School – Teaching & Learning Research Initiative

Using home languages as a resource to enhance statistical thinking in a multicultural classroom

Introduction Aotearoa New Zealand is a super diverse nation in terms of the ethnicities of its people and languages spoken. With an increased rate of immigration (New Zealand Immigration, 2018) from various parts of the world, the presence of multiple languages in many domains of social life is a reality. Individuals may identify with several nationalities or racial groups and may speak combinations or mixtures of several languages (Dockrell et al., 2022; Education Review Office, 2018). Consequently, classrooms are now places where learners have different linguistic and cultural backgrounds, where they may speak one language at home and another at school, where teachers and students may not share a common language

Critical moments from the education journeys of students in Alternative Education settings: Teacher inquiries for transformation

They don’t really see what School was like for me They only see what the Teachers see. What the teachers want Them to see. You’re only telling your own story What school was like for you That’s easy coming from me. They need to know from The experience of what We see. Not what they see. What we see. The voices of rangatahi in Alternative Education from Phase 1 focus group Introduction Every year, at least 2,000 rangatahi, aged 13 to 16, continue their learning in Alternative Education (AE) settings, disenfranchised from mainstream schooling through exclusions, multiple suspensions, or truancy. Of this population, 68% are Māori and 17% are Pasifika (Education

Learning From Each Other: A final report

Introduction Pacific parents and community members have much to contribute to teacher learning and thus to the education of Pacific students. Although the concept of Pacific success, through the education of Pacific students, has become ubiquitous as an aspiration, there has so far been limited research that has conceptualised Pacific education success in community terms. This is especially true in relation to teacher learning, teacher theorising, and changed practice. Understanding how to socialise teachers to generate and sustain new practice possibilities, informed by appreciation of the values, aspirations, and critiques of the Pacific parents and students they seek to serve, is therefore a priority. Learning From Each Other is a Teaching

Equity for Mātauranga Māori in mathematics education

Researchers and kaiako are investigating implementation of equity for mātauranga Māori in mathematics education in Kaupapa Māori and Kaupapa English settings. We are asking what is being done already, and what more is needed to be done to support kaiako enactment of equity for mātauranga Māori and mātauranga mathematics. Kaiako and researchers are co-designing programmes and evaluating strategies and activities that demonstrate how dual knowledge systems can combine and work together for purposes that are important to communities. Project findings will potentially support education settings to develop and implement their own programmes based on mokopuna needs. New kura/schools who are interested will be added in year two and three. We will

Beyond the classroom: Pacific-School partnership, leadership development and structural change

Led by Dr. Cherie Chu-Fuluifaga & Dr. Martyn Reynolds, this three-year project involves a partnership between Kāhui Ako Kapiti North, Kāhui Ako Dunedin Catholic Schools and Te Herenga Waka- Victoria University of Wellington. Further details to come (Sept 2024).

Ko te tākaro te kauwaka e pakari ake ai te tangata framework for play in a primary school. Cultural pluralism for play-based pedagogy: Developing and implementing an indigenised framework for play in a primary school

This project is focused on the intersection between culturally sustaining practice and the use of play as a powerful pedagogical approach for early learning. Recognising the potential bias or systemic racism when play is only considered from a western perspective, we aim to explore decolonising and indigenising play practices within the school setting. The project builds on the groundwork undertaken by the leaders and kaiako at Te Whai Hiringa Peterhead School in indigenising their local curriculum reflective of mana whenua goals for their ākonga. Aims This project aims to explore the ways in which kaiako can adopt culturally sustaining play practices in their classrooms and intentionally promote, through play, an indigenised

Pāngarau unleashed: A multiple case study of de-streaming secondary mathematics

Many secondary schools in Aotearoa currently ‘stream’ mathematics, despite evidence that streaming exacerbates achievement inequalities and harms self-confidence. The need to ‘de- stream’ mathematics is clear and widely endorsed. However, the transition to mixed ‘ability’ mathematics is challenging and complex, involving changes in pedagogy, assessment, leadership, and community relationships. This project will use a bi-cultural teacher-researcher-student partnership model, grounded in the principles of ako and whanaungatanga, to provide four contrasting case studies of non-streamed secondary mathematics. In doing so, it will illustrate diverse ways to initiate and sustain effective transitions to non-streamed mathematics. Aims The broad aim of Pāngarau Unleased is to support a movement towards effective non-streamed practices in secondary

Investigating the effects of a T-Shaped Literacy intervention on Year 7 & 8 students’ reading and writing in subject English

This design-based project will use quantitative and qualitative approaches to investigate the effects of the innovative T-Shaped Literacy Model on Year 7 and 8 students’ disciplinary reading and writing in subject- English. A total of 40 teachers from predominantly low- decile schools throughout NZ will partner with us to co- design, implement, investigate and re-design units in which students (n>1000) will read text sets linked by a “big idea” (such as evocation of mood or narrative reliability) and conduct and synthesise complex literary analyses of multi-modal text sets, and apply what they learn about language to their own writing. What we plan to do We will support teacher-partners over each year

Weaving our knowledge together: Uncovering Pasifika learners’ mathematical funds of knowledge

Working within an equity agenda, this project draws on a ‘funds of knowledge’ approach to recognise and record the mathematical learning experiences of Pāsifika learners outside of school in home and community settings. We aim to highlight the ways in which teachers can work with their students and parents/whānau to learn from and value their everyday experiences, cultural practices, and mathematical funds of knowledge. The project will explore how educators can develop and enact mathematically challenging group-worthy tasks which draw on Pāsifika mathematical funds of knowledge and the impact of these tasks on Pāsifika learners’ mathematical learning, engagement, and disposition Aims The principal aims of this project are to: 1. document

ACT: Advanced Computational Thinking in the New Zealand Digital Curriculum

Students and teachers who demonstrate an advanced computational reasoning can ethically use, creatively apply, and critically question the values and impacts of technology in society. This requires a deep and critical conceptualisation of computational thinking in the new Digital Technologies and Hangarau Matihiko (DTHM) curriculum. This research systematically, collaboratively, and creatively explores a curriculum of Advanced Computational Thinking (ACT) within the Maker Space community of Te Kura Tuarua o Manurewa Manurewa High School. The Manurewa Maker Space is an after-school space that works with student-led initiatives in digital technologies and entrepreneurship. In this project we engage with the Maker Space community in an action-oriented, design-based, and creative participatory inquiry in order

Using narrative assessment to support secondary school teachers’ inclusive practices.

Assessment capable teachers and students drive quality teaching and learning. Some students continue to be invisible in secondary school assessment landscapes and this is particularly the case students with special education needs. This project focusses on encouraging and supporting teachers to be capable and confident when working with all students in their classes. It investigates the formative use of narrative assessment as an approach to support the recognition of all students as learners. The students at the heart of this project are those secondary school age students working long-term within Level 1 of the NZ Curriculum. Aims We want to learn more about using narrative assessment to support teaching and learning

Envisioning student possible selves in science: Addressing ‘plant blindness’ through place-based education

We would like to develop primary, intermediate and high school students’ sense of place and science-related possible selves through local curriculum units that focus on plants. We chose plants because, compared with animals, they are often overlooked (hence the phenomenon of ‘plant blindness’), as is their part in realising many sustainable development goals. Our curriculum units will cover biological, personal, social/cultural and political/economic aspects of plants (kūmara, kawakawa and harakeke being examples our teacher partners suggested). Hence, the project harnesses the values of place-based education to foster student learning of science and development of aspirations to participate in science. Aims This project has two goals: to develop students’ understanding of science

Enhancing capacity to analyse students’ writing

1. Introduction 1.1 Aims The research, practice, and partnership goals of the Teaching & Learning Research Initiative (TLRI) provided the framework for this project. The aims were aligned to all the principles of TLRI[1] and in particular to Principle One: a strategic principle that aims to reduce inequalities and address diversity, understand the processes of teaching and learning, and, to some extent, explore future possibilities. It also has strong links with the practice goals of Principles Five and Six. These demand that projects should contribute to practice and lead to significant improvements and outcomes for learners. As stated below, this was the guiding principle for this project. Principle Six also states

On2Science – Multiple affordances for learning through participation in online citizen science

