The academic achievement of students in a New Zealand university: Does it pay to work?

There is growing concern about the detrimental effect of term-time employment on university students’ academic success. We report results from an online survey of 1837 students of the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, whose responses were later matched to their academic records for a semester. The majority of employed students reported working out of financial necessity. There was no difference in grades between employed and non-employed students, but hours worked had a direct negative linear effect on the grades of employed students. Subsequent analysis suggested that employed students might have had significantly higher grades than the non-employed subsample if they had not worked. Mediating and moderating effects on the relationship between hours worked and academic performance were identified, and a model of the work–achievement relationship developed. Universities could do more to accommodate the reality of part-time work by their students.     

Are New Zealand universities underperforming? An analysis of international enrolments in Australian and New Zealand universities

International education is widely recognised as providing a range of positive outcomes for students, universities, and both the source and destination countries. New Zealand politicians, however, see international education as a means of generating significant export earnings able to subsidise the local provision of university education. New Zealand universities have been criticised as underperforming in comparison to their Australian counterparts in attracting revenue from international students. This article explores the evidence of that observation by examining the patterns of enrolment by international students in New Zealand and Australian universities. The analysis identifies significant drivers of the international student enrolments in Australia and discusses potential strategic and policy implications for international education in New Zealand that respond to these drivers.     

An investigation into pedagogical challenges facing international tertiary‐level students in New Zealand

Since the late 1990s, the overall number of international students studying at tertiary level in New Zealand has increased over 400% and, although enrolments have declined recently, there are still significant numbers of overseas students. This situation has brought continuing pedagogical challenges for tertiary teachers and students. The main purposes of this case study project were to uncover what was occurring within classrooms at one New Zealand university, what types of language and instructional styles were being used by lecturers, and which aspects of degree study international students found most difficult. It was anticipated that through developing a better understanding of key factors interacting with students' emerging academic literacy, improvements to educational practices in our multicultural, multilingual program could be established.     

Do you think environment protection is more important than economic construction ?Why?

林启锴深圳市汇龙花园It's difficult to tell whether environment protection is more important than economic construction. I think the two issues are equally important, but a good environment is essential to economic construction.     

The diagnosis of LD in English learners: is it nondiscriminatory?

This study examined the operationalization of one of the key reforms initiated by the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975 (U.S. Congress, 1975) and continued through the 2004 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (U.S. Congress, 2004)--namely, nondiscriminatory assessment. The original and current specifications in federal law require that tests be selected and administered so as not to be racially, culturally, or sexually discriminatory. The specific dimensions studied here pertain to the nondiscriminatory diagnosis of learning disabilities (LD) in English learners. A checklist of legal and professional guidelines for making assessments of English learners was used to evaluate 19 psychological reports made on English learners as part of the assessment process for special education eligibility in a small, urban elementary school district in California. The results of this study present a fairly compelling profile of how the writers of psychological reports--school psychologists--do not use extant legal or professional guidelines for making nondiscriminatory assessments of bilingual children.     

The reconceptualisation of outdoor education in the primary school classroom in Aotearoa New Zealand: how might we do it?

The powerful learning that occurs outdoors has been well documented in this journal, as has an array of barriers teachers typically face in providing outdoor learning experiences. This paper draws on findings from a collaborative, practice-based research project examining the reconceptualisation of outdoor education in two Year 4 classes in a primary school in Aotearoa New Zealand. Teachers note four factors to be integral to supporting the transformation of curriculum and pedagogical practice. The first two, (Re)establishing what we stand for and a willingness to let go of control, underscore the importance of teachers’ ongoing critical analysis of their philosophies and of the impact adopting inquiry approaches had on establishing and sustaining pedagogical change. The third, local places matter points to the significance of the innovation itself of adopting place-responsive approaches to sustaining change. The final factor, a climate of support, examines the key roles that senior teachers, colleagues, and students’ families have in supporting teachers’ endeavours to transform practice.     

Who is missing from higher education in New Zealand?

There is disagreement in the literature regarding the influence of social and cultural factors on the propensity for young people to undertake higher education. This study draws upon a national data set of over 45,000 young people to assesses their propensity to progress to bachelor level study, while controlling for their ethnic backgrounds, their socio‐economic status (as measured by the decile of the last secondary school they attended), their gender, and their school achievement. The results are discussed in light of recent policy developments designed to ensure that access to bachelor‐level study is not closed to under‐represented groups.     

Sexuality education in New Zealand: a policy for social justice?

