In 2004, the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) completed its implementation of a standa... more In 2004, the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) completed its implementation of a standards-based assessment (SBA) system with the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) as the main qualification for secondary students. NZQA is conducting ongoing research into SBA practices in the senior secondary school. To ensure that findings from this research build on and link to international and national literature, a team from Massey University were commissioned to conduct a review of the existing literature.
This project identifies practical strategies for use by tertiary education institutions (TEIs) in... more This project identifies practical strategies for use by tertiary education institutions (TEIs) in New Zealand to improve student retention, persistence, and completion. It was designed to explore the experiences of students, teachers, and administrators in seven tertiary institutions.
Diversity in its many guises is strongly championed in the adult education literature. To conceiv... more Diversity in its many guises is strongly championed in the adult education literature. To conceive a future for adult education that is not diverse and does not try to address the needs of diverse learners seems absurd. Yet, diversity is not a unitary concept, having many definitions and paradoxical effects. Questions arise about its future in a globalizing world. It is not obvious that all facets of diversity in adult education can thrive into the future. This paper attempts to explore the future of diversity in adult education. It applies two methodologies used in futures research to do so. One, causal layered analysis (CLA), enables the present to be analysed critically in order to explore possible futures. In this paper CLA is used to identify possible effects of globalization on diversity in adult education. The other methodology used is visioning. The adult education literature is examined for its visions of diversity. Four different visions are identified. Each theorizes diversity differently. One aims for individual personal development within an accommodating, non‐critical context. A second emphasizes personal development but within a context that is critical, striving for a more just society. A third envisions social learning facilitating change towards a critical, more just society. A fourth focuses on social learning but within an accommodating, non‐critical context. CLA and visioning enable some tentative statements to be made about the future of diversity in adult education. Chief among them is that diversity, when valued in the market place, will prosper, while diversity that is intended to act as an agent for social change will not.
This article discusses the results of funded research that investigated how an industry training ... more This article discusses the results of funded research that investigated how an industry training organisation in Aotearoa New Zealand embeds literacy in the workplace. Results confirm a ‘common-sense view’ that there is not one right way to embed workplace literacy. They also reveal a number of findings about what works effectively when embedding adult literacy in a workplace. The article
Teachers and quality teaching influence how well students engage in learning in post‐compulsory e... more Teachers and quality teaching influence how well students engage in learning in post‐compulsory education. This is the finding from research into factors contributing to student engagement. Indeed, a recent funded study investigating how learning environments influence student engagement in diverse tertiary settings in Aotearoa New Zealand found that teaching and teachers were more important than motivation and external influences in supporting student engagement. This paper first reports this finding. It then asks whether such a finding can be taken at face value. Using complexity thinking to explore the relationships between teaching, student motivation and external influences, the paper suggests that the pre‐eminence of teaching cannot be taken at face value. While providing a useful understanding, it neglects the complexity that underpins the relationships between these terms.
This article is based on data from a large mixed method research project funded by the Teaching a... more This article is based on data from a large mixed method research project funded by the Teaching and Learning Research Initiative (TLRI) in Aotearoa New Zealand. The article addresses the question: how do tertiary teachers in Aotearoa New Zealand perceive their role in student engagement? Quantitative data revealed both similarities and differences in how teachers perceived their role. These data also disclosed some surprising differences in their espoused and in-use priorities for engaging students. Qualitative data disclosed that most respondents in the sample were learner centred and thought that responsibility for student engagement was a shared responsibility, a partnership between teachers, students, institutions and outside influences such as family and friends.
Since the 1980s an extensive research literature has investigated how to improve student success ... more Since the 1980s an extensive research literature has investigated how to improve student success in higher education focusing on student outcomes such as retention, completion and employability. A parallel research programme has focused on how students engage with their studies and what they, institutions and educators can do to enhance their engagement, and hence success. This article reports on two syntheses of research literature on student engagement and how this can be enhanced. It first synthesizes 93 research studies from ten countries to develop a conceptual organizer for student engagement that consists of four perspectives identified in the research: student motivation; transactions between teachers and students; institutional support; and engagement for active citizenship. Secondly, the article synthesizes findings from these perspectives as ten propositions for improving student engagement in higher education. It concludes by identifying some limitations with the conceptual organizer and one suggestion for developing a more integrated approach to student engagement.
