College of Education RSS

Distance no barrier in building empathy, says researcher

Wed, 23 May 2012 00:05:00 +1200

Dr Wayne Duncan

Distance learners can feel more confident interacting online than they would in the classroom, new research shows.

Dr Wayne Duncan graduated last week with a Doctor of Education. His thesis examined the nature and function of empathy in synchronous multimedia conferencing.

Dr Duncan, deputy principal at Northern Southland College, says with the advent of the Internet teachers and learners are creating new ways of interacting online.

He examined two case studies; both distance education classes. Each group consisted of a teacher with Year 13 students dotted across the country.

“I looked into how students and teachers interpreted someone at the other end,” Dr Duncan says. “That’s a key social relational mechanism in any teaching environment – the teacher’s ability to relate, and that empathy, or the ability to interpret, is what teaching and learning is about.”

Dr Duncan examined how students built up relationships, despite having never met in person. Through interviews he conducted over a six-month period, he found participants experienced empathy using a range of strategies.

“The students were actually able very readily to interpret quite accurately, people at the other end, but more so it actually gave students more confidence in their learning and teaching,” Dr Duncan says.

“Some of the students actually said they are more confident to ask questions and to share online than they ever would have been in a classroom. They are the sort of people that sit at the back of the classroom and don’t say anything, but online, they asked the questions, they text each other and interacted a lot more. That bodes well for engaging a great cross-section of students.”

Dr Duncan says the research is highly relevant and with the Government spending $1.5 billion on broadband technologies, this online learning and teaching will only rise, as the traditional classroom morphs into a worldwide classroom.

The doctorate took Dr Duncan, an extramural student, four years to complete. He was awarded a study grant from TeachNZ, enabling him to work part-time last year to finish the research. Dr Duncan has completed an undergraduate diploma, a Master’s in Educational Psychology with Honours and now the Doctor of Education from Massey University.

“The depth of support that Massey University College of Education has provided me in the completion of my doctoral thesis, can be credited to the quality of staff I have been able to work with. I could not have asked for greater support and guidance from my doctoral supervisors or the team at the Massey library.”

“I now know what a huge undertaking a doctorate is and how important such support has been,” Dr Duncan says.

Graduation ceremonies celebrated half a world away

Tue, 22 May 2012 00:05:00 +1200

Michaela Gallear with her family, husband Simon and children Megan and Jack. Her parents in Turkey watched live as she graduated last week through Massey’s Graduation Live initiative.

From their home in Turkey, two proud parents watched live as their daughter crossed the stage at a Palmerston North graduation ceremony.

Michaela Gallear, of Tauranga, graduated last Wednesday with a Bachelor of Arts majoring in social anthropology.

Through Massey University’s Graduation Live initiative, all graduation ceremonies were streamed live on its YouTube channel, and Mrs Gallear’s parents in Turkey witnessed her milestone moment.

Her husband Simon and children, Megan, 13, and Jack, 16, were in the audience but she said her parents had also supported her as a mature student through five years of extramural study. Having them watch her graduate, from half a world away, made her feel connected and that they too were part of the celebrations.

Her parents Sandra and Robert Stables said they were thankful to be able to join in the happy day.

“Being quite literally a world away from family is hard enough every day but to know we miss such important events only make’s the separation even harder,” Mrs Stables wrote to Massey University.

“To two parents, living in Turkey, sitting in their PJs watching a very proud moment in their daughter’s life, it means the world.”

So far, the graduation videos from last week’s Palmerston North ceremonies have had more than 7000 views in more than 100 countries.

Special ceremony honours Maori graduates

Fri, 18 May 2012 00:05:00 +1200

Natasha Simpson, Laura Shingleton and Tracey Robinson, a teacher, former head girl and board of trustee
of Manawatu College attended the ceremony to honour Maori graduates

Maori graduates have celebrated with whanau and friends at a ceremony to honour their achievements.

Fifty-six Maori graduates attended the special ceremony in Palmerston North yesterday, which was also the last in the city for Professor Sir Mason Durie, in his role as Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Maori and Pasifika).

A teacher, trustee and former head girl of Manawatu College were among the Massey University graduates who attended.

As Natasha Simpson (Ngati Tukorehe), Naomi Tracey Robinson (Ngati Raukawa, Ngati Tuwharetoa, Ngati Kahungunu, Ngati Kauwhata), and Laura Shingleton (Ngai Tahu), crossed the stage, their whanau, friends and students and staff from the school performed waiata tauotoko (songs of support) and haka.

Mrs Simpson has taught at the school for ten years and on Wednesday graduated with a Master of Education and a Postgraduate Certificate in Education. She says the ceremony was very different from graduation. “It was very emotional, that’s the best word to describe it.”

Board trustee Tracey Robinson graduated with a Bachelor of Social Work, and former head girl, Laura Shingleton with a Bachelor of Midwifery. Mrs Shingleton helped deliver 62 babies during her studies and now works as a midwife in her hometown, Foxton.

She says there was “more love in this one”, as whanau and friends celebrated with graduates.

In his final Manawatu graduation address in his role as Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Maori and Pasifika), Sir Mason said the graduates of today had a challenge to ensure that Maori society realised its potential over the next 25 years.

"The potential is huge and we need to find a way to realise it," Sir Mason said. "Not only to realise a strong economy – because that's important – but also to realise healthy whanau, healthy lives and healthy young people.

"We've spent a lot of time in the past two decades putting out fires. We need to be able to convert our knowledge and education to not only put out fires but to build a strong platform so that fires don't occur. We need strong fences at the top so that we don't have to sit at the bottom with an ambulance. That's what Massey is looking at. Next month we are going to introduce a whanau research programme. It's main aim is to find out what are the ingredients of success for whanau and how to make it happen.

