Authored Books by Christopher McMaster
Finally, an affordable and accessible resource for educators! Radical Behavior: Humanizing the Fu... more Finally, an affordable and accessible resource for educators! Radical Behavior: Humanizing the Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) is a needed addition to classroom practice and teacher training.
This book contributes significantly to the conversation about inclusion as a critical component o... more This book contributes significantly to the conversation about inclusion as a critical component of school culture. Educating All recounts
Christopher McMaster’s experience as a critical ethnographer in a school community, given the task of not only studying the institution’s
culture, but of creating change as well. The school used a whole-school framework known as the Index for Inclusion, which addressed students
identified as having «special» or learning needs. The outcome of this process was the realization that the faculty and the system were not
adequately providing optimum services to «special needs» students. By incorporating the special needs unit into a larger department and by
utilizing it as a teaching center rather than a classroom, the staff and school leadership were able to produce a better alignment of value and
practice and to provide a re-interpretation of just what is meant by «mainstream».
Edited Books by Christopher McMaster
Disability and the University: A Disabled Students' Manifesto, 2019
Disability and the University: A Disabled Students' Manifesto is a guide to what students with di... more Disability and the University: A Disabled Students' Manifesto is a guide to what students with disabilities need to know about attending university, as well as to the essentials universities should provide for these students. Each chapter presents a benchmark for students to follow as they travel through the institution, and lays clear what they should expect. Written by former students with disabilities who have traversed the terrain and experienced higher education, this book is not about disabled students, but instead is a manifesto, a call for change, a call to action. It is a guide book, blueprint, and tool for both students and universities. Disability and the University is divided into four parts, each examining crucial aspects of higher education, including the culture of the academy, movement beyond the limits of compliance, access to and in the institution, and disability rights. Each chapter is a statement of what every institution of higher education should provide for disabled students. While every country has its own practice and laws based on its own experience, arbitrary national boundaries should no longer be a reason for practices that do not meet student needs. Disability and the University speaks across borders, and leaves no doubt about what needs to be done to develop more inclusive teaching and learning spaces.
https://www.peterlang.com/view/title/67647
The Nordic PhD: Surviving and Succeeding is an edited book written for prospective and current do... more The Nordic PhD: Surviving and Succeeding is an edited book written for prospective and current doctoral students by a mix of doctoral students and those who have recently completed their doctorates. The premise is simple: if you could go back in time and talk with yourself when you began your studies, what advice would you give? Isnt hindsight a bonus? If only I knew then what I know now!
The Nordic PhD: Surviving and Succeeding follows editions focused on study in Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia, the U.K., U.S., and South Africa. What sets The Nordic PhD: Surviving and Succeeding apart from many others on the market is its down-to-earth and practical approach. Furthermore, its originality also lies in the fact that it is grounded in the context of doctoral studies in the Nordic countries.
Each contributor to this book was given the remit: "If you could go back in time to talk with you... more Each contributor to this book was given the remit: "If you could go back in time to talk with yourself when you began your studies, what advice would you give?" Hindsight is such a bonus, especially, when vying for your doctorate or postgraduate degree. Postgraduate Study in Australia: Surviving and Succeeding addresses this with advice from postgraduate students and recent graduates that will assure that you are not alone in your endeavors. This project follows similar editions that focus on Aotearoa/New Zealand, South Africa, the United States, and the United Kingdom, and is currently being replicated in Scandinavia. This down‐toearth anthology shares personal stories from postgraduate students and recent graduates, employing a practical approach and focusing on the context of postgraduate studies in Australia. This first‐person approach to research about postgraduate study helps curate the current understanding, with critical reflections adding to our collective knowledge. Both prospective and current postgraduate students will find this collection insightful.
The Surviving and Succeeding book series was born when a group of postgraduate students considere... more The Surviving and Succeeding book series was born when a group of postgraduate students considered what advice they would give to prospective students. They realised many of the key lessons they learned about navigating the realities of postgraduate study were not covered in the majority of postgraduate advice books, but came through lived experience and discussions with colleagues. Following editions across the world, this book includes advice from 23 present and former postgraduate students from UK universities. Through lived experience they discuss an extensive range of issues including: practical considerations during study, how to cope when not following a 'traditional' route, how to manage and maintain relationships and family responsibilities, and how to find your feet in a different cultural setting. Every postgraduate student's journey is unique, however, the majority of students will face barriers, either personal or structural, over the course of their studies. Students discuss their experiences in a personal and relatable way, and the overall message is one of optimism that students can survive and succeed in their postgraduate studies.
