Zealand Secondary School Research Articles

Slipping Through the Cracks? Concussion Management in Aotearoa New Zealand Secondary Schools.

Concussion-related guidelines appear to be inconsistently implemented in secondary schools in Aotearoa New Zealand. The purpose of this qualitative Participatory Action Research study was to describe key school stakeholders' perceptions of their current concussion management processes. Seventeen focus groups, two dyad, and nine individual interviews were conducted with stakeholders (n = 95) from six secondary schools and healthcare clinics, exploring their perceptions of barriers and facilitators to concussion management. We used thematic analysis to analyze data. Our analysis identified five overarching and inter-relating themes: Hit or miss, the need for a clear pathway; the school context; aligning attitudes and enacting values; concussion knowledge and education; and complexity of concussion. The effectiveness of concussion management in secondary school settings is shaped by the dynamic interaction of these five themes. These findings highlight the need to develop a context-sensitive framework that can assist schools with real-world implementation of concussion management guidelines, for both sports and non-sports related concussions. The intent to support students was evident among most stakeholders yet appeared to be limited by lack of structured processes to follow, resources, unfavorable attitudes towards concussion management, and lack of knowledge.

Teacher and Middle Leader Perceptions of Culturally Responsive Middle Leadership Practices and Their Ability to Meet the Needs of Māori Students in New Zealand Secondary Schools

This paper examines the self-reported culturally responsive practices of curriculum leaders (n = 53) and teachers (n = 105) from six state funded secondary schools in New Zealand. Partcipants were surveyed to examine the relationship between middle leader self-reporting of culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP) for improving Māori student engagement and teacher perceptions of those practices. School contextual factors and student academic achievement were also compared with the response ratings to understand any association between culturally responsive middle leadership and student academic outcomes. The study found that middle leaders with more experience generally reported greater confidence in their leadership of CRP. Furthermore, there was some indication that teacher perceptions of middle leader’s use of CRP practices may be higher in schools with more experienced middle leaders. However, despite the crucial role middle leaders have in supporting the use of CRP in their departments, no relation was found between the confidence of middle leaders regarding CRP and student academic achievement (155).

Connecting career education with social justice: Relating theory to practice in New Zealand secondary schools

This short article provides an overview of my PhD, discusses a number of key issues that have guided my thinking in thedevelopment and design of my study, outlines how I will be doing the fieldwork, and explores how the findings might connect career education with social justice.

School-based learning about sugary drinks: possibilities and potential for curriculum approaches supporting health promotion in New Zealand.

Achieving greater alignment with national curriculum and local school and teacher objectives alongside a deeper understanding of student needs can enhance the impact and reach of health promotion interventions. This study reports on teacher perspectives of a multi-pathway curriculum outline supporting learning (Grades 7-9) about sugary drinks. The outline was developed to support scale-up and sustainability of a successful sugary drink intervention trialed in four New Zealand secondary schools. Sixteen teachers from a range of subjects provided input via focus groups. Inductive qualitative thematic analysis was used to identify and interpret patterns within the data. Sugary drinks were perceived to be an important and engaging learning context. Teachers valued the potential long-term societal benefits of health-based learning and benefits to individual students and their families. They recognised students as health communicators and influencers within families and communities. Relevance to students' lives and alignment with national curriculum and assessment objectives and teacher subject expertise were key factors in learning pathway selection. Teacher support is crucial in facilitating sustainable school-based health promotion, which often does not sit within a single curriculum area. Factors such as these, that teachers prioritise in their curriculum decision-making, must be understood and leveraged in school-based health promotion research.

Curriculum Middle Leader Practices and Teachers Perceptions of Their Effectiveness: A Study in New Zealand Secondary Schools

This study reports the quantitative results of middle leaders’ self-reported practices and compares their responses to the perceptions of the teachers who report to them (n = 158). Likert scale questionnaires were used to measure the extent to which middle leaders focused on goal orientation, professional collaboration, effective instructional practices, and supporting teacher development within their department. The analysis provides insight into this phenomenon within six different state-funded secondary schools, with results showing middle leaders almost always rate their practices more effectively than the teachers who report to them. Common areas identified as requiring increased effectiveness were middle leaders’ use of resources to support learning, use of data to support the instructional programme, and identification of effective professional learning opportunities for teachers. Reported levels of effectiveness compared with student academic achievement in the senior secondary school setting align with agreement ratings and the socio-economic status of students who attend the school. This paper highlights the need for the ongoing support of middle leaders to be provided with deliberate support and development for leading teachers.