"This year also we are working also to develop a new college in this University and the college will be concerned with looking at what are the determinants of health – not what the causes of sickness are but what are the things that make us well and healthy and wealthy; and that enable us to participate fully in the globe as well as to participate fully in te au Maori."

This year there is a total of 396 Maori graduates across all campuses, 34 more than last year. Of that, 149 graduated at Palmerston North ceremonies, including 30 with postgraduate, 111 with undergraduate and eight sub-degree qualifications.

A ceremony to honour Pasifika graduates was also held yesterday.

Honorary doctorate for ethical educator

Wed, 16 May 2012 00:05:00 +1200

Professor Emeritus Ivan Snook

Professor Emeritus Ivan Snook has been awarded an honorary doctorate from Massey University at a graduation ceremony today.

He received a Doctor of Literature for his outstanding service to the University and outstanding contributions to education in New Zealand and internationally.

Professor Snook initially trained to be a priest but later enrolled at teachers’ college in Christchurch, and then the University of Canterbury.

He started his career as a secondary school teacher, was a research fellow at the University of Illinois and became a lecturer at the University of Canterbury in 1968.

In 1981, he moved to Massey University as a Professor of Education, rising to department head then dean of education before retiring in 1993. He has maintained a strong association with the University.

“I’m very honoured to get the recognition,” Professor Snook says. “Nothing could be nicer than to be recognised for your scholarship by the community of scholars you belong to. I’m delighted to be part of Massey University.”

Professor Snook established and chaired the first Massey University human ethics committee, and led the development of the University’s code of ethics for human subject research.

For the past 20 years he also convened the Education Policy Response Group, an ad hoc group of academic staff from across the College of Education that meets to prepare analyses of major government education policy. Its most recent report was on charter schools.

Professor Snook is a founding member, and current vice-president, of the Quality Public Education Coalition and was awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the New Zealand Educational Institute.

He was also appointed to the Tertiary Education Advisory Commission, the reports from which led to the establishment of the Performance Based Research Fund.

His long interest in moral philosophy and the ethics of teaching led to his involvement with the first draft of the New Zealand Teachers’ Council Code of Ethics for Registered Teachers, and he has been a member of the Health Professionals Disciplinary Committee.

College of Education Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor James Chapman says Professor Snook’s intellectual, academic and professional contribution to education in New Zealand and overseas is very significant.

“At a time when pragmatism and simple solutions tend to dominate educational policies it is timely to reward the contribution of principles, ethics and intelligent debate that Professor Snook has so ably championed throughout his career.”

Professor Chapman says the honorary doctorate award is timely, given the recent announcement of plans for the establishment of the Massey University Institute of Education. “Many of the academic and research values strongly supported by Professor Snook are embodied in the new institute.”

Caption: Professor Ivan Snook.

Government's education investment welcomed

Wed, 16 May 2012 00:05:00 +1200

Professor James Chapman

The Government's announcement that it will make a postgraduate qualification the minimum for all new teachers is exactly the direction Massey University is taking with its teacher education programmes, the University's College of Education Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor James Chapman says.

"Our decision to be the first New Zealand university to focus on graduate rather than undergraduate teaching qualifications is in line with international best practice – and it is also in line with the Government's announcement of where it wants to invest an additional $60 million for recruitment and training," Professor Chapman says.

"The Minister of Education, Hekia Parata, has said she wants to improve the quality of initial teacher education, improve the quality of teaching, and raise the achievement rates in our schools. So do we.

"To address falling literacy and numeracy rates in our schools we need change. Our standards have been world-class, yet, as the Minister says one in five children are slipping through the cracks and that is one too many. We need to look to meet the needs of tomorrow's children and one of the ways to do that
is to adequately address how we use technology in teaching.

"Massey’s focus on graduate teaching will start to address these issues by getting good students into teaching, offering them good career paths and continued education opportunities and by focusing our research on areas that will make the most difference.

"Criticism that a one-year qualification is inadequate to train a teacher is misleading and demonstrably wrong. Everyone who graduates has a minimum of four years of tertiary education and that is followed up by two years of supervised in-school work and professional development before any teacher is registered.

"We also support the Minister's plan to invest in a new qualification for teachers wanting to become principals. We will talk to officials about what they want in place and when, and we are confident Massey will be able to deliver that. The extra investment in education and overall commitment to raising standards is welcomed."

Pasifika scholars recognised

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:05:00 +1200

Massey Pasifika Scholars, their sponsors and advisors. Back row: Paul Fitzmaurice (Careers Development Advisor), Rachael Leafe (Pasifika Learning Advisor), Kieran Stowers, Samantha Dennis, Deanna Riach (Campus Registrar), Tevita Ahoafi, Jessanah Betham, Colin Lewis (Nova Energy). Front row: Richard Wilson (National Bank), Parke Englebretsen, Sashi Meanger (Pacific Islands Education Foundation), Sereana Bebenisala, Kieran Williams (National Bank).

Six top Pasifika students were awarded scholarships at Massey University in Wellington last week.

Kieran Stowers and Samantha Dennis received Massey University E tu Pasifika scholarships, which go to students who are nearing completion of their degrees who have demonstrated a high level of commitment and success in their studies. Mr Stowers, who is Samoan from Palmerston North, is studying for a Bachelor of Design (Honours). Ms Dennis, who is Samoan/Maori from Wellington, is studying for a Bachelor of Nursing. Both are final year students.

E tu is a Cook Island term and is about rising up and standing tall. Massey University Pasifika Learning Advisor Rachel Leafe says the term “captures the progression of Pasifika students throughout their academic journey. It is an appropriate name, reflecting the pride we take into the achievement of our Pasifika students.”

Four students received Pacific Islands Polynesian Scholarships, which are awarded to Pasifika students based on academic merit and need. The scholarships are offered by Massey University in conjunction with the Ministry of Education, The Pacific Islands Education Foundation and corporate sponsors.