Student engagement in learning is a complex process influenced by many factors. This article intr... more Student engagement in learning is a complex process influenced by many factors. This article introduces a conceptual organiser developed from a review of the literature. It captures four key perspectives – motivation and agency, transactional engagement, institutional support and active citizenship – and suggested indicators for each perspective. Data from a project researching student engagement with first‐time enrolled students in Aotearoa New Zealand is then used to review the conceptual organiser. Findings show that the four perspectives were all evident, though some indicators were more clearly supported than others. As a result of the evaluation, changes were made to the organiser. We argue that it has value as a way for teachers and institutions to inform and evaluate their efforts to engage students in learning.
Tertiary institutions are under increasing pressure to improve student outcomes such as retention... more Tertiary institutions are under increasing pressure to improve student outcomes such as retention, persistence and completion. In 2002, the New Zealand Ministry of Education commissioned a team of Massey University researchers to conduct a best evidence synthesis of literature on how institutions might improve student outcomes. Our study found two different discourses on this. One predominates, centring on what institutions do to fit students into their existing cultures. The other is still emerging and challenges the dominant discourse. Rather than requiring students to fit the existing institutional culture, it suggests that cultures be adapted to better fit the needs of increasingly diverse students. This article has four sections. First, a survey of background literature introduces competing theoretical approaches to outcomes research. Second, we explain how the survey was conducted. Third, we summarize the findings of 146 research studies. Finally we raise some challenges for practice based on the emerging discourse.
In 2004, the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) completed its implementation of a standa... more In 2004, the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) completed its implementation of a standards-based assessment (SBA) system with the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) as the main qualification for secondary students. NZQA is conducting ongoing research into SBA practices in the senior secondary school. To ensure that findings from this research build on and link to international and national literature, a team from Massey University were commissioned to conduct a review of the existing literature.
... The challenge was to revise the processes so that all learners could feel empowered. ... BROO... more ... The challenge was to revise the processes so that all learners could feel empowered. ... BROOKFIELD, S. (1993) Self-directed learning, political clarity and the critical practice of adult education, Adult Education ... Unpublished paper delivered at an NZQA Seminar, Wellington. ...
... The socio-political context in which education and engagement take place is one (McInnis 2003... more ... The socio-political context in which education and engagement take place is one (McInnis 2003; McMahon and Portelli 2004; Yorke 2006); the impact ... She found that Self-Determina-tion Theory (SDT) (Deci and Ryan 2000; Ryan and Deci 2000a, 2000b) was an excellent fit for ...
Improving retention rates in post‐school education has become a focus for policy‐makers and resea... more Improving retention rates in post‐school education has become a focus for policy‐makers and researchers throughout the western world. Without doubt, any measure that helps students wishing to succeed in higher education is valuable. However, the dominance retention has achieved on a wide variety of educational fronts ranging from policy to pedagogy deserves to be scrutinised. This article questions three assumptions
Student success, variously understood as engagement, persistence, completion, graduation and entr... more Student success, variously understood as engagement, persistence, completion, graduation and entry to employment, has become a central focus for stakeholders in higher education. Theoretical and empirical research exploring these varied conceptions has mushroomed since the 1980s. Much of this literature focuses on what and how higher education institutions contribute to student success; a substantial amount also reports on the part students play in their own success. Less frequently studies investigate how non‐institutional influences affect student success. This article addresses this gap. It uses data from a survey of first‐time enrolled students in New Zealand higher education to investigate the importance of family, cultural, employment and personal influences on student perceptions of success. Findings show that non‐institutional influences exert a moderate effect on student success, and that they are influences which need to be considered by institutions interested in fostering student success.