What would it take for relationships and sexuality education to be enacted meaningfully and responsively? Provocations informed by New Zealand policy and teachers’ perspectives

ABSTRACT This paper explores relationships and sexuality education (RSE) in New Zealand secondary schools. After conducting a nationwide survey of teachers and producing a report on the challenges reported by RSE teachers, we began to develop a paper exploring the perennial issues faced by RSE teachers as they enact curriculum policy. Given that these issues endure, we considered how else we could approach the paper: in particular, what different questions could we ask of our data; and what alternative analytics offer potential for thinking in new ways about the perennial issues, and move us beyond telling the same old story? Asking these questions led us to Bacchi’s What’s the problem represented to be? (approach to policy analysis. Using data from our survey to focus our attention on key issues for teachers, we work with extracts from national government guidance for schools and teachers on RSE to apply this approach. Under five headings developed through the data analysis, we present five ‘provocations’ – or deliberately provocative proposals for the future of RSE in New Zealand. We hope the ideas in this paper may spark different ways of thinking about RSE policy and practice, with the ultimate aim of delivering meaningful and responsive RSE in secondary schools.

Distinct profiles of mental health need and high need overall among New Zealand adolescents - Cluster analysis of population survey data.

The objective was to identify clinically meaningful groups of adolescents based on self-reported mental health and wellbeing data in a population sample of New Zealand secondary school students. We conducted a cluster analysis of six variables from the Youth19 Rangatahi Smart Survey (n = 7721, ages 13-18 years, 2019): wellbeing (World Health Organization Well-Being Index), possible anxiety symptoms (Generalized Anxiety Disorder 2-item, adapted), depression symptoms (short form of the Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale) and past-year self-harm, suicide ideation and suicide attempt. Demographic, contextual and behavioural predictors of cluster membership were determined through multiple discriminant function analysis. We performed cross-validation analyses using holdout samples. We identified five clusters (n = 7083). The healthy cluster (n = 2855, 40.31%) reported positive mental health across indicators; the anxious cluster (n = 1994, 28.15%) reported high possible anxiety symptoms and otherwise generally positive results; the stressed and hurting cluster (n = 667, 9.42%) reported sub-clinical depression and possible anxiety symptoms and some self-harm; the distressed and ideating cluster (n = 1116, 15.76%) reported above-cutoff depression and possible anxiety symptoms and high suicide ideation; and the severe cluster (n = 451; 6.37%) reported the least positive mental health across indicators. Female, rainbow, Māori and Pacific students and those in higher deprivation areas were overrepresented in higher severity clusters. Factors including exposure to sexual harm and discrimination were associated with increasing cluster severity. We identified high prevalence of mental health challenges among adolescents, with distinct clusters of need. Youth mental health is not 'one size fits all'. Future research should explore youth behaviour and preferences in accessing support and consider how to best support the mental health of each cluster.

The barriers and enablers to providing healthy food in New Zealand secondary school canteens

Establishing healthy lifelong eating habits in young people is important for short and long-term health(1). Schools are ideal setting to improve diet. However, research shows that many school food environments are unhealthy(2). In New Zealand (NZ), the canteen is a popular food provision, particularly in secondary schools. This research aimed to explore the barriers and enablers to providing healthy food and beverages in NZ secondary school canteens. In 2022, 6 secondary schools were purposively selected to participate in semi-structured interviews about foods and beverages sold in schools’ canteens and the factors that influenced this. In total, 11 stakeholders representing six schools and one staff member of an external catering company completed interviews. The interviews were transcribed and analysed using a reflexive thematic analysis approach(3). Four themes were developed. Theme 1 Action-oriented school policies that are based on healthy eating principles can facilitate healthier canteens highlighted the use and characteristics of policies. The subtheme highlighted that Mandatory policies are more enforceable. Theme 2 Multiple component opt-in programs or interventions facilitate a healthier school food provision shows that opt-in government interventions (e.g. Ka Ora, Ka Ako, the NZ free school lunch initiative) with funding, monitoring, and incentives can improve food provision. The subtheme Health-enhancing changes inthe school environment has flow-on effect to canteens showed that these changes can affect the entire school food environment. Theme 3 Healthy canteens get lost in the “pecking order” of what’s important highlights that while schools and key stakeholders may believe healthy eating is important, other factors related to well-being and education were more important to prioritise within the school’s limited resources. Theme 4 People’s values, attitudes and beliefs may help and hinder the healthiness of canteens and explores the role champions have in influencing the healthiness of the canteen. Champions were those with a positive, proactive attitude, value healthy eating and are capable. Subtheme 1 Meet student preferences while providing healthy food was a common barrier many champions worked hard to overcome. The final subtheme identified how A collaborative approach within schools and their communities can overcome barriers to healthy canteens. Government mandates and interventions can positively impact the canteen and other food provisions. This research supports a recommendation for schools to create and implement school policies around food encompassing a whole-school approach.

