Rachel Bolstad

Kaihautū Rangahau | Chief Researcher

Rachel is a Kaihautū Rangahau | Chief Researcher at NZCER. Her work in education research is driven by an endless curiosity about the world and a strong commitment to better educational experiences and outcomes for all learners, as well as teachers, families, and communities.  Rachel constantly strives to develop her own, and other people's thinking about education, why it matters, and how our learning and teaching systems may need to change to match the opportunities and demands of a changing world. She enjoys working in teams and drawing inspiration and influence from a wide range of fields, in particular the creative arts. 

Rachel's current work programme includes leading a research project to explore systemic educational responses to climate change. She has previously led several research projects on environmental education and education for sustainability.

Her other research interests include local curriculum design, students' experiences of education, game-based learning, and future-oriented education. Her first digital game, Curriculum for the Future, was launched in 2016.

Publications

Digital technologies and future-oriented science education Research publication 2013
Measuring New Zealand students' international capabilities: An exploratory study Research publication 2013
e-in-science: Future-oriented science learning Research publication 2013
Principles for a future-oriented education system Research publication 2012
Supporting future-oriented learning and teaching - a New Zealand perspective Research publication 2012
Participating and contributing? The role of school and community in supporting civic and citizenship education Research publication 2012
Science community engagement with schools Research publication 2012
What role might research play in supporting future-oriented community engagement with education? Research publication 2012
The contributions of learning in the arts: Literary review and summary brochure Research publication 2011
Taking a "future focus" in education—what does it mean? Research publication 2011
From "student voice" to "youth–adult partnership" Journal article 2011
From "student voice" to "youth–adult partnerships": lessons from working with young people as partners for educational change Research publication 2011
The contributions of learning in the arts. Part 1: A review of the literature Research publication 2010
The contributions of learning in the arts. Part 2: A synthesis Research publication 2010
Virtual classrooms: Lessons for teaching and learning in the 21st century Journal article 2010
Better than a professional? Students as co-contributors to educational design Research publication 2010
LEOTC Provider Trends, Issues, and Themes Research publication 2010
Education for Enterprise (E4E) 2008 surveys Research publication 2009
Students’ experiences of learning in virtual classrooms Research publication 2009
New Zealand curriculum implementation exploratory studies: Final Report Research publication 2009