Thesis & Dissertations - ތީސީސް އަދި ޑެޒަޓޭޝަން
Browse
64 results
Search Results
Item Population human capital and development in the Maldives(The University of Waikato, 2000) Hussain Niyaaz; ނިޔާޒް ހުސައިންItem Government budget in statistics financial year 2007(Ministry of Finance and Treasury, 2007)Item An exploratory study of the interplay between teachers, beliefs, instructional practices & professional development(The University of Auckland, 2006) Mohamed, Naashia; ނާސިހާ މުހައްމަދުPrevious research has revealed the influential role of teachers’ beliefs in determining their professional behaviour. Teachers’ beliefs affect not only their teaching, but also filter new input, suggesting significant implications for the implementation of educational innovations and teacher development. This study explores the interconnections between teachers’ beliefs, their instructional practices and professional development, examining the extent to which the introduction of an innovative teaching approach impacts teachers’ beliefs and behaviour. It focuses particularly on grammar instruction in the context of English teaching in secondary schools of the Maldives. Combining descriptive ethnography with a quasi-experimental design, the study was implemented in two phases. Phase One, based on questionnaire data from 197 teachers from 51 schools, explored teachers’ beliefs and their self reported practices. Findings indicated that teachers placed great emphasis on grammar and that they were unfamiliar with inductive approaches to grammar instruction. In Phase Two, inductive grammar teaching methods were introduced to 14 teachers from two schools, in a 12 week professional development programme. Drawing largely on data from observations and interviews, the results from this phase showed that although teachers were observed to generally follow their pedagogic beliefs, several points of difference between their beliefs and practices existed. While the professional development may have increased their understanding of inductive approaches to grammar instruction at the level of awareness, only limited changes to beliefs and practices were observed. Changing instructional practice appeared to be a difficult task with only two teachers uptaking the innovation. Some subsidiary changes were however observed in the practices of several other teachers. Various impediments constrained change efforts, including teachers’ lack of openness to change, their low professional motivation and the lack of a supportive school culture. Contextual factors such as large classes and difficult working conditions also negatively affected the change process. Findings indicate that development activities which provided regular one-on-one support for the teachers were more likely to lead to uptake than those involving mainly workshops. The individual nature of the uptake process, its lack of uniformity and the challenges faced by the teachers are discussed, as are the implications for the provision of professional development.Item Teaching economics at secondary school level in the Maldives a cooperative learning model(The University of Waikato, 2006) Nazeer, AbdullahThe dominant approach to the study of economics at secondary school level in the Maldives is teacher-centred methods based on behaviourist views of teaching and learning. Despite considerable research on the benefits of cooperative learning in economic education at the post-secondary level, very limited research has been conducted in secondary school classrooms in order to find ways of improving teaching and learning of economics. The purpose of this study was to enhance the teaching and learning of economics at secondary schools in the Maldives by trialing a cooperative learning model to enhance economics teachers’ awareness of the impact that cooperative learning might have on student learning. This study explored a cooperative learning approach to teaching and learning economics in secondary schools and investigated teachers’ and students’ perceptions of cooperative learning. Some elements of both ethnographic and grounded theory methodologies were employed and specific data collection methods included workshops, classroom observations, interviews, video tapes and student questionnaires. Nine teachers and 232 students were involved in this study. The research was conducted in three stages (pre-intervention, workshops to train the participants, and post-intervention) over a period of three months in three selected schools in Male’, the Maldives. Four research themes were derived from the analysis of both pre and post intervention data. These themes were teaching issues, learning issues, cooperative learning implementing issues, and students’ and teachers’ reactions to cooperative learning. In the pre-intervention phase, the teachers taught in a traditional manner, but after the intervention they incorporated elements of cooperative learning method to teach economics in their selected classes. The overall findings showed a considerable change in teachers’ and students’ attitudes and perceptions about traditional teacher-centred methods towards more student-centred methods of T Teaching and Learning of Economics in the Maldives: A cooperative Learning Model ii cooperative learning. It was evident that both teachers and students perceived