set 2009: no. 1

We’ve taken a longer time than usual to prepare this issue of set: Research Information for Teachers because we have been working on updating its look so that the articles are more accessible and readable. We hope you think it has been worth the effort. Key information now appears at the beginning of each article for readers who like to do a quick skim over a cup of tea or those who like to get an overview before they do a “deep” read.

Three key messages:

1. The more leaders focus on the core business of improving teaching and learning, the bigger their impact on student outcomes.
2. The self-managing school model should not be treated like a sacred cow—it needs to evolve to meet current needs.
3. Effective school leadership resides in the leadership team, not just in one individual.

It’s normal for children approaching adolescence to experiment with sexual behaviour. With a small proportion of children, though, this behaviour is inappropriate or even disturbing. This study explores the experiences of Years 7 and 8 teachers in identifying and dealing with inappropriate sexual behaviour, and asks what additional support teachers might need.

Starting teaching in a new country and a new culture is like being a beginning teacher again. If you come from a Confucian culture where teachers are automatically respected, the New Zealand classroom comes as a shock. How do teachers from Japan survive, adapt and thrive in New Zealand schools, and how can principals support them?

Assumptions about disability play a key role in how disabled students are treated at school. Using a case study as a focus, Bernadette Macartney argues that every child has the right to be viewed holistically, because taking a deficit view creates barriers to their full participation at school.

Audio Visual Achievement in Literacy, Language and Learning (AVAILLL), an innovative reading programme that supplements normal classroom literacy programmes, has proved to be extremely effective in classrooms within selected schools in Christchurch. Surprisingly, the AVAILLL programme uses popular movies to engage students with quality literature. Struggling readers from both the United States and New Zealand produce similar dramatic gains in this reading programme in just… Read more

At the beginning of 2005, Red Beach School staff and community began a re-visioning process. We took the time to ask such questions as “What do we believe our school stands for?” Four years down the track, the staff have more clarity about what we believe our students should leave Red Beach School equipped with. Most importantly, we want to build on early years’ experiences and continue to develop students’ learning capacity as they enter secondary education.

These days, everyone has a mobile phone, even if they might not have a landline. Vardon School recognised the potential for texting to be an effective way to give parents regular feedback on their children’s behaviour in the school playground. By using texts as part of a carefully planned strategy for partnering with parents, Vardon School was able to dramatically improve student behaviour.

Teachers are keen to adopt new ICTs to support student learning. This article looks at one example—interactive whiteboards. Skilfully used by the teacher, sequences of magnified images wowed students and engaged their interest. The students enjoyed—and learnt from—interacting with the whiteboard and creating animations of their own.

A group of Waikato University researchers watched as a Year 6 class experimented with Scratch, a child-oriented programming language. The software is designed for children to explore programming—it is easy to “tinker” with but also allows sophisticated programs to be created. Set the task of creating a maths addition game, the students became absorbed in collaborative and creative problem solving, trying out and sharing ideas and solutions.