Bachelor of Design (Honours) students Sereana Bebenisala and Parke Englebretsen received National Bank Pacific Islands Polynesian Scholarships. Ms Bebenisala is Fijian from South Auckland, and in her final year of study. Mr Englebretsen is Cook Islands from Lower Hutt, and in his first year.

Meanwhile, Tevita Ahoafi and Jessanah Betham received Nova Energy Pacific Islands Polynesian Scholarships. Mr Ahoafi is in his second year of a Bachelor of Business Studies. He is Tongan from Auckland. Ms Betham is in her second year of a Bachelor of Communication. She is Samoan from Porirua.

Aiming for the world's best teachers to meet needs of our children

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:05:00 +1200

Professor James Chapman is the Pro Vice-Chancellor of Massey University's College of Education.

By James Chapman

Massey University is about to undertake a quiet revolution in the way we educate teachers in New Zealand.

We are cutting our ties with the past and forging ahead with changes that will bring Massey’s teacher education in line with some of the best education institutions around the world.

From next year we will focus all our teacher education at the graduate/postgraduate level and phase out teaching in our three-and four-year undergraduate degrees.

Change cannot come quickly enough. New Zealand’s children are falling behind their counterparts in developed countries in literacy and numeracy.

The last New Zealand Adult Literacy and Life Skills survey found that around half of New Zealand’s adult population were operating at below acceptable literacy and numeracy levels and one in five students are currently leaving school without a qualification.

As teaching methods – and understanding of the health issues that often impact on teaching –become increasingly sophisticated, we have more children who are identified as requiring specialist teacher support – whether that is because of autism, hearing and vision impairment, attention deficit disorder or because they are gifted and talented students.

Children are using technology in every aspect of their lives and our methods of teaching have yet to catch up with how we embrace that technology to enhance learning.

Where education is concerned, New Zealand cannot sit back and continue with business-as-usual.

Massey academics need to undertake more of the relevant research that will equip teachers with the knowledge and skills to meet these challenges head on.

We know the theory underpinning practice experience is critical to improving student achievement.

And a better educated population can deliver a stronger economy, help narrow the growing divide between rich and poor, and achieve better social wellbeing and cohesion.

To deliver this, we need to be attracting the very best students into teaching and offering them a challenging and life-long career path. Beginning teachers need to enter the workforce as critical thinkers and leaders who are well-prepared and expert in their subjects.

Our graduates need to be able to link theory and research with classroom practice; something we know is vital to achieving better results for students.

The changes we are making at Massey to focus on graduate/postgraduate teaching, will start to address these issues by taking the teachers to that next level. As graduates and postgraduates, our students will be able to progress to master's and doctoral degrees and will be well positioned to move up the career ladder themselves and assist those entering the profession.

The advantage of graduate and postgraduate teacher education is that the students have already qualified in a wide variety of degrees –, sociology, psychology, maths, science, technology, the arts, Maori studies etc – and they bring those specialist skills and the ability to apply them.

They enter the classroom with maturity and expert subject knowledge; they have taken a further specifically tailored teaching diploma which includes classroom practice. From there they move to two-years of supervised in-school mentoring during their provisional registration period.

One of the arguments repeatedly put forward against this move is that it is not possible to prepare a teacher in one year. That misrepresents what we are doing. Those completing the graduate diploma path have studied for a minimum of four years and will undertake a further two years of professional practice before being fully registered.

Around half of all graduates entering primary teaching come through the graduate diploma route; that increases to over 80 per cent for the secondary sector.

We know that our graduates from our graduate diploma programmes are well-regarded. They have higher completion rates and higher rates of employment and registration than those going through undergraduate programmes.

Final reports on our students by their supervising teachers revealed that those in our primary graduate diploma were as well prepared as students in the four-year programme; including in their curriculum knowledge, pedagogical knowledge (the process and strategy of imparting knowledge to students), their use of effective teaching strategies, and in their critical evaluation skills.

For Massey University to play a role in delivering what we see as a new New Zealand, we require a different approach to education and a different approach to how we teach education and professional development. That is really what sits at the heart of this decision to make change.

Student city abuzz for graduation week

Mon, 14 May 2012 00:05:00 +1200

More than 1300 students will graduate at five ceremonies, followed by parades to The Square.

More than 1300 students will graduate at Palmerston North capping ceremonies this week.

The five ceremonies will be followed by parades along Broadway Ave to The Square.

Forty-two students will be conferred with a doctoral degree – the highest academic qualification. Another 112 will gain a master’s degree. Over the week a total of 1326 students will graduate.

Vice-Chancellor Steve Maharey says graduation is a time to celebrate the hard work students put in to achieve their qualification and the support they receive from staff, student colleagues and their friends and family.

He says it is pleasing to see so many students achieving the academic pinnacle of a doctoral degree. “The research done by this group spans much of the broad range of expertise Massey offers – science, technology, psychology, business, education and arts – and I am sure they will all make outstanding contributions to their fields and communities.”

This year’s doctorates are in science, business, education, arts and two in clinical psychology. Thesis topics vary from disease control, reducing fertiliser input and greenhouse gases, to the commercial performance of New Zealand airport companies, among other subjects.

Two men with strong links to Manawatu will also be acknowledged with honorary doctorates for their lifetime achievements.

Professor Emeritus Ivan Snook, of Palmerston North, and Professor Rom Harre, who was born in Apiti but now lives in Washington D.C, will be recognised for their outstanding international contribution to education and social sciences respectively. Both will be keynote speakers at their Wednesday ceremonies.

While large audiences will watch as the graduates cross the stage at the Regent on Broadway Theatre, many of their family and friends will also be watching live around New Zealand and the world.