cooperative learning to be an effective method of teaching. For example, the findings revealed that both teachers and students understood and could see the benefits that cooperative learning offered to the teaching and learning of economics. The students indicated that they liked working in groups and appreciated getting help from other students. In addition, the results revealed that students’ interactions and involvement in classroom activities, as well as interest and motivation to learn economics, increased during the implementation of the cooperative learning model. Furthermore, this study found a mismatch between home and the traditional teacher-centred school culture in the Maldives. In contrast, the findings suggest that the principles of cooperative learning match well with the cultural values of Maldivian society. Consequently, a revised model of cooperative learning is presented that includes the aspects of culture. Jordan (1985) argued that “educational practices must match with the children’s culture” (p. 110) and thus culturally responsive teaching can help to minimise confusion and promote an academic community of learners that enables students to be more successful learners (Gay, 2000). This study suggests that training teachers and students for cooperative learning is salient for effective implementation of cooperative learning for a positive influence on students’ learning and teachers’ pedagogy. However, further research should be conducted to examine other aspects of teaching and learning which may also enhance this relationship.Item A Study of the Cluster Schools Policy in the Maldives(University of London, 2006-05) Ali, AamaalIn the Maldives, despite everyone having access to primary education, there are wide disparities in the quality of education provided by schools in the capital and schools on the rural islands. In an attempt to address the ongoing concern of the rural communities to improve their schools, the Ministry of Education introduced a new policy in July 1999. This policy led to the formation of clusters of schools which consisted of a 'lead' government school intended to serve as a resource and support to a number of nearby community schools. Each cluster is usually made up of 6 to 11 schools. The cluster policy has not been studied since its introduction six years ago. This research study aims to investigate the cluster policy - its rationale, processes of implementation and impact on the schools, through the perceptions of key stakeholders, with a broader view to improve schools in the Maldives. For the research, I travelled to four regions to carry out four case studies. Each case study is based on a full cluster of schools of an atoll and a selection of schools in neighbouring clusters within the same atoll. Fifty schools were targeted in fourteen clusters. Data were collected from interviews with key stakeholders - the cluster heads, lead teachers, island chiefs and officials of Ministry of Education. The conceptual framework of antecedents, processes and impact, developed by Lunt et al. (1988) in their study of clusters in the UK, was used to structure the inquiry. The interview data were analysed thematically. This study found that the cluster policy was not sufficiently resourced and comprehensively conceptualised to engender the intended school improvement. Set within a context of small developing islands, the policy lacked the essential ingredients for a collaborative venture of this kind to succeed. However, among the stakeholders there is an acceptance of the potential good such a policy can bring about. The problems identified in this research go some way to explain why the cluster policy was short-lived and has now effectively ceased to exist.Item The role of local food in Maldives tourism : a focus on promotion and economic development(Auckland University of Technology, 2009) Amira, FathimathIn the fiercely competitive globalized tourism industry, where there is growing concern for the development of sustainable tourism, tourism stakeholders are confronted with the challenge of creating innovative product differentiation and effective marketing that will increase yield and promote sustainable tourism development. Food is a fundamental part of the tourist experience. Increasingly, local food is used in tourism as an integral part of the visitor attraction to enrich tourist experiences. Local food acts as a differentiating feature for destinations and can play an important role in increasing visitor yield, stimulating growth in other economic sectors and promoting sustainable occupations. The close relationship between local food and culture enables the promotion of cultural heritage by promoting local food. Thus, linking local food and tourism has the potential to create more sustainable tourism practices and outcomes. This study evaluates the role of local food in tourism promotion. It also focuses on economic development, exploring the potential for creating linkages between local food and tourism in the context of sustainable tourism practices. The research is based on a case study of the Republic of Maldives, a country which has gained success in the international tourism market by promoting the natural beauty of its tropical islands. Like many Small Island Developing States (SIDS), tourism is the key to