This article reviews current research about three short focused literacy, language and numeracy programmes designed to assist New Zealand Maori (indigenous) adult students and their whanau. Whanau is a complex Maori concept that includes physical and metaphysical dimensions based on the Maori worldview of whakapapa (genealogy) and is at the heart…

This report examines the current state of open and flexible technical-vocational education and training (TVET) in nine Pacific Commonwealth countries: Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. The Commonwealth of Learning (COL) has commissioned the Open Polytechnic to complete this report to…

This document covers the data terms used in the "Apprentices and Trainees: March quarter 2010" publication and its associated data tables. The primary purpose of this document is to assist users of the publication to understand the specific data terms used within it. Terms that appear in the publication are listed in alphabetical order…

The benefits of community environmental education outlined in environmental education literature are supported by the findings and implications of a research study undertaken in New Zealand. Evidence from a two-case case study suggests that environmental programmes guided by the key principles and practices of community environmental education,…

News media reporting on sustainability and environmental (S&E) issues is seen as a form of informal environmental education. For journalists to play such an educative role, prior education on these topics appears necessary. By assessing a trial introductory-level journalism module on sustainability, this case study strengthens the argument for…

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to identify key factors influencing employee learning from the perspective of owners/managers. Design/methodology/research: Data were gathered from owners/managers in a total of 27 small manufacturing and services firms through interviews and analysed using content analytic procedures. Findings: The…

The introduction of technology education in primary and secondary schools during the past 10-15 years around the world has presented a number of difficulties for teachers, primarily related to their coming to understand the phenomenon of technology and to conceptualise the technology learning area in line with national frameworks. This paper…

Background: Two major conceptions of learning exist: reproducing new material and transforming material to make meaning. Teachers' understandings of what learning is probably influence their teaching practices and student academic performance. Aims: To validate a short scale derived from Tait, Entwistle, & McCune's (1998) ASSIST inventory and…

Rapid technological change, increasing globalization and a changing world of employment with multiple roles during one's professional life are necessitating a change from knowledge to learning societies. Full participation requires lifelong learning skills, meaning the ability to solve problems, work both independently and in a team, communicate…