Massey’s Graduation Live initiative makes it the only university in the country to stream live all graduation ceremonies. Last month’s Albany ceremonies on Massey’s YouTube channel have so far been viewed more than 5400 times in 129 countries.

Graduation events will also be held next week to celebrate capping week. A Dean’s List Presentation and Function will be held at the Regent Theatre on Monday night, a Graduation Dinner Tuesday night at the graduation marquee in The Square, and a Business After 5 event in the marquee on Wednesday from 6pm, adding more buzz to a busy week in the student city.

Graduation and celebration ceremonies schedule:
Monday
College of Business at 1.30pm

Tuesday
College of Business and College of Sciences at 9.30am
College of Sciences at 2.30pm

Wednesday
College of Education, College of Creative Arts, New Zealand School of Music at 9.30am
College of Humanities and Social Sciences at 2.30pm

Thursday
Ceremony to Honour Maori graduates at 9.30am
Ceremony to Honour Paskifa graduates at 3pm

Education refocused to meet 21st century needs

Thu, 10 May 2012 00:05:00 +1200

Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor James Chapman.

Massey University will lead the change in education needed to ensure New Zealand's teachers and schools are equipped to meet the challenges of the 21st century, Vice-Chancellor Steve Maharey says.

Mr Maharey today announced a restructure of the University's 16-year-old College of Education into a research-focused institute that concentrates on graduate and postgraduate teaching qualifications.

He says teachers must lead a revolution in education and Massey takes seriously its responsibility to contribute in a way that will benefit New Zealand economically, socially and culturally.

"We need children to be creative, innovative and connected and we need teachers who recognise this – teachers who are being paid more because of the qualities they bring to the classroom."

The change, developed by college Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor James Chapman, was unanimously endorsed by the University's Academic Board last month and approved by the University Council last week.

Professor Chapman says the focus on graduate and postgraduate programmes will make Massey unique among New Zealand universities that offer teaching qualifications and align it with recognised world leaders in the field.

"We will create an environment for educational research and postgraduate education that is unmatched in New Zealand and equal to the world's leading university education institutions.

"Our goal is for education staff to have a far better opportunity to engage in research – and that will be good for New Zealand and good for New Zealand's reputation internationally. It will also result in a more highly qualified teaching profession, with better job prospects and better promotion opportunities here and overseas."

The University will also aim to offer graduate diplomas in teaching at its Albany campus for secondary and early childhood teachers from 2014 and 2015 respectively. These diploma programmes will add to the existing primary graduate qualification offered at the campus and provide opportunities for about 120 more students in the fast-growing area of greater Auckland.

At the Manawatu campus, Massey will aim to add an internal offering for graduate early childhood teaching, while graduate primary teaching will now be offered to distance learners as well as internally.

It means initial teacher education undergraduate programmes will be phased out but all students in current undergraduate programmes will be taught to completion. There are no planned job losses as a result of the change, although over time positions will be reviewed as the focus changes from undergraduate to graduate and postgraduate teaching programmes.

"Too much of the current debate – whether on class sizes, charter schools or national standards – is looking backwards," Professor Chapman says. "Talking about what might have worked in the past or moving back to a more regimented system is pointless when, in fact our system has been among the world's best. But the world is moving, and we have to move even faster to meet those needs.

"The issues we should be talking about are teacher supply, teacher quality, and how to stop a tail of failure in our system that threatens to grow as our population changes and the world's needs change.

"I want to express my sincere thanks to all those who provided feedback and suggestions. I have written to the Minister of Education and the Tertiary Education Commission to advise them of the final decision. I have been keeping them and other stakeholders appraised of the detail of this proposal as it has developed. What is proposed is in line with government policy but we will need to ask the Education Minister to lift the current moratorium on new teacher education programmes to allow Massey to offer high quality post-graduate teacher education programmes."

Read Professor Chapman's opinion article here.

New book shows how to create a warm emotional climate in schools

Tue, 08 May 2012 00:05:00 +1200

Professor Ian Evans

A warm classroom climate enhances the learning and social behaviour of primary school children. But how can a busy teacher create such a positive emotional atmosphere?

Despite the focus in media debate on cognitive skills, teachers know the emotional climate in the classroom is often a necessary precondition for good grades. Parents instinctively know it too, as Massey University Psychology Professor Ian Evans points out: “When you ask parents how their children are doing at school, they say things like ‘great, she loves her teacher’, which reflect the huge difference emotions make.”

Professor Evans and colleague Dr Shane Harvey led a three-year research project, supported by the Marsden Fund, on the emotional climate in primary school classrooms, supported by the Marsden Fund. A team of nine researchers conducted in-depth interviews with about 40 teachers and pupils in Manawatu and Horowhenua.

Importantly, the research team observed teachers in their classrooms, videotaping their interactions with pupils. They analysed the videos to reveal the skills teachers used to help manage children’s feelings. The research findings form the basis of a new book, from Dunmore Publishing. Warming the Emotional Climate of the Primary School Classroom is being launched in Palmerston North today.

“There’s so much that goes on in primary school classrooms. If you can shape and enhance a child’s emotional competence, this is as valuable as academics,” Professor Evans says. The book clearly describes the issues for teachers, and the processes of research. “Basing teaching practices on research evidence is not easy,” Dr Harvey says, “and we have tried to illustrate all the different research methods that might be used to gain further insight into the qualities of gifted teachers.”

“Teachers in our study said they actively tried to like children even when they didn’t warm to them naturally,” Professor Evans says. “Our point is that you might have up to 30 kids in the class, all with very different personalities, and to make sure all 30 have positive experiences, you must create a positive classroom climate, not just positive individual relationships.”