Abstract This research investigated the integration of learning in science and digital technologies, with online citizen science (OCS) projects acting as the fulcrum for curriculum design. Across 3 years, teacher-researchers designed and implemented 16 innovative cross-curricular programmes. Our research focused on three areas: (1) mapping progressions in students’ science capabilities; (2) identifying affordances of OCS engagement for developing students’ digital technologies progress outcomes; and (3) investigating the impacts of teacher practices in relation to human–computer interactions. The project outcomes have potential to contribute significantly to both science and technology education research and teaching. 1. Introduction This research project brought together a team of education and information science researchers, teacher professional learning

Understand Me: Storied-Conversations as Afa for Strengthening Relationships, Curriculum and Pedagogies

Mā ngā korero tuku iho tātou me ō tātou ao e kitea ai, e rongongia ai, e whaiora ai.[1] E tatou te fauina i tatou ma a tatou si’osi’omaga, e ala iā tatou tala.[2] We craft ourselves and our worlds in stories. Understand Me was born out of an aspirational exploration of ways for teachers to deepen relationships with young children and families to open space for their knowledges to be valued in the everyday educational curriculum. The origin was a desire to facilitate a shift from awareness of cultural competencies to action that values family pedagogies in the learning life of the classroom. Family pedagogies are everyday ways of knowing,

Co-constructing a culturally and linguistically sustaining, Te Tiriti-based Ako framework for socio-emotional wellbeing in education: A collaborative project among teachers, whānau, hapū and iwi to enable a holistic approach to education

Introduction Schools have a role to play in improving youth social emotional wellbeing (SEW) by supporting their development of social-emotional knowledge, skills, and capacities through social emotional learning (SEL). However, schools in Aotearoa New Zealand vary widely when responding to and promoting tamariki wellbeing (Education Review Office, 2015a, 2015b). More successful schools show a comprehensive approach, including more explicit curriculum connections (Boyd et al., 2017). Enhancing SEW and SEL practices in schools can play a part in mitigating the adverse effects that low rates of wellbeing have for tamariki, particularly for Māori, Pacific, and other underserved youth (Bishop et al., 2009). SEL programmes are effective for fostering students’ wellbeing through social-emotional

Nurturing secondary students’ hope and agency: Educating to live in a climate-impacted world

Introduction The effects of climate change are being felt by people and ecosystems world-wide, and it is clear that human action is significantly contributing to these effects (IPCC, 2021). Climate change impacts the natural environment, and, by extension, our social structures, cultural health, and economic stability which all depend on a healthy natural environment. Future generations will be the most affected as they navigate the effects of a climate-ravaged Earth during their lifetimes (Parker, 2020). The likely physical, psychological (Currie & Deschenes, 2016), and economic effects (Aldy, 2016) of climate change on young people have already been documented. Not surprisingly, many young people are feeling pessimistic, hopeless, and helpless in the

Contributing to change? Responding to future-focused issues through education outside the classroom

Introduction How can educational experiences in public spaces such as museums, libraries, and eco-sanctuaries support learners to address pressing social, cultural, and ecological issues? Working with four primary teachers and two secondary teachers, their ākonga (Years 3–10), and educators from 10 providers of learning experiences outside the classroom in the Wellington region, this project investigated how the cross-curricular themes of “future-focused issues” (Ministry of Education, 2007, p. 9) and active citizenship are conceptualised and enacted through education outside the classroom. It explored how ākonga relationships with people and places beyond the school environment can stimulate their engagement with wider societal concerns. The challenges ahead for our young people and Aotearoa as

Zooming out and zooming in on student data: Developing teacher data literacy to enhance teaching and learning

Introduction While teachers and schools have access to an increasing range of data, a challenge is using these data to support student learning outcomes. Over the past decade, expectations for teacher use of data as a basis for instructional decision making have increased (Pierce & Chick, 2011; Schildkamp & Poortman, 2015). Teacher assessment literacy, data-based/data-informed decision making, and data literacy have emerged as focuses for policy and professional development. Despite this, and increasing policy and commercial interest in evidence-based practice, international research consistently reports that many educators do not make effective use of the student data they collect (Kippers et al., 2018; Mandinach et al., 2015). Within New Zealand, the Education

Experiences and reflections of teachers on the use of mixed reality technologies to foster cross-curricular learning opportunities

1. Introduction This study aimed to explore how the purposeful integration of new technology, specifically mixed reality (MR), can support learning across the curriculum through the development of digital artefacts. The study focused on exploring the experiences of teachers at two high schools who were supported by digital technologies teachers and the lead researcher to use digital technologies with students to create MR artefacts in different subject areas. Recent changes to the Technology learning areas of The New Zealand Curriculum drove the motivation for this research project. The changes to the curriculum were designed to support students to develop the digital literacies vital to engage in an increasingly digital society (Ministry

The Apiscope Buzz: A mixed methods action research project investigating STEM to STEAM using the Apiscope as a tool for differentiated teaching and learning

Introduction This Teaching and Learning Research Initiative (TLRI) project was a 2-year exploratory study focusing on differentiating the curriculum in response to individual learner differences. The project was designed to explore learning and teaching of differentiated scientific content through observational processes and the expression of that learning through the creative arts. This exploration was undertaken in two classrooms at Avalon Intermediate School and Newlands Intermediate School that were each provided with an observational beehive called an Apiscope. These observational beehives were central to the project, which explored how the study of bees can be used to facilitate the teaching of key concepts related to living systems—sustainability, work, survival, structures, patterns—that, in

Leading effective goal-setting to improve school outcomes

Introduction Our study highlights how principal leadership of goal-directed practices impacts outcomes. Over 2 years, three academics partnered with three principals and a small “project team” comprising one or more teachers, and one or more middle or senior leaders. All principals were relatively new to their schools; one had been there 2 years, and the other two had been there 12 months prior to the beginning of the project. Two schools were secondary schools (Schools A and C) serving low socioeconomic communities. The other school was a primary school (School B) serving a high socioeconomic community which was challenged by having large numbers of new immigrants—particularly from Asia—and with students with

Mana Ūkaipō: Enhancing Māori engagement through pedagogies of connection and belonging

Introduction The primary objective of this research project was to investigate the specific interventions that make the biggest difference to Māori students’ academic motivation and in school engagement within one Kāhui Ako in Aotearoa New Zealand. Student, whānau, school leader, and teacher perspectives were examined to understand which interventions were most successful and why. The project’s second objective was to develop a collaborative mātauranga Māori informed research partnership with Kāhui Ako leaders. This research partnership was designed to assist with developing collaborative expertise and identifying key information for guiding decision making about successful interventions. Using this information, school and Kāhui Ako leaders continue to develop and redefine their intervention programmes into

Supporting teachers and learners of programming by understanding feedback on syntax, semantics and style

Introduction New Zealand has a shortage of skilled workers in information technology (IT). Skills relating to computer programming (e.g., software engineer, applications programmer, software tester, web developer) all appear on the 2019 Long Term Skill Shortage List published by Immigration New Zealand (Immigration New Zealand, 2019). In 2020, Immigration New Zealand reports a continued lack of information and communications technology (ICT) workers in New Zealand (Immigration New Zealand, n.d.). However, New Zealand is competing in a global market facing similar demands. In many parts of the world, demand for computing graduates outstrips supply. Consequently, New Zealand cannot rely on filling its requirements from other countries. We need to develop skilled professionals

Māku anō e hanga, i toku nei whare – I will build my own house

INTRODUCTION: The context of the project The proponents of Modern Learning Environments (MLE) or Innovative Learning Environments (ILE) are from largely non-indigenous backgrounds. In Aotearoa New Zealand, research about learning mathematics in an MLE is limited and focuses almost exclusively on English-Medium (EM) settings (Bisset, 2014; Murphy, 2016; Osborne, 2013). In contrast, this research sought to contribute to the literature and knowledge space about tamariki learning paangarau (mathematics) in a Maaori-medium MLE. It provided an opportunity to locate and explore Maaori-medium (MM) ways of knowing and doing and for MM kaiako to consider the MLE space and identify characteristics of an MLE appropriate for them and their aakonga. The research grew

Observing assessment for learning (AfL) in action: Piloting an observation schedule to inform teacher assessment learning and research

1. Introduction In New Zealand we lack valid and reliable evidence-based schedules with which to observe teachers’ assessment for learning (AfL) practices. To date, classroom assessment observation schedules have mainly been derived theoretically, used in developing countries with conditions different from New Zealand classrooms (Kanjee & Hopfenbeck, personal communications), or restricted to particular curriculum areas such as science and mathematics (Ruiz-Primo, 2017), literacy (Parr & Hawe, 2009), and writing (Parr & Gadd, 2016). Some approaches follow particular interpretations of formative assessment and AfL (used synonymously in this report), such as those developed for professional development initiatives (e.g., Wiliam & Leahy, 2015). In this project we piloted and modified an observation schedule,

