Zealand Schools Research Articles

Virtual Learning for Māori Students

This article provides a comprehensive literature review examining virtual learning in the New Zealand schools sector, with a specific focus on understanding and addressing the needs of Māori learners in these online environments. It begins by tracing the historical development of virtual learning in New Zealand from early correspondence courses to the emergence of e-learning clusters and increasing digital technology use. The authors highlight the distinct differences between teaching and learning virtually compared to traditional face-to-face classrooms, exploring unique pedagogical approaches, challenges, and support structures required for effective online instruction and student engagement. Emphasis is placed on the crucial role of fostering strong teacher-student relationships in virtual settings. The article then reviews culturally responsive pedagogies and strategies identified as effective for engaging and supporting Māori learners, and discusses potential frameworks for translating these approaches to online learning environments. The potential of virtual learning to provide more equitable educational opportunities for Māori students, particularly in rural areas, is examined. However, pre-existing socioeconomic inequalities and the digital divide exacerbated by COVID-19 are noted as barriers. Overall, the authors underscore the scarcity of research specifically examining Māori students' experiences and needs in virtual learning contexts. They call for further investigation to better understand and address these gaps, striving to ensure culturally responsive and equitable virtual education opportunities for Māori learners. The paper provides a valuable synthesis of literature and insights into this important issue in New Zealand education.

Houses to Live In: Planning Social Democracy in New Zealand School Texts

ABSTRACT Between 1947 and 1949, state-sanctioned texts on town planning and housing were produced for New Zealand schools. In these publications, ideals of social democratic citizenship intersect with modernist precepts of planning and design. Analysis of the school texts in the discursive context reveals an aim to encourage future citizens to take an active role, in accordance with new education pedagogy, in shaping the built environment of post-war society. While the relationship between ideas and architecture has been of interest to historians of education, attention has largely focused on the school. This article extends the conversation to reflect on how readers of school texts were encouraged to consider their relationship to the wider built environment and hailed as active citizens within an imagined community of New Zealand’s social democracy tasked with shaping its material form.

Vintage Years of eLearning in New Zealand Schools

Originally published in 2004, this article reports on the early development in the 1980s and early 1990s of what is now known as eLearning in the New Zealand school sector. Consideration is given to the social, political, and educational influences that have informed this development, and the author describes some of the eLearning strategies that were adopted. An analysis of these trends and events provides the basis for some predictions of what the future might hold. The author has been involved in the development of eLearning in New Zealand throughout this period and combines personal insights with historical data.

Pelvic pain education - A short review on pelvic pain and endometriosis educational programs for adolescents.

Persistent pelvic pain is a significant healthcare concern among adolescents; however adolescents often have poor health literacy regarding their pain. Current school curricula fail to specifically address pelvic pain and management strategies. This review aims to summarise current pelvic pain education programs in Australian and New Zealand schools. These programs have successfully strengthened the understanding of the psychosocial impact of periods and pelvic pain, instilled greater confidence in managing persistent pain and have allowed for prompt detection and treatment of pelvic pain in adolescents. An outcomes-driven, collaborative, and coordinated approach is needed to improve pelvic health educational interventions for adolescents.

School libraries in Australia: A preliminary analysis of the Knowledge Bank of Australian and New Zealand School Libraries

In 2023, academics from the School of Information and Communication Studies at Charles Sturt University completed a two-stage project documenting the published output related to Australian and New Zealand school libraries and teacher librarianship from 1900 to the present. The resultant output of the project was the Knowledge Bank of Australian and New Zealand School Libraries. This article discusses a preliminary analysis of the Australian corpus recorded in the Knowledge Bank and what the evidence provided in the corpus can tell us about the history, development and intellectual output associated with teacher librarianship and school libraries in Australia over time. This insight provides opportunities for further research and a broader understanding of the contribution of this sector to both education and librarianship internationally.