the Maldives’ economic development. But a heavy reliance on imports and a large expatriate labour force cause a significant leakage of tourism revenue. Tourism has been developed under a one-island-one-resort concept. This has created tourist enclaves that limit distribution of tourism benefits among local communities. Hence, Maldives’ tourism needs ways to broaden economic linkages and increase tourism yield. Broader visitor experiences that enhance product attractiveness in ways that still conserve and protect the fragile ecosystem are also required. This research utilized content and discourse analyses and surveys in a mixed-methods approach. Content analysis of printed and web-based tourism marketing materials reveals that food is not featured prominently as a tourist attraction in the Maldives. Surveys conducted among operators and experts indicate considerable support for and the potential benefits of, linking food to tourism; these stakeholders also state that they believe there is a strong desire on the part of tourists to experience local food. A range of issues and constraints that work against linking local food and tourism are revealed; ix these include under-developed transportation and logistics, shortages of skilled staff, and a lack of communication between producers and tourism operators. A variety of suggestions on linking local food to tourism are presented with recommendations of potential local foods and food-related events that could be successfully integrated into the tourist experience.Item Small islands and global action: coming of age in global change(The University of Waikato, 2005) އަލީ ޝަމީމް; Shameem, AliThis study aims at advancing theoretical understanding of the role of small island developing states (SIDS) in contemporary international relations (IR). It does this by examining their interaction between, participation in, and contribution to, IR within the framework of the UN. The literature on small states in IR was reviewed, in order to develop a conceptual framework for critiquing the small states paradigm, which is based on realist theory. This paradigm views the role of small states in IR as determined by inherent internal factors (physical size and capacity to act) and prescribes them as being insignificant and passive actors in IR. Contrary to the small states paradigm, a review of literature showed SIDS to be highly visible and proactive in IR in recent times. Thus, the research question the thesis pursued was: How can the small states paradigm in JR be strengthened to better explain the rising importance of the role of SIDS in contemporary JR? The literature review also suggested a proposition for testing empirical research: that external factors outside states are facilitative of the proactive and contributory behaviour of small states in JR. Two case studies of the role of SIDS in UN negotiations were selected to assess the extent to which they may have been influential on outcomes: Law of the Sea and Climate Change. The role SIDS played in the negotiations for each case was explored through analysis of relevant documents and interviews with diplomatic and resource persons from a selection of participating SIDS. Results strongly suggest that external factors are instrumental in facilitating proactive and influential behaviour of SIDS in these two UN negotiations. The key external factors numbered 18 and were grouped into the following dimensions: developments, events, trends, issues, circumstances and actors. These results call for revising the small states paradigm, so that it includes external factors as explanatory variables for the proactive and contributory behaviour of small ii states. Thus, external factors were added to the paradigm as open-sky dimensions which, unlike closed-ground dimensions (internal factors), are dynamic, flexible, optimistic and open elements (like the sky), and thus provide far wider potential or opportunities for small states in IR.Item The information culture of the Maldives : an exploratory study of information provision and access in a small island developing state(Curtin University of Technology, Australia, 2009) Riyaz, AminathThe thesis explores the relationship between information culture and development to highlight areas in information provision and access that need to be addressed in the small island developing state of the Maldives. The study uses a mixed methods approach. A quantitative survey of a rural community and the urban community collected data on their information use, access, and awareness. Qualitative in-depth interviews with key information stakeholders in the country supplemented this, giving insightful information on how the relevant issues at hand were being addressed by the relevant government departments. The results reveal that people in the urban capital of the Maldives have much better access to information sources than members of the rural community. The take-up of ICTs is promising and implementation of information services remains a high priority. The survey also found more frequent use of “formal” channels of information by the urban community while the rural community predominantly relies on “verbal” or “informal” information exchange. The identified challenges in the provision of information initiatives include the geographical dispersion of