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Artificial intelligence is being embedded into home devices and these have the potential to be useful tools in the classroom. Voice assistant devices such as Google Home or Alexa can respond to verbal instructions and answer questions using the Internet of Things, web-scraping or native programming. This research explores student use of voice assistant devices in the context of two senior primary school classrooms in New Zealand. A socio-material approach is taken, examining the devices in existing classroom environments and how the children use these devices without teacher prompting. The research is framed within the Technology Acceptance Model 2 (Venkatesh et al., 2003). Student’s perception of the device’s usefulness, ease of use, and the subjective norm and social impact of using the device in each classroom environment is discussed. The research questions examined were what and how do students ask the devices, and how accurate the devices are in answering their enquiries. Data were gathered for two case studies from device transcripts over six weeks and teacher interviews. Findings suggest that the students found the devices usable, useful and interesting to challenge and explore. Reliable responses for basic literacy, numeracy, and social studies enquiries were recorded, however, the ability of the device to understand student enquiries was variable and the device was limited by a lack of pedagogical techniques and knowledge of learner needs. Evident in the data were students’ social use, perseverance and anthropomorphism of the devices. The implications of this research are that voice-activated artificial intelligence devices can support learners in classroom environments by promoting perseverance, independence, and social learning.

Self-directed professional learning is distinct from the traditional approach of directed professional development. The introduction of the Internet into Indonesian society provides the opportunity for teachers to use digital tools for their teaching and to access professional learning without attending mandated professional development. An emerging phenomenon in Indonesia is the establishment and use of Google Education Groups (GEGs) for professional learning about the use of educational technology (ed-tech) in the schooling sector. Two research questions guided the examination of Indonesian educators’ experiences of GEGs: (1) how do Indonesian educators participate in the GEGs for ed-tech professional learning? and (2) how do the GEGs function to enable Indonesian educators’ ed-tech professional learning? Collective case study methodology was applied, and three Google Education Groups were examined, one from a metropolitan area, one from an urban area and the third from a rural context. In each case study, the leader of the group and three group members with varying levels of online engagement were interviewed and online forum conversations were examined. Data were analysed using Stake’s method of categorical aggregation leading to within-case assertions and cross-case analysis. A social cognitive perspective was used as a framework to analyse and interpret findings. It was found that the Indonesian educators had an agentic approach to professional learning, which was context-dependent with three major interrelated aspects: the regional-technological environment as context, the individuals as agentic learners, and the connectedness as social learners enabled meaningful learning experiences. The regional-technological environment influenced how the GEGs functioned. The Metropolitan group was innovative and collaborative, focusing on the use of web-based tools to improve productivity of ed-tech practices. The Urban group aimed to explore how they could use web-based

Using digital devices in primary classrooms has become a common practice in many schools around the world. A considerable amount of research has explored this phenomenon. However, the majority of studies published in highly ranked educational technology journals have focused on the effectiveness of interventions related to using digital devices in primary classrooms and few studies examine students’ use of digital devices during learning which reflects a dominance of the reductionist approach in studying classroom environments. While there is rich literature addressing the outcomes of using devices, much is still unknown about the use itself. The present study aimed to understand how students use digital devices in classroom learning activities. It explored the ways of use, the factors that shaped these uses, and how the uses contributed to the purposes of learning activities. Approaches used to study phenomena in open recursive systems, such as classrooms, should be different from approaches used to study phenomena in closed systems under controlled conditions. Therefore, Complexity Theory provided a framework to understand the socio-materiality of digital devices in classrooms learning. In addition, Actor-Network Theory was used to study the phenomenon in action and Biesta’s (2009) framework of the functions of education to understand the contribution of the uses to educational purposes. This multiple case study was conducted in New Zealand within two schools where two teachers and seven upper-primary students participated in the study. Data were collected across six months through observations, semi-structured interviews, group interviews, informal conversations, student think-aloud interviews and artefacts from learning including video screen-captures. Data were coded and analysed using the thematic analysis and an abductive strategy. From a synthesis of the findings a ‘Using Devices for Classroom Learning’ model was developed in which seven patterns of use were