... of perspective transformation, self-directed learners move towards more inclusive meaning per... more ... of perspective transformation, self-directed learners move towards more inclusive meaning perspectives. ... the teacher's narrative or ignore it and create their own learning pathway. ... theories such as self-directed learning, critical thinking and transformative learning; principles of ...
The research literature on how to retain students until they graduate in post‐compulsory educatio... more The research literature on how to retain students until they graduate in post‐compulsory education is voluminous and long‐standing. However, a unified theory of retention remains elusive. Instead a variety of explanations and approaches has been developed. This article uses one theoretical construct to make sense of the findings of a survey of students enrolling for a second time in seven post‐compulsory institutions in New Zealand. The theoretical construct is based on an adaptation discourse that puts the interests of diverse students at the centre of teaching and institutional processes. The results of the survey suggest that in New Zealand retention rates are similar to those reported in other studies, that there is support for the learner focus promoted in the adaptation discourse, and that being learner centred could assist retention.
This project identifies practical strategies for use by tertiary education institutions (TEIs) in... more This project identifies practical strategies for use by tertiary education institutions (TEIs) in New Zealand to improve student retention, persistence, and completion. It was designed to explore the experiences of students, teachers, and administrators in seven tertiary institutions.
This paper questions current policy discourses that equate student success with hard outcomes lik... more This paper questions current policy discourses that equate student success with hard outcomes like retention, completion and employment. It offers another view, one that uses ‘soft’ outcomes and student engagement literature to widen our understanding of student success. In the paper, we first draw on literature to explore student engagement, usually understood as a means to achieve success, and ‘soft’ outcomes as acceptable student outcomes, as success. We present possible indicators for these forms of success and a matrix of factors which influence such success. We then examine these ideas using data gathered from a project that investigated success as experienced by post-school foundation learners in Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics in Aotearoa/New Zealand. The findings suggest that the ideas have value. Finally, we identify some implications for teachers, arguing that, contrary to some current views, all four quadrants in the matrix are the business of teachers.
In 2004, the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) completed its implementation of a standa... more In 2004, the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) completed its implementation of a standards-based assessment (SBA) system with the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) as the main qualification for secondary students. NZQA is conducting ongoing research into SBA practices in the senior secondary school. To ensure that findings from this research build on and link to international and national literature, a team from Massey University were commissioned to conduct a review of the existing literature.
This project identifies practical strategies for use by tertiary education institutions (TEIs) in... more This project identifies practical strategies for use by tertiary education institutions (TEIs) in New Zealand to improve student retention, persistence, and completion. It was designed to explore the experiences of students, teachers, and administrators in seven tertiary institutions.
Diversity in its many guises is strongly championed in the adult education literature. To conceiv... more Diversity in its many guises is strongly championed in the adult education literature. To conceive a future for adult education that is not diverse and does not try to address the needs of diverse learners seems absurd. Yet, diversity is not a unitary concept, having many definitions and paradoxical effects. Questions arise about its future in a globalizing world. It is not obvious that all facets of diversity in adult education can thrive into the future. This paper attempts to explore the future of diversity in adult education. It applies two methodologies used in futures research to do so. One, causal layered analysis (CLA), enables the present to be analysed critically in order to explore possible futures. In this paper CLA is used to identify possible effects of globalization on diversity in adult education. The other methodology used is visioning. The adult education literature is examined for its visions of diversity. Four different visions are identified. Each theorizes diversity differently. One aims for individual personal development within an accommodating, non‐critical context. A second emphasizes personal development but within a context that is critical, striving for a more just society. A third envisions social learning facilitating change towards a critical, more just society. A fourth focuses on social learning but within an accommodating, non‐critical context. CLA and visioning enable some tentative statements to be made about the future of diversity in adult education. Chief among them is that diversity, when valued in the market place, will prosper, while diversity that is intended to act as an agent for social change will not.