An architecture of ownership

Introduction This project set out to explore how completely new schools, occupying completely new classroom spaces, create themselves as schools. At its inception, a new school has only its buildings; everything else must be developed. In particular, the school must develop its vision for learners, and how this is reflected through school culture, routines, values, practices, and interpretations of curriculum and assessment. We wanted to know what the experience was like for both teachers and students as they found their way and developed their identities as members of the school. To that end, the project examined how teachers and students at Hamilton’s Rototuna High School (RHS), an innovative learning environment (ILE),

Citizen scientists in the classroom: Investigating the role of online citizen science in primary school science education

1. Introduction This project aimed to assess the impact of online citizen science (OCS) participation on the science education of primary school children in New Zealand. Four exploratory cases were used to examine the nature and impact of embedding OCS projects that use web-based online tools within primary classroom environments. Findings provide key insights into primary teachers’ perception of OCS. They offer initial insights into how teachers embed OCS in a classroom environment, and why this improves science learning aptitudes, inquisitiveness, and capabilities in primary school children. They also show how successfully embedding OCS projects in education is affected by the project context, human computer interaction (HCI), and dissemination of results,

The impact of children’s everyday learning on teaching and learning in classrooms and across schools

Tū mātātoa, kei kiriora tō tū[1] Stand strong lest you become complacent A child in this study told us that he had learned he was brave by travelling on a Halloween train journey that engendered fear and trepidation. Months later, this child asked a researcher that his teacher be told he was ‘the brave one’. When asked why, he explained that his teachers would feel comfortable giving him more difficult tasks: “I am brave to give it a go … I’m not scared so it would help me because I wouldn’t be scared, I’d be brave. She would know that I’m not scared of anything so she doesn’t have to be

The Relationship between Participation in Singing Programmes and Student Well-Being in a Christchurch Primary School

Introduction Background Waitākiri School in Christchurch was formed in 2014 as part of the larger restructuring of Christchurch schools following the 2010–2011 earthquakes. The new school motto at the time, ‘creating a new community school together’, reflects the significant ongoing psychological and environmental challenges that learners, staff, and families have been facing, including ongoing effects of trauma, new ways of doing things, job insecurities, high staff absences, working across two sites, homes being rebuilt or repaired, and substantial road works. Following the merger, teachers decided to focus their energies primarily on fostering well-being and rebuilding school community, rather than on education concerns. Daily singing was one of three activities (singing, physical

Generating positive outcomes by Year 5 to 8 priority learners in writing: An inquiry into effective teacher practice

1. Writing: The issue to be addressed Writing is a demanding, multidimensional process that is, cognitively and socially, highly complex. Success in writing is vital to success in education and in the workforce (Graham, Capizzi, Harris, Hebert, & Morphy, 2014). Writing is increasingly used to demonstrate learning through schooling and has the potential to contribute toward understanding and learning in the content areas (Bangert-Drowns, Hurley, & Wilkinson, 2004). Beyond school, it is an integral part of students’ everyday lives as they participate in the world of texting, blogging, and social networking. In the workplace, it is a threshold skill for hiring and promotion amongst many workers. New Zealand-based data on success

Enhancing the intercultural capability of students of additional languages in New Zealand’s intermediate schools

Introduction The purpose of this TLRI-funded study was to investigate how five Year 7/8 teachers of additional languages in four primary/intermediate schools in New Zealand supported their students to develop their intercultural capability in the context of learning a language additional to the language of instruction. The teachers taught a range of languages (Chinese, Japanese, French, te reo Māori). We define intercultural capability as the ability to relate successfully and comfortably to people from different cultural backgrounds, appreciating and valuing one’s own culture and uniqueness alongside the cultures and uniqueness of others (Liddicoat, 2005). Our study was motivated by national and international rationales. In light of the increasing diversity of backgrounds

Riariakina ō rongo hirikapo – From kōhanga reo to kura

Introduction Ko te kaupapa tonu, ko te whakatupu i te mahara o te hirikapo kia tiu ai ki te muri, arā, kia puta he whakaaro i pokepokengia nō roto tonu i ngā whakahekenga kāwai o ngā tūpuna o te tamaiti, kua maranga te wā e kaumātua haere ana te tamaiti, ngōna kanohi kua huaki, ngōna taringa kua pīkari, ngā whakaaro kua korikori, tōna wairua hīkaka kua ngawhā, ngērā kaupapa katoa o te tamaiti i taua wā o te tupu. Mā tēnei kōrero hoki hei kawe te taonga o te rongo hirikapo, arā, ngā whakaaro, ngā mahara, nāna ko te waha, nā te waha ko te kupu kōrero e makere iho ai

Te Whatu Kete Matauranga: Weaving Māori and Pasifika infant and toddler theory and practice in early childhood education

Introduction Early childhood education has an important role in building strong learning foundations to enable young children to develop as competent and confident learners. The need for more work on how early childhood education can better support Māori and Pasifika children to reach their potential is highlighted in findings from the Education Review Office (ERO) report, Success for Māori Children in Early Childhood Services (ERO, 2010). This report argued that services lacked strategies that focused upon Māori children as learners and, despite often including statements about Māori values, beliefs, and intentions in their documentation, these were very rarely evident in practice. A nationwide review of Pasifika literature also identified a need

Talking about text: Changing patterns of discourse in low-decile secondary classrooms

Introduction The aim of this study was to partner with six teachers to investigate and improve patterns of talk about text (TaT) in their subject-specialised classrooms. The teachers worked in two high schools in Auckland, one decile 1 and one decile 2, and taught biology, chemistry, English, health, or physical education to Year 12 or Year 13 students. The majority of students (60%–70%) were Pasifika or Māori (25%–28%). About 20% of students at one of the schools were Indian. Together with the teachers, we found out about current patterns of TaT in the classrooms and about their and their students’ perceptions of factors that helped and hindered such talk. Then we designed

Creating active citizens: Interpreting, implementing and assessing ‘personal social action’ in NCEA social studies

Introduction Since 2013, one internally-assessed Social Studies achievement standard at each of the three levels of the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) has required students to actively participate in a social action. Whilst these new personal social action[1] standards hold the potential to support transformative citizenship education, previous research suggests that taking social action can be viewed as ‘risky’ and time consuming. As a result, teachers stick to ‘safer’ and efficient versions of active citizenship (Taylor, 2008; Wood, Taylor, & Atkins, 2013). Our 2-year project sought to examine how these personal social action achievement standards were understood and enacted by both teachers and students and how more critical and transformative

Exploring student thinking, problem solving and collaboration in iPad-supported learning environments

Introduction Despite successive waves of technological innovation being rapidly adopted by schools, teaching methods and curriculum designs have been slow to evolve in response to the affordances offered by an increasing array of digital devices (Cuban, 2017). This phenomenon is not new, with articles dating back to the early 1980s when digital devices were beginning to appear in our classrooms, commenting that educational computing is following the well-trodden path of other “educational innovations (which) seem doomed to follow a cycle of unrealistic expectations, followed by disappointment, disillusionment, and abandonment” (Maddux, 1986, p. 27). Maddux (1986) terms this the “pendulum syndrome” (p. 27), that centres on education’s susceptibility to “fad and fashion

Enhancing teaching and learning of primary mathematics through the use of apps

1. Introduction How might enhancing teachers’ technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge (TPACK) influence the teaching and learning of primary school mathematics though using apps? The focus of this research project was on teaching and learning primary mathematics through the use of apps with mobile digital devices. Specifically, the project aimed to use the lens of teachers’ TPACK to advance and investigate the use of apps in primary mathematics classrooms, and their influence on students’ mathematical learning. Through co-inquiry based on a researcher–practitioner partnership, we co-constructed a framework to evaluate and inform teacher pedagogical decisions regarding the use of apps to enhance students’ conceptual understanding. A range of teachers across year levels

