Journal article

This Assessment News article introduces readers to a statistical approach to making sense of student assessment data in order to help teachers understand whether or not changes in practice have made a difference to learning. It Worked! is the brainchild of Darcy Fawcett, HoD Science at Gisborne Boys’ High School, and Across-School Teacher for the Turanganui-ā-Kiwa Gisborne Kāhui Ako Community of Learning. In this article, Darcy explains a range of ways that schools can apply research-based methods to generate data stories which can illustrate evidence of learning. Valid assessment data stories allow teachers to more effectively evaluate, improve, and share practice. The article concludes with insights into how data stories can support teacher inquiry, including the expertise, procedures, and collaborative relationships which can help.

PISA will be in the news again this year. The 2018 results are due to be released at the end of 2019 and they usually generate media interest. This Rangahau Whakarāpopoto is a research brief which outlines things to watch out for as you think about what the results might mean.

The purpose of this article is to explore the concept of student agency when applied to learning across The New Zealand Curriculum (Ministry of Education, 2007). To explore agency the author presents and describes a range of teaching pedagogies that are based on principles of intrinsic motivation. The author describes, with examples, six aspects of agentic practice, arguing that, when instruction is “anchored” in these core aspects, students are given opportunities to have power and control over their own learning. Pedagogies which are developed collaboratively with students are important. These collaboratively developed pedagogies enable students to build knowledge and understanding both of how they learn and of factors that contribute to their own success.

Inspired by my research into the government-sponsored Curriculum Review Committee of the mid-1980s, this article considers the possibilities of the Treaty of Waitangi as a “warm idea” for educators. Composed mainly of teachers, the committee was responsible for writing the Treaty into a national curriculum principle for the first time. Connecting with this group’s experiences 30 years on (while another major national education review is currently underway) might support efforts to rethink and refresh the place of the Treaty in the life of schools.

This article is based on a case study conducted within a newly established Year 7 and Year 8 innovative learning environment (ILE). Drawing on the voices of students and teachers, this article explores ways teachers and students learnt together, collectively moulding a suitable fit for mathematics learning within their ILE. Of interest was how the teachers and students experienced and designed opportunities to learn mathematics afforded by the new spatial environment and co-teaching arrangement. The inclusion of student voice is a valuable addition to the current research concerning ILEs within New Zealand.

Socio-scientific issues (SSIs) are real-life problems which have a scientific basis yet require the consideration of social concerns. Using SSIs has been advocated as an approach to engage secondary-school students with science and this study aimed to explore the potential of such an approach in the primary-school classroom. The experiences and attitudes of twenty Auckland primary-school teachers towards using real-life issues in their classroom were investigated, and several pedagogical considerations identified that teachers need to contemplate to successfully implement an SSIs approach with younger children.

Evaluating information quality is a key skill students need to develop as they navigate the complex information landscape. Students need to develop an awareness of effective ways to evaluate information given the abundance of information (and misinformation) available online. This article introduces the Rauru Whakarare Evaluation Framework, which offers a kaupapa Māori-informed perspective designed to foster deeper engagement with the information evaluation process in secondary and tertiary institutions within Aotearoa New Zealand.