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Sue McDowall
Sue McDowall is a senior researcher at NZCER. She has over 20 years of research experience in the areas of teaching, learning, and curriculum across the primary and secondary school sectors. Sue has led projects on a wide range of topics, most recently including informal learning at home during covid-19, curriculum integration, key competencies, disciplinary literacies, and community involvement in curriculum, teaching, and learning.
Sue has an interest in the English learning area and the language arts. She is leading the analysis of feedback on the draft curriculum content for the English learning area in 2022 and the arts in 2023. She has led research projects on teachers as readers, reading for pleasure, key competencies and reading in English, use of technologies in English and the arts, and community artists involved in school learning.
Sue has a deep understanding of the importance of curriculum support and the impact that design-based curriculum materials can have on teacher practice through leading evaluations of the 2010-2011 School Journals and Teacher Support Materials, the post 2010 Teacher Support Material for Ready to Read, and the CD-ROM: The Game and other stories. She is a co-author of the book Key competencies for the future; the resource Curriculum for the future: The game; and the article How the key competencies evolved over time: Insights from the research.
Sue has also co-led the development of survey and assessment tools, including: the National Monitoring Study of Student Achievement, English; the Teaching and School Practices Survey tool; the PACT Reading scale descriptors; the PAT: Reading tool; and items for the Assessment Resource Banks for classroom teachers in the English learning area.
Previously a primary school teacher, Sue is drawn to the interface between theory and practice. Her roles as a critical friend to the leaders of thirteen Teaching Learning Research Initiative (TLRI) projects, a critical friend for Teacher Led Innovation Fund (TLIF) projects and as an Expert Partner for Kāhui Ako has kept her in touch with the lived curriculum in schools and classrooms.
Sue is currently a member of a range of advisory and working groups including the:
- National ESOL Advisory Committee for the Ministry
- Curriculum Voices group for the Ministry
- Te Ruruhau Advisory Group for Lift Education
Interview: How teachers who read create readers, National Library, August 2022
Articles:
- McDowall, S. (2022). National monitoring of English. Where have we come from and where are we going? Literacy Forum 37 (1), 6-15.
- McDowall, S. (2022). Reading deeply: Interpreting literary texts in primary and intermediate school classrooms. set: Research Information for Teachers, 1, 38-45.
- McDowall, S. (2022). Teachers as readers: Listening to, reading, and talking about stories – for pleasure. set: Research Information for Teachers, 2.
- McDowall, S. (2021). Knowledge, agency, and curriculum integration. set: Research Information for Teachers, 1, 20-27.
- McDowall, S. (2014). Re-thinking subject English for the knowledge age. set: Research Information for Teachers, 1, 42-50.
- McDowall, S. (2013). Using ICTs to support knowledge building communities in subject English and the arts. set: Research Information for Teachers, 1, 29-36.
- Hipkins, R. & McDowall, S. (2013). Teaching for present and future competency: A productive focus for professional learning. Teachers and curriculum, 13, 2-10.
- McDowall, S. (2012). On teaching reading and being a reader. set: Research Information for Teachers, 3, 8-14.
- Hipkins, R. & McDowall, S. (2013). Teaching for present and future competency: A productive focus for professional learning. Teachers and curriculum, 13, 2-10.
- McDowall, S., Davey, R. Hatherly, A., Ham, V. (2012). Literacy learning in e-learning contexts. Curriculum leadership 10 (13).
- McDowall, S. (2011). Using multimodal texts to build engagement and achievement in literacy. set: Research Information for Teachers, 2, 32-37.
- McDowall, S. (2011). Literacy teaching and learning for the 21st century: Bridging the theory to practice gap. Practical research for education 44, pp. 47-56.
Book chapters:
- Hipkins, R., Bolstad, R., Boyd, S. & McDowall, S. (2014). Key Competencies for the future. Wellington: NZCER Press.
- McDowall, S. (2010). Literacy and eLearning: Possibilities for transformation. In V. Ham & D. Wenmoth (Eds.), eLearnings: Implementing a national strategy for ICTin education, 1998 - 2010. Christchurch: CORE Education.
Research reports:
- McDowall, S. (2021). Teachers as Readers in New Zealand primary and intermediate schools. NZCER.
- McDowall, S. (2021). Insights for Teachers 2. NMSSA English 2019 – Making Meaning Educational Assessment Research Unit, University of Otago, and New Zealand Council for Educational Research (under contract to the Ministry of Education, New Zealand)
- McDowall, S. (2021). Insights for Teachers 2. NMSSA English 2019 – Multimodal texts and critical literacy. Educational Assessment Research Unit, University of Otago, and New Zealand Council for Educational Research (under contract to the Ministry of Education, New Zealand)
- Hipkins, R., Bolstad, R., Edge, K., McKinley, S., & McDowall, S. (2021). Where next for key competencies. Unpublished paper for the Ministry of Education.
- Bourke, R., O’Neill, J., McDowall, S., Dacre, M., Mincher, N., Narayanan, V., Overbye, S., & Tuifagalele, R. (2021). Children’s informal learning at home during COVID-19 lockdown. NZCER Press.
