set 2014: no. 3

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 guidelines on ways classroom practice can support the larger goals of the Ministry of Education, the government, and the nation as a whole, for ensuring a bright future for this beautiful indigenous language… Read more

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. In such settings students can learn so much from one another. Interpreting and reflecting on these interactive episodes… Read more

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 of these students did not have adequate language to effectively discuss linear scales. The article proposes a language to use with linear scales and describes activities… Read more

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 on the students’ perceptions of their teachers, not the merger. Specifically, this study sought to include students’ self-reporting of how they saw good teachers and teaching. The results indicate that, for these… Read more

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 is important to me” can lead to a marked reduction in troubling behaviours. The article highlights the importance of invited peers, teachers, family, and community members in… Read more

Pastoral care structures in New Zealand schools often include a role of dean. The dean’s responsibilities are often defined by schools to satisfy growing expectations of schools’ responsibilities for student wellbeing and achievement. This study explored the role of year-level deans within one state co-educational secondary school. Senior managers, deans, teachers, and students were interviewed, and deans completed a daily activity log. Findings indicate challenges exist for providing care… Read more

Shared learning underpins learning communities and partnerships. This article draws on case study data generated from shared perceptions of the use of inquiry pedagogy, Mantle of the Expert, applied to a drama-devising process at NCEA Level 2. Students, teacher, and researcher were positioned together as members of THEATRON, a fictional professional theatre company commissioned to develop original, devised drama for festival audiences. Reflective discourse observed while the company was… Read more

This article draws on an empirical study that suggests useful practical strategies for representing progression in history, especially regarding historical empathy. It also demonstrates how teachers can both guide and involve students in working with these representations, thereby encouraging students to make sense of, and gauge, their own progress. In doing so it sets out the case for educators having better knowledge of progression in the learning of historical concepts and better ways of… Read more

It has become increasingly common for students in New Zealand schools to sit tests using a computer. Sometimes a computer-administered test and a paper-and-pencil version of the same test are used interchangeably, depending on which administrative mode is most convenient. Does this matter? Can we just replace a paper-and-pencil test with a computerised equivalent and assume we can compare results?