Job title: Senior Tutor/PhD Candidate
Phone: 64 9 373 7599 ext 82499
Office: Rm 553a, Human Sciences Building,10 Symonds Street, Auckland
Postal: School of Environment, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland
Email: m.mcentee@auckland.ac.nz

MA (Hons) First Class; LTCL (Speech & Drama)

Research Interests

Marie has a strong research interest in science communication, social learning, agricultural extension, public/stakeholder engagement in community-based 'scientific/technical' programmes in rural and urban settings and media communication of science.

PhD Research

In September 2006 Marie accepted a grant to undertake a part-time PhD as part of a project called Science for Community Change, which is funded by FRST through Crop and Food Research (CFR) and The University of Auckland.

Her thesis titled: ‘Sustaining Sustainability: Examining Social Learning in Agricultural Extension’, draws on ongoing research by Crop and Food scientists and land users in six different production systems in a variety of locations in New Zealand.  These are:

• Maori organic kumara production in East Cape
• Cabocha (Squash) production in Hawkes Bay and Gisborne
• Potato farming in North Otago
• Walnut production in South Canterbury
• The Wheat Calculator in Canterbury
• Landwise, a scientist/farmer agricultural extension group.

All these projects involve research for and transfer of knowledge processes and technologies (science) to support sustainable land use.  Since the production systems and their structures are very different, they provide an opportunity to examine the communication and value systems of each and draw comparisons between them.

This research uses the New Zealand setting as a means to address wider concepts about the factors that facilitate or impede social learning in agricultural projects that aim to use science to support sustainability. The research is examining six agricultural extension projects that blend conventional linear approaches with participatory elements, and involve scientists working with end user groups to bring about sustainable land management practices. It explores what learning outcomes can be attained in projects that seek to use participatory approaches as a complement to, rather than replacement of, the conventional Transfer of Technology (TOT) paradigm.

As many of the projects have now finished, the research is undertaking a retrospective analysis to examine the projects’ learning partnerships, platforms and ethics to explore how these affected learning outcomes and the durability of these outcomes beyond the funded period of the project. It is seeking to identify and examine barriers that may prevent an effective learning environment from being developed and fostered. In examining learning outcomes, the research explores whether environmental and institutional learning occurred in the projects. To do this it is evaluating how project processes, platforms and partnerships facilitated and supported participants in reflecting on and questioning their existing frames of reference (world views) and examines the effect this may have had, if any, on their practice.

The aim is to gain a deeper understanding of cultural similarities and differences among farmers and scientists, to identify some generic principles that would facilitate greater alignment of the multiple objectives of all participants. This understanding should provide a framework for more effective communication between scientists and farmers to support the application of science for sustainable land use.

Marie's research questions include:

• How can participatory learning approaches be used to bring about more sustainable land management practices in production systems.
• To what extent do agricultural research projects seeking sustainability, facilitate social learning that leads to a transformation in participants’ worldviews.
• What factors facilitate or impede the establishment and maintenance of social learning in agricultural extension?
• How can agricultural research projects support learning outcomes beyond the funded period of a project?
• Do scientific institutions undertaking agricultural extension work, support learning partnerships and platforms that facilitate community capacity-building?
  

In answering these questions the research aims to provide a deeper understanding of what social learning is, how participants and researchers evaluate/measure social learning and its effectiveness in bringing about project outputs and outcomes, including learning outcomes.

Teaching

Since 1992 Marie has taught on The University of Auckland’s ‘Science Communication’ course - now known as 'Communicating for a Knowledge Society'.  As coordinator of the course since 1998, Marie has overseen a significant course restructuring, enabling it to be taught in both the University’s science schedule and the newly created general education schedule.  This expansion has enabled students from a variety of academic backgrounds to learn the importance of engaging with the wider community while also gaining effective skills to assist them to communicate specialist knowledge during their time at university and beyond.  In addition they are exposed to knowledge from academic fields outside their chosen one.

Current Employment

Marie is a senior tutor (part time) at The University of Auckland in the School of Environment.  As a senior tutor she is responsible for coordinating and lecturing SCIGEN 101/101G ‘Communicating for a Knowledge Society’.  This course is offered twice in the year in first and second semester and is taught in conjunction with staff from The Department of Mathematics. Marie is also solely responsible for the School’s external and internal communications and public relations.  She manages the School’s website, is editor of the School’s newsletter and other promotional brochures, liaises with primary and secondary school teachers and students to promote geography, geology and environmental science and organises the School’s promotional events and activities.

Career Background

After graduating with a BA in 1983, Marie trained as a general and obstetric nurse, registering in 1987.   She worked as a staff nurse in gynaecology and cardio-thoracic surgery before moving into the pharmaceutical industry and advancing, over eight years, from medical representative to management positions.   It was during this time that she developed her interest in the wider dissemination of scientific information.  With a teaching diploma (LTCL) in Speech and Drama from Trinity College in London and earlier experience as a private communications consultant, Marie was asked in 1992 to combine her speech qualifications and her practical knowledge of disseminating scientific information, by lecturing on the newly established Science Communication course at The University of Auckland.  Over subsequent years her role expanded to also include course coordination.

In 2002 while working part-time as a senior tutor and a communications officer in the School of Geography and Environmental Science at The University of Auckland, she embarked on a part-time MA, graduating with a first class honours degree in 2006.  Marie’s thesis titled: ‘Science Communication in an age of risk’ investigated two biosecurity events in Auckland, New Zealand, which involved the aerial spraying of a biological insecticide over urban populations to control invasive exotic moths.  She examined these programmes within the wider global debates about ‘participatory science’ and the media’s role in a risk society.

 

Research and Creative Works

MCENTEE, M.J. 'More Carrot and Less Stick: Lessons from Agricultural Extension in New Zealand', Eighth ALARA World Congress 2010 Participatory Action Research and Action Learning, Melbourne, Australia, 6 September  - 9 September 2010.

MCENTEE, M.J. 'Communicating science in agricultural extension', NZ Geographical Society (with the Institute of Australian Geographers) Conference 2010, Christchurch New Zealand, 5 July  - 8 July 2010.

MCENTEE, M.J; ALLEN, W & HORN, C. “The Science of Uptake” Biosecurity Science Advisory Group Meeting, MAF Wellington – November 22 2010.

MCENTEE, M.J. 'Sustaining Sustainability: Social Learning in Agricultural Extension in New Zealand', Agrifoods XVI Conference, The University of Auckland, 25 November  - 27 November 2009.

MCENTEE, M.J. 'Participation and Communication Approaches that Influence Public and Media Response to Scientific Risk: A Comparative Study of Two Biosecurity Events in New Zealand', The International Journal of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, 2, (4), p195-203, 2007.

MCENTEE, M.J; FAGAN, J.B. 'Make Your Mark on The World: Careers in Geography, Geology and Environmental Science', The University of Auckland Centre for Academic Development.

MCENTEE, M.J. 'PhD Proposal: Sustaining Sustainability: Examining Social Learning in Agricultural Extension', SGGES, The University of Auckland, 22 October 2008.

MCENTEE, M.J. 'Bringing Science and Communities Together', Tikapa Marae, 25 March 2007.

MCENTEE, M.J. 'Lessons in mishandled anti-moth campaign, The New Zealand Herald, Dec 17, A15.', 2007.