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This strategy has been examined using the broad themes of:

• focus on quality of teaching and learning
• improving leadership within the TEO
• improving the capability of the TEO
• collaboration and networks
• differentiation of role
• sustainable export education.

Overall pattern

As discussed in the overview, most TEOs had change-focused objectives relating to this strategy. This was fairly consistent across sub-sectors, with the majority of ITOs and ITPs and all universities and wānanga having such objectives in both years.

In 2005/07, the areas with most consistent change-focus across TEOs were ‘quality of teaching and learning’, ‘improving capability’ and ‘sustainable export education’. In 2006/08 profiles there were more TEOs with a change-focus on ‘quality of teaching and learning’, ‘improving capability’ and ‘collaboration and networking’. There were fewer with a change-focus on ‘sustainable export education’ and ‘improving leadership’.

Percentage of TEOs with change-focused objectives relating to ‘Strengthen system capability and quality’ by theme area

Focus on quality of teaching and learning

No relationship was found between having objectives focusing on this area and the size of the institution in terms of either students or EFTS.

In 2005/07, most ITPs and universities and all wānanga had change-focused objectives relating to this area. In 2006/08 profiles, there was a significant increase in the number of ITOs with change-focused objectives in this area.

Percentage of TEOs with change-focused objectives relating to ‘quality of teaching and learning’ by sub-sector

The one ITO with a change-focus on this area in its 2005/07 profile had objectives concerning the quality of provision and qualifications, ensuring that qualifications met the needs of trainees and ensuring that a high level of trainee success and satisfaction is achieved.

In the 2006/08 ITO profiles the objectives covered monitoring trainee outcomes, and working with providers to ensure quality of delivery, assessment, moderation and training materials and plans.

In both years, the majority of ITPs had objectives relating to monitoring student success. Success measures included retention, completion and student satisfaction. In some cases employment outcomes were also included.

In 2005/07 ITP profiles, around half included objectives relating to the development of e-learning and flexible learning, with a focus on this as a means of improving quality and delivery of teaching and learning. Just under half had objectives relating to the quality assurance processes, including quality-assured status.

Around a third of ITPs had objectives for staff training and development, quite often focusing on teacher qualifications of staff. A third of ITPs also were looking at programme development as a way of improving quality, with a focus on programmes being fit for purpose. A third also had objectives relating to improving teaching practice. Only four ITPs had objectives with a specific learner focus, in terms of the learning environment and establishing clear pathways.

In 2006/08 ITP profiles, the most common area of focus was on staff capability and professional development, followed by development of flexible learning, including e-learning. There was a notable shift to considering e-learning as part of a package of flexible learning options to meet student needs. Improving overall programme quality, quality management processes and learning support were also common objectives.

In 2005/07 university profiles, the most common type of objectives were around e-learning or flexible delivery and improving teaching practice. Objectives relating to teaching practice included curriculum development, assessment, teaching and learning plans, and linking teaching and research.

Half of the universities also had objectives for monitoring student success, with a heavier focus on student experience and satisfaction than on completion and retention. Half of the universities also had objectives relating to programme development through a regular cycle of systematic review.

Two universities had objectives relating to quality assurance and one had a focus on encouraging academic excellence in students.

In 2006/08 university profiles, the most common objectives were around overall development of quality programmes. Most also had objectives around improving monitoring of student outcomes. Flexible delivery and e-learning was a change-focus in only three of the universities. Other areas of focus included learning support, staff capability and development, and quality management.

In 2005/07 profiles, all three wānanga had objectives relating to monitoring student success and programme development. Two of them had objectives relating to staff development and one had an objective of supporting students to learn effectively.

The 2006/08 wānanga profiles were much more focused on developing teaching and learning that reflect Māori values, knowledge and pedagogy. This included specific actions to build teacher capability and practice, programme quality and learner support.

Improving leadership within TEOs

No relationship was found between having objectives in this area and the number of students in the institution. However, a statistically significant relationship was found with the number of EFTS in the institution for 2006/08 profiles and across the two years. This suggests that larger EFTS institutions are more likely to have a change-focus on leadership.

