The current schooling system finds it difficult to truly engage Pasifika learners and bring out their inner giftedness. While Pasifika giftedness is recognised by Pasifika parents, families, and communities, it is not overtly visible in schools. This article supports teachers and schools to explore the notion of Pasifika giftedness. Pasifika learners are gifted when ...

This article describes findings from a study concerning students’ experiences of being in-role as atmospheric scientists and discusses how these experiences facilitated learning about the Nature of Science. Twenty-seven Years 5 and 6 children, their teacher—recently returned to the classroom after a teacher fellowship experience in a local crown science research institute—and teacher educators participated ...

An integrated curriculum has not been a strong tradition within secondary schools. However, since the promotion of curriculum integration in the 2007 New Zealand curriculum, a growing number of secondary schools have begun to implement programmes to promote curriculum integration. This article outlines key findings from recent research into four “early adopter” secondary schools. This ...

Competition appears to have become increasingly discouraged in educational settings in New Zealand in recent years, with a push towards “protecting” our children from being constantly compared with others or experiencing failure. This article reports on a study that explored the lived experiences of gifted and talented young people from low socioeconomic backgrounds. These young ...

This article is written for primary teachers who are not fluent in the Māori language (te reo Māori), about how and why te reo Māori can and should be used in the classroom. This article aims to help teachers understand the relevance of current policy documents, and to present useful ...

This article uses three excerpts of paired and group talk to explore English-language development in a Year 1 classroom. It suggests that structuring effective language-learning opportunities requires more than organising group work. It affirms the teacher’s essential roles as reflective organiser and close monitor of language output and participative opportunities ...

Visual texts such as linear scales are in common use in mathematics. However, to use these effectively students need to develop a language to discuss the concepts and mathematics embedded within them. This article reports on 62 interviews with students who explained how they answered questions involving linear scales. Many ...

This article reports on a study of primary-aged students’ perceptions of what makes a good teacher for them. In 2012, as a result of a government directive, the three schools in this study merged into one but still operated across the three school sites. The focus of the study was ...

School pastoral leaders have halved the use of suspension and exclusion from New Zealand schools in the last decade. This article offers community re-authoring of young people’s identity stories as a further support for reducing suspensions and exclusions. It demonstrates how developing new stories of “who I am and what ...