Set 2018: no. 1

This article responds to increasing school and cross-sector interest surrounding culturally responsive pedagogy and the multiple ways that it is being discussed and understood. We try to bring clarity to how we have come to understand this term both as grounded in cultural relationships and as responsive to the prior knowledge and experiences of the students themselves.

This article presents findings from a study focusing on ako in mathematics teaching in one English-medium secondary school classroom. The participants were a Year 9 class (22 ākonga with varying ethnicities and mathematics achievement levels) and their non-Māori kaiako, the researcher. Data were generated through surveys, discussions between ākonga and their kaiako, and reflective notes. Results indicated that drawing on literature and empowering student voice in the shaping of how ako was… Read more

This article reports on a teacher-led inquiry at Mt Roskill Primary School from 2016 to 2017. Teachers worked with a group of Pasifika and Māori students to develop a learning environment and use pedagogies inspired by the makerspace movement. Data on students’ engagement and achievement levels indicated positive development in the key competencies, practical skills, and learning behaviours of these students. Through student voice we discovered what learning strategies were of benefit to… Read more

Guided reading is an established and important approach in the pedagogical repertoire of teachers in Aotearoa New Zealand. Despite evidence suggesting that a strong foundation of literacy learning must be built before introducing guided reading, early initiation to this most intensive form of reading instruction has become commonplace. This study examined the guided reading practices of three exemplary literacy teachers working with small groups of the most recent new entrants in their… Read more

Inclusive education within New Zealand requires teachers to meet the needs of all students, including those with high or very high needs. The use of the individual education plan (IEP) is one tool that can support inclusive practice in classrooms through the collaboration of those supporting the individual student. This article reports on a small, mixed-method study that explored how schools could support their teachers to achieve a sense of teacher agency when planning and implementing IEPs… Read more

With the upcoming review of the National Certificates of Educational Achievement (NCEA) and the removal of National Standards, it is time to reconsider how we approach assessment. In this edition of Assessment News I argue that it is time to put assessment for learning (AfL) and the assessment-capable teacher and student “front and centre”.  We need to move from a preoccupation with summative assessment to an approach that promotes the powerful and agentic learning that is meant to be… Read more