This report documents findings from comprehensive end-of-year student surveys conducted by Albany Senior High School (ASHS) at the end of 2009 and 2010, its first two years of existence as a newly built senior secondary high school.

The New Zealand Council for Educational Research (NZCER) was given access to the collated survey data for our own research purposes. In return we provided more detailed statistical analysis than the school had ...

Literature that discusses transformative change in schools typically draws on experiences of renewal and change in existing schools. This report explores the shaping of a new school with the intent, established at the very outset, of offering a curriculum for the 21st century. The report discusses four key aspects of curriculum innovation at this school, outlining the intent of each and then discussing issues and challenges encountered in bring each ...

Moderation of student work can support teachers to reach a shared understanding of the meaning of a standard, and to more reliably judge a range of evidence in relation to that standard. In theory insights teachers gain via moderation activities could support changes in teaching, leading to improvements in outcomes for students. However moderation has largely been under-researched as a professional learning activity: we need to know more about the ...

This set of three PowerPoint presentations is based on findings from NZCER's 2008-2009 research on Students’ experiences of learning in virtual classrooms.

The presentations have been designed to suit different audiences and can be used to support and promote professional learning and conversations about virtual and e-learning in schools. 

The first presentation helps school leaders think about how their  schools can foster and support e-learning and virtual learning. 

The second presentation helps e-teachers ...

The Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ) asked NZCER to evaluate its FutureinTech programme. Under the programme, young professional technologists, engineers and scientists (known as Ambassadors) visit schools and carry out a variety of activities, including careers talks and classroom support with lessons and projects. IPENZ employs eight regional facilitators who co-ordinate the Futureintech programme in their regions. The aim of the evaluation was to look at the impact ...

This brochure summarises key themes from a two-part project  on the contributions of learning in the arts to educational, social and economic outcomes, undertaken for the Ministry for Culture and Heritage.

The summary and the two reports it draws on are available here: The contributions of learning in the arts to educational, social and economic outcomes (2011)

This literature synthesis explores how arts education might support the kinds of learning required to equip young New Zealanders to contribute to New Zealand’s future prosperity (including economic, social and cultural). It addresses the following questions:

• What knowledge, skills, attitudes and values are seen as necessary for young people to be successful in New Zealand and in a global economy, and what is the theoretical and evidential basis for this ...

This review of international and New Zealand literature explores the arguments made, and evidence for, the contribution of participation and/or formal learning in arts disciplines to educational, social/cultural and economic outcomes, with a key focus on school-aged learners.

A number of international reviews and meta-analyses have sought to provide a rigorous research base for understanding the contributions of learning in the arts. This review focuses on all the arts ...

Two mini reports were part of a two-year evaluation of Phase Two of the Regional Education for Enterprise (E4E) Clusters Initiative. The initiative’s overall aim was to embed an enterprising culture within clusters of schools nationwide based on characteristics of their communities. NZCER is tracking and supporting developments in four clusters: Northland, West Coast, Nelson, and Manukau.

The two reports were designed to update the clusters on the progress made ...

This working paper draws on a small-scale study carried out with a group of teachers on foregrounding 'thnking' in science classrooms. It includes a discussion of what thinking in science actually is and explores the sort of changes that need to happen in order to realise the vision of a thinking curriculum for the 21st century.