Teaching methods – Teaching & Learning Research Initiative

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

Data, knowledge, action: Exploring sustained shared thinking to deepen young children’s learning

Introduction and Background This TLRI project is part of a larger programme of research referred to as the Data, Knowledge, Action project. The Data, Knowledge, Action programme of research focuses on the development and use of innovative and authentic data systems to help early childhood teachers in Aotearoa New Zealand examine young children’s curriculum experiences and strengthen their teaching practice. To date the programme comprises of: a) a pilot study undertaken in 2017 to develop and trial innovative and authentic data systems to investigate children’s experiences of curriculum; b) a 18-month project funded by the Teacher Led Innovation Fund (TLIF) involving teacher-led inquiries into children’s experiences (July 2018 – December 2019;

Investigating the Impact of Non-Routine Problem Solving on Creativity, Engagement and Intuition of STEM Tertiary Students

1. Introduction In 2012 the New Zealand Government identified as a priority the need to address the undersupply of students studying STEM subjects for delivering its Business Growth Agenda.[1] Low engagement and retention rates in STEM subjects contribute to the shortage of STEM graduates, producing a negative impact on the New Zealand economy. A significant number of STEM tertiary students drop out during the first year, not because the courses are too difficult but, anecdotally, because they are too dry and boring. There are specific terms to describe this, such as academic disengagement and disinterest (Blondal & Adalbjarnardottir, 2012). In addition to specific subject-based knowledge, many high-tech companies require good generic

Strengthening belonging and identity of refugee and immigrant children through early childhood education

Introduction This project explored the role of early childhood education (ECE) and pedagogical strategies in supporting a sense of belonging and identity for refugee and immigrant children and families in Aotearoa New Zealand. We used a design-based research methodology in four culturally diverse ECE settings to develop and trial theories and strategies about how ECE can deliberately encourage refugee and immigrant children to connect with their home countries, sustain their cultural identity, and simultaneously live within and contribute to Aotearoa New Zealand. We analysed the affordances of drawing, storytelling and play, and of teacher engagement with children, parents, and whānau, for constructing pathways to belonging in Aotearoa New Zealand. The research

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

Pathways to the Past: Effective Pedagogies for Māori and Pasifika Students in the Historical Disciplines

Summary Current research into, and definitions of, historical literacy do not adequately acknowledge the cultural backgrounds of indigenous learners across the historical disciplines and levels. Nor do they recognise the vital role of historical literacy in empowering indigenous students. In talanoa (conversations) with Māori and Pasifika students and teachers of a range of ethnicities from across the historical disciplines, we asked: How can we inspire indigenous students to feel at home in the historical disciplines, do well in them, and make them their own? The students and teachers saw historical literacy as predominantly textual in nature, and critical historical literacy as often culturally alien to Māori and Pasifika students. They revealed

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

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

Children’s working theories about identity, language, and culture –
O faugamanatu a fanau e sa’ili ai o latou fa’asinomaga, gagana ma aganu’u

Introduction Ma’au i lou ofaga, maua’a i lou faasinomaga. Keep your identity alive to thrive. This 2-year collaborative research project focused on young children’s working theories about identity, language, and culture, how early childhood teachers can nurture and encourage this learning, and how this in turn impacts on children’s participation in early childhood education (ECE) communities. The project builds on a previous Teaching and Learning Research Initiative (TLRI) project that explored children’s working theories in action in five Playcentres in Canterbury (Davis & Peters, 2011). That project showed ways children express and develop working theories, how practitioners understand these, and how best to respond to this learning (Davis & Peters, 2011).

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

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.

Move, Act, Play, Sing (MAPS): Exploring early childhood arts teaching and learning strategies and concepts through community arts interventions

Introduction Move, Act, Play, Sing (MAPS) explored early childhood teaching and learning in the performing arts through community artist interventions and relational practices and pedagogies. The research developed three early childhood centre case studies where teachers, children, and parents worked together with community artists, the research team, and other colleagues to explore emergent pathways of performing arts teaching and learning. In MAPS, community artists in music, dance, and drama worked alongside teachers and children in semi-planned, open, and improvisatory pedagogical settings set up to explore the potentialities of performing arts learning and teacher responses in the centre environments and communities. The ethnographic inquiry focused on how the early childhood teachers engaged

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

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

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

Unlocking student learning: the impact of Teaching and Learning Enhancement Initiatives on first-year university students

Introduction This is the summary report of a project funded by the Teaching and Learning Research Initiative (TLRI) between 2006 and 2008. The project researched evidential links between academic development and student outcomes. It focused on the support provided by academic developers in seven New Zealand universities for teachers of first-year papers and the impact this support had on student learning. Academic developers worked collaboratively with teachers to develop Teaching and Learning Enhancement Initiatives (TLEIs) intended to improve student pass rates. The report uses an orthodox format. It begins by summarising the literature that establishes the research problem and its importance, then summarises the conceptual underpinnings of the project and provides

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

Teachers Learning Mathematics: Professional development research

Introduction The issue of mathematical knowledge of teachers has been documented in New Zealand for 80 years, but no effective long-term solution has been found; indeed, the situation has worsened. For example, the 2004 New Zealand Ministry of Education Teacher Census (Ministry of Education, 2005) showed that 25 percent of secondary school mathematics teachers had no university mathematics qualification—a rise from 21 percent in 1977. This one-year research study, undertaken in 2007, aimed to investigate the development of teachers’ own mathematical knowledge for teaching. Seven secondary teachers used action research methodology to investigate, develop and evaluate some aspect of their mathematical knowledge, completing two cycles over the year. In addition, the

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

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

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

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

‘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

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

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

Under 3 year-olds in kindergarten: children’s experiences and teachers’ practices

1. Introduction Background Historically, kindergartens have provided early childhood environments for over three year-olds. Recent demographic changes have seen a fall in enrolments and in the numbers of children on waiting lists. The pressure to keep kindergartens on full rolls so that they can benefit from higher funding has meant that many kindergartens have enrolled a significant number of under-three year-olds in their centres. This has proven to be a challenge for teachers in terms of their teaching practices, programming and curriculum goals. Factors in the teaching environment, such as a physical environment structured primarily for the older-age child, and the large group setting of 30 to 45 children per session