A Classical Oversight? The appropriateness and accessibility of Classical Studies to female students in Aotearoa New Zealand

Classical Studies is a subject that has a predetermined ‘canon’ of traditional texts and subjects that are recommended and expected to be studied. It focuses on the men of ancient Greece and Rome, whilst classifying non-Greeks and Romans as ‘barbarians’ or ‘other’. Women of the ancient world live comfortably outside the margins of the Classical Studies curriculum. This perception, and the continuation of teaching from a narrow and biased perspective without rigorous discussion on the impact it has in the classroom, perpetuates the gender and racial stereotypes found within. It begs the question, how can girls see themselves and their values in such a subject? Despite the values of critical thinking facilitated by this curriculum area, the perpetuation of “the dominant values of the culture of power, while at the same time failing to validate those values of minority groups” (Porter- Samuels, 2013, p.19) will continue to hinder the opportunity to diversify and grow Classical Studies as a subject. At the start of 2019, I suggested on the New Zealand Classical Studies teacher page on Facebook that I was contemplating changing my focus from men to women within the ancient world as I thought it would be more appropriate for my students of an all girls’ school. There was some excitement but also pushback, one commentator pointed out that maybe I was teaching “my hobby horses rather than the traditional Classics”. It was implied that I would be doing a disservice to my students by not sticking to the ‘traditional’ topics. Classical Studies is a Eurocentric subject that focuses on two civilisations that are inherently patriarchal and xenophobic. Two civilisations where the resources are dominated by men and everyone else has been ‘othered’. The purpose of this research is to uncover the lived experiences of female students within Classical Studies, in order to find out whether the subject is appropriate and accessible for them. It is a way to give a voice to the students. It is a way to hear their point of view on things like the curriculum, the pedagogy of their teachers and the environment. It is a way to remove assumptions, and replace them with genuine stories and experiences. It will hopefully be a catalyst for change. A way to give back to the amazing students I have had over the years. For this research I explored the New Zealand Curriculum and how Classical Studies is presented within it. I have looked at the research around educational achievement of females in secondary schools. To gain an insight into the lived experiences of female students in a Classical Studies classroom in Aotearoa New Zealand, I have had talanoa conversations with ten volunteers from both Year 12 and Year 13. These talanoa were eye-opening in their honesty and frustration. It is clear there needs to be change within Classical Studies, and the pedagogical approach of teachers. The participants were clear in their desire for women to be more visible

KAUMĀTUATANGA Supporting School Leaders To Develop Cultural Values While Resisting The Dominance of Colonialism

In an education system that is asserting to the importance of Māori (indigenous people of Aotearoa) language, culture, identity and the history of Aotearoa (New Zealand) into the curriculum, there is direction from the Ministry of Education (MOE) for schools to reach out to iwi. What this looks like and how this can be achieved is not an easy task. This thesis follows the journey of three kaumātua (respected, knowledgeable elders, both female and male) working alongside the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) of a decile 10 kura auraki (mainstream primary school) where ākonga Māori (Māori students) were in the minority. The research examines what role kaumātua might have in guiding other schools to help tamariki Māori (Māori children) enjoy and achieve education success as Māori. It highlights the coming together of leaders from two different worldviews with this vision as a common purpose. Kaumātua in te ao Māori (the Māori world) are respected elders. Kaumātua are leaders, respected for their wisdom, knowledge and models of behaviour among other attributes. The Māui narratives are one example of demonstrating the characteristics of kaumātua. It was through his respected elders that Maui achieved so much. It was his grandfather who rescued him and taught him all he knew. It was his grandmother Mahuika who gave him fire and it was his kuia (female elder) Murirangiwhenua from whom he received the magic jawbone. The wisdom of Māori kaumātua has been recognised for centuries by Māori and yet kaumātua are often an untapped resource in the mainstream sector of education. In this thesis the kaumātua and members of the SLT share their experiences of working together and the learning and unlearning that has taken place over a period of four years from 2016 through 2019. They share their vulnerability, humility and strength in the goals they have worked towards over this period of time

Beyond time and experience: An institutional approach and categorial framework for the analysis of waiting from a philosophical materialist perspective