This book explores concerns about the lack of higher education transformation around issues of eq... more This book explores concerns about the lack of higher education transformation around issues of equity, curriculum reform, language and race, and how students navigate higher education complexity. Written by and for South African postgraduates. This is the South African edition of the international Survive and Succeed series, released through African SunMedia. Co-edited with Caterina Murphy, Leizel Frick and Puleng Motshoane.
The premise of this book is simple: if the chapter writers could go back in time and talk with th... more The premise of this book is simple: if the chapter writers could go back in time and talk with themselves when they began their studies, what advice would they give? Isn’t hindsight a bonus? Each chapter will offer this hindsight. The chapters will not be their personal stories, but useful lessons learned through their experiences. Those lessons will be offered to aspiring and current graduate students to help ensure that their studies are successful. Chapters contain contributions from a range of academics and academic-practitioners, from those getting established in their careers to those that are more novice and emergent. Its contributors include scholars from many universities throughout the United States. Contributors cover essential aspects of graduate study, such as writing and publishing, relationships with supervisors, utilizing rejection and critique, and becoming a researcher. Contributors write of studying for higher degrees and coping with family, illness, disability, and distance. Culture is bridged between Hispanic scholars and their colleagues in mainstream academia, and international students offer advice to those coming to these shores to study. This volume provides indispensable advice that every graduate student could utilize and follows on from the successful publication of Postgraduate Study in Aotearoa New Zealand: Surviving and Succeeding (McMaster & Murphy, 2014). The US edition will be part of an international ‘survive and succeed’ series currently being produced in Australia, the UK and South Africa.
The aim of Postgraduate Study in Aotearoa New Zealand: Surviving and Succeeding is to help postgr... more The aim of Postgraduate Study in Aotearoa New Zealand: Surviving and Succeeding is to help postgraduates in their studies. What sets it apart from other books currently available is its focus on studies in an Aotearoa New Zealand context. Its authors share narrative, advice and wisdom in practical and down-to-earth ways. Many share their raw feelings and vulnerability with you, especially as they work to deadlines, at a distance, in isolation, under pressure, while sick or with English as a second language. Postgraduate Study in Aotearoa New Zealand : Surviving and Succeeding is written primarily for postgraduates in the social sciences, with applicability to the humanities, rather than the sciences.
The premise of each chapter was simple (and was the remit given to each contributor by the editors of the book): “If you could go back in time to when you started your postgraduate studies, what would you tell your younger, less experienced self? What advice could you give to prospective or current postgraduate students now, with the wisdom of your hindsight?”
Key features of the book include supervision, preparing for the viva voce, writing and publishing, maintaining wellness, working full time, juggling life’s many challenges, and navigating culture.
Christopher McMaster is completing a PhD in education based on a critical ethnography of developing inclusive culture in an Aotearoa New Zealand high school. He designed a thesis topic that incorporated two of his passions—community activism and inclusion—and builds on the experience of 15 years as a teacher and 25 years as a parent. He received a Master of Arts from the University of London, specialising in post-war United States foreign policy, before becoming a primary teacher in the UK. Returning to his native US he specialised in special education, earning a postgraduate diploma from the University of Alaska Southeast. He emigrated to New Zealand over 7 years ago, where he has taught at the primary and secondary level, and has worked for the Ministry of Education as a special education adviser and as a Resource Teacher: Learning and Behaviour.
Caterina Murphy (PhD) has had an interest in the stories and aspirations of postgraduates since she first became one herself in 2001. That period in her career was pivotal: she published early, conducted small research studies, enjoyed the complexities of higher-level study, and gained confidence in her research capability. She has completed two theses. A Master of Education (Hons), undertaken at Massey University, utilised case study methodology and focused on giftedness in the early years. Her PhD in indigenous studies, undertaken at Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi, focused on how knowledge transmission through cooking traditions is perceived and interpreted across cultures. That study utilised an oral history methodology and was guided by a kaupapa Māori ethic of care. Caterina has been a recipient of Ako Aotearoa funding, has 14 years of experience in tertiary education across a range of academic roles, and enjoys motivating and mentoring others.
