Masters Dissertations
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The Masters Dissertations collection contains digital copies of AUT University masters dissertations deposited with the Library since 2007 and made available open access. From 2007 onwards, all dissertations for masters degrees awarded are required to be deposited in Tuwhera Open Theses & Dissertations unless subject to an embargo.
Dissertations submitted prior to 2007 are usually recorded in the AUT Library catalogue where the full text, if available, may be accessed with an AUT password. Other people should request an Interlibrary Loan through their library.
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- ItemA Compromised Role? Secondary School Heads of Faculty Priorities During Times of Initiative Intensity(Auckland University of Technology, 2024) Moorhead, ClaireIntentional educational change in the form of policy reform and initiatives is a significant feature of the present New Zealand education landscape. This is particularly evident in the secondary education sector, which is currently experiencing significant policy reform through initiatives such as the Curriculum Refresh and the Review of Achievement Standards for the NCEA qualification system. Such policy initiatives have a notable impact on the middle leaders in secondary schools by virtue of their unique positioning as conduits between strategic direction and classroom practice. In this context, they have a position of significant responsibility and influence in relation to the translation of change-motivated policy initiatives to practice. This study aimed to explore how Heads of Faculty (HOFs) in New Zealand secondary schools experience initiative implementation in their middle curriculum leadership roles. It specifically considered the impacts that this work, and consequent intensification of workload has on the other elements of their roles, and the ways that they feel able to exercise their leadership practice in this context. A dual-methods approach was applied to this study, where eight HOFs were anonymously surveyed online, and this was followed by four semi-structured interviews that were conducted with participants who self-volunteered at the end of the survey. The use of these methods provided data that communicated the experiences of participants implementing policy initiatives as well as personal narratives to support understanding of the impacts on their roles and leadership practice. An interpretivist approach was applied to thematically analyse the findings. Discussion of the findings generated in this study and its relationship to existing literature led to conclusions that initiative implementation contributes to a notable intensification of workload for HOFs, and that this impacts their capacity to effectively carry out other aspects of their roles. The resulting prioritisation of role-related tasks is influenced by a range of internal and external factors and the extent to which each of these influence individual HOFs is driven by a range of contextual factors. In response to these conclusions, this study offers recommendations for future practice that are intended to support HOFs to manage their intensified workload to reach better outcomes in their day-to-day roles and initiative implementation work. These recommendations address each of the layers of influence which structure the discussion.
- ItemProtective and Performance Effects of Anthocyanin Supplementation: A Review of the Literature(Auckland University of Technology, 2024) Clearkin, FinnThere has been growing interest from both the general and sporting populations in natural occurring plant extracts and phytochemicals that might elicit physiological and ergogenic effects, such as anthocyanin. Anthocyanins are responsible for the natural pigments in the flowers, leaves, fruits, vegetables and tubers; such as blues, purples, reds and oranges. The main aim of this dissertation is to review the literature in order to determine 1) the protective and potential health benefits of anthocyanins; 2) the effects of anthocyanins on physiological responses, and the primary aim; 3) the impact of anthocyanin intake on physical performance and adaptations during exercise. This dissertation comprised five chapters involving both a narrative and systematic review. The narrative review revealed promising protective effects of anthocyanin with daily dosages <300mg assisting in the reduction in the effects of free radicals, oxidative stress and providing anti-inflammatory cytokines to assist in prevention and risk reduction of different types of non-communicable diseases, cancers and neurological degradation. Anthocyanin research has shown beneficial effects to improve recovery and assist in the reduction of exercise-induced oxidative stress. Anthocyanins have vasodilatory properties that can increase peripheral blood flow, which in addition to reducing damage caused by exercise and non-exercise oxidative stress, can assist in enhancing oxygen delivery, muscle metabolite removal, and substrate utilisation. The systematic literature review was performed using PubMed, Scopus, and SPORTDiscus, revealing 11 studies that examined the effects of anthocyanins on physical performance. The studies on berries, such as blackcurrants, showed promising results within a seven-day supplementation period with daily doses of 105mg providing more evidence than 210mg, and 315mg, dosages. There was a notable improvement in cycling performance and indications of performance-enhancing effects from blueberries and cherries as well. Overall, this dissertation offers valuable insights into the effects of anthocyanin consumption on human health, physiology, and exercise performance.
- ItemBehavioural Information Security Practices of Healthcare Professionals: A Five-Year Systematic Literature Review(Auckland University of Technology, 2024) Uhrle, OliviaInformation security is critical to fortifying organisations in a technologically evolving world where cyber criminals, threats and challenges remain prominent, particularly for healthcare organisations. The healthcare industry has been known as a patient-centric sector focusing and investing in increasing patient care, services, and medical devices to ensure services operate efficiently and effectively; however, health organisations still need to be equipped and remain under-trained against cyber threats and attacks. This study focused on the behavioural interactions of health professionals through a systematic literature review between 2017 and 2023. The study found seventeen behavioural interactions, including but not limited to shared workstations, shared passwords and credential log-in, utilising shared USB sticks and sticky notes to record patient information. The behavioural interactions were sorted against a factor, which included information security knowledge and awareness, workload management, information security culture, access and authentication, and data backup and encryption. The behavioural interactions against the factors were found to have implications on the overall cybersecurity dimensions of people, processes, and technology. The study recommended using the CIS benchmark, and HIPAA controls to address the identified behaviours, in addition to a proposed information security knowledge and awareness implementation framework that highlights the training contents that could be used to address the behavioural interactions of health professionals.
- ItemEffect of Supervised Exercise on State Anxiety and Stress(Auckland University of Technology, 2024) Taupo, ShayneMental health conditions continue to rise, and the treatments currently used, have many negative side effects. Consequently, exercise has emerged as a potential treatment method aimed at improving negative mental health outcomes including anxiety and stress. I therefore sought to determine the effects of such exercise on state anxiety and stress levels over an acute period. Eighteen personal training clients (Male=12, Female=6) from a private fitness facility agreed to participate. Participants completed between 1 and 3 personal training sessions a week for 6 weeks, inclusive of aerobic and resistance exercises. Quantitative surveys after 1 and 6 weeks of exercise and a qualitative survey was completed after 6 weeks of exercise to determine state anxiety and stress. Effect Sizes (Glass’s Delta 2) and 95% confidence intervals were calculated, along with p value. Anxiety (1.67 [0.84, 2.49], p=0.01) and stress (1.49 [0.69, 2.26], p=0.02) scores between baseline and week 6 significantly improved (0.32 [-0.30, 0.93], p=0.01). Participants found supervised exercise improved stress and anxiety by holding them accountable and making time for their fitness and health. Supervised exercise incorporating both aerobic and resistance exercise improved state anxiety and stress over 6 weeks.
- ItemIn Two Minds: Intersubjective Processes in Bion’s Theory of Thinking - A Hermeneutic Literature Review(Auckland University of Technology, 2023) de Lambert, MelissaWilfred Bion radically expanded the definition of ‘thinking’ in his evolving conceptualisations of how a psyche comes to encounter and bear the emotional truth of experience. Moreover, he proposed that thinking is something that happened between minds, and that psychological growth depends on unconscious communication between one person and another. This study, in the form of a hermeneutic literature review, investigates the intersubjective dimensions of Bion’s theories and how this is reflected in contemporary literature. The findings reveal that investigating Bion’s ideas through the lens of intersubjectivity offers a valuable perspective on developmental processes and the therapeutic encounter.