This thesis traces the development of the New Zealand education reforms which began in the late 1980s from their ideological and theoretical foundations, especially those of human capital theory, through policy development and implementation. Polytechnic business programmes are used as a case study to illustrate the impact of the reforms and of one of the principal mechanisms by which the reforms were expected to be implemented-the National Framework. Evidence is provided that leads to policy questions regarding the implementation of the Framework under the aegis of the New Zealand Qualifications Authority. These concerns include competency based learning and administration and delivery complexities. The links between the reform intentions and the actuality of implementation are also examined. The assumption that the education reforms are expected to have significant impact on the country's economic performance is examined and factors which impact on workplace organisation and productivity and which may constrain the effects of improved worker education and training are discussed. The instrument of ‘the market’ as a means of achieving both efficiencies and effectiveness in tertiary education is also reviewed. There appears to be an absence of a common understanding of the nature, composition and behaviour of education markets. Indicative evidence is also provided regarding the complexity of student investment decisions with regard to tertiary education decisions. This study provides evidence to support human capital theory as a force influencing the decision to undertaken tertiary education, but as part of a much more complex model of the tertiary education decision making process than it would appear that policy makers have considered. Evidence is presented that leads to questions regarding the assumption that industry will take ownership of the reform processes. Evidence is presented of industry indifference and inertia to the reforms. Recommendations for the re-examination of developments to date are made, together with research programmes to provide a sound empirical base for future policy making. Without a structured critical review of the reform intentions versus the emerging actuality, there is a danger that the reforms may, in part at least, prove to be both inefficient and ineffectual. / Subscription resource available via Digital Dissertations only.

This thesis analyses the contemporary phenomena of globalisation, the knowledge economy and internationalisation in terms of their synergistic impacts on higher education and with special reference to China and New Zealand. Globalisation and the knowledge economy are seen to fuel each other as well as driving trends in higher education. Internationalisation is shown to be intimately related to, but conceptually distinguishable from, globalisation, and to occur partly as a consequence of the latter (and of developments in the knowledge economy) but partly also as a response to these forces. All three phenomena are addressed through assessments of their dominant economic imperatives. As a prerequisite to understanding and critiquing these forces and their dominant imperatives, the early chapters expound a further tripartite structure, this time of political-economic theories: neoliberalism, neo-Marxism, and Giddens' 'Third Way'. The lens through which the analysis is made is explicitly neo-Marxist. The thesis critiques the ascendancy of neoliberalism in the discourse of globalisation, and the knowledge economy and the internationalisation of higher education. Neoliberalism's ascendancy is shown to be promoted through global, regional, national and sub-national entities, and this promotion is found to be often covert. The middle section of the thesis traces the effects on higher education of the economic, and specifically neoliberal or global-capitalist imperatives that the foregoing analysis reveals. Policies of deregulation, liberalisation, marketisation, privatisation and commercialisation are shown to exert largely negative influences on universities and, by extension, on other higher education institutions. They over-emphasise the private value of both knowledge itself and higher education as a knowledge agent, something which leads to a homogenising, devaluing 'commodification' of higher education. Having made the general case, the thesis then considers the Asia-Pacific region before focusing in depth on China and New Zealand. This structure makes for a macro-meso-micro approach to the development of the inquiry but with emphasis on the macro and the micro. Key questions raised in the thesis concern the establishment of a 'counter-hegemony' to oppose the dominance of neoliberal principles and policies. The study culminates by recommending the emergent concept of interculturalism as both an accurate description of the intersection of cultures on campus and a desirable nonnative policy which should complement internationalisation as part of national and institutional response strategies. The thesis argues for the legitimation and encouragement of neo-Marxist interculturalisation and outlines its relevance to New Zealand higher education institutions, which host many international and new immigrant students, above all from China. / Subscription resource available via Digital Dissertations only.