Professor Evans says many of the principles in the book would seem similar to those in parenting literature:
•   Set clear boundaries
•   Act in a fair manner
•   Acknowledge and label your own feelings
•   Acknowledge and affirm the child’s feelings
•   Set high standards
•   Avoid punitive tactics, put-downs, sarcasm and criticism without specifying the positive alternatives

Despite the similarities, however, Professor Evans points out there are big differences between being a parent and being a teacher. “For one, teachers have to have much clearer boundaries. Teachers can’t curry favour. If they set out to be liked, the kids will see through them. For instance, one of the most effective teachers in our research hardly smiled at her pupils, yet they knew she really cared about them. Our recommendations are very much about allowing teachers to have their own personal style.”

Professor Evans and Dr Harvey propose a model of teachers’ emotional characteristics that can be individualised for different teaching styles. They describe a programme of research on how to create natural, positive teacher–pupil relationships and classroom environments that motivate children, allow them to feel accepted, ensure learning enjoyment and facilitate social-emotional development. In the book they comment on how impressively competent the teachers were in helping children understand their own and others’ emotions.

Much of the research involved an intensive training programme for teachers who volunteered. When observing their own videotapes many of the teachers gained insight into how they might enhance their interactions in the classroom. Letting the students know them as people was an important element of ensuring a close relationship between teacher and student.

A to Z of study options at Massey Open Day

Fri, 04 May 2012 00:05:00 +1200

From accounting to zoology, and everything in between – Massey University’s Albany campus Open Day on May 12 is a chance for prospective 2013 students to get their study and career dreams on track.

As well as a full programme of presentations by top academics from all five colleges – Business, Creative Arts, Education, Humanities and Social Sciences, and Sciences – numerous activities, workshops and demonstrations will run throughout the day.

Aspiring engineers can find out more about mechatronics, construction and other courses at the School of Engineering and Advanced Technology, and witness a fast-paced Vex robotics regional final game involving more than 20 teams and their rival robots. The game – launched in New Zealand by the University in 2008 – is popular among secondary school students keen on technology, sciences, maths and design. They can apply their knowledge to the challenges of the high-tech game while gaining insights into the skills needed to be an engineer. Several Massey-supported teams are world champions after competing in the United States.

If the idea of a career in food technology is appetising, demonstrations of food chemistry, new food products and taste testing techniques are on the menu. Science fiends can find out about new developments in biology at a talk by renowned nutritional ecologist Professor David Raubenheimer, who is programme director of Massey’s new Bachelor of Natural Sciences, launched this year. A shuttle service is operating to take visitors to the Exercise and Sport Science Lab, and the Speech and Language Therapy clinic at separate locations of the campus.

The New Zealand School of Music’s jazz school is holding workshops for guitar, piano, bass, drums and vocals, and jazz tutors will deliver a free concert at 1pm, and live cultural performances by kapa haka and Pasifika groups are all part of the day’s activities.

From nursing and nutrition to social work, social policy and social anthropology, chemistry to commerce, finance to flying, information technology to international business, Open Day will have staff on site to share information and answer questions about these programmes and many more.

Information for international student support, career and employment services, childcare on campus, as well as study support initiatives for Maori and Pasifika students will be available.

Campus tours hosted by student ambassadors will run throughout the day – a chance to check out the new Student Central building (pictured) which opened this year, as well as the state-of-the-art library which opened in 2010. A Red Bull truck will be on campus throughout the day.

An Apple iPad 3 prize will be drawn, with the winner chosen from registered entrants.
To pre-register for Open Day, go to masseyopendays.ac.nz

Massey University backs TV3?s new international news programme, Three60

Thu, 03 May 2012 00:05:00 +1200

A new style of television programme dedicated entirely to international news events launches this Sunday on TV3, in association with Massey University.

Called Three60, and fronted by TV3 news anchor Mike McRoberts, the half hour weekly programme will review the week’s key international news stories and feature a range of New Zealand based panellists, including a number of expert commentators from Massey University.

The programme will delve into the background of the major international stories and examine what that might mean for New Zealanders.

Assistant Vice-Chancellor (External Relations) Cas Carter says Massey’s new partnership with Three60 presents an excellent opportunity for the University to contribute strongly to these conversations.

“Massey’s focus is very much about the strength of our thought leadership and taking New Zealand’s ideas to the world. We have a lot of people with huge knowledge and skills worth sharing, and this is an ideal platform”.

TV3’s Director of News and Current Affairs, Mark Jennings, says the show will appeal to those who follow international events and appreciate the opportunity to have specialist commentators provide insights from a New Zealand perspective.

"It will be the place to go if you are interested in a deeper look at international news. We think there is a demand for a high-quality current affairs programme that looks at the big stories happening in the world."

Three60 screens every Sunday at 9am on TV3, from this Sunday.

Thai students share New Year blessing

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 00:04:00 +1200

Professor James Chapman with Dr Paisan from Rajabhat Mahasarakham University and Paweena Chatsungnoen. Holding bowls with water and flowers, the Thai students then sprinkled drops onto the hands of College of Education staff in a New Year blessing designed to show respect.

Forty Thai students have shared traditional New Year blessings with College of Education staff.

The students from two Thai universities are at Massey University for a five-week programme.

To mark the Thai New Year on Friday the students at the Hokowhitu campus sprinkled water on the hands of Massey staff and homestay parents to symbolise respect and good luck.

The ceremony is celebrated across Thailand and is used to show respect to teachers and elders.

College of Education Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor James Chapman thanked the students for sharing their traditions and culture adding it was a learning experience for staff and homestay parents. “It’s been a wonderful opportunity and one I don’t believe we’ve had before.”

The students, 26 from Mahasarakham University and 14 from Rajabhat Mahasarakham University, are PhD candidates on a professional development programme focusing on thesis topics and research methodology.

Researchers voice alarm over charter schools ?experiment?

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 00:04:00 +1200

Professor John O'Neill

Massey University education experts warn that the charter school experiment may cause more harm than good to the students it aims to help.

