A philosophical anchor for creating inclusive communities in early childhood education: anti-bias philosophy and Te Whāriki: Early childhood curriculum.

The basic premise of this paper is that inclusion in early childhood education in Aotearoa New Zealand is a worthy focus of early childhood education curriculum and that an anti-bias philosophy assists in developing curriculum that is inclusive. It is claimed that the early childhood curriculum in Aotearoa New Zealand is an emancipatory one, and arguments for activism and anti-bias principles in support of curriculum implementation are made. Drawing on anti-bias principles, the current curriculum statement (Te Whāriki: Early Childhood Curriculum) is examined to ascertain what support for anti-bias foci exists. Teaching strategies based upon discussion, critical thinking and an awareness of diversity themes/difference are considered in support of active anti-bias work in early childhood education

Investigating Vitis sp. cold stress tolerance with abscisic acid (ABA) analogs

The sustainability of Vitis sp. grapevine cultivation is threatened by climate change with pressure mounting on low temperature stress adaptations. Abscisic acid (ABA) is hypothesized to act as a central mediator of dormancy status and cold tolerance of grapevine buds. With one or more modifications to the chemical structure of ABA, synthetic analogs can improve its bioactivity in planta. The current research is founded in a comprehensive investigation on dormant grapevine bud cold stress responses following the administration of 8’-acetylene ABA (ABA-1017) and tetralone ABA (ABA-1016). Using V. vinifera (cv. Merlot) and interspecific Vitis hybrid (cv. Marquette) as freeze sensitive models, this thesis set out to determine: (1) the seasonal effect of ABA analogs on the resistance to losing cold tolerance; and (2) the impact of these products on bud dormancy physiology in relation to ABA catabolism. A record of five consecutive seasons (2017-2022) of differential thermal analysis data (DTA) was utilized to perform correlational test on the estimated low temperature exotherm (LTE) to the average minimum field temperature in deacclimation. Water content was measured for untreated, ABA-treated, and ABA analog-treated buds throughout the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 dormant seasons. Samples were collected in alignment for hormone profiling (LC-MS/MS) to quantify the relative levels of ABA, its metabolites, and the degree of analog uptake/residual following application. Single-node cuttings from treated vines were maintained in a controlled environment (25°C, 16-hour light) to monitor the progression of dormancy against a fixed time-to-event threshold of 50% bud break over a 60-day observation window. Results suggest: (1) ABA analogs can improve deacclimation resistance and delay bud break, but their effect is inconsistent from year-to-year and varies in response to extreme cold stress; and (2) water availability and hormonal status are impacted by the application of ABA analogs unpredictably, and results from dormancy status evaluations are inconclusive to determine the impact of these products on the endo-ecodormancy transition of buds. This research ultimately lays the foundation to continue to explore the hallmarks of Vitis sp. bud dormancy and cold tolerance coordinated by ABA and develop an optimized freeze/frost-mitigation strategy for cool climate grape growers

Even if you say it three ways, it still doesn't mean it's true: The pervasiveness of heteronormativity in early childhood education

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Heteronormativity and early childhood education: Social justice and some puzzling queries.

