Jacqueline Burne

Citation

Thesis Title
From colonial past to New Zealand classroom: The biographical narrative of Will Potter — Commercial secondary school teacher (1958 – 1976)

Read article at Massey Research Online:

Mrs Burne's case study of Will Potter, a post-primary school Commerce teacher from 1958 to 1976, adds to the New Zealand store of teacher stories that make real the experiences of the everyday teacher. Qualitative methods were used to generate data, which were analysed using a sociocultural–historical approach. Findings showed that Will's pre-war experiences of colonial life in the Netherlands East Indies (now Indonesia) and his internment during World War II were factors that shaped his worldview before he began teaching and influenced his pedagogical approach. His motivations to become a teacher are determined, with money being the main reason, and Will's contributions to post-primary Commerce teaching, especially his writing of Commerce textbooks, are examined. Will Potter's personal attributes and experiences; interpersonal relationships; institutional aspects, such as schools where he taught; and historic influences, like the 1950s post-primary system when he began teaching, all interact to enrich his story.

Supervisors
Associate Professor Alison Sewell
Professor Howard Lee