Sue McDowall

Kairangahau Matua | Senior Researcher

Sue McDowall is a senior researcher at NZCER. She has over 20 years of research experience in the areas of teaching, learning, and curriculum across the primary and secondary school sectors. Sue has led projects on a wide range of topics, most recently including informal learning at home during covid-19, curriculum integration, key competencies, disciplinary literacies, and community involvement in curriculum, teaching, and learning.

Sue has an interest in the English learning area and the language arts. She is leading the analysis of feedback on the draft curriculum content for the English learning area in 2022 and the arts in 2023. She has led research projects on teachers as readers, reading for pleasure, key competencies and reading in English, use of technologies in English and the arts, and community artists involved in school learning.

Sue has a deep understanding of the importance of curriculum support and the impact that design-based curriculum materials can have on teacher practice through leading evaluations of the 2010-2011 School Journals and Teacher Support Materials, the post 2010 Teacher Support Material for Ready to Read, and the CD-ROM: The Game and other stories. She is a co-author of the book Key competencies for the future; the resource Curriculum for the future: The game; and the article How the key competencies evolved over time: Insights from the research.

Sue has also co-led the development of survey and assessment tools, including: the National Monitoring Study of Student Achievement, English; the Teaching and School Practices Survey tool; the PACT Reading scale descriptors; the PAT: Reading tool; and items for the Assessment Resource Banks for classroom teachers in the English learning area.

Previously a primary school teacher, Sue is drawn to the interface between theory and practice. Her roles as a critical friend to the leaders of thirteen Teaching Learning Research Initiative (TLRI) projects, a critical friend for Teacher Led Innovation Fund (TLIF) projects and as an Expert Partner for Kāhui Ako has kept her in touch with the lived curriculum in schools and classrooms.

Sue is currently a member of a range of advisory and working groups including the:

  • National ESOL Advisory Committee for the Ministry
  • Curriculum Voices group for the Ministry
  • Te Ruruhau Advisory Group for Lift Education

Interview: How teachers who read create readers, National Library, August 2022

Publications

Dargaville Pūtoi Rito Communities of Readers—Research report Research publication 2024
Developing a common practice model for literacy & communication and maths: An overview of the literature Research publication 2022
Reading deeply: Interpreting literary texts in primary and intermediate school Journal article 2022
Teachers as readers: Listening to, reading, and talking about stories – for pleasure Journal article 2022
Learning during lockdown Research publication 2021
Teachers as readers in New Zealand primary and intermediate schools Research publication 2021
Working with the PLD Priorities: Nine high impact practices Research publication 2020
Games, gamification, and game design for learning: Innovative practice and possibilities in New Zealand schools Research publication 2019
Teaching, School, and Principal Leadership Practices Survey 2018 Report Research publication 2019
Curriculum integration: What is happening in New Zealand schools? Research publication 2019
2 How the key competencies evolved over time: Insights from the research Research publication 2018
Teaching Practices, School Practices, and Principal Leadership: The first national picture 2017 Research publication 2018
Critical literacy and games in New Zealand classrooms Research publication 2017
Implementing inquiry: What can be learned from the Round One Teacher-led Innovation Fund (TLIF) projects? Research publication 2016
All the school's a stage. Schools collaborating with experts in the community Research publication 2016
Creating a belonging place Research publication 2016
Literacy research that matters. A review of the school sector and ECE literacy projects Research publication 2015
Rethinking subject English for the knowledge age Journal article 2014
Using ICT to develop knowledge-building communities in subject English and the arts Journal article 2013
Supporting future-oriented learning and teaching - a New Zealand perspective Research publication 2012