This thesis proposes a novel theoretical framework for studying waiting as a multidimensional phenomenon, advancing beyond traditional approaches that often perceive it as a singular, homogenous, and purely temporal event. It asserts that waiting embodies temporal, spatial, and operational dimensions, each with dialectical and dynamic components. Rather than viewing waiting as an ontologically negative or undefined event, it is conceptualised as a material and objective process. Its axiological nature is neutral, not essentially negative or positive, with its classification primarily contingent upon the context. The research underscores several waiting processes as a social institution, emphasising its varied forms in different institutionalised contexts, thereby diverging from approaches that overemphasise these processes' subjective and experiential dimensions. The thesis, grounded in philosophical materialism, scrutinises the historical evolution of waiting, linking it to secular and non-secular concepts of hope and others, such as expectation and time. It critiques modern perceptions of waiting, especially its temporal hypostasis, advocating for a wider, materialist approach that incorporates often overlooked spatial and operational dimensions while not undermining temporal significance. The study introduces a set of categories from a philosophical materialist perspective to analyse waiting spaces' structural and functional elements. It explores the operational dimension of waiting concerning institutional structures and suggests that this dimension encompasses both spatial and temporal aspects. Concerning the temporal analysis, the research reveals multiple objective temporalities within the waiting processes, replacing the idea of a single waiting time with the notion of possible multiple times in several kinds of waiting processes. The final chapter applies these theoretical perspectives empirically, analysing institutionalised waiting processes in the current Cuban context. It successfully inspects the spatial, operational, and temporal components of waiting, prioritising the institutional character of these processes. The thesis concludes that understanding various waiting processes depends largely on institutional nature, including the psychological and subjective behaviours displayed during waiting. This thesis introduces a new institutional perspective on waiting studies, mainly related to social sciences approaches. At the same time, we recognise the need for ongoing exploration and discourse to further our understanding of this intriguing subject. The proposed materialist approach strives to enrich the epistemological status of waiting studies and augment our collective knowledge

Assessing vocabulary and grammar development in New Zealand Mandarin- and Cantonese-speaking children: a validation study

New Zealand has a growing population of Mandarin and Cantonese speakers, including children with speech, language, and communication disorders. However, the absence of language development profiles poses challenges in effectively identifying and addressing these concerns. This study aimed to capture the current state of monolingual, bilingual, and multilingual Mandarin- and Cantonese-speaking children living in New Zealand. Over 200 mothers in the Growing Up in New Zealand longitudinal cohort study identified their children as understanding Mandarin and/or Cantonese. Mothers completed newly adapted vocabulary and grammar checklists for New Zealand Mandarin and Cantonese speakers at the Age 2 data wave. Both of the adapted New Zealand Mandarin and Cantonese versions showed high reliabilities and validities. Unique demographic predictors of children’s vocabulary and grammar were mothers’ education, household deprivation level, and children’s birth order. Language status and maternal concerns were also unique predictors of children’s vocabulary development in Mandarin and Cantonese, with monolingual children whose mothers reported no concerns having higher Mandarin and Cantonese vocabularies. These results have rich implications for researchers, clinicians, and practitioners working with Mandarin- and Cantonese-speaking children in New Zealand and worldwide

Natural and Experimental Admixture of Invasive Blowflies in New Zealand and Australia

Across the globe, native species are being outcompeted and often reach extinction due to introduced species becoming invasive. Previously confined to their native areas due to geographical, ecological, or environmental barriers that have prevented them from expanding, human impacts have resulted in a significant increase in the number of introduced species. Such species become invasive when they begin to expand their range demographically and typically cause negative impacts in the new environment. There is no current model that allows us to predict and prevent future biological invasions, though next generation sequencing, population genomics analysis, and experimental laboratory manipulations are helping to fill critical gaps in our understanding of the invasion process. My first analysis (Chapter 2) explored the ability of population genetics analyses of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data to identify hybridisation levels and the rate of admixture occurring in wild populations of Calliphora hilli and Calliphora stygia – two invasive blowflies found in New Zealand and originally from Australia. I analysed samples from various locations and found patterns of population genetic connectivity and structure that supported Australia as the source of the New Zealand invasion for both species. This research provided highly valuable new insights into the population structure of these two species, with hybridisation and gene flow playing a key role in their respective biological invasions. My second analysis (Chapter 3) first explored the population structure of the highly invasive blowfly species, Callipohra vicina, using SNP data to analyse population genomic patterns, such as genetic diversity and admixture. Following this, low genetic diversity colonies were generated from isofemale lines to simulate an invasive population that had undergone a genetic bottleneck. These low diversity lines were compared to relatively high diversity lines for a number of traits, including fecundity, body size, developmental rate, and lifespan to determine the effects of genetic diversity on population fitness. We found genetic differentiation between North and South Island New Zealand populations in the wild, while high diversity lines outcompeted low diversity lines for all measured traits in the laboratory. These results demonstrated the importance of genetic bottlenecks on invasion scenarios and suggested interesting new ideas for follow-up research. Predicting and preventing future invasions is a significant current gap in invasion biology. Population genomic and ecological assays can together help to fill this gap to help us identify the mechanisms underlying invasive success