Thesis by Christopher McMaster
McMaster, C. (2015). Finding a ‘shady place’: A critical ethnography of developing inclusive culture in an Aotearoa New Zealand school. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.
This qualitative study is concerned with the development of inclusive values and practices in an ... more This qualitative study is concerned with the development of inclusive values and practices in an Aotearoa New Zealand school. It focuses on the experiences of staff and leadership in the development of inclusive culture within their school. Since the launch of Special Education 2000 in 1996, it has been the stated aspiration of the Ministry of Education to create a ‘world class inclusive education system’. This thesis is part of an effort to assist schools, in the Aotearoa New Zealand context, to get closer to the aspiration of inclusion. It is hoped that this research can contribute to the sustainable development of inclusion within our schools, and that the values expressed by the ideal of inclusion can become firmly rooted in our learning communities.
The research involved embedding myself in an Aotearoa New Zealand co-educational high school as a qualitative critical ethnographic researcher. Using participatory observation and semi-formal and informal interviews I examined the experiences of a school community developing inclusive values. During an academic year the school utilised a framework for inclusive change known as the Index for Inclusion. The Index provided the framework in which the school community could explore their values, how those values were translated into practice, and to guide the change process.
My analysis drew on hermeneutic phenomological theoretical perspectives underpinned by a social constructionist epistemology. I utilise a theoretical construct of culture, or model, in which to frame the change process within the subject school. The tension between neoliberalism and inclusion based on social justice, and between a model of special education and definitions of ‘disability’ and ‘inclusion’ creates a dynamic that enables the co-creation of knowledge as well as possible futures. The methodology I employed was critical ethnography. Critical ethnography allows the researcher to become a participant in the project. Using a critical ethnographic methodology, the researcher/researched relationship was also a pedagogic relationship. Throughout the year of this study the staff at the subject school reflected on the core values of their school and made changes necessary to begin to align their practice with those values.
I argue that inclusion is linked to culture, and as a result, efforts to create a ‘world class inclusive education system’ must take place in the setting of the school culture. As culture is multi-layered, the change process requires time, perseverance, and at times involves pain. Change involves a renegotiation of meaning and a negotiation of expression. I argue that in a devolved educational system such as Aotearoa New Zealand, the individual school provides a ‘shady place’ in which work can be carried out to counter neoliberal policies and inculcate values of inclusion based on social justice. An ancillary argument in this thesis is that no research is neutral, and that it is an ethical responsibility of the researcher to be aware of whom their research benefits. This awareness does not compromise research; it gives research relevance.
Book Chapters by Christopher McMaster
Disability and the University: A Disabled Students’ Manifesto, 2019
Chapter one in Disability and the University: A Disabled Students’ Manifesto, published through P... more Chapter one in Disability and the University: A Disabled Students’ Manifesto, published through Peter Lang (https://www.peterlang.com/view/title/67647). This edited volume is not just a call to action, but a blue print for change. Written by former students with disabilities who have traversed the terrain and experienced higher education, this book is not about disabled students, but instead is a manifesto, a call for change, a call to action. It is a guide book, blueprint, and tool for both students and universities.
To the student it says: “This is what you should expect.”
To the university it says: “This is what you should deliver.”
Chapter in the Nordic edition of the postgradute Survive and Succeed series. This chapter explain... more Chapter in the Nordic edition of the postgradute Survive and Succeed series. This chapter explains to prospective international student how they might benefit from study in a Nordic country. The Nordic PhD: Surviving and Succeeding will become an essential guide for those undertaking, pr planning to undertake, doctoral studies in the Nordic countries, with advice from contributors studying in Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Iceland. This chapter gives advice to international students thinking of venturing north for their studies.
Postgraduate UK: Surviving and succeeding
In this chapter, Chris and Natasha discuss their different perspectives on writing and how it can... more In this chapter, Chris and Natasha discuss their different perspectives on writing and how it can work for the reader sitting in that empty seat at their table. For Chris, it was constantly moving, or so he claims, that got him to a timely finish. He calls it ‘continuous writing’. Natasha pushes him on this, what it means in practice and what it means across disciplines. Her concern is staying true to who she is, developing and using a voice that is her own as she is run through the mill of postgraduate study.
