This is the second of two articles in this issue of set based on some of the major findings from the survey of classroom assessment practices in English and mathematics at Years 5, 7, and 9 carried out by NZCER in November 2001. The first article briefly described the methodology ...

This issue of set contains a major feature section – seven articles in all – on assessment. The amount of research being carried out in this area indicates that assessment is still one of the key issues for educators and policy makers.

A study of how Otago primary school teachers were implementing environmental education investigated the strategies teachers use and the factors that assist them, especially in terms of implementing education “for” the environment. The findings indicate misconceptions among primary teachers regarding environmental education, and point to the need for education in ...

Charles Darr reports on his experience in creating a mathematics test using asTTle, comments on his perceptions, and discusses some of the strengths and weaknesses of this new assessment package for teachers.

Starting school is a major life event for all involved: children, families, preschool educators, and school staff. All groups engage in a range of activities designed to make the time of transition to school positive. Yet each group has different perceptions of, expectations for, and experiences with this transition. The ...

Six UK secondary schools investigated whole-class interactive teaching of mathematics, identified its key characteristics, and put it into effective use in their own classrooms.

The difficulties many students experience in learning to read frequently relate to a lack of strategies and confidence. Learning to read is readily accepted as one of the most complex behaviours we will ever strive to master. Reading underpins much of a student’s education, so experiencing difficulty in this area ...

The overlaps between the requirements of good research and good practice provide both a foundation and a rationale for the development of teachers as researchers. Viviane Robinson examines some of the challenges of creating a teacher culture in which research-based discussion and debate becomes an integral part of teacher professionalism ...

Teachers engaging in “learning talk” analyse, critique and challenge their current teaching practices to find and/or create more effective ways of teaching. Using three New Zealand studies, this article examines the effectiveness of “learning talk” in facilitating changes in teacher practices and beliefs, and in student achievement. It addresses the ...

Recent research on school improvement indicates that schools can lift student achievement by using achievement information to work out how to modify their programmes. Robertson Rd School worked collaboratively with researchers from the University of Auckland to design a new approach enabling teachers to make formative use of achievement data ...