Two year project, 2007-2008
Dr Airini, Associate Dean, Equity at The University of Auckland’s Faculty of Education
  

Project aim

This two-year evidence-based project targets Māori student and Pasifika student success in degree-level tertiary education. The focus is on the ways in which non-lecture teaching and learning helps or hinders Māori student and Pasifika student success in preparing for or completing degree-level studies. Good practice will be identified.

  
Project plan

The project is designed so that researchers and educator-researchers work together over two years to better understand teaching and learning in non-lecture contexts, and to utilize evidence to enhance their practices. The project will have five phases:

1. Preparing a literature review on international best practice in non-lecture teaching and learning in tertiary settings. Data collected on participation and success rates of Māori learners and Pasifika learners preparing for or completing degree-level study.
2. Interviewing Māori students and Pasifika students using the critical incident technique (Flanagan 1954) for both first year (2007, 2008) and graduate degree-level (2007 only) about teaching and learning practices that help or hinders their success in degree-level study.
3. Transcribing, analysing and interpreting interviews.
4. Partnership-based planning of enhanced practice that integrates findings from interviews, initial data gathering and literature reviews. Professional development to support enhanced practice.
5. Implementing and analyzing enhanced teaching and learning practices with first-year and second-year Pasifika students doing degree-level studies in non-lecture settings.
     

Partnerships involved

Partnerships are integral to the construction of this expression of interest. This project will involve robust and meaningful collaboration between educators involved in non-lecture-based teaching and learning, and researchers. The project has been designed in a spirit of genuine collaboration, with the intention that expertise of both researchers and practitioners is involved throughout the research process, from design through to the analysis and dissemination of findings. Organisational partners in this project are:

• The University of Auckland’s Faculty of Education
• The University of Auckland’s Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences
• The National Institute of Creative Arts and Industries
• The University of Auckland Careers Centre
    

Expected outcomes

This project will:

1. Identify international best practices in non-lecture teaching and learning in tertiary settings
2. Deliver high quality research on the nature of non-lecture teaching and learning practices that help or hinder Māori and Pasifika student success in preparing for or completing degree-level study
3. Identify factors in non-lecture teaching and learning that help and hinder Māori and Pasifika student success
4. Produce practical programmes for tertiary institutions on how to identify what helps and hinders Māori and Pasifika student success in degree-level studies, and how to develop effective programmes in non-lecture settings to harness strengths and address barriers. Emphasis will be placed on the successful development of partnerships between educators, and research that is inclusive of Māori and Pasifika expertise.

Selected Publications

Download the paper from EERA conference 2007  [pdf, 339KB]
Download "Success for All", a PowerPoint presentation, 2007 [ppt, 7260 KB]

Back to 2006 Projects

For more information email us or contact us at: PO Box 3237, Wellington, New Zealand.