In 2018 there was educational change in New Zealand with the introduction of new curriculum content for digital technologies. A key component of the digital technologies curriculum content was computational thinking where all students from Years 1 to 10 were expected to learn core coding concepts. The reasons for introducing coding into schools reflected a range of ideologies including preparing children to contribute meaningfully to society in the digital age. This narrative inquiry aimed to explore the value of coding in the curriculum through the experiences of students in Years 7 and 8. The research questions to meet this aim were; Why do students think coding is taught in school? Do students use coding outside of school? Why do students want to learn how to code and how do students think coding might help them or be useful? Curriculum ideologies underpinned this study as a theoretical framework to evaluate student experiences of coding across two case studies. The narratives were derived from focus group interviews held at two different schools. Similarities across the case studies included students’ beliefs about the benefits of including coding in the curriculum. Students’ felt confident that learning coding allowed them to; understand the digital world, create digital products, prepare for the future, teach others and fix broken technology. They could not comprehend what their lives would be like without technology and therefore coding. Some students believed that “without code we would probably be like cave people”. The main difference between the case studies was the level of teacher direction. This reflected a contradiction between competing curriculum ideologies and addressed the broader debate in education of 21st century skills versus powerful knowledge. The contradictions highlighted how the pedagogical design of coding in the curriculum could be effectively structured. Traditional knowledge and teacher explanation were found to be important to studen

The introduction of the current New Zealand Curriculum and National Certificate in Educational Achievement (NCEA) system provides New Zealand secondary schools with the opportunity to design unique courses that meet the particular needs of their students and the context of the school. Due to the recent implementation of this qualification (introduced in stages from 2002), there has been limited research that explores innovation in school based senior curriculum that contribute towards NCEA. This thesis investigates five innovative courses: Agribusiness, Fitness for Living, Viticulture, Sea Sports and Pasifika Studies. The research focuses on the decision making process which led to the schools implementing these innovations with an aim to identify who made these decisions and what influenced them. In order to investigate this focus, an Actor-Network theory (ANT), framework was utilised. ANT allows for the progress of an idea (the course design), to be followed and objectively views the influences (actors), on this process. The objectivity of ANT comes through the principle of symmetry which does not distinguish between social and material factors nor hold any expectations of positional power. This case studies examined were situated in medium sized secondary schools which face a limited range of resources when designing and delivering curriculum than their larger counterparts. Data collected through interviews with key actors in the course design process enabled the dynamic mapping of the network influencing the design of the course. This process determined a wide range of actors both social and material; each combination unique to the context of the school. There were a range of positional levels within each school identified as the key decision makers (the Executive); the group which had the final say on the design of the course. When the Executive deviated from senior management positions, they did so in an environment of high relational trust. Senior managers ma

The purpose of this research was to explore and document existing policy and practices contributing to the debate of science teacher education in the Pacific. The study took on a pragmatic approach for a mixed research, drawing from the positives of both the qualitative and the quantitative approaches using the kakala/kakala research frameworks guiding the methodological framework. Being a mixed research, the data collection method involved three elements: one-on-one semi-structured interviews with senior Tongan education officials, document analysis and a teacher questionnaire targeting science teachers. All the interviews were conducted in English and recorded using a digital recording device and transcribed by myself as the researcher. All the science teachers who participated in the questionnaire returned a signed consent form to confirm willingness to participate maintaining anonymity. In order to answer the research question, the study examined the significance of the fibre (fau)used in the kakala weaving process, extracting from the Kakala/Kakala research frameworks the metaphoric conceptual relevance of the fibre (fau) which holds the kakala providing it structural support. Hence the conceptualisation that, the three strands of fibre that holds and maintains the education system in Tonga can be attributed to; (i) strong cultural values, (ii) a clear and definitive education policy framework (Catherwood & Levine, 2004), and high teacher self-efficacy. The self-efficacy of Tongan science teachers is measured for the first time and reported in this study as high to very high on a Likert-type psychometric scale adapted from (Skaalvik & Skaalvik, 2009) to fit the Tongan context. The study also discusses challenges and teacher perceptions of being a science teacher in Tonga and the implications these challenges might pose in future.

