In this article Cathy Wylie, a chief researcher at the New Zealand Council for Educational Research, provides an account of New Zealand’s education system from the introduction of self-managing schools under Tomorrow’s Schools through to the present day. Dr Wylie draws on her recent book Vital Connections to critically examine ...

Gifted students benefit from time spent with like-minded peers. This article outlines the value of grouping gifted students together and looks at different ways this can be done. It also describes a research study conducted by Clark, one of the authors of this article. The research explores the academic ...

Successful early or dual-enrolled students demonstrating competence in their university studies have not necessarily demonstrated strong performance in their high school studies. Some students report feeling bored in high school, identifying the importance of curricula meeting perceived academic needs. Following an exploratory study (n=90) which investigated perceptions ...

In this edition of Assessment News we take a close look at the new Supplementary Tests of Achievement in Reading (STAR). In particular, we consider how confident teachers can be in comparing their students’ test scores against the national norms that have been published by the New Zealand Council ...

Printouts of students’ ethnicities can help remind teachers that they are responsible for educating, and responding to the needs of, students with a range of ethnicities. However, such bare-bones information is very unlikely to fully represent students’ identities. This is especially so for students with multiple ethnicities. A simple list ...

There is limited research to support our understanding of values implementation in New Zealand schools. This article draws on findings from a recent Teaching and Learning Research Initiative project into the effect of the values statement in The New Zealand Curriculum on teaching and learning. Key findings explore teaching and assessment strategies ...

Feeling respected is important to students. Classroom respect, crucial for creating effective teacher−student relationships, is essential for maximising achievement. This article discusses findings from our study into the teacher behaviours that Year 12 and 13 mathematics students and teachers consider respectful. Dispositional, pedagogical and professional behaviours were identified as ...

This article describes a study in which a mirror was held up to the complexities of classroom interactions across cultures. Both the teachers and Pasifika students were able to discuss what they saw. The study found that teachers looking for, and acting according to “Pasifika ways of learning” may ...

This article discusses some findings from recent studies on the mental health of young people. It then uses findings from an evaluation of Travellers—an early intervention programme for secondary school students (generally in Year 9) who are having difficulty coping with life events and transitions —to show how this programme ...

Juliet Twist of the New Zealand Council for Educational Research responds to a question from Juliet Pendleton of Pt Chevalier School: "Given that the move towards purpose-based teaching for writing seems to mean a heavier reliance on ‘just in time’ teaching, will children still make steady progress towards achieving National ...