In 2015, the New Zealand Ministry of Education released a new curriculum policy document for sexuality education in all schools – Sexuality Education: A Guide for Boards of Trustees, Principals and Teachers. This policy is a rare international example of a curriculum document that explicitly values diversity, promotes inclusive school environments, and approaches sexuality education as an area of study (rather than a health promotion intervention). Since its release, the document has, however, gained little attention either of a scholarly nature or in terms of dedicated implementation in schools. One exception is a recent article in this journal by Sarah Garland-Levett, which raises some interesting and important concerns about the possibilities of such policy documents. I follow her lead here and continue the discussion about the place and potential of progressive sexuality education policy, and offer some thoughts about the content and intentions of this text.     

Leading change in reading for young adolescents: what is happening in New Zealand?

Effective school leadership in supporting outcomes for all students is critical. This study focuses on six New Zealand principals as they endeavour to make a difference to reading outcomes for 11 to 13 year-old students. In New Zealand, there are approximately 20% of students who are underachieving in reading. Once they reach the final years of primary schooling, this is the final opportunity to rectify this underachievement before these at-risk students enter secondary schooling. Interviews were conducted with the six principals at six case study schools, which represented a range of schools. Findings showed that there was widespread use of standardized testing results in reading to provide accountability for the New Zealand National Standards requirement, and also to inform next teaching steps. However, principals differed in the manner that they led the schools-wide analyses of the data. There was a stark diversity in the implementation of sustained and focused professional development in reading. The use of teacher aides to support our most vulnerable students, low-progress readers and English Speakers of Second Language was widespread, with only two schools providing in-school support and training of these paraprofessionals.     

Do parents choose and value quality child care in New Zealand?

The mechanism of parent choice is sometimes viewed as a way of improving the quality of child care centres. This study looks at whether parent choice is constrained by family variables such as socio‐economic status, education and family income and to what extent parents do select quality. The sample for the present study included 100 child care centres catering for under two year old children from around New Zealand. The quality of each centre was assessed using two measures, a checklist (the Abbott‐Shim Assessment Profile) and an interval observational procedure focusing on child‐staff interactions (the Howes/Melhuish Observational Schedule). Two under two year‐olds from each centre were observed for 100 minutes and their parents filled in a questionnaire about their satisfaction with the child care centre. The study showed modest correlations (‐.18 to .27) between socio‐economic status, education and family income and the Abbott‐Shim Assessment Profile but none with observations of child/staff interactions. Eighty‐six per cent of parents in the study said that this centre was their first choice and ratings of quality were highly positive. Yet for most measures there were zero correlations between research‐based measures of quality and parent satisfaction. Qualitative data showed that there was some overlap between the criteria which parents mentioned as the ‘best’ or ‘worst’ things and criteria incorporated into research methods. Parents, however, were concerned about cost, location and convenience which were not part of the research measures. Comments on centres which were of high quality and low quality made by parents and early childhood trained researchers were compared.

Parents were much more positive and uncritical in their comments than researchers. It was concluded that many parents make passive choices of centres rather than actively choosing between alternatives and that many do not have knowledge or awareness of specific aspects of quality to look for. It was concluded that parent choice is not currently a viable means of controlling quality and that policy makers need to look to other mechanisms.     

“The norm is a flux of change”: teachers’ experiences in international schools

This article explores teachers’ perceptions of the effects of high student turnover in international schools in the UK. The research used a “grounded theory” approach for qualitative data collection and analysis, based on interviews with eight teachers in four international primary schools. The results of the grounded theory suggest that a process of “systemic containment” develops which helps the whole class, including newcomer pupils and their teachers, to cope with the frequent transitions. The discussion emphasises the role of the educational psychologist in encouraging teachers to become more informed and reflexive about inclusion of newcomers from abroad.     

Te Whāriki,the New Zealand early childhood curriculum: is it effective?

Te Whāriki, the New Zealand early childhood curriculum, has received much praise since its introduction in 1996. There is, however, little research evidence about the implementation or effectiveness of the curriculum in early childhood centres. This article raises questions about the structure and content of Te Whāriki. The holistic and integrated nature of the curriculum means that subject content areas (e.g., art, music, science, literacy) can be overlooked. The generalised nature of the guidelines in Te Whāriki on programme planning allows for flexibility but may result in children being provided with an inadequate range of learning experiences. Concerns are also raised about the value of Learning Stories, a novel form of assessment that was designed to align with the approach of Te Whāriki.     