In the three decades since digital technologies were introduced into classrooms with the potential of changing educational practices, an ongoing dialogue continues regarding the impact of these technologies on teaching and learning, for both teachers and their students. While current research has identified a number of elements that influence teachers’ integration of digital technologies, there is a need for a careful examination of the relationships between these factors and how they come together to underpin teachers’ decisions to use digital devices with their students. The purpose of the present study was to understand teachers’ motivations for integrating digital technologies into their teaching practice, how they accomplished this, and what environmental and personal factors underpinned these decisions. This research also investigated students’ experiences of working with digital technologies as they participated in teacher-planned lessons. Both contextual and personal factors contribute to teachers’ use of digital technologies; therefore, these aspects were considered through the Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) theoretical framework to make sense of the sociocultural environment that influenced these intermediate school teachers as they made decisions to include digital technologies in their classroom practices. An interpretive multiple case study methodology was used, incorporating data collection methods of interviews, observations, document analysis, ‘think alouds’, and student focus groups, to explore the practices of teachers and their students in four classroom cases within two intermediate schools in New Zealand over the course of a year. The results showed that teachers included digital tools in their classroom practices to support their existing pedagogical practices, comply with school policies, communicate with parents and students, motivate and engage students, and prepare students for a digital world. As teachers’ knowledge of the affo

Supporting teachers at the start of their career can help them to develop their pedagogical practice, and to understand the educational, political, and school systems within which they teach. Similarly, effective support can enhance the professional development and learning of beginning teachers, and contribute towards their overall path towards greater effectiveness, ensuring quality teaching. Recent education reforms in the Seychelles have placed an expressed focus on improving quality teaching. This study explores the support for and challenges faced by beginning teachers in the Seychelles in their efforts to implement effective teaching practices. In order to understand the phenomenon of beginning teacher support, a mixed methodology within an ethnographic, sociocultural framework with an emphasis on qualitative data was used. Research was conducted in two sequential phases within the Seychelles: in-depth, site-based qualitative cases studies of three beginning teachers and their school-based contexts, followed by a national quantitative survey completed by 56 beginning teachers. The qualitative phase generated data through interviews (with beginning teachers, deputy heads, and heads of department), document analysis and classroom observations in three schools across the main island, Mahe. The findings of this research identified that both the policy context and the more localised practical factors such as resource allocation, confidence in working with student diversity, and collegial relationships, combined to contribute to how beginning teachers experienced their induction period. The research revealed that whilst the central policy advocates for a school-based mechanism that would support and evaluate beginning teachers, schools' policies and practices around induction were for the main part, inadequately supporting beginning teachers. These results highlighted that the developmental and learning needs of beginning teachers were not clearly understood, eithe

The shift from teacher-centred to learner-centred teaching approaches is one of the aspects embarked on to address quality issues in delivery of secondary education in Tanzania. The basis for a shift in teaching paradigm has been motivated by the need for learners to effectively engage in the knowledge construction process.This thesis reports the findings about Learner-Centred Teaching (LCT) in Tanzania from the perceptions and experiences of secondary school geography teachers. Applying a lens of a critical perspective (CP) approach as a theoretical framework, the study sought to respond to the major question: how do geography teachers perceive and experience regarding Learner-Centred Teaching in Tanzania’s secondary school? The main question was guided by four sub-research questions which included: how do geography teachers in Tanzania understand LCT?; how does a teacher’s pedagogical reasoning and decision-making during the planning process reflect LCT beliefs?; how does a teacher’s teaching practice reflect LCT beliefs?; and how does a teacher’s evaluation of classroom instructional practices place the learner at the centre of instruction? The research focus was to assess the implementation of LCT approach as advocated by the educational policy and the mandated curriculum documents. The study utilised the interpretive and constructivist qualitative case study approach involving nine case studies purposely selected from three research sites. The data were collected using semi-structured interviews, classroom observations and detailed reviews of teachers’ own teaching portfolios. Applying an interpretive generative inductive data analysis approach, data were analysed based on the specific meaning patterns that were emerging from individual case studies. Themes were developed by comparing and contrasting meaning patterns within and across case studies. Findings presented aspects which influence teachers’ practices of LCT including: the constructivist view of knowle

