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Examining the rourou: Exploring Pākehā educators' preparedness for and practices in teaching Māori texts in the english classroom
(The University of Waikato, 2026) Tunstall, Kashka; Cunningham, Emma; McMillan, Hoana
This research investigates the ways in which Pākehā English teachers in English-medium secondary schools teach Māori texts. English teachers in Aotearoa New Zealand are increasingly teaching Māori-authored and Māori-focused texts as the education system grapples with addressing centuries of inequitable practices and outcomes for Māori ākonga. Research supports culturally responsive teaching and learning practices in improving student success and wellbeing, and the sector has been making strides in incorporating mātauranga Māori in many areas of the curriculum. However, scholarship has not yet adequately interrogated how teachers in secondary English classrooms, the majority of whom are Pākehā women, engage with Māori texts. This is especially crucial in the wake of significant changes to the English curriculum which now mandates the teaching of Māori-authored texts in Years 7 through 10. This research bridges that gap, illustrating Pākehā teacher perspectives, views, barriers, and enablers when teaching Māori texts. This is achieved through semi-structured interviews with six teachers, and a thematic analysis of their shared stories, which are presented as narrative case studies. The findings highlight the need for stronger structural support for teachers when teaching Māori texts. This includes more robust preparation in Initial Teacher Education, opportunities for professional collaboration, and the development of reflexive teaching practices. Teachers also described vulnerability and resilience as important elements of culturally responsive practice. The findings offer insights for educators to support their own reflexive practice and highlight potential systemic changes needed within Initial Teacher Education and Ministry of Education subject support to better prepare current and future non-Māori English teachers to work confidently with Māori texts.
Framing disability in Malaysian federal budget speeches: A discourse analysis of disability policy narratives (2016-2026)
(The University of Waikato, 2026) Koong, Veronica; Piercy-Cameron, Gemma
Disability policy plays a crucial role in shaping opportunities and social participation for persons with disabilities (PWDs). While existing research has examined disability policy frameworks in Malaysia, fewer studies have explored how disability is represented within official government policy discourse. This thesis examines how disability is framed in Malaysian federal budget speeches from 2016 to 2026 and what these framings reveal about underlying policy approaches. The study adopts a qualitative discourse analysis informed by social constructionism and framing theory. Malaysian federal budget speeches were analysed as key policy texts that communicate government priorities and justify public expenditure decisions. Disability-related references were coded to identify recurring policy frames. Six dominant frames were identified: welfare and protection; accessibility and service access; symbolic recognition; education and developmental support; employment and economic participation; and care and rehabilitation support. The findings show that disability is frequently positioned within broader narratives of vulnerable populations, social welfare programmes, and national development. While some references reflect elements of the social model of disability, welfare-oriented narratives remain prominent. Importantly, the findings highlight a gap between rights-based policy commitments and their implementation, with disability governance remaining largely programme-based and lacking strong enforcement mechanisms. Overall, this study demonstrates how disability is positioned within Malaysian policy discourse and contributes to broader discussions on disability policy and governance.
