set 2000: no. 3

As the new Director of NZCER, I am delighted to write this editorial for set – a publication which I know very well. Louise Stoll’s metaphor of an iceberg caught my imagination as I read the articles in this issue. In her article on school culture, she argues that “as all improvement is change, anyone who is trying to bring about improvement needs to understand what goes on below the surface is likely to influence surface aspects of improvement”. She offers the… Read more

Two ERUDITE (Educational Research Underpinning Development in Teacher Education) case studies of teacher-child interactions during a social studies curriculum unit focus on a Samoan boy who is a beginner at learning English, and his class teacher. The case studies explore how the teacher supports his curriculum learning and his English language learning. The analysis shows teachers can engage ESOL learners with curriculum content from the outset, and identifies effective teacher strategies… Read more

Real improvement cannot come from anywhere other than within schools themselves. “Within” is a complex web of values and beliefs, norms, social and power relationships and emotions. Changing schools is not just about changing curricula, teaching and learning strategies, assessment, structures, roles and responsibilities. It requires an understanding of and respect for the different meanings and interpretations people bring to educational initiatives, and work to develop shared meanings… Read more

The significance of formative assessment strategies for student learning has been summed up by Paul Black and Dylan Wiliam in their review of all research data from 1988 to 1998. Twenty English teachers from a range of New Zealand secondary schools were asked how they understood the relationship between formative and summative teaching strategies, the distortion of assessment feedback by “necessary” classroom management functions, and the clash between “competitive” and “personal improvement… Read more

What excites primary pupils about writing in school and what switches them off? This was the question explored by one Cambridgeshire primary school in a classroom-based investigation focusing on pupils’ perspectives on effective learning. The investigation gave teachers valuable insights into children’s understanding and responses to writing activities, and helped to establish an ongoing dialogue with pupils about the learning process. Reprinted from Topic, 23, Spring 2000.

A recent NZCER research project focused on computer use in the home and school or ECE centre by children with special needs. It provided information about how the use of computers can benefit children with special needs, the role of the family in the learning process, the importance of professional development, and the conditions which can assist these children to obtain maximum benefit from their use of computers.

The author looks at definitions of and research on Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and outlines the main forms of intervention, both medical and educational. He describes how the principles of intervention can be applied, in the context of the school or the home.

Curriculum integration is much misunderstood. As a curriculum design and a pedagogy, it requires a commitment to power sharing when making curriculum decisions with students. When teachers negotiate curriculum with students, the learning and teaching is of direct relevance to the world of young people in diverse settings. In the hands of talented teachers, curriculum integration engages students in deep level learning which can have lasting effects on their views of the world and their views… Read more

The impressive research base on co-operative learning shows that it helps teachers to raise the academic achievement of all students, as well as helping students with healthy social, psychological and cognitive development. However, many of the benefits of co-operative learning strategies are not realised because of poor or partial implementation, or infrequent use. This article outlines five basic characteristics of co-operative learning, its philosophical basis, links with the Curriuclum… Read more

CLICK!: Computers and Learning In Classrooms: K-6 is a teacher professional development resource in the effective use of technology in the primary classroom, developed by the Department of Science and Mathematics Education of the University of Melbourne, which specifically aims to support “technology leaders”. The case studies describe how primary teachers are using technology to enhance teaching and learning. Video clips show interviews with teachers addressing issues raised in the modules… Read more