- McDowall, S., & Hipkins, R. (2019). Curriculum integration: What is happening in New Zealand schools? Wellington: NZCER.
- Bolstad, R. & McDowall, S. (2019). Games, gamification, and game design for learning: Innovative practice and possibility in New Zealand schools. Wellington: NZCER.
- Wylie, C., McDowall, S., & Ferral, H. (2019). Teaching, school, and principal leadership practices survey. Wellington: NZCER.
- McDowall, S., & Berg, M. (2018). Teaching and learning resources in the context of Aotearoa New Zealand. A national survey of schools for the Increasingly Digital project. Retrieved from DIA website: https://natlib.govt.nz/schools/ our-work/increasingly-digital-project
- McDowall, S., & Hipkins, R. (2018). How the key competencies evolved over time: Insights from the research. Wellington: NZCER.
- Hipkins, R., & McDowall, S. (2018). How the key competencies are treated in the OECD ‘2030’ framework. Unpublished paper for the Ministry of Education.
- Hipkins, R., & McDowall, S., Darr, C., & Bolstad, R. (2018). Next steps for key competencies in New Zealand’s curriculum. Unpublished paper for the Ministry of Education.
- Wylie, C., McDowall, S., Ferral, H., Felgate, R., and Visser, H. (2018). Teaching Practices, School Practices, and Principal Leadership: the first national picture 2017. Wellington: NZCER.
- McDowall, S. (2017). Critical literacy and games in New Zealand classrooms. Wellington: NZCER. Retrieved from https://www.nzcer.org.nz/research/publications/critical-literacy-and-gam...
- McDowall, S., Ferral, H., & Beresford, S. (2017). Disciplinary meaning-making of static visual images in English. Wellington: NZCER Press.
- McDowall, S. (2017). PACT Reading scale descriptors. Wellington: Ministry of Education.
- Hipkins, R., Darr, C. & McDowall, S. (2017). Disciplinary meaning-making: Synthesis of findings from a retrospective analysis. Wellington: NZCER Press.
- McDowall, S. (2016). Implementing a teacher-led inquiry: What matters? Wellington: NZCER Press.
- McDowall, S. (2016). Implementing inquiry: What can be learned from the Round One Teacher-led Innovation Fund projects? Wellington: NZCER Press.
- McDowall, S. (2015). Literacy research that matters: A review of the school sector and ECE literacy projects. Wellington: NZCER Press.
- McDowall, S. & Whatman, J. (2015). All the school’s a stage. Wellington: NZCER Press.
- McDowall, S., Stevens, L., & Twist, J. (2015). Ready to Read teacher support material and text trialling processes: a research report (Unpublished research report produced for the Ministry of Education).
- McDowall, S., Dingle, R., Barnes, A., & Whatman, J. (2014). Facilitator smart tools and their impact on Te Toi Tupu – a learning organisation. (Unpublished research report produced for the Ministry of Education).
- Dingle, R., McDowall, S., & Whatman, J. (2014). Evaluation of Te Toi Tupu professional learning and development. Unpublished research report for Te Toi Tupu.
- McDowall, S., Meluish-Spencer, K., Sturgess, A., McDiarmid, F. (2013). Blended facilitation: Unpublished research report for Te Toi Tupu.
- McDowall, S. & Parr, J. (2012). Deliberate design: An analysis of the 2010-2011 School Journals and Teacher Support Materials. (Unpublished research report produced for Learning Media Limited).
- McDowall, S. & Parr, J. (2012). Deliberate design: An analysis of the 2010-2011 School Journals and Teacher Support Materials: A summary report. Wellington: Learning Media Limited.
- McDowall, S., Davey, R. Hatherly, A., Ham, V. (2012). Literacy and e-learning: Mining the action research data.
- Bolstad, R. & Gilbert, J. with McDowall, S., Bull, A., Boyd, S., & Hipkins, R. (2012). Supporting future-oriented learning and teaching: A New Zealand perspective. Wellington: Ministry of Education.
- Potter, H., Taupo, T., Hutchings, J., McDowall, S. & Isaacs, P. (2011). He whänau matua, he whänau ora: Mäori adult literacy and whänau transformation. Wellington: NZCER.
- McDowall, S. (2010). Literacy teaching and learning in e-learning contexts. Wellington: Ministry of Education.
- Twist, J. & McDowall, S. (2010). Life long literacy. Wellington: Cognition Institute.
- Bolstad, R., Roberts, J., and McDowall, S. (2010). Education and enterprise: Learning at the interface. Final report from the regional education for enterprise clusters evaluation. Wellington: Ministry of Education and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise.
Blog Posts
- McDowall, S. (2016). Why are students prepared to fail with games and not with school? 25 October
- McDowall, S. (2016). What makes learning with games so engaging? 3 October
- McDowall, S. (2016). Under the blood is learning: What students wish parents and teachers understood about gaming 4 September
Research projects that I am currently leading:
| Project | Project leader(s) | Category |
|---|---|---|
| Children’s experiences of learning at home through COVID-19 | Sue McDowall | |
| Teaching and School Practices Survey Tool (TSP) | Cathy Wylie Heleen Visser Sue McDowall |