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology / Judith K. Hughey / The purpose of this phenomenological research study was to describe and to understand religio-spirituality in the coming-out process for homosexual, bisexual, and transgender college students. The three research questions were as follows: (1) What have religious affiliations taught traditional college-aged lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students about homosexuality?; (2) In what ways does a person's religio-spiritual life hinder/enhance the sexual identity development process and the coming-out process for a traditional college-aged student?; and (3) In what ways does the traditional college-aged LGBT student's religio-spirituality change through the process? Following completion of semi-structured interviews of 15 participants, the researcher acknowledged the emergence of nine categories that explain the essence of the coming-out process and its connection with religio-spirituality: (1) a noticeable societal influence on lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) beliefs, (2) an evident family influence on LGBT beliefs, (3) a direct church influence on LGBT beliefs, (4) a difficulty in merging sexuality and religio-spirituality, (5) a feeling of guilt for being an LGBT individual, (6) religio-spirituality affects when and to whom to come-out, (7) many leave the church after coming-out, (8) a feeling of need to protect family still in church after coming-out, and (9) an attempt to maintain a relationship with God or higher being without a relationship in a church or religious institution. These nine conclusions develop the essence of the coming-out process and religio-spirituality. Individuals in the coming-out process find themselves at a divide in their lives and they must decide which path to follow or attempt to make the paths intersect. The coming-out process is often an internal debate of whether they are LGBT, whether to come-out, and whether they should leave a church or change religio-spirituality. In student affairs, administers, counselors, and campus ministers can use data and conclusions from this research to understand the coming-out process and the overlapping nature of religio-spiritual identity and sexual identity. The researcher concludes that these professionals must have an understanding of the stages of growth for LGBT students as they attempt to come-out to friends and family as well as possibly maintain a religio-spiritual identity.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Educational Leadership / W. Franklin Spikes / This study explored the relationship between anesthesiology residents' In Training Examination (ITE) percentile ranks and learning styles and domains with the variables of gender, ethnicity, and postgraduate year (PGY). The ITE is a national examination given annually as a measure of cognitive achievement. The learning style instrument was the adapted Vermunt Inventory of Learning Styles (ILS), a diagnostic learning style instrument designed for use with university-level students. The study included 112 anesthesiology residents in anesthesiology graduate medical education (GME) at four universities (five sites) during the 2006-2007 PGY. Responses to the surveys were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the Pearson product-moment correlations, and stepwise and backward elimination regression analysis. The results indicated that the residents' ITE percentile ranks had a bimodal curve. The ILS has 20 scales representing four learning domains factored into four learning styles. The relationships of the learning styles with the ITE percentile ranks were significant for two learning styles: positive for the meaning directed learning style (MDLS) and negative for the undirected learning style (UDLS). Analysis of the scales comprising the MDLS (seven) and UDLS (five) revealed significant relationships for 6 of the 12 scales for the anesthesiology residents (five positive, one negative). An analysis of the domain scale relationships for the other eight scales identified an additional two scales positively related to ITE percentile ranks: vocation oriented and analyzing. The significant scales positively identified with ITE percentile ranks included relating and structuring, concrete processing, two self-regulation scales, construction of knowledge, analyzing and vocation oriented. The only scale significant with ITE percentile ranks was ambivalent, which was negative. The potential exists that the UDLS can identify, in part, residents at risk academically. The positive relationship of the meaning directed learning style and the two significant, positive scales (analyzing and vocation oriented) with ITE percentile ranks offered an indication of learning styles and strategies of residents with higher cognitive achievement outcomes. These learning strategies have the potential to help residents learn how to learn more effectively.