Narrative Analysis: Demonstrating the Iterative Process for New Researchers

<p>This article demonstrates and describes an iterative process of narrative analysis for researchers who want to familiarise themselves with this methodology. The method draws on the six-step process of how to analyse a narrative, the four modes of reading a narrative and the three-sphere model of external context. The application of the method is demonstrated through describing the process of analysis of New Zealand school counsellors’ narratives of strengths-based counselling. Furthermore, this article posits that committing to a narrative analysis process of repeated and in-depth engagement with participants’ narrative data may facilitate a more robust and engaging research outcome than may otherwise have been achieved through more prescriptive methods of narrative analysis. Finally, this article highlights the use of story-map grids (tables) and models as visual aids to assist in the process of narrative analysis.</p>

Retrofitting solar air heaters in New Zealand schools – A randomized crossover intervention study

Most New Zealand (NZ) schools rely on natural ventilation and are often inadequately ventilated in winter. NZ school hours typically span from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and are well aligned with optimum solar radiation. Existing classrooms could therefore be heated and ventilated using retrofitted solar energy applications. To investigate the suitability of a commercially available solar air heater (SAH) to improve ventilation, a randomized crossover intervention study was conducted in 12 classrooms from six primary schools in Palmerston North, NZ, during the winter of 2014. Typical performance results showed a mean (standard deviation, SD) SAH outlet air temperature of 29.2 (10.4) °C at a mean (SD) velocity of 0.7 (0.3) m·s-1. During most school periods (64–99%) classrooms maintained required thermal comfort. The concurrent use of the extant heaters was reduced, and carbon dioxide levels were improved, lowering exposure for occupants. This study confirmed that retrofitting SAHs contributed to improved classroom ventilation, increased thermal comfort and reduced energy use. Optimising performance would require design improvements to improve airflow in order to comply with NZ ventilation and indoor air quality requirements for schools.

Implementation and sustainability of student peer-led physical activity programs in a school community

PurposeThis study sets out to investigate the elements of the collaborative culture required for the successful implementation and sustainability of programs in schools. It draws on a case study of a student peer-led physical activity (PA) program implemented within the complex and dynamic environment of school communities in New Zealand. The article outlines four key components needed to effectively implement and impact long term sustainability of a program within the school context.Design/methodology/approachThis qualitative case study examines the implementation of a new peer-led PA program introduced across eight New Zealand schools. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews with senior leaders, teachers and parents and analyzed through a complexity theory lens.FindingsEffective and sustainable program implementation requires a strategic, collaborative approach through actively engaging with and resourcing four key interacting components: student choice, voice and agency; collective responsibility; shared understanding of purpose; and curriculum coherence.Originality/valueThis research offers a pragmatic approach to developing collaborative school communities that can effectively implement change by highlighting key areas of focus that policymaker, school leaders and program designers can plan for.

Gender Gap in STEM Pathways: The Role of Gender-Segregated Schooling in Mathematics and Science Performance

According to the World Economic Forum, the occupational gender gap with men dominating well-remunerated STEM careers is a key factor in the gender pay gap. However, the problem of underrepresentation of women in STEM fields is mitigated or reversed in some Eastern European and Islamic countries. This disparity suggests that cultural factors are at play. Gender-segregated schooling, which is commonly practiced in Islamic countries, is often seen as a contributing factor. However, the issue of gender-segregated education sparks much controversy. Critics argue evidence is lacking, and segregation may foster sexism and hinder social skills.In New Zealand, there is a significant opportunity to conduct research on gender segregation, as approximately 14.43% of girls and 14.35% of boys attend single-gender schools for their secondary (high school) education. In contrast to the USA and Australia, where single-gender schooling is predominantly offered by private and/or Catholic schools, the majority of New Zealand gender-segregated schools are state schools.Utilising the TIMSS 2019 dataset, our analysis revealed that girls from low socio-economic backgrounds and boys from higher socio-economic backgrounds who attend single-gender schools exhibit significantly higher mathematics and science achievement scores compared to their counterparts in co-educational settings. This success is particularly striking for girls in low socio-economic settings. Given mixed international evidence, this suggests that there must be protective factors at single-gender New Zealand schools, positively influencing these students. We examine potential factors setting apart girls-only schools to provide an explanation of our results: (1) a mitigated influence of gender socialisation practices and stereotype threat and (2) explicit messaging aimed at challenging stereotypes and empowering girls to actively engage in STEM fields.

