesbian, gay and bisexual people: Using data from the New Zealand Health Survey
(Wiley, 2025-07-15) Adams, Jeffery; Jankhotkaew, Jintana; Ellis, Sonja J.; Neville, Stephen
Issue Addressed Health inequity for sexual minority (lesbian, gay and bisexual) people compared with heterosexual people is well documented globally. However, limited local data have been used to inform health policy and practice. This project analysed data from the New Zealand Health Survey to determine areas of inequity in health behaviours and identify opportunities for health promotion action. Methods We used pooled data from six waves of the New Zealand Health Survey (from 2015/2016 to 2020/2021). The sample for analysis comprised 67 426 people aged 15 years and older, including 1224 sexual minority females and 703 sexual minority males. We applied multiple logistic regression to investigate the association between health behaviours and sexual identity. Results Sexual minority people were found to have poorer health behaviours in comparison to heterosexual people in relation to alcohol consumption, smoking, drug use, physical activity and nutrition (eating fruit and vegetables). For example, compared to heterosexual females, female minorities were more likely to be binge drinkers (OR:1.61; 95% CI:1.60, 1.62), current smokers (OR:1.88; 95% CI:1.86, 1.90), drug users (OR:3.23; 95% CI:3.20, 3.25) as well as being less likely to meet fruit (OR:0.84; 95% CI:0.84, 0.85) and vegetable consumption guidelines (OR:0.94; 95% CI:0.93, 0.94). It shows similar patterns of the associations when compared to heterosexual males with male minorities. In relation to physical activity, female minority people were more likely to meet the guidelines compared to heterosexual females. Conclusion Our results from the New Zealand Survey data are broadly consistent with the current international literature demonstrating health inequity for sexual minorities compared with heterosexual people in relation to alcohol consumption, smoking, drug use, physical activity and eating fruit and vegetables. So What? Opportunities exist in New Zealand to improve the health behaviours of sexual minorities, and health promotion agencies should ensure their interventions address the needs of these groups. Health promotion agencies have an ethical and moral responsibility to address these areas of inequity.
Testing a suicidal ideation-to-action framework among Queer and Takatāpui people in Aotearoa New Zealand: An examination of the three-step theory
(The New Zealand Psychological Society, 2025-08-01) Schimanski, Irie; Treharne, Gareth; Tuffin, Keith; de Terte, Ian; Riggs, Damian W.; Ellis, Sonja J.
The three-step theory (3ST) of suicide is well-established in the general population and shows promise for explaining suicidal ideation among Queer samples. This study examined the applicability of the 3ST using data from 250 Queer (n = 213) and Takatāpui (n = 37) people aged 18-74 living in Aotearoa New Zealand. The analytic approach entailed hierarchical multiple regression, ANOVA, t-tests, and logistic regression. Step-one was partially supported, with discrimination and hopelessness independently associated with suicidal ideation, but not their interaction. Step-two was fully supported, showing social support associated with lower suicidal ideation when social support exceeded discrimination, compared with the inverse. Full support for step-three was observed, finding higher self-harm among participants with histories of attempted suicide than those who had never attempted. An adapted version of the 3ST for Queer and Takatāpui people is presented, offering novel approaches to testing the ideation-to-action framework with these communities.
Changing the future of higher education: Integrating work and learning
(2024) Zegwaard, Karsten E.
The increasing expectation that higher education directly links to student employability outcomes has sharpened the focus on work-integrated learning (WIL) and work-based learning (WBL). This keynote will explore this topic including current challenges, and trends; and propose practical resources for educators.
Motivating girls in computational thinking: Insights from primary education research
(Technology Education New Zealand (TENZ), 2025) Rhodes, Kate; Fox-Turnbull, Wendy
This conference paper explores the research methods and preliminary findings of a research focused on understanding primary school girls' motivation in Computational Thinking (CT). By analysing current literature, the scope of the research, and emerging data, the research sheds light on strategies to bridge persistent gender gaps in Computer Science (CS) and CT education. The literature highlights the ongoing underrepresentation of females in CS and CT fields, advocating for early interventions that frame computing as enjoyable, hands-on and supported by relatable role models. Addressing these gaps, this research employs a three-phase Design-Based Research methodology within a New Zealand primary school. Data collection includes focus groups with both teachers and female students, observations and Likert scale surveys to examine motivational factors during CT activities. The research methods and initial findings from the research are shared, revealing how teachers’ pedagogical choices, including authentic Technology practice and collaboration activities impact girls’ motivation. These insights contribute to a broader understanding of how to foster gender equity in STEM education by creating more inclusive and motivating environments for younger learners.
Creating Dialogic Spaces in STEM Education: A Comparative Study of Ground Rules
(MDPI AG, 2026-01-21) Rhodes, Kate; Calder, Nigel; Casebourne, Imogen; Martin, Kevin; James, Cythia
This article reports on a comparative case study that examined the ground rules used to facilitate a dialogic space in two discrete and diverse research studies: Year 5 & 6 children learning to code with ScratchMaths as part of their mathematics programmes, and crop farmers in rural east Africa developing their practice through various communications. The intention was to see if there were common actions or principles important for the establishment of ground rules in dialogic spaces in general. Understanding the nature of dialogic space has become increasingly important in many areas of education. STEM subjects, particularly when integrated, frequently involve collaborative interaction, and utilise a dialogical approach. Some initial aspects of ground rules were collaboratively identified, with both studies then independently analysed to identify emerging themes related to these ground rules. Several key elements emerged: developing the processes for interaction and communication; developing trust between participants; developing respectful dialogue; teacher roles; and facilitating collaborative work and the co-construction of meaning. The comparative case study suggested that these were important for other education work when establishing dialogic space.
The relationship between home and early childhood setting in supporting early literacy
(Luminescience Press Limited, 2025) McLachlan, Claire
This review examines the relationship between language and literacy experience in the home environment and their implications for literacy in early childhood settings. Building on early sociocultural research into how children develop language and literacy within the home environments, recent research on how home environments support children's developing language and literacy knowledge and skills are explored, along with the research on the importance of 'serve and return' interactions between caregivers and young children for maximum brain development and language acquisition. The review also examines research on the use of multimodal literacies in home environments, along with the contribution of family literacy models to understanding how families support children's development. The implications of this body of research are examined in relation to what it means for early childhood teachers to support literacy learning and development in diverse learners and create a reciprocal learning environment for literacy.
From apathy through anxiety to action: Emotions as motivators for youth climate strike leaders
(Cambridge University Press, 2022) Bright, Maria L.; Eames, Chris W.
The climate strikes of 2019 motivated millions worldwide onto the street and provided a platform for youth voices that demanded global climate action. This article explores the experiences of climate strike leaders in Aotearoa New Zealand questioning the motivational factors behind the youth action. In-depth interviews with 15 climate strike leaders identified emotions that influenced engagement and could motivate action. Climate strike leaders reported experiencing a series of turbulent emotional stages from apathy to action. Their experiences suggest that anxiety and anger are important stages in the emotional journey towards action. Using Boler’s Pedagogy of Discomfort, this paper examines these emotional stages that can disable or enable action. Considering youth perspectives increases our understanding of a suitable climate change educational framework that potentially supports both educators and students on this challenging journey.

Browse

Recent Submissions