The Government announced New Zealand will trial charter schools with the first likely to be in South Auckland, Christchurch East and possibly Wellington.

In response the Education Policy Response Group, consisting of 12 College of Education experts, conducted an in-depth examination of research studies from Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States; countries with models on which New Zealand charter schools may be based.

Group convenor Professor Emeritus Ivan Snook says they based their analysis on similar sources of evidence to those used by the government but came to some different conclusions. “The evidence is clear that charter schools have the potential to cause harm to the very groups of students they are supposed to help,” he says.

The report says while it is encouraging that the National-ACT proposal recognises the need to address educational underachievement through wider economic and social policies, the charter school proposal seems to persist with narrow assessments of individual student progress. This is very risky. Even if some charter schools do show gains for disadvantaged students, it is often achieved at the cost of further disadvantaging non-charter school students and the local community as a whole.

“It is, for example, quite common for charter schools to lead to an increase in inequality based on culture, race or socio-economic status,” says Professor of Teacher Education, John O’Neill.

“The evidence overall is that while a few highly motivated individuals and families may benefit, charter schools do not provide more choice for most families,” he says. “Also, they often promote greater inequality of educational outcomes for disadvantaged students, and fail to eliminate the long tail of underachievement that the Government is rightly concerned about.”

Professor O’Neill says the group concluded that if New Zealand is to learn from this experiment the evaluation criteria must be closely defined and the evaluation study conducted independently of the supervising committee and the Ministry of Education.

“To enable this to happen, it is important that transparent data be kept on the home background and prior achievement of students, the nature of the teachers employed and the financial arrangements for the charter schools (including private and corporate contributions),” he says.

“At the very least the trial will need to prove that New Zealand charter schools do not ‘cream’ the most motivated or talented students from other schools, ‘cleanse’ their own school of those who are most difficult or expensive to teach, distort the fair distribution of teachers across the system, or siphon money away from existing programmes for the most disadvantaged students.”

Preliminary backing for College of Education change

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 00:04:00 +1200

College of Education Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor James Chapman has announced his preliminary decision relating to the proposal for change in the college.

Professor Chapman says there was strong overall support during the consultation process for the proposal to focus on graduate and postgraduate initial teacher education programmes.

"The proposal is designed to create an environment for educational research and postgraduate education that is unmatched in New Zealand and equal to the leading university education institutions in the world," he says.

"Massey University aspires to be the engine of the new New Zealand. Education at Massey will play an integral part in defining the new New Zealand, which will need to be strongly supported by a highly educated population. Education at Massey University is poised to contribute to Massey’s vision and, in so doing, contribute to the broad economic and social goals of Aotearoa New Zealand."

The preliminary decision addresses three main proposals included in a formal change document circulated for comment at the end of March. The first proposal is to develop a distinctive and truly defining approach to initial teacher education in New Zealand by focusing these programmes at the graduate/postgraduate level. The preliminary decision is to build on the existing and successful graduate diploma programmes for early childhood, primary, and secondary education. Students typically enter these programmes with a bachelor's degree and with a wide range of academic and life experiences suitable as preparation for teaching. Employment rates of graduates from these diploma programmes are very high.

Sitting alongside this intended focus is the decision to clearly identify an undergraduate pathway for school leavers wanting to become teachers. The existing Bachelor of Arts in Education offers a strong foundation in preparation for entry into one of the graduate diploma programmes. Students will enjoy the advantage of taking a range of papers across many different subjects in addition to education papers.

The preliminary decision includes transforming the College of Education into the Massey University Institute of Education within the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. The institute will have a clear focus on research-led graduate initial and continuing teacher education and allied professional preparation programmes, together with consolidated undergraduate programmes for domestic and international students. A distinctive signature of the institute will be a strong suite of research-led advanced professional learning and development programmes, relevant for the needs of New Zealand and international communities, taught by research-active specialists with a commitment to leading edge course content.

A proposal to merge the two University Maori academic units, Te Uru Maraurau (Mäori Education) and Te Putahi a Toi (Mäori Studies), has been deferred for the time being, at the request of Mäori education staff. It is planned to co-locate the two units to enable staff to develop plans for working together, with a view to formally merging within two years.

Professor Chapman describes the proposed changes signalled in the preliminary decisions as bold and exciting. "This will build on the strong heritage of the Palmerston North College of Education and the Massey University Faculty of Education by blending excellence in research with excellence in teaching."

Feedback on the preliminary decision is welcomed. The closing date is April 27 after which a final decision is scheduled for May 9.

Full details of the preliminary decision are here

Kiwi teachers 'good value for money'

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 00:03:00 +1200

Professor John O’Neill

Education spending by government on primary and secondary students is lower than the OECD average but New Zealand teachers are among the highest performers, Massey University Professor John O’Neill says.

Professor O’Neill, from the College of Education, says Treasury wants to increase student-teacher ratios but chooses to ignore the “hard data” that show they are already higher than average.

In the 2009 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), New Zealand ranked fourth out of 34 OECD countries in reading, sixth in mathematics and fourth in science.

New Zealand’s annual expenditure per student is equivalent to US$5,573 per primary student and US$6,994 per secondary student.

The OECD average is US$7,153, and US$8,972 respectively.
“We spend less per student yet get impressive results,” Professor O’Neill says. “This suggests that our teachers overall do a great job and are cause for celebration not carping criticism.”

In the debate over whether to increase student-teacher ratios, Professor O’Neill says Treasury has failed to report that current New Zealand student-teacher ratios are one teacher to 16.3 students in primary, 16.3 in lower secondary and 12.8 in upper secondary schools. The equivalent OECD averages are 16.0, 13.5 and 13.5.

“In other words, our ratios need to be reduced overall to match the OECD average, not further increased,” Professor O’Neill says.