In the process of completing the PhD the candidate becomes an expert in their field. Through publ... more In the process of completing the PhD the candidate becomes an expert in their field. Through publishing as that work is completed they become a known expert. This paper will explore the process of publishing the thesis as it is written. In reviewing the literature, in re-interpreting past findings, in the research conducted or ideas explored the candidate is contributing to their field of study. These contributions are worthy of peer review and publication. Through doing so the candidate receives not only acknowledgment but also invaluable writing guidance and advice, which will help their final submission achieve a high standard of quality. "
McMaster, C. (2014). Limiting the definition and limiting the discourse: ERO limiting inclusion. In Tales from school: Learning disabilities and state education after administrative reform (109-118). URL link below. , Oct 20, 2014
Chapter 7 in the book, Tales from School: Learning Disability and State Education after Administr... more Chapter 7 in the book, Tales from School: Learning Disability and State Education after Administrative Reform (pages 109-118) exploring how the Ministry of Education conceptualization of inclusion (through the Education Review Office) potentially limits the definition and discourse of inclusion.
How to edit/co-editing a book, part of collection of chapters in Graduate Study in the USA: Surv... more How to edit/co-editing a book, part of collection of chapters in Graduate Study in the USA: Surviving and Succeeding (McMaster and Murphy, 2016, pp. 61-70).
Papers by Christopher McMaster
International Journal of Whole Schooling, 2020
Abstract
“The most important thing to learn is what you want to learn” Carl Rogers
Mending... more Abstract
“The most important thing to learn is what you want to learn” Carl Rogers
Mending the Net: The Learning Zone considers how the principles of Whole Schooling can be incorporated into the high school setting to reach students at risk of disassociating from their learning. Whereas schools strive to create a safety net to catch students in need, there are often holes in that net some students fall through. This project was based on the desire to catch those students and to ‘mend the net’. Designed to create a learning space for all, students were given the place, opportunity, skills, and community to ‘learn how to learn’ what they wanted to learn. This practice paper which recounts the experience of the Learning Zone (LZ), is told through brief descriptions of the students who used it and describes how they benefited from having access to this space.
International Journal of Whole Schooling, 2017
Tying Laces (the abstract of every run)
I have just returned from one year in the field, the ethn... more Tying Laces (the abstract of every run)
I have just returned from one year in the field, the ethnographer at the finish of a long distance journey. As the miles went by I had nothing but time to reflect, “thinking so much while I’m running” (Sillitoe, 1959, p.10). For an entire year of my doctoral research I was embedded in a local high school. My methodology was critical. I was an agent of change as much as a social scientist. I aimed to help a school in New Zealand improve its practice towards students with disabilities, and hopefully make the school a better place for all students. This challenged and threatened some. At times I angered people. At times I caused dissonance. This dissonance or anger may have allowed for the examination of values and beliefs, but I often left ‘the field’ feeling far from elated. While being welcomed with open arms, I remained for the year an outsider on the inside. I was always the guest sleeping on the couch. Participants became friends, and strong relationships were formed, but the distance caused by being the researcher was always present. It was at times a lonely journey. But loneliness is sometimes a necessary part of journeys. My journey is told through the use of vignettes, four hundred word images capturing a researcher coming to terms with the ethics of his trade.
New Zealand Journal of Educational Research, 2014
This paper reports on the findings of a yearlong qualitative research project into school change ... more This paper reports on the findings of a yearlong qualitative research project into school change and inclusion. The whole school framework known as the Index for Inclusion was utilised in an Aotearoa New Zealand high school. Findings showed the Index to be a flexible tool and suitable for achieving sustainable whole school development and professional learning. Additionally, Inclusive change involves a renegotiation of meaning. This renegotiation takes time, perseverance, and at times involves pain. Inclusion is linked to culture; it is a reflection of time and place. Inclusion can be developed within a school culture through reflecting on core values and through aligning those values with practice and artefact. In a devolved education system such as in Aotearoa New Zealand individual expressions of school culture and school leadership become strong influencing factors in the development of inclusion.
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Authored Books by Christopher McMaster
Christopher McMaster’s experience as a critical ethnographer in a school community, given the task of not only studying the institution’s
culture, but of creating change as well. The school used a whole-school framework known as the Index for Inclusion, which addressed students
identified as having «special» or learning needs. The outcome of this process was the realization that the faculty and the system were not
adequately providing optimum services to «special needs» students. By incorporating the special needs unit into a larger department and by
utilizing it as a teaching center rather than a classroom, the staff and school leadership were able to produce a better alignment of value and
practice and to provide a re-interpretation of just what is meant by «mainstream».
