Min Wang
STUDENT, MED
Hi, my name is Min Wang and I am a full-time PhD student at Massey University. I worked as a lecturer of ECE at Taizhou University (China). I received a scholarship to support my NZ study from the China Scholarship Council-Massey University PhD scholars Programme. My passion and research focus is intentional teaching, a term proposed by Ann S. Epstein in 2007. Intentional teaching gives us a new angle to rethink teaching and pedagogy in the play-based environment. It can help transfer teachers' roles from passive to more active ones in children's play to improve their learning outcomes. Therefore, this study will use a mixed methods approach to investigate the different perspectives of intentional teaching that exist in culturally diverse ECE teachers in Aotearoa New Zealand. I will explore the relationship between teacher perspectives and ECE teachers' contexts, especially their unique cultural backgrounds, in this 'superdiverse' country.
Thesis
Perspectives of intentional teaching among culturally diverse early childhood teachers in New Zealand.
Tamara Dahm
STUDENT
Kia ora, my name is Tamara and I am a part-time PhD student. I currently work full time providing professional development to teachers across Aotearoa to improve the teaching of literacy, so all students have an equal chance of success. The aim of my research is to investigate how kaiako (teachers) and speech language therapists collaborate to have a positive impact on children with language-related literacy needs. This is a multi-phase study which will provide an insight into what teachers are noticing about children’s language-related literacy needs through authentic classroom interactions and opportunities (e.g., oral narratives, writing samples), and how collaboration between teachers and SLTs can be used to support children in this area. My research will be conducted over three phases. Phase 1 will determine kaiako and SLT knowledge and perceived competence and confidence in supporting ākonga with language-related literacy needs. Phase 2 is a scoping review with focus group interviews to define design features important in developing the joint PLD intervention. Phase 3 is a case study which will include interviews and pre- and post- data collection to establish the impact of the collaborative PLD.
Thesis
Collaboration between teachers and speech-language therapists to positively impact children with language-related literacy needs.
Vikki Hanrahan
STUDENT, MED
Kia ora, my name is Vikki Hanrahan and I am a part time PhD student. I also work as a programme leader and early childhood lecturer at Te Rito Maioha Early Childhood New Zealand. The aim of my research is to investigate how initial teacher education (ITE) providers are guiding ITE teachers to support the social and emotional well-being of infants and toddlers, in particular the importance of risk and resilience. The research will consider a kaupapa Māori lens on risk and resilience, viewing behaviour through a cultural lens and considering the connection between resiliency, mana and identity. The research study will use a mixed methods research approach to capture student teachers' beliefs and practices in relation to understanding and supporting risk and resilience for infants and toddlers in early childhood education. The first phase will involve an online survey to explore student teachers’ perspectives about how well their initial teacher education programme is shaping their knowledge and practice around supporting infant and toddler risk and resilience development. This survey data will lead to the development of a teaching module, which will then be implemented in an ITE programme. This second phase will be a case study of the implementation of this resource.
Thesis
Shaping understanding and practices related to risk and resilience for infants and toddlers in early childhood education. A review of initial teacher education in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Jess Smith
STUDENT, MA
Kia ora, I’m Jess Smith and I’m a part time doctoral student in Palmerston North. I am an experienced early childhood kaiako (teacher) with a passion for all young children to receive quality early education. One of my main areas of interest is around how teachers can support young children’s social emotional learning. My doctoral research aims to examine early childhood teachers’ knowledge and beliefs around social emotional development, and how they use these perspectives to navigate the programmes and practices available to them in Aotearoa New Zealand. This research will incorporate a mixed methods design to firstly explore teachers’ understanding and perspectives of social emotional teaching and learning, and then to examine how Kōwhiti Whakapae is being implemented in practice. Kōwhiti Whakapae are online practice tools to support young children’s learning progress in areas of social & emotional, oral language & literacy, and maths.
Thesis
Teachers' perspectives of social-emotional teaching and learning in Aotearoa early childhood education.
Rebecca (Xiangning) Li
STUDENT, MA
Hi, my name is Rebecca (Xiangning) Li, and I am a full-time PhD student at the Institute of Education, Massey University. I previously worked as a preschool teacher in an international school, where my professional experience inspired me to support the parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Through my doctoral research, I am exploring web-based parent training resources designed to empower parents of children with autism by providing them with inclusive education knowledge, advocacy skills, and strategies for collaborating with professionals, experts, and therapists within the Chinese context. This multiphase study employs a mixed methods approach. Parents of children with autism in China will contribute their experiences and perspectives to the design of these online training resources. I aim to develop and evaluate online parent training resources tailored to the Chinese context to understand how these resources empower parents in promoting inclusive education.