The relationship of having objectives in this area to financial indicators was also examined. A relationship was found to the debt-equity ratio of the TEI. That is, TEIs with a higher debt relative to their equity are more likely to have objectives relating to improving leadership.

In 2005/07 profiles this was a consistent area of change focus for ITOs, as they implemented their leadership roles. In 2006/08, around a third of each sub-sector had a change-focus in this area.

Percentage of TEOs with change-focused objectives relating to ‘improving leadership by sub-sector

In both years, the most common change-focus in this area was on improvements in ITO and TEI governance. This included guidance on practice, training for new council members and strengthening links between council and the organisation. In some cases in 2005/07, ITOs were establishing new boards following mergers.

Several TEOs also had a focus on senior management development and organisational leadership. In some cases this included greater staff and student participation in policy development and quality improvement. Several also had a change-focus around strategic planning.

Improving the capability of TEOs

No relationship was found between having objectives relating to capability and the size of the institution in terms of students or EFTS.

The relationship between TEI characteristics and having objectives in this area to financial indicators was also examined. Significant results did occur in some instances for 2005/07 profiles, suggesting that having objectives to improve capability could be associated with poor financial performance.

In 2005/07 profiles this was an area of change-focus for all of the wānanga and most of the universities and ITPs. It was less of a focus across ITOs. In 2006/08, there was increased focus on this area across all sub-sectors.

Percentage of TEOs with change-focused objectives relating to ‘improving the capability of TEOs’ by sub-sector

ITOs with objectives in this area in 2005/07 were generally focused on ensuring that their organisational systems and processes were appropriate to the growing size of their operation. Staffing and information systems received particular mention. One also had a focus on obtaining income additional to the Industry Training Fund.

In the 2006/08 profiles, the focus of change covered staff development, finance, funding, general organisational structure, capability and sustainability.

In the 2005/07 ITP profiles, the main areas of focus for capability development in profile objectives were staff development and management, increasing and diversifying income and developing and improving management systems, including information systems. A number were also looking at development of buildings and campuses and improving planning and business processes.

In the 2006/08 ITP profiles there was a similar range of change-focus. The effective, efficient and sustainable use of existing resources had somewhat increased focus, with somewhat less focus on increased funding. Environmental management emerged as a new area of focus for several ITPs.

In the 2005/07 university profiles, the main areas of focus were on developing management systems, including information systems and increasing and diversifying income. Some were also focused on staff development and one or two had objectives around buildings and business and planning processes.

In the 2006/08 university profiles, the most common areas of focus were financial viability and staff development. Some were also focused on internal management and information systems and supporting the overall culture of the institution. In the financial area, the focus was mostly on increasing income and meeting financial targets. There was not so much focus on improving effectiveness and efficiency with existing resources.

In the 2005/07 profiles, each of the three wānanga had quite different approaches in this area. One was focused on developing the Treaty partnership with the Crown, another on improving financial management and another in developing and diversifying income.

In the 2006/08 profiles, all of the wānanga had a focus on staff development. Two also had a focus on funding and financial viability and two on improving overall management and capability.

Collaboration and networks

No relationship was found between having objectives relating to collaboration and networking and the size of the institution in terms of either students or EFTS.

No relationship was established between financial performance and having objectives to build collaboration and networking.

This area overlaps with aspects of other strategies, particularly in the areas of collaboration with business and industry, schools, iwi and Māori, Pasifika communities and international providers. As each objective has only been matched to one strategy, the following analysis focuses mainly on other areas of collaboration and networking.

In 2005/07 profiles, several ITPs, universities and wānanga had objectives in this area, but only one of the ITOs selected. In 2006/08, there were more ITOs and universities with a change-focus in this area.

Percentage of TEOs with change-focused objectives relating to ‘collaboration and networks’ by sub-sector

In 2005/07 profiles, there was one ITO, of those selected, with an objective relating to developing alliances with education and training providers. In the 2006/08 ITO profiles, several ITOs had change-focused objectives relating to developing relationships with other ITOs and tertiary education providers around provision of industry training. This may in part reflect the implementation of ITO leadership plans, but also may be a response to the TEC’s review of overlapping provision between ITO and tertiary providers.

