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

School-Based Curriculum Development: Principles, Processes, and Practices Research publication 2004
Role of partnerships in environmental education in New Zealand schools Research publication 2004
School-based curriculum development: Redefining the term for New Zealand schools today and tomorrow Research publication 2004
Evaluation of the practice of environmental education in New Zealand schools Research publication 2004
Evaluation of the Business of Science initiative: Final research report Research publication 2003
Environmental education: Roots in the past, visions of the future, opportunities in the present Journal article 2003
Commonsense, trust and science: How patterns of beliefs and attitudes to science pose challenges for effective communication Research publication 2002
Building a “vocabulary of experiences”: Supporting children’s learning in science centres Journal article 2002
Feedback on the draft Years 0–6 English learning area—August–September 2024 Research publication
Seasonal gifts and new year climate resolutions Blog post
Rachel's recommended reads, views, and listens (repost) Blog post
Call for papers: set special issue on playing, gaming, and learning Blog post
Game design is hard. That's why your students should do it. Blog post
Game design: an object lesson in seeking and receiving feedback Blog post
Games for learning: Opening all the black boxes Blog post
Exploring and extending culture through games: Amy Fredeen on Never Alone Blog post
Digital gaming, coding, and makerspaces in NZ schools (Part 1) Blog post
Bron Stuckey on rethinking who (and what) makes a game educational Blog post
Digital gaming, coding, and makerspaces in NZ schools (Part 2) Blog post
Yasmin Kafai on what students learn from making games Blog post