Summer reading to overcome the summer effect

Introduction The school in which this project took place, Papatoetoe Central, was concerned about research evidence that indicated students’ reading achievement dropped after long summer breaks. This drop in achievement, known as “the summer effect”, has been reported in schools in New Zealand and internationally (Alexander, Entwisle, & Olson, 2007; Allington & McGill-Franzen, 2010; McNaughton, Jesson, & Kolose, 2012). Papatoetoe Central, a decile 4 school, is situated in a low income urban area in South Auckland; its student population comprises 9 percent Māori, 14 percent Pasifika, 51 percent Indian, and 18 percent Chinese, with the remainder European New Zealanders and other ethnicities. A high number of students have home languages other

Beyond play: Learning through science investigation

Acknowledgements We would like to thank the Teaching and Learning Research Initiative for providing the funding for this project and Dr Rose Hipkins for her support as our monitor. We are grateful for the guidance from Professor Robin Millar who gave us his thoughts, time, and the confidence to take on this project. Our sincere thanks to the schools, teachers, and students without whom this research would not have had much to say. Kia ora tatou. Aims and background The science learning area of the New Zealand Curriculum (NZC) (Ministry of Education, 2007) requires students to learn about “features of scientific knowledge and the processes by which it is developed” and

On the edge: Shifting teachers’ paradigms for the future

The past 20 years or so have seen increasing concern that our schooling system, set up for a different age, is not able to prepare today’s learners for the fast-changing world they will live and work in. Strong arguments for radical change—not gradual improvement—have been made, from a number of quarters. There is some consensus about the broad set of ideas that should guide this change, and, based on this, a large literature on the needs of 21st century learners. Much has been said about future-oriented learning and teaching, and future focus is one of the New Zealand Curriculum’s eight key principles. However, while there has been some exploration of what

Using multiplication and division contexts to enhance young children’s part–whole thinking in mathematics

Project description This project built on previous research showing that insufficient numbers of children reach expected levels of achievement in mathematics. Māori, Pasifika, and students from lower decile schools are particularly disadvantaged. Young children should be given equitable opportunities to develop their mathematical thinking, particularly in all strategy domains of the New Zealand Number Framework. These include not only addition and subtraction (the predominant focus in junior classes), but also multiplication, division, and fractions. This project aimed to provide children with learning opportunities and challenges within the context of multiplication and division, with the goal of developing greater understanding of part–whole relationships in mathematics. Methodology The research question posed was: How

Porous learning: what do families and schools need to know and do about learning@home in a digital environment to enhance children’s literacy?

Introduction School students increasingly use digital technologies at home to enhance learning and bridge the school– home divide. The porous learning project was designed to explore the factors that both enabled learning and created barriers to learning at home for students in a low socioeconomic community using the digital learning environment, which we refer to as learning@home. The study investigated ways to inform families and schools, and also equip them with strategies to enhance children’s literacy within a digital learning environment at home. The term digital learning environment (DLE) describes technology used to enhance learning; for example, netbooks, the internet, blogs. A key motivation for the project has been a growing

Children who learn in more than one language: Early childhood teachers afloat in plurilingual seas

Introduction Background, research literature overview, research questions and why they are important to learning and teaching in New Zealand Aotearoa is an increasingly diverse society. The many languages and cultures of children and families raise questions and considerations for early childhood teachers. We designed research to address gaps in our knowledge, by exploring the languages used and the experiences and learning outcomes that parents, teachers, young children and communities value. Our focus was on children who learn in more than one language in the early years. The research was credit-based, through our application of the theoretical constructs of funds of knowledge and an additive approach to learning through more than one

Extending innovative e-learning leadership

Introduction / research aims / rationale This project grew out of the desire to understand and share the strategies that successful school leaders use to identify, implement and integrate digital technologies in school settings. What may come naturally to some leaders presents significant challenges for others; the catalyst for this project was the opportunity to systematically investigate the leadership of one experienced principal who was highly competent digitally and who recognised the opportunity to support colleagues nationwide. While digital technologies are a key element of future focused education and can be deployed to support pedagogical innovation, they frequently present complex problems for school leaders (Fullan 2011; Fullan & Langworthy, 2014). The

Smoothing the path to transition

1. Introduction Successful transition of secondary school students into tertiary study is a priority for secondary schools, tertiary institutions and government alike (see, for example, Bazerman, 2007; Batholomae, 2005). The National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) has, as one of its goals, the effective preparation of senior secondary students for higher education; the Tertiary Education Commission’s (TEC) Tertiary Education Strategy 2014–2019 highlights student success (particularly of at-risk students, including Māori and Pasifica) in higher education as one of its goals; and universities are responding to this strategy by implementing enhanced transition and retention strategies. This research was a response to anecdotal evidence that, despite best intentions by secondary schools and tertiary

Moving a school: Higher order thinking through SOLO and e-Learning

Introduction Technological, social and economic change is encouraging increasing emphasis on the development of higher order thinking skills throughout the world and they are being incorporated into national curriculum goals in many countries, including New Zealand. Simultaneously the use of digital technologies is being promoted by many educators and authorities in this country and elsewhere as an approach that will enable students to develop these skills. An increasingly popular tool for identifying higher order thinking is the SOLO (Structure of Observed Learning Outcomes) taxonomy (Biggs & Collis, 1982). This taxonomy describes the complexity of student responses to questions or tasks, and also can be applied to the questions or tasks themselves.

Designing knowledge building communities in secondary schools

Introduction With the emergence of globalisation and the knowledge economy, it has become a priority for economically advanced countries to increase and democratise the innovative capacity of their citizens. In New Zealand, there is an urgent need to develop young people’s capacity to work creatively and innovatively with knowledge (Ministry of Education, 2007). This presents a huge challenge for teachers, who will be required to shift their pedagogical beliefs and practices from supporting students to reproduce knowledge, to “actively interact with it: to understand, critique, manipulate, create, and transform it” (Bolstad & Gilbert, 2008, p. 39, emphasis in original). A knowledge building communities (KBC) model developed by Scardamalia and Bereiter (2003)

Key competencies: How school guidance counsellors contribute to student learning

Introduction The project summarised in this report demonstrates how counsellors effectively facilitate learning in the course of attending to student wellbeing. students seek counselling to deal with problems, concerns, and struggles. In responding to student distress, school counsellors call on a repertoire of specialist therapeutic practices. many of these practices facilitate learning. This study shows how this learning, in counselling, can be understood in terms of the curriculum’s key competencies. The project demonstrates how the problems, concerns and struggles that young people experience directly shape the particular key competencies that are used and developed as learning occurs in counselling. It highlights the relevance of counselling skills and knowledge to the implementation

“Better to do than receive”: Learning to think historically through internally assessed course work

Introduction This research project examined the contribution internally assessed course work makes to motivating young people to think historically; that is to develop reasoned, evidence-based understandings of the past that equip them to participate in society as critical citizens who can think independently and adjudicate between competing claims of historical authenticity. Our findings indicate that conducting internally assessed course work makes a major contribution to how students (as novices) learn to think critically about the past. developing the ability to think historically is counter-intuituive and has been described as an “unnatural act” (Wineburg, 2001). It can seldom be acquired from everyday experiences. Rather, it requires systematic instruction in how the discipline

Reconceptualising literacy: Critical multiliteracies for “new times”

Introduction We can think of changes in the international literacy landscape as a powerful wave. It has reached our shores here in New Zealand; there is no escaping it. In this report, we argue that given the changes affecting our classrooms through information and communications technology, and increasing student diversity not only do we want to prepare ourselves for the wave, but we wish to harness its power. This “wave” involves a reconceptualisation of literacy, known as “multiliteracies”, that takes account of an increasing cultural and linguistic diversity and rapid changes in communication technologies. our research project sought to address the paucity of research on multiliteracies in New Zealand, building on

CoRe: A way to build pedagogical content knowledge for beginning teachers

Research has shown that one of the factors which enables teachers to be effective is their rich pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). Beginning teachers need support to develop this PCK and recent research in the field has proposed a conceptual tool known as “content representations”, or CoRes, as a model for doing this. The study reported here brought together science and technology experts in content and pedagogy, early career secondary teachers, and researchers to design a CoRe to assist development of teacher PCK. The study then researched the early career teachers’ use of the CoRe in their planning and delivery of a unit in their classrooms to examine the effect of the

Everybody Counts? Reimagining Health and Physical Education in Primary Schools

Introduction Health and Physical Education (HPE) in New Zealand primary schools has been dominated by games, sports, fitness, and illness prevention. This narrow and teacher-centred version of HPE has been “nice for some and nasty for others” (Evans & Davies, 2002, p. 17). This project draws on the shared expertise of teachers and researchers to reimagine HPE in ways that support teachers and children to have meaningful experiences, relevant to their diverse backgrounds, needs and interests. In doing so, this project offers a rare glimpse of curricular ideals enacted in practice. What we learnt together Reimagining and enacting innovative approaches to HPE curriculum and pedagogy supports children to: Be accepting of

