Set 2025: no. 3

Although the existing literature has always established strong ties between student motivation, engagement, and learning outcomes, few studies have focused on the motivation and engagement of Māori and Pasifika students. Also, large-scale quantitative and qualitative studies that focus solely on the views of Māori and Pasifika learners (i.e., not compared to their Pākehā/NZ European counterparts) are limited. In response, the COMPASS project (comprising seven studies) has examined the ways… Read more

In New Zealand secondary schools, both students and teachers frequently express frustration with the challenges of achieving the highest level of success—Excellence—in the statistical mathematics standards assessed through the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA). A central criterion for attaining Excellence is the demonstration of insight, a term that remains ambiguously defined and therefore difficult to operationalise in classroom practice. This Set article explores a… Read more

Why do so many teachers hesitate to act on their values of inclusion? This article introduces the concept of cis-paralysis to explain how fear of making mistakes can block educators’ engagement with gender diversity in Aotearoa New Zealand. Drawing on open-text responses from 42 educators, a thematic analysis generated themes that highlighted teachers’ strong curiosity, commitment, and desire to lead change, while also acknowledging some hesitation and discomfort. Using mental models as a… Read more

Carolin Dale wondered whether she created enough opportunities for her English-language learners to challenge themselves as they used English orally in her classroom. She decided to find out. She started by investigating whether she was taking up too much of the “speaking time”. As a result of what she discovered by recording and analysing a lesson transcript, she decided, going forward, to make some changes to her practice.

Having conversations about student data helps teachers make the most of the information they collect. This article outlines a structured way to talk about data: the data conversation protocol. This conversation tool provides a protocol that teachers can use to critically engage with the student data they have as part of a process of reflecting on and taking instructional action. This can lead to teachers considering new possibilities for thinking and action, rather than simply reacting to… Read more

This Assessment News article examines the role of measurement error in standardised tests and what it means for progress measures. Charles Darr explains that standardised test scores and the progress trajectories we infer from them do not necessarily reflect a student’s true achievement level. Measurement error is the normal day-to-day variation in test performance from factors such as fatigue, anxiety, interruptions, or guessing, and it can make apparent trends (rises, dips, widening gaps)… Read more