Thesis
Empowering Parents to Promote Inclusive Education in China: An Investigation of a Web-based/online Parent Education Resource.
Emily Pearce
STUDENT, MEd
Kia Ora, my name is Emily and I am a doctoral student at Massey University. I am primary teacher trained, however for the last six years I have been working alongside Primary School teachers developing their mathematics pedagogy. My passion has always sat within the early years having taught in junior or new entrant classes prior to my mathematics mentoring role. Through my doctoral research I aim to explore the mathematical funds of knowledge prior to students starting to school. Funds of knowledge refer to the skills students possess from their lives outside of school, this knowledge can be historical and cultural developing bodies of knowledge or skills. By exploring the mathematical funds of knowledge of diverse learners, I aim to disrupt the deficit narrative that can exist in our Eurocentric school system.
Thesis
Mathematical Funds of Knowledge of 4-5 Year Olds
Elya Marfu'atun
STUDENT
Thesis
Developing a Culturally Adapted Online Parent Training Program for Indonesian Parents to Improve Preschoolers’ Socio-Emotional Competence.
Estelle Pretorius
STUDENT, MSLT
Kia ora, my name is Estelle, and I am in the final stages of my doctoral journey at Massey University. My research is inspired by my collaboration with families of autistic children and their early childhood education (ECE) teams, through my work as an early intervention specialist (speech-language therapist). Through my doctoral work, I investigate collaborative practices and supports for parents and kaiako (teachers) to enhance the early engagement and communication of autistic toddlers and preschoolers. This multiphase study used an intervention design research approach that provided opportunities for parents, practitioners, and ECE kaiako to contribute their experiences and perspectives on collaborating on communication priorities for autistic children. The research culminated in web-based joint professional learning and development (PLD) designed to promote shared understanding and consistent use of naturalistic and intentional practices embedded in everyday routines across settings.
Thesis
Exploring web-based collaborative training, coaching and planning for parents and kaiako to promote communication priorities of autistic toddlers and preschoolers using embedded learning support.
Andrea Driver
STUDENT, Master Professional Practice, PGDip Early Intervention
Thesis
The role of early childhood leaders in leading inclusive pedagogy and strengthening teacher efficacy and capability to support the participation and engagement of children with disabilities.
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Ellen Zeng
Exploring Patterns of Young Children’s Social, Emotional, Behavioral and Cognitive Characteristics, and their Correlation with Internal and External Determinants and School Readiness.
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Sam Brydon
Empowering parents to use a core board with children who have complex communication needs: A multiple case study design.
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Monica Cameron
Assessing four-year-old children's learning : New Zealand early childhood teachers' purposes, practices and knowledge.
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Susan Bisschoff
Dynamic assessment as an early screening tool for identifying New Zealand children at risk of reading difficulty upon school entry.
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Sarah Aiono
An investigation of two models of professional development to support effective teaching through play practices in the primary classroom.
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Linda Clarke
Practice-Based Coaching to Promote Teaching Practices that Enhance Toddlers’ Social-Emotional Competence in New Zealand Early Childhood Services.
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Vicki Gifkins
Gender Diversity: Early Childhood Teachers’ Perspectives and Teaching Practices in Aotearoa New Zealand.
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Vikki Hanrahan
Factors that enable, or challenge teachers and centre managers to support safe risk-taking for young children in early childhood outdoor environments.
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Ellie Salcin-Watts
What makes a great story? Teacher and parent perceptions of quality learning stories in early childhood education (in library processing).
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Estelle Pretorius
The impact of a parent-implemented naturalistic social communication intervention for pre-schoolers on the autism spectrum : a training plus coaching approach.
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Gaylyn Campbell
How senior teachers in kindergarten associations in Aotearoa New Zealand, define, understand and enact leadership
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Megan Edwards
Early childhood teachers' experiences of leadership development
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Jess Smith
Teachers' perspectives of gender differences in the social behaviours of preschool children
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Linda Clarke
Teaching toddlers to solve social problems
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Lorna Duley
Exploring teaching practice to support young children's prosocial behaviour: "What would we tell a frog to do?"