Networked inquiry learning in secondary science classrooms

Introduction This research project aimed to understand and explore the ways electronically networked (e-networked) tools can support authentic science inquiry in junior secondary classrooms in order to address concerns about student engagement in science. Internationally claims are made about the potential for inquiry-based learning to address the challenges of relevance for the 21st century school science learner (Aikenhead, 2005; Bolstad & Hipkins, 2008). Deliberate inclusion of activities such as collaboration, co-construction and confirmation of ideas is appropriate and valued in science inquiry but they tend to contrast with many of the practices found in conventional classrooms. These activities require more student freedom and the capacity to pose and meaningfully pursue questions

Preparing initial primary and early childhood teacher education students to use assessment

Introduction In our rapidly changing world, in which the future is uncertain, teachers need to prepare children with knowledge, skills, values, and competencies that will support them to become life-long learners and active contributors to New Zealand’s social, cultural, economic, and environmental well-being. Such an aim implies that children should be educated in ways that support them to assume control of their own learning. to that end, they will need to develop the capability to assess their own learning and progress. Vital aspects of every teacher’s pedagogy, then, will be the ability to use assessment that builds, extends, and challenges children to see themselves as competent learners, and equip them with

Marae-ā-kura: Teaching, learning and living as Māori

Introduction Marae-ā-kura (school-based marae) have been part of the secondary school landscape since 1978. Today there are approximately 99 marae in state secondary schools in New Zealand (Ministry of Education, 2008).[1] although marae-ā-kura are officially endorsed by the Ministry of Education (2000) to better engage with Māori parents, whānau and communities, there is little research on the way marae-ā-kura operate, their pedagogical practices and their effect on Māori student outcomes. This two-year research project investigated the role of marae-ā-kura as culturally determined spaces in mainstream secondary schools. It involved the participation of students, teachers, principals, whānau and community representatives of three urban marae-ā-kura within the Auckland region. The study examined the

Teaching Algebra Conceptually in Years 9 and 10

Introduction Many students struggle with introductory algebra and teachers have little to guide them to assist their students learn this important component of mathematics. The project on teaching algebra conceptually (TAC) was designed to explore and create teaching approaches to assist students in Years 9 and 10 to develop a conceptual understanding of algebra. The effect of these teaching approaches was documented by use of a diagnostic tool that assessed and made students’ knowledge and strategic thinking in algebra explicit. Key findings Achievement in algebra can be enhanced by taking a structural perspective that provides high quality diagnostic assessment information to teachers. Effective teaching approaches that have an effect on student

Developing a place-based approach to outdoor education in Aotearoa New Zealand: Outdoor ed in our place: “Keepin’ it real”

Introductory statement Outdoor education is often thought of as occurring in remote locations requiring specialist staff and equipment. Such an approach is resource intensive and potentially expensive. This project sought to develop ‘localised’ outdoor experiences that empowered teachers and students to better understand places of significance in their community. By being responsive to the geographical and cultural features in the local area both students and teachers were able to incorporate prior knowledge and experiences and connect these to life ‘outside school’. Key findings A place-responsive approach to outdoor education programmes is viable and sustainable and fits well with the intent of the NZ curriculum. Self-propelled journeys provide students with a sense

School achievement: Why summer matters

Introduction The “summer learning effect” is where students’ school literacy achievement plateaus or declines over summer. This limits students’ levels of achievement over time which can create a barrier to decile 1 schools’ effectiveness. It is a well known effect both within New Zealand and worldwide, but there is limited research evidence on how to overcome it. Our aim was to identify factors that may help overcome the summer learning effect in reading in decile 1 schools in New Zealand. Key findings The summer learning effect was confirmed as a major barrier to ongoing achievement: the gains made over the school year disappeared. Specific preparation by teachers for students and guidance

Connecting curriculum; connecting learning; negotiation and the arts

Introduction This project contributes to the field of curriculum integration and the role of the arts within integrated learning contexts. In particular, it scrutinised integrated inquiries that incorporated drama and visual art with other learning areas. It also examined ways in which children, teachers, and the wider community engaged in arts-based integration. Most of the international practices in this field fall into the “good idea” category rather than being based on research. This project helps to address this knowledge gap. Key findings The most commonly integrated curriculum areas were science, social studies, technology, and English with drama and visual art. Scaffolding children to take on increasing adult-like responsibilities encouraged children’s engagement,

Active adult participation in early childhood education: Enhancing child learning and community wellness

Introduction In our qualitative research project (2010–2012), the team investigated how “ordinary” early childhood centres enacted “extraordinary” pedagogy by including families, wider whānau and communities in the “everyday” of early childhood programmes; that is, within this project, we explored both theoretical constructs and teaching and organisational strategies to increase parent participation and positive learning outcomes for children and community wellness. Our primary research question was: How does active adult participation in early childhood education enhance positive outcomes for children and their whānau? Our research included all four teaching teams, parent facilitators, and the management of the four early childhood centres, the 303 Parenting Resource Centre (hereafter referred to as 303), and

Arts e-learning and the online specialist teacher: Increasing opportunities for quality student outcomes

Please view the poster for this project. The poster layout is integral to the presentation of the research Project description The project researched the potential of an arts (dance and drama) e-learning environment to provide quality arts teaching and produce successful learning outcomes for students. It involved the implementation of an innovative, web-based programme that makes possible the expertise of dance and drama specialists online in years 6, 7, and 8 classrooms where such expertise would not normally otherwise be available. A project team comprised researcher/specialist practitioners and classroom teachers in documenting the changing process of multiple implementations of the programme and producing insights into the potential ongoing viability of such

What’s special about teaching and learning in the first years? Investigating the “what, hows and whys” of relational pedagogy with infants and toddlers

Introductory statement What is special about teaching infants and toddlers? How can the “what, hows and whys” of infant toddler pedagogy[1] be articulated and enhanced to support learning? These questions were at the heart of a two-year study in which researchers teamed up with teachers in five infant and toddler centres in Auckland and Wellington to gather practice-based evidence about pedagogy as the art and science of teaching and learning in this under-researched area of early childhood education and care. Key findings The study found that theorising about children’s learning through discussions of video data enabled the teachers to “really look” at their teaching and open up taken-for-granted meanings about the

LEMMA: Learning Environments with Mathematical Modelling Activities

Introduction The LEMMA project—Learning Environments with Mathematics Modelling Activities—grew out of a concern that many of our mathematics students struggle to use mathematical concepts flexibly to solve problems in the real world. The LEMMA project designed learning environments that encourage students to develop sophisticated conceptual understandings and communication competencies through mathematical modelling activities. Like a lemma in mathematics, LEMMA is not a grand theorem or solution, but merely “a stepping stone to a larger result” (Wikipedia, 2009)—the desired result being improved mathematical competencies among New Zealand secondary school students. Key findings Rich mathematical modelling activities such as model eliciting activities (MEAs) (Lesh, Hoover, Hole, Kelly, & Post, 2000) can elicit a

Culturally responsive pedagogy and assessment in primary science classrooms: Whakamana tamariki

Introduction In this project four teachers addressed their diverse students’ need for a range of different opportunities to develop more sophisticated expertise in science. They achieved this by drawing on the principles and practices of culturally responsive pedagogy and assessment for learning. Interviews and classroom observations indicated that students, and their families, took greater ownership and responsibility for science learning when teachers incorporated and built on the funds of knowledge and lived experience that all students bring from their homes and communities. Key findings Teachers can create culturally responsive pathways for science learning by incorporating children’s and communities’ funds of knowledge into the curriculum. Culturally responsive science teachers at times position

Building students’ inferential reasoning: Statistics curriculum Levels 5 and 6

This report summarises the research activities and findings from the TLRI-funded project conducted in various schools entitled Building Students’ Inferential Reasoning: Statistics Curriculum Levels 5 and 6. The project was a 2-year collaboration among two statisticians, two researchers and nine teachers. The project team designed innovative approaches to develop students’ informal inferential reasoning and sought evidence that these innovations had a significant effect on improving students’ statistical reasoning in this domain. Key findings Students initially used descriptive approaches to boxplot comparisons and expressed everyday conceptions of sample and population, but later moved towards thinking inferentially. Designed learning trajectories can lead students to “discover” a rational basis for making claims when comparing

Learning to “friendly argue” in a community of mathematical inquiry

Introduction This project explored the sorts of culturally responsive pedagogy teachers can engage in to optimise equitable access for students to proficient forms of mathematical talk and activity. The project sought to further our knowledge of the effects on student achievement and mathematical disposition when a specific focus is placed on building a classroom culture of mathematical inquiry and argumentation. Key findings The teachers were able to create more opportunities for collaborative group activities focused on mathematical inquiry. The students’ role in inquiry mathematics learning activities required a dramatic change from passive receiver to active learner. Students developed new ways of thinking about mathematics and their relationship with mathematics, and came

Statistics is boring … because it makes you think!