Assessment of food availability in New Zealand primary schools

Childhood obesity and overweight rates in New Zealand are considerably higher than that globally with one in three children aged between 2-14 years being overweight or obese(1). Children’s dietary knowledge and food preferences are influenced by various factors including the food environment. Schools are an excellent setting to influence children’s dietary behaviours since they have the potential to reach almost all children during the first two decades of their lives. However, previous analyses indicate many school canteens and food providers do not supply foods that promote healthy eating and nutrition behaviours (2,3). The Ministry of Health (MoH) recently implemented a ‘Food and Drink Guidance for Schools’ which utilises a traffic-light framework dividing foods into three categories: ‘green’, ‘amber’, and ‘red’(4). The aim of this study was to assess primary school canteen food menus against the newly implemented MoH Guidance. A convenience sample of 133 primary school canteen menus were collected in 2020 as part of the baseline evaluation of the Healthy Active Learning initiative across New Zealand. Four researchers (three nutritionists and one dietitian) developed a menu analysis toolkit to undertake the analysis of all menus collected. The toolkit provided a breakdown of commonly packaged foods and meals/menu items available to purchase within schools based on Health Star Ratings, ingredients, and/or standard recipes. Assumptions were created for menu items requiring additional detail to be categorised according to the guidance through consensus by all four researchers. Primary school menus were coded by two researchers, and intercoder reliability was ensured by independent coding and cross-checking of 10% of menus. Descriptive and inferential analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS and P<0.05 denoted significance. Analyses of canteen menus revealed that most menu items belonged to the less healthy amber (41.0%) and red (40%) food categories. Low decile schools had a lower percentage of green food items (8.6%) and a higher percentage of red food items (48.3%) compared to high decile schools (p = 0.028). Similarly, schools in low deprivation areas had a significantly higher percentage of green food items (14.2%) compared to high deprivation areas (8.6%) (p = 0.031). Sandwiches, filled rolls, and wraps were the most commonly available items (86%) followed by baked foods and foods with pastry (71%). Sugar-sweetened beverages were just as prevalent as water on school food menus (54% each). Over half of in-house catered canteen menu items were classified as 'red’ foods (55.3%). This study highlights that most school canteens were not meeting the guidelines for healthy food and drink provision outlined by the MoH. Improving school food availability for children in socioeconomically deprived areas needs to be prioritised to reduce inequities. Findings suggest the need for more robust national policies and mandated school guidance to improve the food environments in New Zealand schools.

Smartphones at School: A Mixed-Methods Analysis of Educators’ and Students’ Perspectives on Mobile Phone Use at School

As smartphone ownership and use by children and youth has increased over the past decade, so has the presence of phones within the classroom. This has created unique challenges for teachers, school leaders, and policymakers. In this research study, we used a cross-sectional survey design to examine educator (n = 217) and student (n = 332) perspectives on students’ mobile phone use in New Zealand schools through a mixed-methods approach. The results indicate that both educators and students were in favour of regulating students’ phone use at the school level, but they were less in favour of a total ban approach. Most participants thought that students should not be allowed to have phones during class time, with rationale that centred around student learning and safety. Mobile phones were viewed as a distraction to student learning and compromised student safety through inappropriate use (e.g., photos and videos being taken at school and shared), cyberbullying, and social media-related issues. The findings of our research provide insights that are relevant to the development of educational policies around students’ mobile phone use at school and contribute to a broader understanding of the impacts of mobile phone use at school on child and youth achievement and well-being.

