set 2006: no. 1

This first issue of set: Research Information for Teachers 2006 begins what will be a stimulating series for the year. We are fortunate to have writers who bring leading-edge research to our attention and so enable us to pass on to you evidence-based information on issues of emerging importance. Last year we brought you topical research on text bullying and later this year we will bring you so far unpublished research on a key health issue for schools—hand hygiene.… Read more

How well do our students learn what we set out to teach them? There are many opinions, but not enough facts. This article summarises the results of 35 years of international surveys of achievement in reading, mathematics, and science. There is some support for our reading programmes in the cross-national data, but serious questions remain about our weaknesses in mathematics and science.

Given that children's achievement appears to be enhanced in schools (particularly low-decile schools) with ICT-rich environments, research into what might help staff at a low-decile school integrate ICT into their school curriculum is timely. The authors also looked for ways teacher education providers might encourage the effective integration of ICT in pedagogical practices.

This article describes a pilot behaviour intervention programme for boys aged 7–9 with severe, challenging behaviours. The pilot was based on the Canadian SNAP™ (Stop Now and Plan) programme and developed jointly by the Ministry of Education/Special Education and primary and secondary RTLBs.

This article explores the perceptions of parents/caregivers, teachers, and students in an intermediate school about the success of this approach to reporting on learning.

Reading Recovery is offered in most New Zealand schools, yet recent research shows that low-decile schools are less likely to offer it.

This article explores reasons for the lower uptake of Reading Recovery in low-decile schools, identifies some of the challenges they face in implementing it, and presents some solutions drawn from case studies of eight decile 1–4 schools selected for their effective implementation of Reading Recovery.

Accessing children’s understandings through traditional methods of assessment can be problematic for teachers. This article explores how the use of drawings by a group of Year 5 children to answer questions about mathematics allowed them to describe their ideas more clearly, and contributed to a deeper knowledge of their beliefs and understandings.

Who should decide what students learn at school? I’ve grown increasingly interested in this question since becoming an educational researcher, but writing this article also reminded me of something that happened when I was still at secondary school.

What is research, what does it involve, and how can you plan research so that it is effective? This article, written for educational practitioners who are (or would like to be) involved in planning and undertaking research, gives an overview of the research process, guidance on planning a research project effectively, and case-study examples and ideas for effective planning.

The authors argue the case for teachers to engage in and make use of research. Drawing on their experiences as consultants working in English schools they show how the "research-engaged" school can make an important contribution to self-evaluation, improvement, and the professional learning of staff. Their article explores the powerful contribution teacher enquiry can make to professional learning. An overview of New Zealand teachers' experiences of undertaking research is included to add… Read more