set 2012: no. 3

Middle-level leaders in schools have a critical role in mentoring teachers as they work with the teaching-as-inquiry process. One-to-one interactions and professional conversations with each teacher largely determine the quality of inquiry, both for an individual teacher and on a school-wide basis. In this article, an experienced senior secondary school leader explores the conditions necessary for school-wide inquiry to flourish, and explains why mentorship needs to be valued and to operate… Read more

In recent times a lot of attention has been focused on the importance of content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge for teachers of reading. This article presents the argument that while these forms of knowledge are essential, being an effective teacher of reading is as much about who you are, and how you act in the world, as it is about what you know and how you explain it. Teachers of reading, therefore, need to be readers and bring their reader identities… Read more

This is the first of two articles about student inquiry and curriculum integration. These articles aim to help educators to consider the ideas about learning that underpin different integrated and inquiry approaches and their fit with ideas in The New Zealand Curriculum. This first article (Part A) defines student inquiry and curriculum integration and then explores the characteristics and origins of five different integrated and inquiry approaches that are used in schools.

This article presents three lessons from the legacy of past examples of curriculum integration (CI) in Aotearoa New Zealand, with the aim of helping teachers who wish to use CI to support inquiry learning pedagogies. These lessons reflect an innovative vitality that has long been characteristic of New Zealand teachers. Given that the literature relating to CI is often silent on the practical matters contained within these lessons, this legacy is likely to be valuable to teachers anywhere who… Read more

Connecting Curriculum; Connecting Learning was a 2-year research project conducted by the authors in conjunction with eight teachers across five primary schools in New Zealand. This article describes three case studies from this research project that used Mantle of the Expert—an inquiry-learning approach that incorporates drama. This teacher- and student-led approach sees participants going into role as members of an imaginary organisation carrying out an important commission… Read more

There is limited research to support our understanding of values implementation in New Zealand schools. This article draws on findings from a recent Teaching and Learning Research Initiative project into the effect of the values statement in The New Zealand Curriculum on teaching and learning. Key findings explore teaching and assessment strategies, together with the challenges facing both teachers and students as they seek to interpret each others… Read more

Feeling respected is important to students. Classroom respect, crucial for creating effective teacher−student relationships, is essential for maximising achievement. This article discusses findings from our study into the teacher behaviours that Year 12 and 13 mathematics students and teachers consider respectful. Dispositional, pedagogical and professional behaviours were identified as being important. Showing respect includes listening to students, being well prepared and on… Read more

This article describes a study in which a mirror was held up to the complexities of classroom interactions across cultures. Both the teachers and Pasifika students were able to discuss what they saw. The study found that teachers looking for, and acting according to “Pasifika ways of learning” may not always be in the best interests of Pasifika students. Teachers’ own tacit and expressed beliefs and understandings sometimes acted to impede their Pasifika students’ learning.… Read more

This article discusses some findings from recent studies on the mental health of young people. It then uses findings from an evaluation of Travellers—an early intervention programme for secondary school students (generally in Year 9) who are having difficulty coping with life events and transitions —to show how this programme can be used in a school setting to support young people’s mental health and wellbeing. Travellers aims to build young people’s resilience, confidence, self-esteem and… Read more