Master of Science / Department of Special Education, Counseling and Student Affairs / Kenneth F. Hughey / Judicial affairs play an integral role in the functioning of an institution and in the moral development of students. Thus, it is critical to have an understanding of the structures that are utilized, how to choose the most effective structure for one’s specific institution, and how to successfully bring about the moral and ethical development of students. The purpose of this report is to examine the judicial structures that are in place at institutions of higher education and their impact on students. Topics discussed include the history of discipline and current judicial structures that are commonly utilized (e.g., legalistic, collaborative, honor codes, and restorative justice), how they function, and if an ideal judicial structure exists. In addition, the report addresses the theoretical foundations of moral and ethical development through the work of Gilligan (1982), Kohlberg (1964), Perry (1981), and Piaget (1965), and provides perspectives and insight on the judicial process from both judicial and student affairs administrators as well as students who have experienced the process. The findings presented in the report include the transition from judicial systems run by administrators to those run primarily by students, and the importance of understanding theories of student moral development despite the process that is chosen. Also noted are the significant impact of a student’s moral development on their perceptions of the process and on their resultant behaviors, and the role the campus environment plays in regards to behavior and discipline. Additionally, the findings convey the importance of employing judicial structures that are effective for the student population at the institution, and not subscribing to a one-size-fits-all model. Finally, the crucial role of evaluation and continual improvement in creating an effective structure, and the implications for future practice that come from this are discussed.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Special Education, Counseling and Student Affairs / Aaron H. Carlstrom / This study extends existing student ratings research by exploring how teaching methods, individually and collectively, influence a minimum standard of student achievement on learning objectives and how class size impacts this influence. Twenty teaching methods were used to predict substantial or exceptional progress on each of 12 learning objectives. Analyses were conducted in four class-size groups, Small (between 10-14 students), Medium (between 15-34 students), Large (between 35-49 students), and Very Large (50 or more students). Archival data were over 580,000 classes of instructors and students who responded to two instruments within the IDEA Student Rating of Instruction system: Instructors completed the Faculty Information Form, and students responded to the Student Ratings Diagnostic Form. Significant progress, for the purpose of this study, means students indicated they made either substantial or exceptional progress on learning objectives the instructor identified as relevant to the course. Therefore, student ratings of progress were dichotomized and binary logistic regression was conducted on the dummy variables. Descriptive statistics and point-biserial correlations were also conducted to test the hypotheses. Teaching methods that stimulated student interest were found to be among the strongest predictors of significant progress on the majority of learning objectives across all class sizes. For all class sizes, significant progress was correctly classified from a low of 76% of the time to a high of 90% of the time. The higher students rated the instructor in stimulating them to intellectual effort the more progress they reported on a majority of learning objectives across all class sizes. Higher instructor ratings on inspiring students to set and achieve challenging goals were also associated with significant student progress on learning objectives across all class sizes. Class size was not a major factor affecting the predictive strength of groups of teaching methods on student progress on learning objectives. However, it was a factor concerning the predictive strength of individual teaching methods. The larger the enrollment the greater was the predictive strength of key teaching methods. Implications of the study for faculty professional development and for future research are discussed.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Apparel, Textiles, and Interior Design / Melody L. A. LeHew / The UN has challenged higher education to integrate sustainability across all disciplines, declaring 2005-2014 the Decade for Educational for Sustainable Development (DESD) (UNESCO, 2003). Education for sustainable development (ESD), a UNESCO initiative, advocates for reorienting education away from the industrial model of education, and has significant pedagogical implications for cultivating knowledge, skills, and values thought to support sustainable development (Rode & Michelsen, 2008; Sterling, 2004). Responsive action to this call has been sluggish (Everett, 2008; Rode & Michelsen, 2008). Concurrently, product development and design protocol is becoming more progressive in an effort to limit the impact of products on people and the planet, and there is an urgent need to evolve apparel and textile (AT) curriculum to better prepare undergraduates for this evolution. ESD may provide a way forward, but little is known about how it may succeed current educational practice or how such practice may impact learners in AT. The purpose of this study was to examine the learning and development experience of students enrolled in an apparel product development (APD) course that has been redeveloped according to the ESD framework. A qualitative case study was conducted during one semester to examine how students experienced the course. Data collection included student reflective writings, focus group interviews, and a researcher reflexive journal. Also, a survey was utilized to determine how students perceived their progress in the development of skills related to ESD. Both theory-driven and inductive coding procedures were used to identify themes across the qualitative data. A repeated measures ANOVA was used to analyze the quantitative survey data. Results of the study indicate that students yielded a positive, though challenging, learning and development experience in the course, and one that was considered exceptional in comparison to other courses in the same program. Among the learning and development outcomes experienced in the course considered most important, according to students, were sustainability literacy and the development of change agent skills. Further, the pedagogical perspectives of ESD which influenced the course redevelopment were perceived to be highly impactful. The study has identified pedagogical and curriculum design approaches which may be used to integrate sustainability more effectively into the AT curriculum and better foster the development of change agent skills.