The effects of type of institution attended on graduate earnings in New Zealand: a cross‐field comparison

This paper presents research on the returns to tertiary education for individuals who graduated between 1997 and 2008 with bachelor degrees from universities and polytechnics in New Zealand based on their experiences post study. It examines data on their post‐study earnings drawn from two longitudinal datasets linking administrative data on individuals’ tertiary education records to their earnings. An advantage of this research is that it reports on differences in the earnings of those who studied in specific fields of study at polytechnics and universities. The data are used to help shed light on the importance of reputational capital in reproducing social classes.     

The whole is greater than the sum of its parts: a large-scale study of students’ learning in response to different programme assessment patterns

Audits of 23 degree programmes in eight universities showed wide variations in assessment patterns and feedback. Scores from Assessment Experience Questionnaire returns revealed consistent relationships between characteristics of assessment and student learning responses, including a strong relationship between quantity and quality of feedback and a clear sense of goals and standards, and between both these scales and students’ overall satisfaction. Focus group data helped to explain students’ learning responses but also identified ambivalent responses to the use of formative-only assessment, particularly when it was optional. Frequently, students were unclear about goals and standards, and found feedback unhelpful when assessment demands differed across modules, and when marking standards and approaches varied widely, making it difficult for feedback to feed forwards. The methodology underpinning the Transforming the Experience of Students through Assessment study described here has been used in more than 20 universities worldwide and is helping teachers to redesign assessment regimes, so that teachers’ efforts support learning better.     

Intelligibility is equity: Can international students read undergraduate admissions materials?

Fewer international students have applied to and enrolled in US institutions, as 40 per cent of US institutions reported a drop in international applications since 2016. Subsequently, US institutions must ensure that their international admissions materials are as equitable and transparent as possible. Expanding previous work, this study examines the readability and translation of international undergraduate admissions materials of 335 four‐year public and non‐profit private US institutions. Results reveal these materials are written near a 14th‐grade reading comprehension level, only 1 per cent of institutions provide web‐embedded translation tools on their websites and 91 per cent of institutions provide English‐only content. Implications for practitioners, policymakers and future research are addressed.     

The reality of ‘middle’ management roles: a case study of the Associate Head of School experience in a New Zealand University

Research on management in higher education predominantly investigates senior staff such as Deans or Pro-Vice-Chancellors. Relatively little attention is focused on the department level, middle management roles, such as Associate Heads of Schools (AHoS). This case study, based on anecdotal scoping data, utilized a mixed-methods approach through an email survey and face-to-face interview of past and present AHoS at Massey University, New Zealand to investigate participants’ perceptions about the role and the factors that influence it. Results show that a majority of participants did not envisage undertaking higher management within the University after holding the AHoS position, predominantly because the time commitments for the position disadvantaged their teaching and research, and therefore opportunity for academic promotion. Consideration of how AHoS roles may be supported and acknowledging the value of undertaking the role could aid in recognition for promotion and encourage the undertaking of the middle management positions within academia and universities.     

Food insecurity: is it an issue among tertiary students?

Insufficient access to food is known to compromise tertiary studies. Students often belong to groups known to have poor food security such as those renting or relying on government payments. The present study administered a cross-sectional survey incorporating the USDA food security survey module (FSSM) to 810 students at a metropolitan university in Brisbane, Australia. One in four students indicated they were food insecure, this being double that previously reported for tertiary students and five times that previously reported for the general population. Factors associated with food insecurity included low income, reliance on government support and renting. Students from food insecure households were twice as likely to report only fair or poor general health and three times as likely to have deferred their studies due to financial difficulties. Further, at least 80 % of these students reported that their studies were compromised. Strategies to alleviate food insecurity among students could improve retention rates and educational outcomes.     

‘It’s not fair’: policy discourses and students’ understandings of plagiarism in a New Zealand university

Plagiarism is a concept that is difficult to define. Although most higher education institutions have policies aimed at minimising and addressing student plagiarism, little research has examined the ways in which plagiarism is discursively constructed in university policy documents, or the connections and disconnections between institutional and student understandings of plagiarism in higher education. This article reports on a study that explored students’ understandings of plagiarism in relation to institutional plagiarism discourses at a New Zealand university. The qualitative study involved interviews with 21 undergraduate students, and analysis of University plagiarism policy documents. The University policy documents revealed moral and regulatory discourses. In the interviews, students predominantly drew on ethico-legal discourses, which reflected the discourses in the policy documents. However, the students also drew on (un)fairness discourses, confusion discourses, and, to a lesser extent, learning discourses. Notably, learning discourses were absent in the University policy. Our findings revealed tensions between the ways plagiarism was framed in institutional policy documents, and students’ understandings of plagiarism and academic writing. We suggest that, in order to support students’ acquisition of academic writing skills, plagiarism should be framed in relation to ‘learning to write’, rather than as a moral issue.