In the 2005/07 ITP profiles, the most common area for profile objectives relating to collaboration and networking were with other TEOs. This focused on developing programme connections with wānanga and PTEs and staircasing into university programmes. A number of ITPs also had a focus on developing connections with their community. A few were focused on connections with government.

There was a similar pattern in the 2006/08 ITP profiles. Several had objectives about managing relationships across stakeholders, covering industry, community, iwi and schools.

In the 2005/07 and 2006/08 university profiles, the most common areas for collaboration and networking were with other TEOs and their local communities, including local government. The objectives around collaboration with other providers tended to be more generally described than those in the ITP sub-sector. Where ITPs were quite specific about developing pathways to universities, strengthening pathways from ITPs was not nearly as explicit the university profiles. Some universities also talked about developing linkages with government.

The main focus in both years for wānanga was building collaborative relationships with other tertiary providers, including PTEs, ITPs and universities.

Differentiation of role

This is one of the areas that is not necessarily well suited to expression through organisational objectives. In many cases, the differentiation of role is expressed in the TEIs overall package of provision. In the case of ITOs, they see their role as fairly clear and prescribed. Some of the objectives relating to other aspects of the TES also include expressions of differentiation.

However, from 2005/07 to 2006/08 profiles there was increased focus on objectives relating to this area across the TEIs, reflecting the stronger emphasis on this area in the 2005 STEP.

Percentage of TEOs with change-focused objectives relating to ‘differentiation of role’ by sub-sector

In the 2005/07 ITP profiles, objectives relating to this area tended to be quite general and broad, around establishing their role regionally or nationally, and generally lacked specificity on particular areas of differentiation. In the 2006/08 ITP profiles, the objectives in this area related much more to enhancing the reputation of the ITP as a quality provider and/or centre of excellence in specific areas, nationally and regionally.

In the 2005/07 university profiles, the focus was on broad adjustments to their provision to improve their positioning as a quality institution. In the 2006/08 profiles there was a stronger focus on developing the reputation and recognition of the institutions.

In the 2005/07 wānanga profiles, the focus was on providing a distinctive set of qualifications. In 2006/08, the focus was more on the distinctive advantages of the wānanga learning environment.

Sustainable export education

This was a significant area of change-focus for ITPs and universities in 2005/07 profiles. It was less of a focus the following year, even though there was greater uncertainty about international student numbers.

A relationship was found between having objectives relating to export education and the number and proportion of international students in the institution. A possible relationship to the number of EFTS was also found.¹

Percentage of TEOs with change-focused objectives relating to ‘sustainable export education’ by sub-sector

In the 2005/07 and 2006/08 ITP profiles, the most common foci of objectives were on increasing the number of international students and amount of international education undertaken, the development of international education programmes (including off-shore provision) and ensuring support and pastoral care of international students.

There was a shift in the 2006/08 profiles more towards maintaining, rather than increasing, numbers of international students in New Zealand and more focus on developing off-shore provision.

In the 2005/07 university profiles, the most common foci were on diversifying the countries of origin of international students and the programmes they engage in, building or maintaining the number of international students and developing international education programmes.

In the 2006/08 profiles there was focus on increasing international student numbers, improving quality of education and pastoral care and developing international alliances.

In both years, several TEIs also had objectives regarding internationalisation of the curriculum and educational experience for domestic students (including study abroad) and supporting English-language development and educational pathways for international students.

¹ This relationship was shown as significant for the mean-scores tests for 2006/08 profiles and the two years combined. The rank-sums p-values were under 0.15 in both cases. (↑)

← Educate for Pacific Peoples’ Development and Success | Home Page | Acronyms List →

• Contents

• Background
• Purpose
• Methodology

• Overall findings
• Alignment across the six strategies

• Foundation skills
• Skills for a knowledge society
• Research and knowledge creation
• Te rautaki mātauranga Māori
• Pacific Peoples’ development and success
• Capability and quality

*Appendix 1: Mapping of analysis areas to TES and STEP Δ

*Appendix 2: Results of statistical tests Δ