This article discusses the results of funded research that investigated how an industry training ... more This article discusses the results of funded research that investigated how an industry training organisation in Aotearoa New Zealand embeds literacy in the workplace. Results confirm a ‘common-sense view’ that there is not one right way to embed workplace literacy. They also reveal a number of findings about what works effectively when embedding adult literacy in a workplace. The article
Teachers and quality teaching influence how well students engage in learning in post‐compulsory e... more Teachers and quality teaching influence how well students engage in learning in post‐compulsory education. This is the finding from research into factors contributing to student engagement. Indeed, a recent funded study investigating how learning environments influence student engagement in diverse tertiary settings in Aotearoa New Zealand found that teaching and teachers were more important than motivation and external influences in supporting student engagement. This paper first reports this finding. It then asks whether such a finding can be taken at face value. Using complexity thinking to explore the relationships between teaching, student motivation and external influences, the paper suggests that the pre‐eminence of teaching cannot be taken at face value. While providing a useful understanding, it neglects the complexity that underpins the relationships between these terms.
This article is based on data from a large mixed method research project funded by the Teaching a... more This article is based on data from a large mixed method research project funded by the Teaching and Learning Research Initiative (TLRI) in Aotearoa New Zealand. The article addresses the question: how do tertiary teachers in Aotearoa New Zealand perceive their role in student engagement? Quantitative data revealed both similarities and differences in how teachers perceived their role. These data also disclosed some surprising differences in their espoused and in-use priorities for engaging students. Qualitative data disclosed that most respondents in the sample were learner centred and thought that responsibility for student engagement was a shared responsibility, a partnership between teachers, students, institutions and outside influences such as family and friends.
Since the 1980s an extensive research literature has investigated how to improve student success ... more Since the 1980s an extensive research literature has investigated how to improve student success in higher education focusing on student outcomes such as retention, completion and employability. A parallel research programme has focused on how students engage with their studies and what they, institutions and educators can do to enhance their engagement, and hence success. This article reports on two syntheses of research literature on student engagement and how this can be enhanced. It first synthesizes 93 research studies from ten countries to develop a conceptual organizer for student engagement that consists of four perspectives identified in the research: student motivation; transactions between teachers and students; institutional support; and engagement for active citizenship. Secondly, the article synthesizes findings from these perspectives as ten propositions for improving student engagement in higher education. It concludes by identifying some limitations with the conceptual organizer and one suggestion for developing a more integrated approach to student engagement.
Student engagement in learning is a complex process influenced by many factors. This article intr... more Student engagement in learning is a complex process influenced by many factors. This article introduces a conceptual organiser developed from a review of the literature. It captures four key perspectives – motivation and agency, transactional engagement, institutional support and active citizenship – and suggested indicators for each perspective. Data from a project researching student engagement with first‐time enrolled students in Aotearoa New Zealand is then used to review the conceptual organiser. Findings show that the four perspectives were all evident, though some indicators were more clearly supported than others. As a result of the evaluation, changes were made to the organiser. We argue that it has value as a way for teachers and institutions to inform and evaluate their efforts to engage students in learning.
Tertiary institutions are under increasing pressure to improve student outcomes such as retention... more Tertiary institutions are under increasing pressure to improve student outcomes such as retention, persistence and completion. In 2002, the New Zealand Ministry of Education commissioned a team of Massey University researchers to conduct a best evidence synthesis of literature on how institutions might improve student outcomes. Our study found two different discourses on this. One predominates, centring on what institutions do to fit students into their existing cultures. The other is still emerging and challenges the dominant discourse. Rather than requiring students to fit the existing institutional culture, it suggests that cultures be adapted to better fit the needs of increasingly diverse students. This article has four sections. First, a survey of background literature introduces competing theoretical approaches to outcomes research. Second, we explain how the survey was conducted. Third, we summarize the findings of 146 research studies. Finally we raise some challenges for practice based on the emerging discourse.
In 2004, the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) completed its implementation of a standa... more In 2004, the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) completed its implementation of a standards-based assessment (SBA) system with the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) as the main qualification for secondary students. NZQA is conducting ongoing research into SBA practices in the senior secondary school. To ensure that findings from this research build on and link to international and national literature, a team from Massey University were commissioned to conduct a review of the existing literature.