the country, lack of information awareness and information literacy, misalignment of information services with the needs, financial and human resources constraints, and the lack of appropriate information policies. The major conclusions emanating from this study are that the difference in the communities in their information outlook is that of level of access, not in the actual usage, and that there is a strong oral culture of information exchange with a casual reading approach. The results of this study will be useful to inform policy making in addressing the disparities between the rural and urban communities and in the general introduction of information services relevant to the Maldives.Item Small islands and global action : coming of age in global change(The University of Waikato, 2005) ޢަލީ ޝަމީމް; Shameem, AliThis study aims at advancing theoretical understanding of the role of small island developing states (SIDS) in contemporary international relations (IR). It does this by examining their interaction between, participation in, and contribution to, IR within the framework of the UN. The literature on small states in IR was reviewed, in order to develop a conceptual framework for critiquing the small states paradigm, which is based on realist theory. This paradigm views the role of small states in IR as determined by inherent internal factors (physical size and capacity to act) and prescribes them as being insignificant and passive actors in IR. Contrary to the small states paradigm, a review of literature showed SIDS to be highly visible and proactive in IR in recent times. Thus, the research question the thesis pursued was: How can the small states paradigm in JR be strengthened to better explain the rising importance of the role of SIDS in contemporary JR? The literature review also suggested a proposition for testing empirical research: that external factors outside states are facilitative of the proactive and contributory behaviour of small states in JR. Two case studies of the role of SIDS in UN negotiations were selected to assess the extent to which they may have been influential on outcomes: Law of the Sea and Climate Change. The role SIDS played in the negotiations for each case was explored through analysis of relevant documents and interviews with diplomatic and resource persons from a selection of participating SIDS. Results strongly suggest that external factors are instrumental in facilitating proactive and influential behaviour of SIDS in these two UN negotiations. The key external factors numbered 18 and were grouped into the following dimensions: developments, events, trends, issues, circumstances and actors. These results call for revising the small states paradigm, so that it includes external factors as explanatory variables for the proactive and contributory behaviour of smallstates. Thus, external factors were added to the paradigm as open-sky dimensions which, unlike closed-ground dimensions (internal factors), are dynamic, flexible, optimistic and open elements (like the sky), and thus provide far wider potential or opportunities for small states in IR.Item A study of the cluster schools policy in the Maldives(Institute of Education, University of London, 2006-05) Ali, Aamaal; އާމާލް އަލީIn the Maldives, despite everyone having access to primary education, there are wide disparities in the quality of education provided by schools in the capital and schools on the rural islands. In an attempt to address the ongoing concern of the rural communities to improve their schools, the Ministry of Education introduced a new policy in July 1999. This policy led to the formation of clusters of schools which consisted of a 'lead' government school intended to serve as a resource and support to a number of nearby community schools. Each cluster is usually made up of 6 to 11 schools. The cluster policy has not been studied since its introduction six years ago. This research study aims to investigate the cluster policy - its rationale, processes of implementation, and impact on the schools through the perceptions of key stakeholders, with a broader view to improve schools in the Maldives. For the research, I travelled to four regions to carry out four case studies. Each case study is based on a full cluster of schools of an atoll and a selection of schools in neighbouring clusters within the same atoll. Fifty schools were targeted in fourteen clusters. Data were collected from interviews with key stakeholders - the cluster heads, lead teachers, island chiefs and officials of Ministry of Education. The conceptual framework developed by Lunt et al. (1988) of antecedents, processes and impact in their study of clusters in the UK was used to structure the inquiry. The interview data were analysed thematically. This study found that the cluster policy not sufficiently resourced and comprehensively conceptualised to engender the intended school improvement. Set within a context of small developing islands the policy lacked the essential ingredients for a collaborative venture of this kind to succeed. However, among the stakeholders there is an acceptance of the potential good such a policy can bring about. The problems identified in this research go some way to explain why the cluster policy was short-lived and has now effectively ceased to exist.