Introduction In this collaborative research study, teaching experiments were carried out in Year 9 classes of predominantly Pasifika students. There were three phases. During the planning phase the research team planned activities and envisioned how dialogue and statistical activity would unfold as a result of the classroom activities. Data were collected during the teaching phase, and then the data were analysed using a grounded theory approach. The findings have implications for the teaching of statistical literacy. Key findings All students can develop critical thinking skills when teachers show them how to question statistical reports and conclusions. Students can be taught how to question and challenge data in respectful ways. Context and

Augmenting primary teaching and learning science through ICT

Introduction This study explored how information communication technologies (ICTs) in primary classrooms can enhance the teaching and learning of science. By building on teachers’ and students’ prior knowledge and experience with ICTs, we investigated how ICT use can structure activities to offer enhanced opportunities for active participation in science. The project generated examples of how ICTs can support subject-relevant ways of exploring and communicating science, and evaluating what has been learnt. Key findings ICTs augment teaching and learning in science when their use intersects with and supports specific scientific ideas and skills. Visual recording technologies promote independent learning by allowing students to collect, review and revise data. Science investigations that include

Moments of wonder, everyday events: Children’s working theories in action

This two-year research project explored children’s working theories in action. We looked at the ways young children expressed their working theories and how these were understood and fostered in Playcentre[1] environments. The findings show ways that children express and develop working theories, how practitioners understand these, and how best to respond to this learning. Key findings Working theories are rich sites for deep and complex learning. Fostering working theories presents a number of dilemmas for adults working with young children. There are particular ways adults can “be”, and interact with children, that can nurture children’s working theories. Major implications Adults working with young children need to be attuned to the variety

School is out: Students’ experiences of non-traditional learning

Introduction The experience of New Zealand school students is increasingly changing. In addition to their traditional schools students are participating in virtual classrooms and other forms of learning, such as classes through the correspondence School and vocational programmes. This study aims to extend previous research by looking at the experience of students in one regional cluster of schools who are taking classes in multiple formats, from multiple providers, described here as “blended learning”. Key findings Blended learning was very common in this cluster, with most students involved in at least one blended learning class. Students appeared to benefit from blended learning, reporting benefits such as choice, independent learning and preparation for

Designing effective extended learning episodes: The Alfriston College Experience

1. Introduction This report documents the research activities and findings of the TLRI-funded project entitled A School for the 21st Century: Researching the impact of changing teaching practice on student learning. The project was a two-year long collaboration between key members of the teaching staff at Alfriston College and an experienced researcher from NZCER (collectively called the Professional Learning Group or PLG throughout this report). Together the PLG investigated ways teachers understood and responded to innovative approaches to scheduling time for teaching and learning, and sought evidence that the innovations had a significant effect on student learning. At the outset the PLG team hoped to be able to identify the best

Sustainability of effective teaching and school practices: Developing a model for sustaining and extending literacy achievement. A summary

The focus of this TLRI project was on sustaining gains in reading comprehension made through TLRIfunded interventions in two clusters of schools in South Auckland. The aim was to develop a model for sustaining effective teaching and school practices so that student achievement continued to improve once the interventions ended. This involved identifying and explaining the conditions that enabled schools to continue improving achievement; explaining how the conditions interrelated; and how these relationships resulted in differing patterns of achievement after the intervention. Research questions Can two clusters decile 1 schools with mainly Māori and Pasifika students sustain student achievement gains one year after their participation in TLRI reading comprehension interventions? Sustainability

Titiro Whakamuri, Hoki Whakamua. We are the future, the present and the past: Caring for self, others and the environment in early years’ teaching and learning

1. Aims, objectives and research questions Drawing from both kaupapa Māori and Western perspectives, this study has focused on global issues of ecological sustainability in a variety of local/national early childhood education contexts. It has aimed to contribute to an emerging body of research which illuminates, documents and integrates possibilities for early childhood education pedagogies that reflect and enact an ethic of care, both from kaupapa Māori (Ka’ai, Moorfield, Reilly, & Mosley, 2004; Mead, 2003; Ritchie, 1992) and Western theoretical perspectives (Braidotti, 2002; Dahlberg & Moss, 2005; Foucault, 1997; Gilligan, 1982; Goldstein, 1998; Noddings, 1994, 1995). We considered this emphasis on ecological sustainability as a teaching and learning issue (Gruenewald, 2003),

Mathematical relationships and practices: A view into Year 9 mathematics classrooms.

While research has told us much about primary school mathematics classrooms, we know less about what happens at the secondary school level. Our Teaching and Learning Research Initiative project, a video study involving three Year 9 classes, enabled us to learn more about the mathematical relationships and practices in secondary classes. To date, our analysis has focused on the communities of practices, and the various ways in which teachers organise instructional activities. What we found was that, irrespective of school decile level, years of teachers’ experience, and proficiency level of students, teachers are highly focused on doing the best possible job for their students. Teachers work hard to enhance students’ confidence

Researching Understanding of Learning and Teaching (RULT): a case study in using practice-based research to develop a school-wide learning community

Project Description This research project investigates how teachers who are using a peer-coaching model to help each other gain a deeper understanding of teaching and learning can distil and share their emerging experiential knowledge, and how this influences future praxis (thinking and acting) in teaching. The school aims to build a reflective learning community where teachers collaborate deliberately to support improved outcomes for students. The project involved four cycles of activity in which the “learning stories” from the peer-coaching model will be documented and used to promote fresh questions about individual and collective learning. Project Outputs Conner, L. & Mayo, E. (2008). Challenging assumptions about research: Using self-study research to develop learning

Measuring classroom practice in literacy: Final report

Part A: Development of an instrument to capture critical elements of teachers’ literacy practice, Years 1-8 Eleanor Hawe and Judy Parr The University of Auckland with Claire Sinnema (The University of Auckland), Maria Heron, Wendy Koefed, Wendy Foster, and staff from their respective schools Introduction To date, much of the information we have about classroom practice has come from teacher selfreporting with data gathered through surveys, logs, diaries, and/or interviews (Burstein, McDonnell, Van Winkle, Ormseth, Mirocha & Guitton, 1995). To a lesser extent, information has been gathered about teachers’ classroom practice through structured observation schedules, video and/or audio recordings of lessons, student interviews, and the collection of artefacts including teachers’ documentation and

Teaching literature in the multicultural classroom

1. Introduction This Teaching and Learning Initiative (TLRI) research project explored ways of teaching literature effectively in multicultural and multilingual classrooms. It involved primary and secondary school teacher-researchers working in partnership with university-based researchers over two years on a series of case studies, within an action research framework. The case studies involved classroom-based interventions carried out by individual teachers and developed collaboratively with the larger project group. 1.1 The project context The project took as its starting point two contextual factors: The New Zealand classroom, at primary and secondary levels, is becoming more multicultural and multilingual. In a number of ways schools and teachers are under increased pressure to find constructive

Investigating the relationship between whole-school approaches to education for sustainability and student learning. A summary

Education for sustainability (EfS) has been rapidly growing in New Zealand schools, bringing with it an interest in whole-school approaches to develop EfS and a focus on action competence as a means to understand student learning in this field. It is currently UNESCO’s decade of education for sustainable development, which calls for “a new vision of education that seeks to empower people of all ages to assume responsibility for creating a sustainable future” (UNESCO, 2002). Education for sustainability (EfS) fits with such a vision in that it expands on environmental education to include social, economic, political and cultural perspectives, as well as a focus on global equity in the use

Mathematics: She’ll be write!