Collaborating and distributing leading: mosaics of leading practices

A mosaic approach to leading practices leverages collaboration and makes it possible to renew the social fabric of a school. In this article, the authors use the notion of a ‘mosaic of leading practices’ to unsettle top-down, hierarchical, positional conceptions of leadership that focus on participants. The latter invites questions about participants’ responsibilities for leadership; the former invites questions about what leaders do (their practices) in and for an organisation. We report on research conducted with Aotearoa New Zealand school leaders that explored perceptions of leading practices that support or constrain communities of learning. Drawing on interviews with leaders and teachers who were working to build Communities of Learning |Kāhui Ako (CoL) in their schools and across school communities, the article re-imagines sites of collaboration by viewing them through the lens of practices, not just participants. A theoretical framework is proposed to illustrate mosaics of leading. Patterns of leadership and the concepts of connective enactment and collective accomplishment highlight different degrees of educator collaboration. The article re-imagines sites of collaboration as a means to foster a grassroots approach to culture and community building, rather than as a means for the delivery of school improvement alone.

AI in Education 2023

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in education has emerged as a significant paradigm shift. As we navigate this new landscape, it is essential to understand the adoption and use of these technologies in educational settings. Some valuable insights into AI's global trends and potential in education are available from OECD-Education International (2023), highlighting a need to understand privacy concerns and equitable access. Guidelines and advice have also been made available for New Zealand schools from the Ministry of Education (2024). However, there currently needs to be more comprehensive studies of AI in education that focus on the specific context of Aotearoa, New Zealand. This report seeks to meet that need. Educators from throughout Aotearoa were invited to participate in a survey conducted between August and November 2023. The survey aimed to assess the landscape of AI implementation in schools, exploring practices, challenges, and potential positive outcomes associated with AI tools in education. This research seeks to inform policymakers, educators, and stakeholders to facilitate informed decision-making to advance educational practices. Through this research, we hope to contribute to the ongoing dialogue on AI in education and its implications for teaching and learning in Aotearoa.

Collaborative Development of a Farm Systems Learning Platform "4D Virtual Farm".

Over the past 20 years, a lower percentage of veterinary and animal science students entering Australian and New Zealand schools have a background or ongoing contact with livestock production systems. The increasing use of digital technologies over the same time provides a practical option to introduce students to the seasonal operations on livestock farms. This article describes the development of the 4D Virtual Farm, established to showcase 11 representative livestock farms across Australasia allowing students to virtually travel through seasons and place over each farming enterprise. Students can virtually visit different beef cattle, prime lamb, wool-sheep and dairy cattle farms, and a piggery. Any electronic device connected to the web including mobile phones, tablets, computers, and virtual reality headsets can be used to view the enterprises. For educators, the virtual farm can be used for a range of teaching and learning scenarios, such as demonstration of a particular production system via weblink for lectures or embedding within learning management systems. It also allows students to start at a particular point in time and space and guide themselves to other areas for self-learning or for a range of assessment tasks. This site provides an example that could be used in other teaching areas including abattoirs, exotic diseases, surgery, communication, and many other veterinary examples.

Developing student food waste literacy

This article addresses the pressing issue of food waste by focusing on the development of young adolescents’ food waste literacy. The concept of food waste literacy (FWL), defined as the literacy for the judicious use of food, encompasses knowledge, attitudes, values, and behaviours related to food waste. The article presents a study that aimed to enhance FWL among young adolescents in a New Zealand school through a teacher-directed guided inquiry intervention. A mixed-methods approach, including a survey and interviews, explored students’ food waste knowledge, attitudes, values, and behaviours. The findings underscore the potential of appropriate units of learning and curriculum design for developing FWL. Promoting food citizenship in students is central to addressing food waste issues through educational initiatives.

A Māori Crisis in Science Education?