This thesis investigated the discursive production of heteronormativity in the historical and present day contexts of early childhood education in Aotearoa New Zealand. A Foucauldian genealogical investigation of early childhood policy and documents revealed how heteronormative discourses shaped understandings in early childhood education in the twentieth century. Then a study of practices as accounted for and produced in focus group interviews showed how heteronormative discourses were confirmed and resisted in the present day. The thesis argues that the locus of heteronormativity in early childhood education centres on constructions of the family, of genders and of sexualities. It sought to investigate whether heteronormative discourses were shaping practices in early childhood education, and if so how. Following the writing of a genealogy of heteronormativity in early childhood education, the fieldwork of the study entailed three rounds of focus group interviews with queer teacher, queer ally and teacher educator participants. Discussions in the interviews were provoked by dilemmas of heterosexism, homophobia and heteronormativity in early childhood settings. Participants were asked to talk about what they thought was occurring in the dilemmas and they were also asked to share examples of practices from their own professional lives where same-sex sexualities had been troubled or affirmed. The texts produced from the focus group interviews were read the same way as the historical and policy and documents. Foucault's discourse analysis combined with questions from Davies' (1994) study of teaching practices, and queer theory provided a theoretical framework through which I was able to explore relations between constructions of genders, families, and sexualities; concepts of insiders and outsiders; and notions of power. A queer turn in the project enlarged the focus of the study to investigate how heteronormative discourse might have been shaping the research interviews too. A discourse of silence along with a discourse of risk was interpreted as contributing to heteronormativity in this work. A strategy designed to assist teachers to interrupt heteronormativity was explored. It allowed teachers to bring together ideas and concepts that would constitute families and parents in ways inclusive of and broader to the (hetero)norm. In the study, teachers, children and parents were shown to draw on (hetero)normalising discourses in their interactions with each other in early childhood education. Such activity limited opportunities for valid alternative options to heterosexuality to be known. This meant that heterosexuality was repeatedly constituted as dominant and normative, thus supporting heteronormativity. Constructions of genders, families and sexualities in the study were regularly shaped by traditional and essentialising discourses that positioned heterosexual sexuality as normal and non-heterosexual sexualities as not. These in combination with other discourses, such as a discourse of developmentalism, provided few opportunities for non-heterosexual sexualities to be recognised, valued and included in early childhood education. The extent to which socially just and inclusive policy aims in early childhood education might therefore be met in practice, could be seriously questioned. However, examples of practices that worked to expand opportunities for the recognition of diverse families and sexualities in early childhood education were also documented. These provided evidence that some teachers, parents and children in some circumstances can and do access and use discourses of social justice, family and sexual diversity, inclusion and human rights. Sustained access to these was not documented, in fact, discourses of social justice, family and sexual diversity, and inclusion were often immediately countered by limiting and (hetero)normalising responses. The thesis concludes with suggestions as to how such processes might be explored and challenged so that more teachers, more children, more families can enjoy recognition and welcome in early childhood education settings designed to include

Knowledgeable and qualified early childhood teachers: Tensions, constraints, and possibilities

The Early Learning Action Plan 2019-2029 (Ministry of Education, 2019b) Objective 3 is “Teaching staff and leaders are well qualified, diverse, culturally competent and valued” (p. 3). Tensions, constraints, and possibilities arise from analysing historical developments and positionings of early childhood teacher knowledge amongst policy aimed to provide well qualified and valued teaching staff. We advocate for investment in what we conceptualise as ‘knowledgeable teachers’ who educate children at the most important time of their lives

Constructing the problem of initial teacher education in Aotearoa New Zealand: policy formation and risk, 2010-2018

This paper reports findings from an interpretive policy and discourse analysis of documents informing contemporary initial teacher education (ITE) policy development in Aotearoa New Zealand. The study first asks: what is the problem of teacher education as constituted in policy and associated documents in the period 2010-2018? We then compare the problems, suggested solutions, and recent evidence about the work of teacher education in New Zealand, to discuss the policy discourse, and theorise about the potential utility of solutions to address the problems raised. Our comparative analysis of the problems of ITE and proposed policy solutions with research evidence of teacher education work underscores the imperative of engagement with local and relevant evidence-based knowledge as a basis for informed policy decision making. &nbsp

Constructing the problem of initial teacher education in Aotearoa New Zealand: policy formation and risk, 2010-2018

This paper reports findings from an interpretive policy and discourse analysis of documents informing contemporary initial teacher education (ITE) policy development in Aotearoa New Zealand. The study first asks: what is the problem of teacher education as constituted in policy and associated documents in the period 2010-2018? We then compare the problems, suggested solutions, and recent evidence about the work of teacher education in New Zealand, to discuss the policy discourse, and theorise about the potential utility of solutions to address the problems raised. Our comparative analysis of the problems of ITE and proposed policy solutions with research evidence of teacher education work underscores the imperative of engagement with local and relevant evidence-based knowledge as a basis for informed policy decision making. &nbsp

Introduction to the Special Issue: How to educate a nation’s teachers. Debating quality initial teacher education for today and for the future

The Teacher Education Forum Aotearoa New Zealand (TEFANZ) was officially launched on 12 July 1999—17 years ago—as the national voice for teacher education in Aotearoa New Zealand. TEFANZ members represent New Zealand Initial Teacher Education (ITE) providers who offer programmes at degree or graduate level. Members span the University, Polytechnic, Wānanga, and private sector across ECE, primary, and secondary. This broad constituency provides a rich picture of ITE in Aotearoa New Zealand

The potential of queer theorising in early childhood education: Disrupting heteronormativity and practising for inclusion

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Foucauldian discourse analysis in early childhood education.

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