Set 2025: no 1

Issue 1 2025 offers a practical compendium to commence the journal’s year for Set: Research Information for Teachers. Each article provides a clear framework for teaching its specific topic with real examples from the classroom.

There is increasing recognition that the underachievement and disengagement of students, particularly Māori and Pasifika, in New Zealand schools is in large part a result of systematic factors that disadvantage these students. In response to the urgent need for change in our classrooms, the dialogic highway is a research-based approach to reading comprehension involving culturally sustaining pedagogical practices that reflect the principles of high expectation teaching. Positioning text… Read more

Teaching controversial issues is particularly challenging in today’s world of misinformation, disinformation, and fake news. This article explores how critical thinking can be embedded in such discussions using the street smarts critical thinking model. The study focuses on the contentious use of the poison 1080 as a case study, systematically demonstrating how teachers can incorporate critical thinking through practical activities and student work examples. The article also provides freely… Read more

The presence of dogs in schools is increasing, yet there is little Aotearoa New Zealand-based research about the wellbeing and learning benefits of dogs for students. The study aims to provide insight into educators’ perspectives about the purpose, implementation, and impact of dogs in New Zealand schools. Participants in an online survey and follow-up interviews offered perspectives regarding: the positive impact dogs can have on students’ overall wellbeing and learning; the imperative to… Read more

This mixed-methods small-scale study focused on the nature of the vocabulary in classroom talk in two Year 13 religious education (RE) classes at a New Zealand Catholic school. The main aim was to inform support for English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) students who struggle with the linguistic demands of RE classes, although the article is relevant to all students who grapple with subjectspecific vocabulary. Data included observations of vocabulary-related episodes (VREs) or… Read more

Effective assessment is ako—a reciprocal relationship in which knowledge and wisdom are shared and mutual learning occurs. For this reason, NZAI (New Zealand Assessment Institute) was established in 2018. It brings together educators from schools, professional learning and development providers, educational agencies and researchers for collective learning through its annual
conferences, webinars, resource-rich website, and advocacy on assessment for learning. This article provides a… Read more