On the Periphery or at the Centre?: Ideas for Improving the Physical and Interpersonal Environments for Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, and Trans-sexual/gender Students at a New Zealand Secondary School.

Despite mandates that require schools to be safe places for all students, issues persist around the provision of safety for lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, trans-sexual, and trans-gendered students and staff. The current study reports the initial two stages of an action research project undertaken in a New Zealand secondary school, which aimed to enhance the interpersonal and physical environments for students with diverse gender identities and sexual orientations. The first phase consisted of data gathering, comprising an evaluation of the physical environment and a survey issued to students and staff. The second phase was the development of a plan for ongoing action and improvement, consisting of education, provision of safe spaces and meaningful support, and artefacts that communicate tolerance.

Risky Choices – Autonomy and Surveillance in Secondary English Classrooms

Achievement data from New Zealand secondary schools suggest that students from lower socio-economic communities have fewer opportunities to engage with complex content in subject English. This article examines this phenomenon by drawing on Foucault’s notion of governmentality and considers how a context of simultaneously increased autonomy and surveillance may shape curriculum and assessment choices. To explore these ideas, I use interview data from ten secondary English teachers in the wider Auckland region. I complement Foucault’s (1982) explanation of governmentality with Ball, Maguire, and Braun’s (2012) notion of policy enactment to explore spaces of both compliance and resistance.

Designing, implementing and evaluating a framework for managing concussions in New Zealand secondary schools: A study protocol

Adolescent concussions can potentially lead to cognitive and behavioural changes, affecting concentration and performance at school and in other activities. Although the Ministry of Education provides web-based guidelines for post-concussion student support, the implementation of these in the school setting is limited. Due to the complex school environment, a pragmatic methodology is needed to co-design implementation with relevant community stakeholders. We outline the protocol for designing and implementing a FRAmework for maNaging Concussions in New Zealand Secondary Schools (FRANCS) to support safe return to learn and activity for students. The framework draft was co-designed by school stakeholders and will be refined at organisational levels. We describe the theoretical underpinnings that informed the study design and outline the project phases. We use a systems thinking approach, Community Based Participatory Action Research, and Appreciative Inquiry approaches to co develop FRANCS with community, policy, and professional stakeholders. The implementation and evaluation phases of FRANCS is guided by Step 5 of the Intervention Mapping protocol, Implementation outcomes, and Realist process evaluation. FRANCS will be adaptable to the context of individual secondary schools in Aotearoa New Zealand, ensuring that return-to-learning and -activity guides are implemented to support students who have sustained a concussion.

Possibilities, Perceptions and Practices: Visibilising the Impact of Flexible Learning Spaces

Abstract In recent years, school building policy in New Zealand has emphasised the development of flexible learning spaces (fls). Through deliberate design choices, flexible learning spaces are intended to promote student-centred and collaborative teaching practice, creating an innovative learning environment which is adaptable and future-focussed. However, this intended practice is not always realised. This article draws on data from a study examining the practice of seven English teachers working in a flexible learning space in one New Zealand secondary school. Using Lefebvre’s spatial triad of conceived, perceived and lived space, the author will argue that elements of the learning space are imbued with layers of visual symbolism, highlighting the tensions between the rhetoric and the reality of innovative practice in flexible learning spaces. While the policy intent of the flexible learning space is made visible through elements of its design, the use of the space by teachers and students indicates that their visual interpretations of these elements can serve to reinforce teaching and learning practices that flexible learning spaces are designed to disrupt. These findings highlight that teachers require increased spatial competence and critical awareness of visual learning space elements to maximise the potential of fls for innovative teaching and learning.