1. Introduction – Mathematics: She’ll be write! How students learn to speak, read, and write science and mathematics, and what is taking place in the classroom, laboratory, or informal learning context are critical areas for research. (Lerman, 2007, p. 756) The focus of this Teaching and Learning Research Initiative (TLRI) project was to discover effective ways to develop students’ mathematical writing in te reo Māori. It was assumed that this would lead to better understanding of mathematics. The investigation was undertaken at Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o te Koutu which caters for students from Years 0–13, many of whom are second language users of te reo Māori. It involved all the

The Classroom InSiTE Project: Understanding classroom interactions to enhance teaching and learning in science and technology in Years 1–8

1. Aims, objectives, and research questions What really counts in education is what happens when teachers and students meet. The wisdom of any decision about education is best judged on the basis of whether or not it raises the quality of these interactions. (Atkin and Black, 2003, p. ix) Background A significant goal of the Classroom InSiTE (Classroom Interactions in Science and Technology Education) research project was to develop a more robust understanding of and to enhance classroom interaction and those factors that support assessment for learning. International research suggests that assessment for learning (AfL) practices are effective in enhancing student achievement, and may be particularly effective with students who are

Developing teacher–researcher partnerships to investigate best practices: Literacy learning and teaching in content areas of the secondary school

1. Literature review This literature review is intended to provide a background to the project undertaken and described in this report. In essence the project seeks to apply a research-based model of literacy instruction developed in New Zealand to investigate the efficacy of the model in raising student achievement. It is our intention to do so using collaborative teacher and researcher partnerships in order to investigate and interrogate the ways in which the model can respond to the needs of specific students, teachers, and schools. This being the case, the literature on adolescent literacy is reviewed, effective instructional approaches are evaluated, and the outcomes of “successful” interventions are described. Secondly, we

A collaborative self-study into the development and integration of critical literacy practices

1. Introduction This report discusses findings from a two-year Teaching and Learning Research Initiative (TLRI)funded project entitled A collaborative self-study into the development and integration of critical literacy practices. During this time, 2006–7, four Dunedin primary schools and one secondary school, involving a total of 16 teachers, took part in the project. The participating teachers became familiar with the literature on the theory and practice of critical literacy and developed, implemented, and evaluated critical literacy strategies in their regular classroom programmes. Critical literacy has a long history and a number of different theoretical influences (Larson & Marsh, 2005). We use the term “critical literacy” to describe ways in which teachers and

Building bilingual pedagogical content knowledge through critical action research: a pilot study 2006

1. Introduction This Level C TLRI pilot project was conducted in 2006 at Richmond Road School (RRS), a small multicultural, multilingual school in Ponsonby/Grey Lynn, Auckland. In 2006, the school had a total roll of 350. There were 13 classes, with 15 full-time and five part-time teachers. A key feature of RRS is its long-established bilingual/multicultural education program, which is the principal point of focus of the TLRI project. RRS currently comprises three bilingual units— Māori-, Samoan-, and French-medium—as well as an English-medium area. In addition, the school has on site two Early Childhood Education (ECE) centres, one Māori-and one Samoanmedium. The school is designated as Decile 7, based on the

Conceptions of assessment and feedback in secondary school

1. Aims, objectives, and research questions Assessment and feedback are an integral part of the teaching and learning process. They affect not only what is learnt, but how students learn, their motivation, goals, and sense of self (Cowie, 2003). If students have a negative conception of the role of assessment and they misinterpret the meaning of feedback, this can lead to reduced motivation and low self-esteem. While a learning environment or task may be designed to facilitate student change on a given variable (e.g., feedback to enhance literacy skills), students’ and teachers’ conceptions will influence the way the task or environment are experienced (Trigwell & Prosser, 1991; Fransson, 1977; Kōnings, Brand-Gruwel,

Together is better? Primary students’ and teachers’ experiences of collaborative learning online

This project undertook to research the use of the Learning Activity Management System (LAMS) online learning environment to teach a collaborative unit involving three classes in two primary schools. There has been much research on collaborative learning at various levels of the school sector (e.g., Brown & Thomson, 2000; Holloway, 2003; Holmes, 2003; Holzer, 2004; Lourdusamy, Myint, & Sipusic, 2003; Peel & Shortland, 2004; Whatley & Bell, 2003). However, the use of online environments for collaborative work is a new and largely under-researched area for primary school teachers, as most studies in this area have involved the secondary or tertiary sector (Chih-Hsiung & Correy, 2003; Hakkinen, 2003; Hron & Friedrich, 2003;

The Art of the Matter: The development and extension of ways of knowing in the arts

1. Aims, objectives, and research questions There is very little documented research information about New Zealand teachers’ and children’s attitudes, knowledge, and values regarding the Arts. There has been a major change to the school curriculum (with the Arts becoming one essential learning area) and there are reported difficulties in the teaching and learning of the Arts within primary classrooms (Education Review Office, 1995, 1999). However, there is also evidence that a curriculum leadership model allowing teachers to selectively develop discipline knowledge according to needs works well in instances where schools have committed themselves to a climate that supports a learning culture (Beals, Hipkins, Cameron, & Watson, 2003). In the international

Technology use and the teaching of mathematics in the secondary classroom

Mathematics teaching and learning is crucial to the future of New Zealand’s knowledge economy and deserves a special focus in education. One of the key synergisms of mathematics is with technology, and as technology advances it inevitably influences what happens in the mathematics classroom. However, with rapid advancements, teachers may be unprepared to take full advantage of new technology, with the types of technology use falling behind the learning possibilities demonstrated by international research studies (Thomas, Monaghan, & Pierce, 2004). In this study, we considered whether the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) Levels 2 and 3 assessment standards had presented any challenges for teachers in terms of their use of

Te reo tataitai: Developing rich mathematical language in Māori immersion classrooms

1. Aims, objectives, and research questions Kō ta te rangatira kai he kōrero As described in the whakatauaki (proverb) above, language is the food of chiefs because fluency in it provides access to and control of learning. Khisty and Chval (2002) summarised the effect of this by stating, “[i]n essence, those with power are literate or in control of a discourse” (p. 167). Although Māori students who attend Māori immersion programmes do better than those attending mainstream schooling, generally they do not perform as well as other students in mathematics (Anthony & Walshaw, 2006 forthcoming). One of the reasons for this may be the difficulties Māori students have with the mathematics

TLRI Mathematics Enhancement Project: Professional Development Research

1. Introduction The research project on professional development reported here was conducted within the context of the Mathematics Enhancement Project. The Mathematics Enhancement Project involves the Mathematics Education Unit of the Department of Mathematics, University of Auckland, working with senior mathematics teachers in low decile secondary schools in the Manukau region. It was the result of a needs analysis conducted in 1999–2000 and is an ongoing development and research endeavour that aims to enhance mathematics achievement at a time when students are making the transition from secondary school to tertiary education. The project works at the student level, at the teacher level, and at the school and parent community level. The

Effective teaching in different cultural contexts: A comparative analysis of language, culture, and pedagogy

1. Introduction Whaia te iti kahuranhi Strive for the things in life that are important to you This research project was developed as a part of the Teaching and Learning Research Initiative (TLRI) tender process that is managed by the New Zealand Council for Educational Research (NZCER). The project began with a collaborative team of Māori, Pasifika and Pākehā researchers, brought together with the intention of working across four different school contexts that included kura kaupapa Māori, schools in which Pasifika and Māori were culturally in the foreground and mainstream[1] sites. Unanticipated changes to the composition of the research team occurred during project implementation and had a significant impact—these are detailed

Enhanced teaching and learning of comprehension in Years 5–8: Otara Schools

1. Introduction This study represents a systematic replication of a previous intervention which took place in schools in Mangere from 2003 to 2005. (McNaughton, MacDonald, Maituanai-Toloa, Lai, & Farry, 2006). The contexts and theoretical rationale are the same for the present study as those for the original Mangere study. We have repeated that historical and social context and theoretical framework here. In this first section, however, we briefly summarise the original study and also outline the form and the role of replication in the science represented here. Replication Our previous study In previous quasiexperimental research with a cluster of similar schools in Mangere in South Auckland we have shown that it

Teachers developing as researchers: teachers investigate their use of questions in mathematics

1. Introduction In this research project, a group of teachers developed their research capability through their investigation of the use of questioning to facilitate students’ learning in mathematics. Eight teacher researchers worked in partnership with two research team leaders to analyse their own practice in order to identify aspects of questioning behaviour. During this one-year project, the teacher researchers had significant input into the shape and direction of the research. It was intended that this research project would build understanding by adding the teachers’ perspectives of the strengths and weaknesses of current pedagogical practice to the existing body of research. The project was closely aligned with the following principles of the