Learning in higher education demands the assimilation of a wide range of complex information. One way in which learners are able to represent complex information in a meaningful way is through concept mapping. This multiple case study aims to provide an in-depth picture of how six Saudi women students, who use concept mapping to support their learning, view concept maps; and what factors that constrain or enhance their use of this strategy within university study in New Zealand .Through think alouds, one-to-one interviews and a focus group discussion, these students revealed their use and understanding of concept maps. The findings of this study indicate that concept mapping is a useful tool for learning and can be used effectively by international students to support their learning. However while concept mapping was found to support the development of critical and creative thinking skills, this study suggests that concept mapping by itself does not teach these skills. This research concludes that Saudi women at university in New Zealand need support to develop their own academic voice and to become confident in their ability to study independently and think critically and creatively. One of the ways in which this support can be provided is through participating in the collaborative development of concept maps.

The digital era is a time when available technology enables access to information, ideas and people from a range of locations, at anytime. Young graduating teachers have grown up using digital technologies and some educators see this generation as digital saviours who will sweep into schools, able to teach the digital generation in relevant ways. This thesis examines the experiences of digitally able beginning secondary school teachers as they attempted to transfer their knowledge of digital technologies to the teaching context. The methodological approach taken in this research was a multiple case study underpinned by a complexity theory conceptual framework. Six digitally confident teachers volunteered to be examined through interviews and observation during their first year of secondary teaching to identify how they used digital technologies in their teaching practice, the learning that occurred, and the barriers and enablers experienced while attempting to integrate digital technologies into teaching praxis. A digital age learning matrix was developed as a research tool based on connectivist learning theory to measure the types of learning activities used by the teachers. Student think alouds were used to ascertain the learning that was occurring in the classroom. During the year, each of the teachers transferred their knowledge of digital technologies while facing challenges and accessing support from within and beyond the schooling context in which they were teaching. Using generic inductive qualitative analysis, the barriers and enablers were coded to five categories based on patterns identified from the interviews including: access, experience, support, school structures and knowledge. It was found that teachers with strong pedagogical content knowledge, that included the use of subject specific digital technologies or applications, were more likely to include knowledge creation in their learning activities. The teachers drew on their base knowledge when mak

The development and implementation of the New Zealand Curriculum in 2007 and the introduction of standards-based assessment, in the form of achievement standards, has necessitated a raft of changes for technology teachers. Professional development is widely considered to be of value in developing teacher knowledge which can positively impact on student knowledge and achievement. While there is a considerable body of research on professional development, there is a limited amount specific to technology education professional development in a New Zealand context. This thesis is based on an examination of the nature and characteristics of effective professional development for technology teachers. It used a qualitative, interpretive design and gathered data by interviewing a group of ten technology teachers and heads of technology departments from different schools in one region. The interview data were transcribed and sorted using inductive content analysis in order to categorise them and draw conclusions. The findings indicate that there is a wide range of characteristics which may be considered effective for technology teachers in this study, and foremost, the opportunity for teachers to work collaboratively in examining programmes, student work, resources and exemplars, such that teachers can build on their existing knowledge and skills, is most effective for them. The development of pedagogical content knowledge and subject content knowledge enabled the teachers to construct new understandings of teaching and student learning processes in technology education. The implications of this study are that facilitators, teachers, and others working within this curriculum area may be informed by its findings and as a result, professional development may be more effective in supporting teacher learning.