http://hdl.handle.net/10092/806 2013-05-22T07:18:13Z http://hdl.handle.net/10092/7702 Title: Moving towards inclusion: A case study of one urban school in the Maldives Authors: Naseer, Badhoora Abstract: This case study explores and documents the development of inclusive education in one urban school in the Maldives. It focuses on the steps taken to move the school towards inclusion, the practices and experiences of different stakeholders involved in the process, and the factors that influenced inclusive education in the school. Qualitative data was collected through interviews with some of the key members of the school community and through classroom observations and documents. Findings have revealed that the development of inclusive education in the school came about through a school leader rather than policies. In spite of recognized efforts towards inclusion, a range of exclusionary practices was still observed. Various impediments constrained the development of inclusive education, including, lack of collaboration between the SEN (Special Educational Needs) and the general staff, limited knowledge, awareness and positive understanding about inclusion, scarcity of resources and support services. Factors such as large classes, undifferentiated curriculum, and rigid time tables also negatively affected the developmental process. Findings indicate the complexity of developing inclusive education. The findings also suggest that changes on the societal level, in the education ministry and, in the school and classroom level could help sustain the development of inclusive education. The factors that could contribute to the development of inclusive education at these levels are discussed, as are the implications for the successful development of inclusive education in schools. 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10092/7675 Title: Reverse chameleon in the Kiwi jungle:Identity construction of Pasifika theatre makers Authors: Fulop, Kata Abstract: This research fills a gap in the literature on Pasifika theatre, theatre made by immigrants from the Pacific Islands and their descendants in New Zealand; it addresses a new field and uses a rich set of data, specifically interviews, archives, performances, and plays. The thesis tracks how Pasifika theatre matured, and characterises this in four broad developmental stages. The first Pasifika plays were positioned within a monocultural environment, sharing their initial energy with Maori theatre. The second stage broke away from Maori theatre to have a more specific focus on Pasifika cultural issues. The third stage saw a flourishing of popular Pasifika theatre, with a Pan-Pasifika ideology. While in the first three stages there was a particular focus on migration, the fourth stage has seen a move toward issues that are more contemporary. Topics examined include gender, ethnicity, and the individuality of a community that has increasingly acculturated into New Zealand society. At the moment they are less connected with their ethnic and cultural roots; they are also showing more awareness of their position in New Zealand society. Pasifika theatre makers identified with a larger Pan-Pasifika community, differentiating themselves from the Maori and European populations in New Zealand. At the same time, theatre makers used indigenous traditions, Western realist theatre conventions, and popular cultural references to comment on the socio-economic position of Pasifika people, and to entertain Pasifika audiences. For subsequent generations of Pasifika theatre makers, migration and its aftermath formed the primary master narrative, even though Pasifika people increasingly acculturated to New Zealand society. Consequently, new hybrid identities developed, which have become more prominent in Pasifika plays. Pasifika theatre attracts a growing number of European theatre goers who seek a safe encounter with the Other. Indeed, sixty years after the first waves of migration, Pasifika theatre makers still feel like outsiders in New Zealand’s bicultural framework. 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10092/7672 Title: “If you talk, you are just talking.If I talk, is that bragging?”: perspectives of parents with young gifted children in New Zealand Authors: Chellapan, Lakshmi Abstract: Investigating parental and family environments is not a new subject, but is a growing interest amongst psychologists, counsellors, and educationists. The purpose of this study has been to provide a rich description of the perspectives and experiences of parents raising gifted and talented children in New Zealand. Parents who live and care for a child with special talents or abilities face a great number of different stressors compared with parents who have a ‘normal’ or ‘average’ child (Clark, 2008; Delisle, 2001; May, 2000). Research suggests that recognizing and dealing with gifted children’s advanced intellectual, social, emotional and motor skills which are different from average ability children pose challenges in parenting gifted children (Moon & Hall, 1998; Moon, 2003; Moon, Jurich & Feldhusen, 1998; Silverman & Kearney, 1989). There has been little research conducted into the experiences of parents with young gifted children in New Zealand. This thesis therefore seeks to find out the parents’ views on and their experiences of having young gifted children and understand how and what meaning they construct around living with their children. The purpose of this study therefore has been aimed at listening to the voices of parents whose children are identified as intellectually gifted and also to look at the actual experience of these parents who have the greatest influence in their gifted children’s lives. Using a qualitative phenomenology study, four parents with a young intellectual gifted child were interviewed about their parenting experiences. The perspectives and experiences of these parents have been analyzed from multiple perspectives. In-depth interviewing and analytical memos have provided a rich picture of the experiences and perspectives of these parents with their gifted and talented children. It is ix from these insights that some clarity has been gained about the understanding and challenges that these parents faced when raising gifted and talented children, and how they are interpreted by the participants This thesis explores the participants’ understanding of parenting a young intellectually gifted child, discusses similarities to and differences from general parenting, and describes the outcomes of the four parents in this study. It highlights four systematic problems that complicate their parenting: (a) community lack of support (b) education inequalities (c) difficulties in the gifted support service, and (d) social stigma. This thesis also draws attention to the need for counsellors, psychologists, and expertise in gifted education to address the issues and get an understanding of the challenges that the parents of the gifted children are faced with when they are parenting a child with special needs. 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10092/7645 Title: The prospect of implementing a community based home telehealth service for chronic care intervention Authors: Lee, Bible Abstract: Worldwide, the numbers of people living with chronic conditions are rapidly on the rise. Chronic illnesses are enduring and often cannot be cured, requiring a strategy for long term management and intervention to prevent further exacerbation. Globally, there has been an increase in interventions using telecommunications technologies to aid patients in their home setting to manage chronic illnesses. Such interventions have often been delivered by nurses. The purpose of this research was to assess whether a particular intervention that had been successfully implemented in the United Kingdom could also be implemented in Canterbury. In particular, this research assessed the perspectives of Canterbury based practice nurses and district nurses. The findings suggest that a majority of both district and practice nurses did not view the service as compatible with their current work situation. Existing workload and concerns over funding of the proposed service were identified as potential barriers. However, the service was perceived as potentially beneficial for some, with the elderly based in rural areas, or patients with chronic mental health needs identified as more likely to benefit than others. Practice nurses expressed strong views on who should deliver such services. Given that it was identified that practice nurses already have in-depth knowledge of their patients’ health, while valuing the strong relationships established with their communities, it was suggested that patients would most benefit from locally based nurses to deliver any community based health services in the future. It was also found that teletriaging is currently widely used by practice nurses across Canterbury to meet a range of health needs, including chronic mental health needs. This suggests that the scope of teletriaging in community health and its potential and full implications are currently not well understood in New Zealand. Significant events, such as the Christchurch earthquakes indicate the potential role of teletriaging in addressing mental health issues, thereby reducing the chronic health burden in the community. 2011-01-01T00:00:00Z