Applying Rasch Methodology to Examine and Enhance Precision of the Baby Care Questionnaire

The Baby Care Questionnaire (BCQ) is an established ordinal measure of parenting beliefs about infant care, which includes structure and attunement scales. Rasch analysis is a powerful method to examine and improve psychometric properties of ordinal scales. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties and improve precision of the structure and attunement scales of the BCQ using Rasch methodology. A Partial Credit Rasch model was applied to a sample of 450 mothers from the United Kingdom (n = 225) and New Zealand (n = 225) who completed the BCQ. Initial analyses indicated acceptable reliability of the structure and attunement scales of the BCQ, but some items showed misfit to the Rasch model associated with local dependency issues in both scales. After combining locally dependent items into testlets, both scales of the BCQ met expectations of the unidimensional Rasch model and demonstrated adequate and strong reliability and invariance across countries and person factors such as participants’ age and their baby’s sex. This permitted the generation of conversion algorithms to transform ordinal scores into interval data to enhance the precision of both scales of the BCQ. In conclusion, using Rasch methodology, this study demonstrated robust psychometric properties of the structure and attunement scales of the BCQ after minor modifications. The ordinal-to-interval conversion tables published here can be used to further enhance the precision of the structure and attunement scales of the BCQ without changing their original response format. These findings contribute to the enhancement of precision in measuring parenting beliefs about infant care

Positive effects of blue light on motor coordination in older adults: A pilot study

Purpose: Falls are a risk factor for mortality in older adults. Lighting interventions can improve cognitive and motor task performance, but the effect on postural control with relevance to falling is unknown. Methods: Sixteen older adults participated in an intervention study with blue-enriched light delivered visually and/or transcranially for 12 min. Postural control in three conditions (60s eyes-open, dual-task, and eyes-closed), lower-limb motor coordination, and cognitive function were assessed. Results: Relative to placebo, visual blue-enriched light improved reaction time in the motor coordination task by 0.073 ± 0.035s (d = 0.77 ± 0.39; p = 0.003). Visual exposure decreased Area of Sway relative to the combined (d = 0.38 ± 0.26; p = 0.020) and placebo interventions (d = 0.47 ± 0.42; p = 0.067), with no significant effect on cognition. Conclusion: Blue-enriched lighting demonstrates a novel approach to positively impact postural control and motor coordination in older adults. By impacting metrics associated with fall risk, light interventions may provide a clinical countermeasure to decrease the human costs of falls

Obesity Management in Rural New Zealand General Practice from Healthcare Professional and Client Perspectives

