Faculty research grants
A new Faculty Strategic Research Fund has funded five projects from the Wellington Faculty of Education.
The Fund, established by Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington’s Research Office, will support academic staff in the University’s Faculties to engage in ambitious research that is aspirational for the applicant and/or reflects a step-change in an individual’s pursuit of research excellence. It also aims, with the inclusion of Establishment Grants, to support academic staff who have recently completed their PhD.
In the inaugural round, which was completed in October, three FoE projects were approved for Faculty Strategic Research Grants, and two for Faculty Research Establishment Grants.
Congratulations to the following WFoE researchers on their success:
Faculty Strategic Research Grants:
Associate Professor Kabini Sanga—Embracing community wisdoms of oceanic indigenous oralities
This project will explore Indigenous Pacific oralities and their application, and Indigenous Pacific leadership and mentorship, including Pacific research leadership in the digital space. It aims to stimulate the use of Tok stori/talanoa/oralities wisdom in online tok stori and online leadership and mentorship. This project is done collaboratively with researchers and mentors at the University of PNG, Solomon Islands National University, USP Emalus in Vanuatu, the Fiji National University, the USP in Tonga and the Samoa National University.
Dr Fuapepe Rimoni, Associate Professor Robin Averill, and Dr Ali Glasgow —Understanding Pacific values and practice across the education sector
This project will include observing and interviewing teachers with and without Pacific heritage across the education sector to examine their understandings of Pacific values and how they demonstrate and nurture these in their teaching. It will enable analysis on the similarities and differences of understandings and actions across sectors and across ethnicities.
Dr Mere Skerrett—He reo e korerotia ana, he reo ka ora
This project will provide a research-based understanding of what is required for teacher education programmes to develop and maintain an ongoing commitment to learning te Reo Māori in students and lecturers.
Faculty Research Establishment Grants:
Dr Liana Macdonald—Teaching difficult histories in the Marlborough region
New Zealand’s dominant nationhood narrative forefronts settler perspectives of history that erase or minimise the New Zealand Wars. This project will challenge conventional notions of nationhood by implementing teaching approaches that consider indigenous memories of colonial injustice.
Dr Amarie Carnett—Assessment and treatment of barriers of use for AAC systems for children with autism
This project aims to assess and treat barriers that individuals with developmental disabilities, such as autism spectrum disorder, experience when using augmentative and alternative communication modalities (e.g. picture exchange, speech-generating devices, and sign language).