Edited Books by Christopher McMaster
https://www.peterlang.com/view/title/67647
The Nordic PhD: Surviving and Succeeding follows editions focused on study in Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia, the U.K., U.S., and South Africa. What sets The Nordic PhD: Surviving and Succeeding apart from many others on the market is its down-to-earth and practical approach. Furthermore, its originality also lies in the fact that it is grounded in the context of doctoral studies in the Nordic countries.
The premise of each chapter was simple (and was the remit given to each contributor by the editors of the book): “If you could go back in time to when you started your postgraduate studies, what would you tell your younger, less experienced self? What advice could you give to prospective or current postgraduate students now, with the wisdom of your hindsight?”
Key features of the book include supervision, preparing for the viva voce, writing and publishing, maintaining wellness, working full time, juggling life’s many challenges, and navigating culture.
Christopher McMaster is completing a PhD in education based on a critical ethnography of developing inclusive culture in an Aotearoa New Zealand high school. He designed a thesis topic that incorporated two of his passions—community activism and inclusion—and builds on the experience of 15 years as a teacher and 25 years as a parent. He received a Master of Arts from the University of London, specialising in post-war United States foreign policy, before becoming a primary teacher in the UK. Returning to his native US he specialised in special education, earning a postgraduate diploma from the University of Alaska Southeast. He emigrated to New Zealand over 7 years ago, where he has taught at the primary and secondary level, and has worked for the Ministry of Education as a special education adviser and as a Resource Teacher: Learning and Behaviour.
Caterina Murphy (PhD) has had an interest in the stories and aspirations of postgraduates since she first became one herself in 2001. That period in her career was pivotal: she published early, conducted small research studies, enjoyed the complexities of higher-level study, and gained confidence in her research capability. She has completed two theses. A Master of Education (Hons), undertaken at Massey University, utilised case study methodology and focused on giftedness in the early years. Her PhD in indigenous studies, undertaken at Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi, focused on how knowledge transmission through cooking traditions is perceived and interpreted across cultures. That study utilised an oral history methodology and was guided by a kaupapa Māori ethic of care. Caterina has been a recipient of Ako Aotearoa funding, has 14 years of experience in tertiary education across a range of academic roles, and enjoys motivating and mentoring others.
Thesis by Christopher McMaster
The research involved embedding myself in an Aotearoa New Zealand co-educational high school as a qualitative critical ethnographic researcher. Using participatory observation and semi-formal and informal interviews I examined the experiences of a school community developing inclusive values. During an academic year the school utilised a framework for inclusive change known as the Index for Inclusion. The Index provided the framework in which the school community could explore their values, how those values were translated into practice, and to guide the change process.
My analysis drew on hermeneutic phenomological theoretical perspectives underpinned by a social constructionist epistemology. I utilise a theoretical construct of culture, or model, in which to frame the change process within the subject school. The tension between neoliberalism and inclusion based on social justice, and between a model of special education and definitions of ‘disability’ and ‘inclusion’ creates a dynamic that enables the co-creation of knowledge as well as possible futures. The methodology I employed was critical ethnography. Critical ethnography allows the researcher to become a participant in the project. Using a critical ethnographic methodology, the researcher/researched relationship was also a pedagogic relationship. Throughout the year of this study the staff at the subject school reflected on the core values of their school and made changes necessary to begin to align their practice with those values.
I argue that inclusion is linked to culture, and as a result, efforts to create a ‘world class inclusive education system’ must take place in the setting of the school culture. As culture is multi-layered, the change process requires time, perseverance, and at times involves pain. Change involves a renegotiation of meaning and a negotiation of expression. I argue that in a devolved educational system such as Aotearoa New Zealand, the individual school provides a ‘shady place’ in which work can be carried out to counter neoliberal policies and inculcate values of inclusion based on social justice. An ancillary argument in this thesis is that no research is neutral, and that it is an ethical responsibility of the researcher to be aware of whom their research benefits. This awareness does not compromise research; it gives research relevance.
Book Chapters by Christopher McMaster
To the student it says: “This is what you should expect.”