... The challenge was to revise the processes so that all learners could feel empowered. ... BROO... more ... The challenge was to revise the processes so that all learners could feel empowered. ... BROOKFIELD, S. (1993) Self-directed learning, political clarity and the critical practice of adult education, Adult Education ... Unpublished paper delivered at an NZQA Seminar, Wellington. ...
... The socio-political context in which education and engagement take place is one (McInnis 2003... more ... The socio-political context in which education and engagement take place is one (McInnis 2003; McMahon and Portelli 2004; Yorke 2006); the impact ... She found that Self-Determina-tion Theory (SDT) (Deci and Ryan 2000; Ryan and Deci 2000a, 2000b) was an excellent fit for ...
Improving retention rates in post‐school education has become a focus for policy‐makers and resea... more Improving retention rates in post‐school education has become a focus for policy‐makers and researchers throughout the western world. Without doubt, any measure that helps students wishing to succeed in higher education is valuable. However, the dominance retention has achieved on a wide variety of educational fronts ranging from policy to pedagogy deserves to be scrutinised. This article questions three assumptions
Student success, variously understood as engagement, persistence, completion, graduation and entr... more Student success, variously understood as engagement, persistence, completion, graduation and entry to employment, has become a central focus for stakeholders in higher education. Theoretical and empirical research exploring these varied conceptions has mushroomed since the 1980s. Much of this literature focuses on what and how higher education institutions contribute to student success; a substantial amount also reports on the part students play in their own success. Less frequently studies investigate how non‐institutional influences affect student success. This article addresses this gap. It uses data from a survey of first‐time enrolled students in New Zealand higher education to investigate the importance of family, cultural, employment and personal influences on student perceptions of success. Findings show that non‐institutional influences exert a moderate effect on student success, and that they are influences which need to be considered by institutions interested in fostering student success.
... of perspective transformation, self-directed learners move towards more inclusive meaning per... more ... of perspective transformation, self-directed learners move towards more inclusive meaning perspectives. ... the teacher's narrative or ignore it and create their own learning pathway. ... theories such as self-directed learning, critical thinking and transformative learning; principles of ...
The research literature on how to retain students until they graduate in post‐compulsory educatio... more The research literature on how to retain students until they graduate in post‐compulsory education is voluminous and long‐standing. However, a unified theory of retention remains elusive. Instead a variety of explanations and approaches has been developed. This article uses one theoretical construct to make sense of the findings of a survey of students enrolling for a second time in seven post‐compulsory institutions in New Zealand. The theoretical construct is based on an adaptation discourse that puts the interests of diverse students at the centre of teaching and institutional processes. The results of the survey suggest that in New Zealand retention rates are similar to those reported in other studies, that there is support for the learner focus promoted in the adaptation discourse, and that being learner centred could assist retention.
This project identifies practical strategies for use by tertiary education institutions (TEIs) in... more This project identifies practical strategies for use by tertiary education institutions (TEIs) in New Zealand to improve student retention, persistence, and completion. It was designed to explore the experiences of students, teachers, and administrators in seven tertiary institutions.
This paper questions current policy discourses that equate student success with hard outcomes lik... more This paper questions current policy discourses that equate student success with hard outcomes like retention, completion and employment. It offers another view, one that uses ‘soft’ outcomes and student engagement literature to widen our understanding of student success. In the paper, we first draw on literature to explore student engagement, usually understood as a means to achieve success, and ‘soft’ outcomes as acceptable student outcomes, as success. We present possible indicators for these forms of success and a matrix of factors which influence such success. We then examine these ideas using data gathered from a project that investigated success as experienced by post-school foundation learners in Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics in Aotearoa/New Zealand. The findings suggest that the ideas have value. Finally, we identify some implications for teachers, arguing that, contrary to some current views, all four quadrants in the matrix are the business of teachers.
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