He also described as “misleading” criticism about the rising costs of schooling saying increases in Government funding were about catching-up on underfunding in past years.

Professor O’Neill says a simple way of looking at value for money from teachers as a whole is to divide total salary costs for teachers by the total number of students. New Zealand costs per student are US$14,986 in upper secondary (OECD average is US$16,989), US$11,888 in lower secondary (OECD average is US$14,956) and US$11,226 in primary (OECD average is US$11,545).

“Again New Zealand teachers appear to provide very good value for money to government and the country,” Professor O’Neill says.

Research into Maori gifted learners to be recognised at conference

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 00:03:00 +1200

Professor Tracy Riley

Understanding what it means to be a gifted and talented young Māori learner – an area of research in which Massey specialises – is one focus of the inaugural giftEDnz conference being held in Wellington at the end of the month.

GiftEDnz is the Professional Association for Gifted Education, chaired by Associate Professor Tracy Riley from the College of Education. Massey will be making a significant contribution to the conference, with many of the speakers either staff, students or graduates, Dr Riley says.

The conference, with the theme of Fostering best practice in gifted education will bring together teachers, psychologists and any one involved in educating gifted and talented students from early childhood to tertiary level.

With funding from the Todd Foundation, two special interest groups have been established to conduct research and develop resources into areas that the organisation felt were being ignored by government. The two streams, young gifted learners (up to eight years old), and Maori gifted learners, will be the focus of presentations and panels at the conference.

“It’s a very timely conference,” Dr Riley says. “A lot has been achieved in the past few years in the field with support from the Ministry of Education and the Government, but that support is waning as the focus on underachievement focuses on the tail at the expense of our brightest learners.”

The national administrative guidelines for curriculum now include a legal requirement that gifted and talent learners must be identified and provided for. “Having that legal requirement there is very positive, but there is a big variation in the delivery and implementation of gifted and talented provisions.”

And with a budget of $1.2 million to support schools providing for gifted and talented learners, many students fall through the gaps, she says. “There is a lot of focus on underachievers in school but there are gifted children who are not achieving to their full potential because they are not being adequately provided for. Often there is a mismatch between what these students need and what is being offered.”

She says part of the issue is that being gifted means different things to different people and groups. “There is no one way to identify a gifted learner – it is open to interpretation so it is difficult to implement the legal requirement evenly across the country.”

The conference is on March 30 and 31 at the Amora Hotel in Wellington.

Bevan-Brown recognised for work with gifted Maori children

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 00:03:00 +1200

Associate Professor Jill Bevan-Brown

Massey University education researcher, Associate Professor Jill Bevan-Brown has been recognised for her work on increasing understanding of gifted and talented Māori learners.

Dr Bevan-Brown will be presented with the inaugural Te Manu Kotuku award later this month at the first conference of giftEDnz, the Professional Association for Gifted Education.

The University will also be recognised for its leadership in the field, with Associate Professor Jill Bevan-Brown to be awarded the inaugural Te Manu Kotuku award for her work into understanding gifted and talented Māori learners.

GiftEDnz chair Associate Professor Tracy Riley, also from Massey's College of Education, says Dr Bevan-Brown is "the leading light" in this area of research. “She has contributed the greatest amount of research into our understanding of Māori gifted and talented learners.”

Dr Bevan-Brown describes what she says is relatively common scenario of a quiet, well-liked, sociable Māori school pupil with a recognised ability to gather other children around themselves and bring out the best in them in class and in the playground. A confident leader but the child does not seek recognition and, despite being liked by teachers, is overlooked when it comes to recognising the pupils who are gifted.

It’s a common and complex problem, Dr Bevan-Brown says. "In New Zealand schools we tend to focus on academic things – and that is perfectly valid for Māori students – but giftedness in Māori students is broader. Social giftedness is just as important. Being outstanding in manaakitanga [hospitality] for example, is just as important as being gifted in maths.”
But those skills are harder to recognise, particularly by teachers who are not aware of what to look for or who are culturally remote from their Māori pupils. And because there is a shortage of Māori teachers, and even fewer who specialise in special needs, Māori pupils may not be getting the support they need.
Dr Bevan-Brown says her research with Maori pupils has found that giftedness can manifest itself in groups, as well as individually. She uses a musical analogy to explain how this works: Individually a musician might be recognised as talented but when they come together with other talented artists, the results are brilliant.

Typically though, teachers will try to identify the gifted individual within the group “who’s done all the work, who’s provided the spark of genius. But there could be three Māori children working together, uplifting each other’s talent to produce something great. If you separate them out, then you lose that spark.”

Dr Bevan-Brown is quick to point out that group giftedness is not instead of individual talent – it can be in addition to. “Māori preferences for working in groups can’t be at the expense of looking for individual talent," she says.

"There is an erroneous belief that Māori children won’t want to stand out so are uncomfortable with their giftedness. But if Māori children are in a supportive and valuing environment they are quite happy to exhibit their ability. “Individual success is celebrated. If students feel safe and understood they won’t feel whakamā [shy, inadequate] about showing their skills, because they know that they wont be perceived as being whakahïhï [arrogant or conceited] and that others will celebrate their success.”

She cites her own experience: There’s no chance that her nephew Tamati Ellison is going to be able to let his national and international success on the rugby field go to his head. His whānau are proud, and Tamati’s skill and success are celebrated and supported but if he was to become whakahihi he would be quickly pulled into line, she says.
While there are Māori, Pākehā and other teachers all over the country doing a wonderful job to provide that supportive environment, she says, the shortage of Maori teachers does make it harder for students.

“Research shows that Maori feel more comfortable working with other Maori. Just seeing another brown face makes Maori more likely to engage, for example,” she says.

She says the issues that the shortage of Maori teachers create for gifted students apply to all special needs students. ”Maori teachers working with Maori special needs students will most likely have greater understanding of cultural implications of their special needs and they can often interact with whanau more effectively to provide better service to the students and their families.”