To the university it says: “This is what you should deliver.”
Papers by Christopher McMaster
“The most important thing to learn is what you want to learn” Carl Rogers
Mending the Net: The Learning Zone considers how the principles of Whole Schooling can be incorporated into the high school setting to reach students at risk of disassociating from their learning. Whereas schools strive to create a safety net to catch students in need, there are often holes in that net some students fall through. This project was based on the desire to catch those students and to ‘mend the net’. Designed to create a learning space for all, students were given the place, opportunity, skills, and community to ‘learn how to learn’ what they wanted to learn. This practice paper which recounts the experience of the Learning Zone (LZ), is told through brief descriptions of the students who used it and describes how they benefited from having access to this space.
I have just returned from one year in the field, the ethnographer at the finish of a long distance journey. As the miles went by I had nothing but time to reflect, “thinking so much while I’m running” (Sillitoe, 1959, p.10). For an entire year of my doctoral research I was embedded in a local high school. My methodology was critical. I was an agent of change as much as a social scientist. I aimed to help a school in New Zealand improve its practice towards students with disabilities, and hopefully make the school a better place for all students. This challenged and threatened some. At times I angered people. At times I caused dissonance. This dissonance or anger may have allowed for the examination of values and beliefs, but I often left ‘the field’ feeling far from elated. While being welcomed with open arms, I remained for the year an outsider on the inside. I was always the guest sleeping on the couch. Participants became friends, and strong relationships were formed, but the distance caused by being the researcher was always present. It was at times a lonely journey. But loneliness is sometimes a necessary part of journeys. My journey is told through the use of vignettes, four hundred word images capturing a researcher coming to terms with the ethics of his trade.
Christopher McMaster’s experience as a critical ethnographer in a school community, given the task of not only studying the institution’s
culture, but of creating change as well. The school used a whole-school framework known as the Index for Inclusion, which addressed students
identified as having «special» or learning needs. The outcome of this process was the realization that the faculty and the system were not
adequately providing optimum services to «special needs» students. By incorporating the special needs unit into a larger department and by
utilizing it as a teaching center rather than a classroom, the staff and school leadership were able to produce a better alignment of value and
practice and to provide a re-interpretation of just what is meant by «mainstream».
https://www.peterlang.com/view/title/67647
The Nordic PhD: Surviving and Succeeding follows editions focused on study in Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia, the U.K., U.S., and South Africa. What sets The Nordic PhD: Surviving and Succeeding apart from many others on the market is its down-to-earth and practical approach. Furthermore, its originality also lies in the fact that it is grounded in the context of doctoral studies in the Nordic countries.
The premise of each chapter was simple (and was the remit given to each contributor by the editors of the book): “If you could go back in time to when you started your postgraduate studies, what would you tell your younger, less experienced self? What advice could you give to prospective or current postgraduate students now, with the wisdom of your hindsight?”
Key features of the book include supervision, preparing for the viva voce, writing and publishing, maintaining wellness, working full time, juggling life’s many challenges, and navigating culture.
Christopher McMaster is completing a PhD in education based on a critical ethnography of developing inclusive culture in an Aotearoa New Zealand high school. He designed a thesis topic that incorporated two of his passions—community activism and inclusion—and builds on the experience of 15 years as a teacher and 25 years as a parent. He received a Master of Arts from the University of London, specialising in post-war United States foreign policy, before becoming a primary teacher in the UK. Returning to his native US he specialised in special education, earning a postgraduate diploma from the University of Alaska Southeast. He emigrated to New Zealand over 7 years ago, where he has taught at the primary and secondary level, and has worked for the Ministry of Education as a special education adviser and as a Resource Teacher: Learning and Behaviour.
Caterina Murphy (PhD) has had an interest in the stories and aspirations of postgraduates since she first became one herself in 2001. That period in her career was pivotal: she published early, conducted small research studies, enjoyed the complexities of higher-level study, and gained confidence in her research capability. She has completed two theses. A Master of Education (Hons), undertaken at Massey University, utilised case study methodology and focused on giftedness in the early years. Her PhD in indigenous studies, undertaken at Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi, focused on how knowledge transmission through cooking traditions is perceived and interpreted across cultures. That study utilised an oral history methodology and was guided by a kaupapa Māori ethic of care. Caterina has been a recipient of Ako Aotearoa funding, has 14 years of experience in tertiary education across a range of academic roles, and enjoys motivating and mentoring others.