This article is written for school teachers in Aotearoa New Zealand schools who teach science to Year 7-10 students or as part of a primary classroom programme under The New Zealand Curriculum. What can teachers do about inequity in science education for Māori students? Clear understanding of this complex issue is required, so this article offers a synopsis of the Māori science curriculum debate. Written from my perspective as an insider-researcher interested in this topic for many years, this article engages with important comments about Māori-medium science education made by Sir Peter Gluckman in a major report on science education (2011), and an earlier challenge by Graham Hingangaroa Smith (1995) about the ‘Māori crisis’ in science education. Towards the end I briefly discuss what teachers might do, and consider the potential of ‘bilingual science’ as an alternate approach with relevance for any classroom teacher, and a way of navigating the current theoretical impasse or ‘crisis’ in Māori science education.

Drawn from Nature: Wallpaper patterns in New Zealand's Schools of Art and Design

Schools of art and design were established in New Zealand from 1870 to foster the development of technical skills in the trades and the creative and decorative arts. These schools flourished throughout the latter two decades of the nineteenth century and the early decades of the twentieth century. Informed by the teachings of the South Kensington School in England, students in New Zealand were instructed in the design of patterns for interior finishes, such as wallpapers, tiles, linoleum and textiles. The blossoming Arts and Crafts movement not only guided the teaching models of these schools, but encouraged students to explore the graphic possibilities of flora and fauna, which in the New Zealand context resulted in original decorative patterns with native motifs.
 This paper will explore the design of wallpaper patterns by students at the New Zealand schools of art, focusing on those produced between the mid-1880s and the late 1890s. The influence and inspiration for these patterns will be traced, from the Arts and Crafts movement, the teaching methods at schools of art and design, to the natural New Zealand environment.

New initiatives in science teaching a welcome step

​​The Government has just announced two initiatives to improve science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) teaching in New Zealand schools. The New Zealand Association of Scientists applauds this move and echoes Minister Joyce’s statement that ‘Boosting the skills and achievement of our young people in maths and science are essential for their future careers and for New Zealand’s economic growth and prosperity’. Dr Nicola Gaston, President of NZAS, said, ‘More broadly, there is a need to boost understanding of science among teachers, students, and across the whole adult population as well, as it is the nature of scientific knowledge to develop beyond what any of us once learnt at school’.There is an obvious and urgent need to advance science and technological literacy in New Zealand. Only recently, the head of Orion Healthcare described the huge shortage of technologically able workers in this country. ‘High-tech industry requires highly trained people, and the production of this capability should be recognised as a key goal of our science system’, said Dr Gaston.Recent reports detailing a fall-off in year-8 student abilities in science and writing underlines the urgent need for improvement. Dr Gaston also commented, ‘Fragmentation and uncertainty have become endemic in New Zealand science. Our government needs to recognise that their policy decisions play a role in shaping the attractiveness of a career in science. We would hope that these new education initiatives are a step towards telling our brightest young students that there are careers besides the professions of medicine and engineering, and that a science degree is the best training for the jobs of the future’.The New Zealand Association of Scientists (www.scientists.org.nz) is a nationwide association of practising research scientists spanning the universities, technical institutes, Crown research institutes, government departments, industry, museums, other science institutions, and independent researchers.

Fa’a Pasifika: Moving beyond culturally sustaining education

Embracing Fa’a Pasifika within New Zealand schools helps students of Pacific heritage to feel that their culture is valued. If transformational change is to happen for Pacific students, then Fa’a Pasifika needs to be weaved through everything that the school does. This article looks at one school’s journey to achieve that.

Supporting 11 to 13 year old students’ reading: perceptions of parents

In New Zealand, during the last decade, there has been a focus on improving home-school partnerships to help raise literacy achievement. When parents are aware of what is happening in the classroom to support their child’s reading development and learning, parents can put strategies in place to further endorse learning in the home environment. The article explores the issues surrounding the role of parents in the literacy learning of their children, particularly those of young adolescent students. Twenty seven parents of students in years seven and eight were randomly selected by the principals at six New Zealand schools. The schools represented a wide range of school types. The parents were interviewed using a semi - structured schedule. The research found that there was a link between parents who enjoyed reading and modeled this in their home environment to their child’s perceived interest and success in reading achievement. Fathers often were a powerful model for their children, more particularly their sons, when in developing attitudes towards the value and interest in reading for leisure or information.