This article is written in response to listening to teachers query the place of fun in learning. Students often express that learning should be fun but teachers are often unsure what they mean by this and whether fun is actually important to learning. We have drawn some relevant understandings and ...

Different terms are used to describe pedagogy that moves away from the transmission of content and moves towards teaching and learning that builds from the learner’s own experiences in a more responsive and interactive manner. We understand this as developing “cultural relationships for responsive pedagogy”. Rongohia te Hau processes were ...

The connection between the environment and our individual wellbeing can be seen through our indigenous histories, traditional ways of living, and understanding of health benefits of living in balance with our land, water, and sky. Educational settings can be reimagined and transformed to better use outdoor spaces and build the ...

Parents of Pacific learners are clear about what they want their childrens’ teachers to know. Teachers can make good sense of such knowledge when it is gifted to them if they are well-supported. This article is a preliminary account of a Teaching and Learning Research Initiative project, Learning From Each ...

Late in 2022 Julie Roberts and Jonathan Fisher caught up with Rob Proffitt-White to find out about the recent professional learning workshops he ran with teachers and school leaders around New Zealand. They asked Rob about the underlying approach to the short-term Just-in-Time Maths initiative and his thoughts about future ...

Aotearoa New Zealand ratified the 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in 1993, which means its principles and rights are obligatory, not optional. So, UNCRC has important implications for teachers, leaders, and boards of trustees in schools. UNCRC has 54 articles. A good starting point ...

Educators have a central role in the advocacy and implementation of children’s rights. In reframing Western notions of wellbeing, rights, and student voice from a Māori view, educators are more likely to provide more meaningful support for rangatahi, whānau, and community. This research is underpinned by He Oranga Mokopuna, which ...

Young people should not miss out on education because they are menstruating; a normal part of life. The importance of supporting students who menstruate is recognised internationally, with countries increasingly making period products freely available. This article reports on research that provides an insight into the perspectives of 10 secondary ...

Aotearoa New Zealand is home to diverse ethnic groups. Discussions with students about their own cultural identity are important to recognise and include our diverse student communities within schools. For adolescents, developing their identity, inclusive of their culture, is fundamental at a time when these young people are striving to ...