Early algebraic thinking: links to numeracy

1. Introduction Many students struggle with introductory algebra and teachers have little to guide them in assisting students to learn this important component of high school mathematics. Little is known about the effect of students’ numeracy on the learning of early algebra, or about the strategies that students use to solve equations. There is widespread agreement that algebra is not easily understood by many students. The Cockcroft Report in the United Kingdom highlighted the fact that algebra is a source of considerable confusion and negative attitudes among pupils (Cockcroft, 1982), while the title of Brekke’s (2001) paper, “School Algebra: Primarily Manipulations of Empty Symbols on a Piece of Paper?”, sums up

‘Write-on!’: Investigations into relationships between teacher learning and student achievement through writing

1. Aims and objectives The context of the project The original proposal for a research project to address student writing literacy was developed by a group of heads of departments at Kakariki College, (a decile 2 co-educational ethnically diverse suburban secondary school in a main urban centre) who were concerned at the level of students’ achievement in writing within their school. The teachers recognised that NCEA assessment has increased the significance of written language within the senior secondary curriculum, making attaining national qualifications, regardless of subject specialisation, dependent upon competency in writing. This shift is reflected in the national initiatives for building the literacy capability of teachers and learners, such as

Addressing the needs of transient students: A collaborative approach to enhance teaching and learning in an area school

Note for readers This report uses the terms “transience” or “transient” to describe families and students who have changed schools frequently. Gilbert (2005) noted that the term transient is the most commonly used term in New Zealand, but there is no “official” nationally agreed definition of what this term means in educational contexts. She also noted that the term has negative connotations. In this report, we have used this term for ease of communication, but are aware that the continual use of the term may contribute to the exclusion of students through a process of negative labelling and categorisation. We ask the reader to be aware of this issue. 1. Background,

Investigating teachers’ pedagogical approaches in environmental education that promote students’ action competence

1. Aims, objectives and research questions Introduction There is currently no mandatory requirement for New Zealand schools to teach Environmental Education (EE). However, in 1999 the Ministry of Education published the Guidelines for Environmental Education in New Zealand Schools (Ministry of Education, 1999). The Guidelines are intended to assist teachers and schools to plan and provide education “in, about, and for the environment” in a way that integrates with learning objectives from the seven mandatory learning areas of the New Zealand Curriculum Framework (Ministry of Education, 1993). As such, schools are encouraged to develop EE programmes through a process of school-based curriculum development. More recently, a concept of education for sustainability

Zeroing in on quality teaching: Reducing disparities by building teachers’ capacities and capabilities with respect to integrative approaches to curriculum delivery, using appropriate pedagogies

He aha te mea nui? He tangata, he tangata What is the most important thing? It is people, it is people Introduction This research project—a collaborative venture between two primary schools and Massey University—had its origins in the experience of the principal of one school She had developed and used integrated forms of curriculum delivery and associated pedagogies in other schools she had led. She believed that integrative curriculum designs positively influenced a number of key learning and teaching conditions, especially those connected with student engagement and community involvement, and that the use of integrative designs impacted positively on the achievement of students. James Beane (1997) describes the theory and practice

Investigating responses to diversity in a secondary environment

Aims, objectives and research questions Introduction Linwood College is an urban, co-educational, decile 2 school with a roll of 880 students from Years 9–13. Its student population is diverse in many ways: culture, race, academic ability, attitude to schooling, home socioeconomic status, personality and personal interests, and ability to cope with instructional English. In terms of ethnicity, the students are predominantly European New Zealanders, Mäori, and Pasifika. The school also has international students from Asia, South and North America, Africa, and Europe. The college delivers a broad curriculum, inline with national requirements, and caters for students across the academic and social spectra. In its strategic vision and its policy statements the

Pasifika teachers in secondary education: Issues, possibilities and strategies

1. Overview Introduction This modestly scaled research initiative aimed to make visible and ask questions about the experiences of Pasifika secondary teachers as they moved into the profession, or alternatively, failed to find jobs. The study comprised interviews with approximately eight young Pasifika secondary teachers and other relevant professionals as well as collective reflective enquiry carried out by the research team of: Tony Brown, professor of education, Waikato University/ Manchester Metropolitan University Dr Nesta Devine, lecturer in education, University of Waikato, Hamilton Elsie Leslie, teacher of history, Hamilton Boys School Margaret Paiti, Pasifika Liaison Officer, Ministry of Education, Hamilton Emilie Sila’ila’i, tutor in education, University of Waikato, Hamilton Sandra Umaki, head

Great expectations: enhancing learning and strengthening teaching in primary schools with diverse student populations through action research

1. Aims, objectives and research questions Introduction This was a Teaching and Learning Research Initiative (TLRI) project, investigating school improvement through school-based action research carried out in 2004 and 2005. Researchers from the University of Waikato (and later, The University of Auckland) worked with teacherresearchers from six primary schools to explore ways of changing the classroom practices of teachers. It is now widely recognised that more detailed school and classroom research is needed to uncover the complexities of teaching and learning (Ministry of Education, 2002). Nuthall (1999) stated that one of the greatest challenges is to describe what happens when teachers, students and communities work together, in order to understand the

Making sense of learning at secondary school: an exploration by teachers with students

1. Introduction Focus of the project Within New Zealand in recent years there has been a growing sense of dissatisfaction with current secondary school structures and processes. While teachers, students, parents, and politicians seem variously (although, it must be said, quite differently) disenchanted with many current secondary school practices, most of what is reported in the media is built on idiosyncratic experience and anecdote, not on evidence-based research. Now, more than ever, there is a critical need for New Zealand-based evidence of how teachers’ pedagogical practices are related to student engagement in learning and thus student achievement within New Zealand secondary schools. There is a growing body of international research and

Enhanced teaching and learning of comprehension in Years 4-9 in Seven Mangere Schools

Executive Summary The schools of South Auckland which have high proportions of Māori and Pasifika students have long been described by researchers as sites for low achievement, particularly in literacy (e.g., Ramsay, Sneddon, Grenfell & Ford, 1981). However, recent evidence suggests that the disparities between Māori and Pasifika students and other students in reading accuracy have been reduced, and that there has been a substantial reduction in the proportions of students in the lowest bands of achievement. Despite this, the evidence also suggests that at Year 4 and Year 9, the disparities in reading comprehension have continued, if not increased (Crooks & Flockton, 2005). A research and development programme, conducted as

Narratives of beginning Māori teachers: The forces that shape the first year of teaching

He Mihi Koia tënei ko te mihi i te tuatahi ki te hunga nä rätou i para te huarahi e whai nei mätou, arä, ko te tini kua ngaro atu i te tirohanga kanohi. Ko te tumanako rä, e tika ana tä mätou whai i te huarahi i whakamomori rä koutou ki te hanga hei painga mö ngä whakatupuranga o muri mai nei. Koia nei hoki te mihi ki ngä kaiako tau tuatahi mö rätou nei tënei rangahaunga. Ko te tumanako rä e tika ana tä mätou nei tuhi i tä koutou i kï mai ai, e tika ana tä mätou whakaatu i ngä piki me ngä heke, ngä koanga ngäkau

Numeracy Practices and Change

1. Aims, objectives, and research questions Overview of project Late in 2003 the Teaching and Learning Research Initiative granted funding to Massey University’s Department of Technology, Science, and Mathematics for a two-year study of numeracy practices in New Zealand schools. Central issues to be addressed were those of equity, proficiency, and sustainable practice in relation to the introduction of mathematics reforms in the primary school sector. Key research partners for Massey University in planning and implementing the research were the principals, lead mathematics teachers, numeracy teachers, and students from 16 schools. Prior to the application for funding, discussions had taken place with these schools and they gave a strong commitment to

The Relationship Between English Language and Mathematics Learning for Non-native Speakers

1. Introduction In recent years, New Zealand secondary schools and tertiary institutions have enrolled increasing numbers of students for whom English is an additional language (EAL students). There is, therefore, growing interest in the language requirements for successful study and in programmes that will assist these students. It is a common perception that students from Asian countries, particularly China, enter the New Zealand education system with good backgrounds in mathematics. Anecdotal evidence has suggested that these students take mathematics in New Zealand because they perceive that this subject is less reliant on language skills, and that they have a good background in mathematics in comparison with New Zealand students of the