Obesity is a health issue which currently affects over 34% of New Zealand (NZ) adults. Obesity, if left unchecked, leads to further physical and psychosocial health complications and an overall poor quality of life. People living in rural communities, high deprivation areas, as well as Indigenous Māori and Pacific Island populations in NZ, experience significant obesity health inequities and have a high-risk of developing obesity. General practice clinicians are positioned to be ‘best suited’ to deliver effective obesity healthcare in their practice, however, despite weight management intervention options being available through general practice, the obesity rates have continued to rise in the last 30 years. This suggests that there are potentially barriers to achieving a healthy weight in this context. The aim of this research thesis is to understand the experiences with, and barriers to, effective obesity management in general practice from clinician and client perspectives to identify areas of improvement in the future. This research thesis examines obesity healthcare in NZ general practice using a sequential explanatory mixed method research design in three parts. Firstly, a literature review study was conducted as a baseline point to identify the efficacy of any weight management interventions that are available in general practice. Secondly, a quantitative exploratory survey was conducted with Waikato region general practitioners (GP’s). Lastly, interviews with rural clinicians (GPs, nurses, and Indigenous Māori health professionals) and clients (patients engaging with rural general practice) were then conducted to understand the more in-depth perspectives of any barriers experienced with delivering, or engaging with, obesity management in general practice. The experiences of both clinicians and clients were found to be complex and nuanced, with each participant having a unique experience with obesity management. Concepts such as effective yet inaccessible weight management interventions, interventions not suitable for sociocultural health needs, conflicting nutritional guidelines, lack of rural general practice systemic support, the unique and time consuming nature of obesity ‘treatment’, complications with the role of a clinician in obesity management, stigma or power imbalances in the general practice context, social determinants of health, the obesogenic environment, privatised weight management programmes and the individualised nature of sociocultural norms were found to be significant to effective obesity management. This research thesis identified that the positioning of general practitioners as ‘best suited’ for delivering effective obesity healthcare in their practice was questionable. Potentially, the clinician role is better suited as a supportive one to an obesity health specialist who can meet the more holistic needs of a client when it comes to weight management. The current health model generates difficulties for clinicians to deliver comprehensive healthcare for such a complex and individualised health issue. Future research should look to develop weight management options that are suitable for rural and indigenous health needs to improve quality of life for clients and reduce health inequities. In addition, wider critical reflection on the current obesity healthcare model and the feasibility of a more specialist service outside general practice is warranted

Academics’ experience of online reading lists and the use of reading list notes

Reading Lists Systems are widely used in tertiary education as a pedagogical tool and for tracking copyrighted material. This paper explores academics' experiences with reading lists and in particular the use of reading lists notes feature. A mixed-methods approach was employed in which we first conducted interviews with academics about their experience with reading lists. We identified the need for streamlining the workflow of the reading lists set-up, improved usability of the interfaces, and better synchronization with other teaching support systems. Next, we performed a log analysis of the use of the notes feature throughout one academic year. The results of our log analysis were that the note feature is under-utilized by academics. We recommend improving the systems’ usability by re-engineering the user workflows and to better integrate notes feature into academic teaching

Understanding Allosteric Arginine Mutations Using Macromolecular Rate Theory

Enzyme catalysed reaction rates have been traditionally modelled with the Arrhenius and Eyring-Polanyi equations. These models assume that the reaction rate is exponential with temperature, and thus the natural log of the reaction rate versus 1/T is linear. Significant deviations from these models at high temperatures has traditionally been attributed to thermal denaturation. An increasing body of evidence has shown that denaturation alone is insufficient to account for these deviations from Arrhenius behaviour. Macromolecular rate theory (MMRT) accounts for these deviations with the introduction of the activation heat capacity (Δ‡) to the rate equation. The activation heat capacity is a consequence of the restriction in conformational freedom along the reaction coordinate, as an enzyme moves from the enzyme-substrate complex to the transition state complex – thus for an enzymatic reaction the activation heat capacity is negative. A non-zero activation heat capacity imparts temperature dependence to the activation entropy and activation enthalpy, introducing curvature to the rate equation independent of thermal denaturation. The activation heat capacity may itself be temperature dependent. MMRT equations of increasing complexity have been developed to reflect this and are suitable for different applications. This thesis explores the effects of allosteric arginine mutations on the temperature dependence of enzyme rates through the lens of MMRT and evolution using the model enzyme MalL. An in-depth analysis of a previously characterised arginine mutant is described along with four additional arginine mutants. The arginine mutants were designed to mimic urea ligand binding across the enzyme surface. These mutants were characterised kinetically and with biophysical methods. Two were further characterised structurally, with high resolution structures being produced. These mutant enzymes showed significant rate improvements at low temperatures, suggesting two possible mechanisms for evolution towards psychrophily. These arginine mutants showed significant improvement in crystallographic resolution, indicating surface arginine mutations may be a general route for crystallographic improvement