set 2000: no. 2

Welcome to the second issue of set for the year 2000. The response to the first issue has been exceptional. Clearly, the new format and the New Zealand content have met with approval from all sectors of the education community. The response is a clear mandate to continue in the new journal format and to deliver content that clearly reflects the Aotearoa New Zealand context.

Zoning was abolished in 1991 with the stated aim of increasing choice for parents. Ministry of Education data show a considerable shift of student populations between schools, leading towards a dual system of higher and middle decile schools for the (mostly Pakeha) middle classes, and lower decile schools for the (mostly Maori and Pacific) poorer classes. To change this, we need a system that provides real choices for families, without the damaging social and educational consequences of the… Read more

The Good Talk project investigated how to develop children’s skills more effectively in the Interpersonal Speaking and Listening Achievement Objectives in English, and in some of the Essential Skill areas, through strategies for improving group discussion. The results have useful implications for teaching. They show that children can reflect seriously on their own learning processes, through “talk about talk”. They can also engage enthusiastically with curriculum content ideas, through “talk… Read more

Fewer than 4% of primary and intermediate schools have half the 7.8% Pacific nations children. Only 2% of primary teachers are of similar background. A study of Pacific students at Wellington College of Education highlights some of the difficulties they face, and what colleges of education and tutors can do to help.

As NZCER trials its Assessment Resource Banks for science, the patterns of student answers can help teachers to understand and address student errors and areas of difficulty. This article focuses on the ARBs for science achievement objective 3, Planet Earth and Beyond.

An effective behaviour management programme must focus on the behaviour of the whole school, not just the behaviour of students. This requires refocusing on the school’s core values, using a quality schools model developed over a number of years, ideas from the literature on quality, effective schools, school improvement and excellence. The details offer guidance for school leaders interested in making a difference to how their school “behaves”.

The Hikairo Rationale is an approach to behaviour management which encapsulates an amalgam of contemporary theory and traditional Maori discipline. It provides a conceptual framework for understanding the nature of classroom management, and locates culture at the centre of this framework. The rationale has its roots in a study of a special school which values inclusion and listens to culture, in its quest to facilitate and maintain a secure, democratic, and positive classroom environment.… Read more

Establishing credibility with a group of students for the first time is transactional and often complex. This article uses a case study of an initial classroom encounter to show how things can go wrong. Suggestions for improved classroom practice are first made from a common sense perspective, calling on classroom knowledge and experience. Further improvement is suggested through the use of three theoretical perspectives: symbolic interactionism, sociometry, and pedagogical strategies for… Read more

What are the essential elements to motivate students and bring about positive outcomes for all? This article briefly explores some of the conceptual models developed to help teachers work with young people who present challenging behaviours. It advocates an approach based on a modification of Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) ecological model, now being used by two groups working in teacher training. It offers a comprehensive, culturally appropriate educational strategy that can be applied in the home… Read more

Researchers and practitioners around the world have been working on understanding the nature of bullying and finding practical and useful solutions for dealing with it. This overview of their work aims to provide food for thought for New Zealand teachers and schools intending to initiate or refine a programme to deal with this major educational problem.