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Educational Leadership / Sarah Jane Fishback / This bounded case study explored ten purposefully selected physician participants’ perceptions of the effectiveness of an eight session, two year in-house physician leadership development program at a major Academic Medical Center (AMC) in the Midwest. While physicians are generally educated to care for patients in their specialty area, reforms necessitate the need for physician leadership involvement in metric tracking by healthcare organizations in order to provide a focus on quality patient care and safety. Participants indicated finding the course effective, especially the negotiations and finance modules. These modules provided new language, a better understanding of processes and an opportunity to develop skills through interactive class exercises such as case studies. Participants described an increased self-awareness of their interpersonal skills and expressed a desire for greater exposure to emotional intelligence principles. Participants experienced a transformational shift in how they constructed their identity as a physicians and leaders, and questioned assumptions about the physician’s role in healthcare. While effective in initiating a process of exploration, this course was not sufficient to meet the goals and objectives of the program. Therefore, recommendations for the advanced course included a focus on leadership competencies identified by Dye and Garman (2006) as cited by Dye and Sokolov (2013), emotional intelligence, and transformational leadership.

Master of Agribusiness / Department of Agricultural Economics / Andrew P. Barkley / For more than 10 years Agriculture Future of America (AFA) has been helping college students from around the country prepare for careers in the food and agriculture industry. Over time the organization has received a lot of positive feedback from both participating students and employers. The feedback has led the organization to believe there is an “AFA Advantage,” where participants have an advantage over their peers when entering the workforce due to their AFA involvement. The purpose of the thesis was to determine if there is an “AFA Advantage,” by measuring former participants’ workplace skill sets, as determined by agribusiness employers in a previous study. To accomplish this purpose, two sub-objectives were evaluated, measuring the skill competencies of former AFA participants participating in a (1) self assessment and (2) comparison with peers, who were not involved in AFA. The analysis is based on survey results from former AFA participants. The conceptual model established examined if there was a relationship between AFA, college and the skills desired by agribusiness employers. The skills measured include interpersonal communication skills, critical thinking skills, knowledge of general business practices, quantitative analysis skills, cultural/gender awareness, and oral presentation skills. Through this research, it was determined that there is an “AFA Advantage.” Data shows evidence that former participants do attribute AFA to helping them develop skills for the workplace. In fact, as the years of AFA participation increased, individuals tended to agree more that AFA contributed to their workplace skill competencies.

Master of Science / Department of Geology / Iris M. Totten / There have been numerous studies done during the past hundred years on ability grouping. The majority of research has focused on the elementary and secondary levels, with very little done at the post-secondary level of education. Research shows at the K-12 levels high achieving students have a greater level of learning when placed in groups together. Mid- level students also show higher achievement in homogeneous groupings. Both high and mid-level students benefit from heterogeneous grouping, but with smaller gains. Lower ability students placed in homogenous groups have shown significant gains, but still perform better when grouped heterogeneously compared with classes that are not grouped by ability. All students show increases in learning when placed in small groups of any kind. Mid-level and low achieving students have higher levels of learning when they are taught by someone determined to close the gap, who takes the students' abilities into consideration, and focuses on increasing those abilities. Unfortunately, this often does not happen, and when students are grouped by ability, the higher achieving students do well, and the rest fall further behind. This graduate research looks at the impact of skill grouping at the university level. Rather than separating students into different classes by ability, students were placed in purposeful groups within the class. Overall both homogeneous and heterogeneous groupings performed better than the control self-selected sections. One homogeneous quartile showed significant improvement in performance compared to the heterogeneously grouped students, but another homogeneous quartile showed a significant decline in scores. Gains in one subset of student should not come as a detriment to another subset of students, so homogeneous grouping is not recommended. Of the three grouping methods, only heterogeneous grouping showed significant increases in scores without harm to other students, and for this reason, this study recommends using a heterogeneous method of grouping students in future GEOL 103 classes.