The research involved embedding myself in an Aotearoa New Zealand co-educational high school as a qualitative critical ethnographic researcher. Using participatory observation and semi-formal and informal interviews I examined the experiences of a school community developing inclusive values. During an academic year the school utilised a framework for inclusive change known as the Index for Inclusion. The Index provided the framework in which the school community could explore their values, how those values were translated into practice, and to guide the change process.
My analysis drew on hermeneutic phenomological theoretical perspectives underpinned by a social constructionist epistemology. I utilise a theoretical construct of culture, or model, in which to frame the change process within the subject school. The tension between neoliberalism and inclusion based on social justice, and between a model of special education and definitions of ‘disability’ and ‘inclusion’ creates a dynamic that enables the co-creation of knowledge as well as possible futures. The methodology I employed was critical ethnography. Critical ethnography allows the researcher to become a participant in the project. Using a critical ethnographic methodology, the researcher/researched relationship was also a pedagogic relationship. Throughout the year of this study the staff at the subject school reflected on the core values of their school and made changes necessary to begin to align their practice with those values.
I argue that inclusion is linked to culture, and as a result, efforts to create a ‘world class inclusive education system’ must take place in the setting of the school culture. As culture is multi-layered, the change process requires time, perseverance, and at times involves pain. Change involves a renegotiation of meaning and a negotiation of expression. I argue that in a devolved educational system such as Aotearoa New Zealand, the individual school provides a ‘shady place’ in which work can be carried out to counter neoliberal policies and inculcate values of inclusion based on social justice. An ancillary argument in this thesis is that no research is neutral, and that it is an ethical responsibility of the researcher to be aware of whom their research benefits. This awareness does not compromise research; it gives research relevance.
To the student it says: “This is what you should expect.”
To the university it says: “This is what you should deliver.”
“The most important thing to learn is what you want to learn” Carl Rogers
Mending the Net: The Learning Zone considers how the principles of Whole Schooling can be incorporated into the high school setting to reach students at risk of disassociating from their learning. Whereas schools strive to create a safety net to catch students in need, there are often holes in that net some students fall through. This project was based on the desire to catch those students and to ‘mend the net’. Designed to create a learning space for all, students were given the place, opportunity, skills, and community to ‘learn how to learn’ what they wanted to learn. This practice paper which recounts the experience of the Learning Zone (LZ), is told through brief descriptions of the students who used it and describes how they benefited from having access to this space.
I have just returned from one year in the field, the ethnographer at the finish of a long distance journey. As the miles went by I had nothing but time to reflect, “thinking so much while I’m running” (Sillitoe, 1959, p.10). For an entire year of my doctoral research I was embedded in a local high school. My methodology was critical. I was an agent of change as much as a social scientist. I aimed to help a school in New Zealand improve its practice towards students with disabilities, and hopefully make the school a better place for all students. This challenged and threatened some. At times I angered people. At times I caused dissonance. This dissonance or anger may have allowed for the examination of values and beliefs, but I often left ‘the field’ feeling far from elated. While being welcomed with open arms, I remained for the year an outsider on the inside. I was always the guest sleeping on the couch. Participants became friends, and strong relationships were formed, but the distance caused by being the researcher was always present. It was at times a lonely journey. But loneliness is sometimes a necessary part of journeys. My journey is told through the use of vignettes, four hundred word images capturing a researcher coming to terms with the ethics of his trade.
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Key words: inclusion, utopia, educational reform, John Dewey, Antonio Gramsci, Paulo Freire
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The Choices Game has been specially designed to help older children and teenagers learn how to make positive choices. As players move around the game board, they pick up Choice Cards which invite them to imagine themselves in a scenario and make a choice about how they would respond in that situation. The outcome of their decision is then revealed, and the more safe choices they make the further they progress in the game!
This game will be an invaluable tool for teachers, parents, social workers and anyone else teaching social skills and personal safety to young people with special needs or emotional difficulties. It includes a helpful teacher's guide with advice to aid learning through discussion.
throughout 2008 and 2009 on Community Radio
Hamilton – a leading New Zealand Community Access
radio station. Eyes on America was awarded 'Finalist' in the 2010 New Zealand Radio Awards.