Massey University, in collaboration with the University of Canterbury, offers a Post Graduate Diploma in Specialist Teaching, which she would love to see more Maori students enrolling in. “We have some excellent Maori students doing this Diploma but we need lots more.”

Again, she says, it comes down to providing a supportive, caring classroom environment. “If students are having difficulty learning and don’t feel comfortable about showing they are struggling it is easier to be disruptive. They lose less face by being removed than staying in the classroom and admitting they can’t do it.”

Dr Bevan-Brown says a lot of behavioural problems occur when pupils don’t feel safe being themselves in class. But if teachers get it right and set work at appropriate levels then performances will match expectations. “If you don’t expect them to perform, then they won’t.”

Feeling liked and valued is particularly important for Māori children because they are from a minority group “and there is always the potential to be disadvantaged – and children realise that".

She says that despite her concerns, there is a lot to celebrate. “Many gains have been made in recent years, and I feel real aroha for those teachers that are doing a wonderful job. There is lots of really good work being done by Pākehā teachers in this area, but we need more Māori teachers – not instead of, but as well as

Alumni award recognises Henry's leadership

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 00:03:00 +1200

Read the special edition of DefiningNZ magazine

Rugby World Cup winning coach Sir Graham Henry, Russia-based economist and merchant banker Stephen Jennings and highly regarded New Zealand businesswoman and company director Sue Suckling are among those recognised as distinguished alumni of Massey University at an awards function in Wellington tonight.

Sir Graham Henry, who graduated in 1980 with a Bachelor of Education, won the supreme honour – the Sir Geoffrey Peren Medal – at this year’s Defining Excellence Awards.

The awards recognise achievements by Massey graduates and by staff in research and teaching. Vice-Chancellor Steve Maharey says Massey aims to be New Zealand's defining university through its contribution to the future of the nation. "We do that by taking the best of the new New Zealand to the rest of the world. Of course, it is people who make the actual difference. Massey has outstanding staff and high-achieving alumni located all over the globe. Tonight we recognise their contribution to both the University and to the wider community."

The Sir Geoffrey Peren Medal, named after Massey founding principal, recognises a graduate who has reached the highest level of achievement in business or professional life or who has been of significant service to the University, community or nation.

Sir Graham's award is in recognition of his teaching and rugby coaching. He was a teacher at Auckland Grammar School when he studied by distance learning for his degree over six years and he was headmaster of Kelston Boys' High School for nine years before becoming a professional rugby coach in 1996.

He credits his university and teaching days with giving him the skills to become the nation's premier rugby coach. “I was involved in education for 25 years. I loved it and got a lot of personal satisfaction out of it,” he says.

Mr Jennings was also honoured with the Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award. Mr Jennings has achieved phenomenal success in his chosen field, surviving multiple economic challenges, including several global financial crises, to be one of the top market makers in the Russian merchant-banking sector.

He says his professional life and career really kicked off at Massey “My love and passion formally began during my time at Massey University and my aspiration to go and work for the New Zealand treasury also developed in that time,” he says. “The economics I began to learn during those years, together with having an open kiwi mind-set, has helped me on many occasions to look objectively at opportunities and to persevere with opportunities in countries that many other people at that time were just too scared to tread.”

Other alumni honoured at the ceremony are Sue Suckling (Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award for her contribution to science, innovation and business), Dennis Oliver (Distinguished Alumni Service Award for service to the community and nation) and Luke Di Somma (Distinguished Young Alumni Award for his contribution to music).

Others recognised for their achievements in research and teaching were:

Massey University Research Medals (2011)
Individual – Professor Paul Moughan, Early Career – Dr Lara Shepherd, Supervisor – Professor Michael McManus, Team – Sleep/Wake Research Centre.

Teaching Excellence Awards (2011)
Sustained Commitment to Teaching Excellence Awards – Dr Mark Henrickson, Dr Nigel Parsons and Dr Gina Salapata. Excellence in Teaching First-Year Students – Professor Tony Signal. Excellence in Teaching Support – Neil Ward. The Darrylin O’Dea Award in the Field of e-Learning – Dr Brennon Wood.

Formal consultation on College of Education reform plan

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 00:03:00 +1200

Formal consultation on the Massey University College of Education proposal for academic reform is now under way. The proposal, based on an earlier discussion paper circulated to staff and stakeholders in August last year, has four main elements that would see Massey University:

Develop a focus on graduate/postgraduate programmes in the Initial Teacher Education (ITE) area.
Provide an undergraduate pathway for students planning a teaching career, as preparation for entry into a graduate ITE programme.
Establish an Institute of Education in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, with a strong focus on (i) research, (ii) graduate/postgraduate ITE, (iii) professional learning and development programmes in education and allied areas.
Merge two Maori academic units: Te Uru Maraurau (Maori and Multi-cultural Education) with Te Putahi a Toi (Maori Studies).

College Pro-Vice Chancellor Professor James Chapman says Massey University has challenged itself to be recognised as New Zealand’s defining university, a university based on innovation that helps drive economic growth.

“Massey University’s College of Education has looked at how we can respond to that challenge and contribute to a stronger educational future for New Zealand. To do that we need to create an environment that focuses on educational research and postgraduate education that is unmatched in New Zealand and equal to the leading university education institutions around the world.

“These proposed changes are designed to provide our staff with the opportunities to continue to generate creative and innovative ideas and research to improve educational outcomes; and to enable our students to be effective teaching professionals throughout their lives.”

If the proposal goes ahead, Massey will provide education and entry pathways for those wanting to become teachers through one-year graduate diplomas in education and through a refreshed and revised education-focused Bachelor of Arts, while the undergraduate qualifications will be phased out once current students complete.