‘Asi: Working with the unseen spirit

In 1993, Wolfgramm referred to the climax in faiva (Tongan artistic performance)1 as ‘asi (the presence of the unseen). This spirit of artistic expression is an agent sometimes identified when Oceanic people work together to bring artistic projects to their apotheosis. Building on the idea of the unseen spirit that energises and gives agency to artistic work, this article discusses occurrences that surface when young Oceanic people collaborate artistically, drawing on values from their cultural heritage to create meaningful faiva. Emanating from my 2022 PhD study ‘Asi - The Presence of the Unseen, the article considers how, in a group of New Zealand secondary school students aged between 10 and 18, ‘asi brought forward a powerful spirit of belonging that resourced their artistic practice. The research proposed that the ‘asi identifiable at the peak of an artistic performance, might also be discernible before and after such an event, and resource the energy of artistic practice as a whole. The research considered a co-created project called Lila. This was developed by a team of students who combined talents and experiences to produce a contemporary faiva for presentation in 2019. In understanding ‘asi the project drew on student reflections, the researchers experience and interviews with contemporary Oceanic youth leaders who discussed the nature and agency of ‘asi as a phenomenon that might resource artistic practice. The significance of the research project lay in its contribution to a distinctive understanding of ‘asi, such that we might identify and consider its potential agency for resourcing creativity and belonging inside the development and performance of contemporary artistic practices among Oceanic youth.

Rural secondary school leaver attainment inequities for students entering medical programmes in Aotearoa New Zealand

ABSTRACT The education literature suggests that there are rural–urban differences in educational achievement. Lower educational achievement in rural schools may impact entry into highly competitive medical programmes and disadvantage rural students. Within this study, the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) and University Entrance (UE) attainment rates are compared across Aotearoa New Zealand secondary schools for 2012–2021. High schools were classified as urban or rural according to the two rural admission schemes used in the medical programmes at the University of Otago and the University of Auckland. Descriptive statistics were calculated and regression models created to adjust for a range of variables. The data demonstrates that rural high schools have lower NCEA and UE attainment. Lower Māori student NCEA and UE attainment, greater socioeconomic disadvantage and differing characteristics account for the majority of differences between rural and urban schools. The lower UE attainment rate for rural schools will likely mean that rural students will have greater difficulty in entering medical programmes and that this inequity is worse for rural Māori students. Medical programme admission pathways need to undergo a fundamental shift–from workforce pathways to workforce and equity pathways in order to address rural workforce issues.

The changing landscape of relationships and sexuality education in Aotearoa New Zealand secondary schools

This literature review seeks to offer understanding about how relationships and sexuality education (RSE) has evolved in the 21st century in Aotearoa New Zealand secondary schools. The perceived demand for schools to address significant social issues, such as how youth navigate the world of relationships and sexualities, can be a challenge for the education sector. A traditional-narrative review was conducted to investigate how the experiences of RSE have changed from 1999 to 2022 to understand if RSE is evolving adequately for young people. Thirteen empirical studies were analysed that explored experiences of RSE programmes, which were discussed alongside relevant literature. Findings in the literature highlight gaps in policy and practice, with suggestions for further work that could keep RSE heading in a direction that empowers youth.

Rapid and unequal decline in adolescent mental health and well-being 2012-2019: Findings from New Zealand cross-sectional surveys.

To investigate prevalence and trends in key mental health and well-being indicators among New Zealand secondary school students. Representative cross-sectional youth health surveys with 2-4% of the New Zealand secondary school population were conducted in 2001, 2007, 2012 and 2019 (total n = 34,548). In 2019, 69.1% reported good well-being (95% confidence interval = [67.6, 70.6]; World Health Organization 5-item), 22.8% reported clinically significant depression symptoms (95% confidence interval = [21.4, 24.1]; Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale-Short Form) and 41.8% reported possible anxiety symptoms (95% confidence interval = [40.5, 43.2]; Generalized Anxiety Disorder 2, adapted). Past-year prevalence of periods of low mood (38.3%, 95% confidence interval = [36.6, 40.1]), deliberate self-harm (24.1%, 95% confidence interval = [22.8, 25.4]), suicide thoughts (20.8%, 95% confidence interval = [19.2, 22.4]) and suicide attempts (6.3%, 95% confidence interval = [5.5, 7.0]) were observed. After relative stability from 2001 to 2012, there were large declines in mental health to 2019. The proportion reporting good well-being decreased (odds ratio 0.71, 95% confidence interval = [0.65, 0.78], p < 0.001), depression symptoms increased (odds ratio 1.96, 95% confidence interval = [1.75, 2.20], p < 0.001) and past-year suicide thoughts and suicide attempts increased (odds ratio 1.41, 95% confidence interval = [1.25, 1.59], p < 0.001; odds ratio 1.60, 95% confidence interval = [1.32, 1.92], p < 0.001). Past-year deliberate self-harm was largely stable. Declines in mental health were unevenly spread and were generally greater among those with higher need in 2012 (females, Māori and Pacific students and those from higher deprivation neighbourhoods), increasing inequity, and among Asian students. Adolescent mental health needs are high in New Zealand and have increased sharply from 2012 among all demographic groups, especially females, Māori, Pacific and Asian students and those from high-deprivation neighbourhoods. Ethnic and socioeconomic disparities have widened.