Septic-derived nutrient contamination of shallow groundwater in Lake Tarawera: Extent, fate, and ecological consequences
(The University of Waikato, 2026) Tetzlaff, Sarah; Özkundakci, Deniz; Tempero, Grant Wayne
Onsite wastewater treatment systems (OWTS) are important point sources of nitrogen and phosphorus pollution to lakes, with nutrients transported via groundwater to the nearshore zone where they can stimulate algal growth and degrade littoral ecosystems. At Lake Tarawera (Bay of Plenty, New Zealand), OWTS are estimated to contribute 3–5 % to the annual nutrient load, prompting implementation of a sewage reticulation scheme of the residential area along the lake’s western margin. However, the spatial distribution, subsurface transport, and ecological consequences of septic-derived nutrients remain poorly quantified. This study assessed shallow groundwater contamination within the urbanised western margin, examined groundwater–littoral transport pathways, and evaluated potential effects on benthic primary producers. Groundwater was sampled monthly from 21 piezometers along upslope and downslope transects between April 2023 and March 2025 and analysed for nitrate-N, nitrite-N, ammoniacal-N, and dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP). Groundwater connectivity to the lake was assessed by relating antecedent rainfall to groundwater flux into the littoral zone, measured using 24-hour benthic chamber deployments. Stable isotope ratios of nitrate (δ15N and δ18O) in groundwater and pore water, alongside δ15N and δ13C in macrophyte, benthic algal, and suspended particulate organic matter (SPOM) tissue, were used to trace septic-derived nitrogen transport. Benthic gross primary production (GPP) was estimated seasonally at six nearshore sites using 1.5-hour benthic chamber incubations to assess potential changes in littoral metabolism. Results revealed localised areas of elevated nutrient concentrations within the urban zone, with high maximum values observed for ammoniacal-N (61 mg L-1), nitrate-N (7.4 mg L-1), DRP (8.7 mg L-1), and nitrite-N (0.91 mg L-1), consistent with previously reported septic contamination ranges and higher than those measured in a prior study at the lake. No consistent seasonal or annual patterns were observed. Enriched δ15N values were observed in both upslope groundwater (5.50 ± 3.18 ‰) and littoral pore water (6.51 ± 3.43 ‰), indicating wastewater-derived nitrogen inputs to the adjacent littoral zone. However, low δ15N values in SPOM, macrophytes, and benthic algae (1.48 ± 0.83 ‰), suggested limited assimilation by primary producers. Sites exhibiting dense epiphytic algal growths during spring and summer displayed the highest benthic GPP rates (maximum = 296 mg O₂ m² h⁻¹). Although vegetation biomass explained the most variation in GPP (19 %), multiple lines of evidence suggest that upslope groundwater nutrient enrichment may have promoted short-term epiphytic algal growth at certain sites under favourable growing conditions. This study provides integrated evidence linking septic-derived nutrient transport through groundwater to altered benthic community structure in Lake Tarawera. Although measurable impacts on primary producer assimilation were limited, substantial nutrient loading to shallow groundwater and the nearshore zone was evident. Periphyton responses appear to be a sensitive indicator of early nutrient pressure preceding broader metabolic changes. Continued inputs may increase the risk of shifts towards greater algal dominance, underscoring the need to address OWTS sources proactively. Lake Tarawera serves as a case study of a widespread and often underestimated issue of nutrient contamination from OWTS across New Zealand, emphasising the importance of strengthened monitoring and management to help combat further freshwater degradation.
D-inverse constellations
(Shahid Beheshti University, 2026) Gould, Victoria; Stokes, Tim E.
Constellations are partial algebras in the sense that they possess a partial product, and a unary operation modelling domain. They were first used to give an ESN-style theorem for left restriction semigroups in terms of so-called inductive constellations. Here, we consider constellations in which elements have a suitable notion of inverse, giving the notion of a D-inverse constellation. We show that there is a categorical isomorphism between the category of ordered groupoids and the category of D-inverse constellations. This may be viewed as a generalisation of the ESN theorem, which relates the category of inductive groupoids to the category of inverse semigroups.
Particle transport from first principles in the early heliosphere: κ1 Ceti as a case study for the young Sun
(IOP Publishing, 2026) Engelbrecht, N. Eugene; Herbst, Konstantin; Scherer, Klaus; Oughton, Sean; Airapetian, Vladimir S.
Several studies of Galactic cosmic-ray (GCR) modulation within the astrospheres of stars deemed to be proxies for the young Sun have concluded that the intensities of these particles would, at early stages of the Sun’s evolution, be negligible at 1 au. These studies, however, do not take into account the varying interstellar conditions the young Sun would have encountered as it traversed its Galactic orbit, nor do they realistically model the transport of GCRs. The present study, for the first time, examines the influence of various interstellar parameters in the Galactic spiral arms on the astrosphere of κ1 Ceti, a young Sun proxy, through magnetohydrodynamic modelling. We demonstrate that these conditions lead to an astrosphere with considerably smaller dimensions than previous estimates. We also model the transport of turbulence parameters within said astrosphere for the first time, demonstrating that turbulence levels could be significantly higher than observed in the heliosphere. Finally, these insights are implemented in a 3D, ab initio GCR transport model to compute GCR intensities at 1 au, demonstrating the importance of drift effects in astrospheric modulation: full drift effects lead to GCR intensities comparable to modern observations, while turbulence-reduced drift coefficients lead to significantly smaller intensities.