Journal article

Pasifika students’ cultural knowledge and practices have long had low value in New Zealand schools. It has been argued that culturally responsive teaching practice is a priority for improving the achievement of Pasifika students. Teachers who are culturally responsive in their practice know how to capitalise on the key learnings of Pasifika students that are linked to their cultural values and beliefs.

There is a strong case for building inclusive relationships with families in order to support academic success for Pacific secondary students. In this article, I review literature which considers the perspectives of Pacific students, their families, and teachers. An important conclusion is that listening is a key ingredient for teachers when involved in learning conversations with Pacific families. When reflecting on my current doctoral study, I acknowledge the issue of thinking from a Westernised mind-set when working with Pacific people.

Intercultural education is often a contested area. This is true of Pasifika education, the education in Aotearoa New Zealand of students with links to Pacific Island nations. Despite shifts of framing, one area identified as significant in Pasifika education is student–teacher relationships. This article describes two phases of research which pay attention to these relationships. One mines teacher responses to student-made video. The second draws data from teacher-made videos following professional development.

The term constructivism is used very widely and somewhat loosely in education. In this article I aim to clarify the term, which can be used in relation to two quite different theories: one related to how we learn and the other related to what we learn. Being clear about the origins of the two uses can help teachers clarify the important distinction between the curriculum (what we teach) and pedagogy (how we teach it).

All teachers require professional learning throughout their careers to ensure they are effective practitioners. This article reports on outcomes from a doctoral study that explored the impact of teachers transitioning between primary school year levels. The findings suggest that transition can have a significant impact on teachers’ professional learning and growth. Transition provided an opportunity for teachers to strengthen their practice and pedagogy.