Assessing science capabilities in New Zealand secondary schools: Thinking required for planning to enacting

Science capabilities were introduced within the New Zealand context following the revised New Zealand Curriculum (NZC). These capabilities are a small set of things that NZC intends students to be able to do in science, which weave the nature of science with content strands. Using pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) to understand teacher knowledge, this article explores how a New Zealand secondary school embraced science capabilities and how it is assessing them. A concerted and targeted effort over the last decade saw significant shifts in teacher thinking, and the school now utilises science capabilities for significant portions of the curriculum design and assessment in Years 9–11. Moving away from traditional approaches, the school now reports on student progression with respect to what they can do. It is intended that the thinking and approaches reported here will support other secondary schools if they are making changes to their science curriculum.

Students’ perceptions of their first experiences of secondary-school science in New Zealand

In this article, I report a two-year study of working closely with science teachers and examining perceptions of Year 9 (12–13 year olds) students in 13 New Zealand secondary schools. The Constructivist Learning Environment Survey (CLES) was used. The questionnaire was administered to 327 students in the first year and 362 students in the second year to find out their perceptions of their preferred learning environments in order to compare this with their perceptions of the actual situation. The data were used to plan improvements in learning environments through a teacher professional learning process by redesigning programmes and encouraging changes in students’ classroom behaviours. Co-constructive learning strategies and reshaping of lessons to include current topics were used as tools to encourage students’ expression of opinions, personal relevance and shared control in their learning. After each subsequent year-long intervention, the CLES was re-administered to reveal that there had indeed been an improvement. The research is distinctive because it is a learning environment study in New Zealand schools examining students’ psychosocial perceptions related to their first-year experiences of science at the secondary level.

Mixed progress in adolescent health and wellbeing in Aotearoa New Zealand 2001–2019: a population overview from the Youth2000 survey series

ABSTRACT We explored progress on key indicators of adolescent health and wellbeing among New Zealand secondary school students over the last two decades. We analysed data from comprehensive surveys conducted in 2001, 2007, 2012 and 2019 (n = 9546, 9098, 8487, and 7311, respectively). Schools, and students within schools, were randomly selected. Prevalence estimates and adjusted odds ratios show large reductions in substance use (e.g. prevalence of past-month binge drinking declined from 41.5% to 21.8%), sexual experience (31.6% to 20.6%) and past-month risky driving (58.8% to 37.1%). However, from 2012–2019 there were rapid increases in symptoms of depression (13.0% to 22.8%; RADS-SF), suicide thoughts (15.3% to 20.8%) and suicide attempts (3.9% to 6.3%) and declines in emotional wellbeing (76.0% to 69.1%; WHO-5). Changes in family and school contexts were generally positive or minimal, although the proportion of students whose families worry about money for food increased from 2001 to 2019 (7.2% to 12.5%) and access to health services decreased from 2007 to 2019 (83.5% to 78.2%). This study demonstrates that health status and risks among New Zealand adolescents have changed dramatically over 20 years, with areas of large improvement. However, mental wellbeing requires urgent attention.

Secondary School Students’ Views of Tourism Education and Tourism Careers

ABSTRACT The global tourism industry has been hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, with the World Tourism Organization predicting the possible loss of 1.1 billion international visitors and 1.2 trillion in export revenues. Media coverage has also highlighted the job losses across tourism organizations worldwide. Until recently, tourism was New Zealand’s biggest export earner, employing 8% of the country’s total workforce. However, a negative perception of tourism as both a subject of study and as a career presents challenges for the New Zealand tourism industry, which even before the pandemic was struggling to attract workers. Previous research has found that the often-vocational nature of tourism education contributes to tourism’s reputation as a less credible academic subject. This research, conducted prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, identifies the perceptions New Zealand secondary school tourism students have about a tourism career and the study of tourism and the implications for education, industry and government.