School of Education - Te Kura Mātauranga
Permanent link for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10292/3300
Research within the School of Education - Te Kura Mātauranga is driven by students working towards postgraduate qualifications, staff pursuing their own research interests, and contracts for funding agencies such as the Ministry of Education and other partners. Research interests in the School of Education include; Learning and teaching, theory and practice, Curriculum and development, Teacher education, Early childhood education, Adult and tertiary education and development, Schools, E-learning, Educational administration, and Professional inquiry and practice.
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Item Queer Bodies in Teaching Spaces: Dis/orienting Practicum in Aotearoa(Gender and Education Association, 2025-05-29) Cameron, Yael; Gaerlan, EuniceIn Aotearoa New Zealand, tertiary education institutions work within the Teaching Council of New Zealand’s requirements for teacher education and professional registration. These requirements include student teachers working towards demonstrating what the Council terms Key Teaching Tasks (Education Council, 2017). Ideally, teacher education and in-school support provide a seamless pathway for student teachers to become prepared for the responsibility of independently teaching a class as provisionally-certified teachers upon graduation. However, this pathway is not uniform for all student teachers. For those who identify as LGBTQIA+, or come from non-white ethnic backgrounds, or are neurodiverse, the journey to achieving these Key Teaching Tasks often involves additional challenges and barriers. Navigating these challenges and barriers profoundly impacts student teachers’ well-being, as they balance core teaching tasks with the emotional labour of negotiating discriminatory spaces. While international studies highlight these issues (e.g., Benson, Smith & Flanagan, 2014; Berry et al., 2021; Kohli, 2009; Toledo & Maher, 2021), there is limited research in Aotearoa New Zealand examining whether the inclusive practices emphasised for children are also extended to pre-service teachers. This study investigates whether and how schools enact inclusion as a whole-school practice and the extent to which student teachers experience discrimination and inclusion during practicum placements. In this presentation, we will offer preliminary findings from the first phase of the study, focusing on the ways practicum placements serve as both sites of struggle and growth for student teachers of minoritised identities. These findings contribute to conference themes by diversifying how we understand gender and its intersections with race, sexuality, and neurodiversity in educational contexts, activating routes for feminist and inclusive practice in teacher education. In doing so, this work furthers the Gender and Education Association’s vision of challenging injustice and advocating for equity within education.Item Suicide and Sensationalism in Colonial New Zealand(Victoria University of Wellington | Te Herenga Waka, 2025-12-19) Neill, CarolEmma Meurant’s death in 1890 at the age of 16 put her briefly but sensationally in New Zealand’s national news spotlight. Her suicide was described across New Zealand daily newspapers as an agonising death caused by her taking the poison “Rough on Rats”. Later, Emma’s death was explained by a coroner as influenced by her reading with sensational literature, which, he and a jury determined, had put her in a state of temporary insanity. They arrived at this finding after hearing the testimony of community and family members two days after Emma’s death. Sensationalism therefore reigned not only in the report of her death, but also in how it was explained – and, one might read, how that conclusion was drawn. This article examines the context of Emma Meurant’s death and its historical setting, to develop understanding of how sensationalism was understood, explained and acted out in late nineteenth century New Zealand through the coroner’s inquest and newspapers. It explores the record of interactions amongst those who were involved in the event of this death, and how they appeared to fashion their own positions in relation to their social standing, their connection with Emma, and their own perspectives on sensationalism.Item The Life of Droids: A Droidean Corporeal Horror(Walter de Gruyter GmbH, 2025-12-19) Gibbons, Andrew; Denton, Andrew; Yu, RainieIn this article the life of droids is explored through a weaving of scenes, dialogue, analysis, theory and an exhibition. The imagery and text are employed to work through the experiences of the droids and the relationships that are revealed, or perhaps even presenced (Heidegger, 1993). The works of Heidegger and Camus on technology and science, the story of Viktor Frankenstein’s absence of care for ‘his’ creation, and insights from Daniel Wallace’s book, 'Star Wars: The New Essential Guide to Droids' add textual flavour to the images that have been produced by the authors and that invite exploration of life in the age of droidean corporeal horror. In this exhibition of machine lives, the images are presented as uncanny moments (Rancière, 2010), revealing questions concerning technology and being (Heidegger, 1993). The educational intention of this work is not to emancipate machine life through the horror stories of droidean cultures and communities, but rather to offer insights into the error of Modern mastery.Item Kiwi kids once led the world in reading – this 1950s primary school syllabus still has lessons for today(The Conversation, 2025-05-09) Boyask, Ruth; Milne, JohnItem Why claims of ‘transformational’ school reading improvement are premature(The Conversation, 2025-10-20) Milne, JohnItem Reclaiming ‘fun’: A School Leader’s Reflexive Account of a Social and Emotional Learning Initiative in Primary Education(Walter de Gruyter GmbH, 2025-12-06) Drake, MelanieIn an era where schools are under immense pressure to deliver top academic results and meet performance expectations from stakeholders such as government departments, parents, and school boards, the idea of prioritising ‘fun’ over academic outcomes might appear unconventional. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, exposed the fragility of traditional schooling models and underscored the urgency of addressing students’ social and emotional well-being. This South African leadership narrative reflects on how the principal and leadership team, in the first ‘normal’ school year following the pandemic, implemented a year-long initiative known as the Fun Project. Designed to rekindle joy, connection, and emotional recovery, the project centred on fostering Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) through creative, collaborative, and academically aligned cross-curricular learning experiences. Drawing on a reflexive autoethnographic and pracademic approach, this study situates the author’s lived leadership experience within wider educational leadership theory, exploring the tensions between academic accountability and student well-being. The narrative demonstrates how integrating SEL and joy into school culture can reframe educational priorities, cultivate resilience, and model a form of leadership grounded in reflection, relational trust, and hope.Item Teacher Inquiries Into the Education Journeys of Rangatahi in Alternative Education(Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2025-06-06) Turner-Adams, Hana; Bruce, Judy; Piggot-Irvine, Eileen; Schoone, AdrianThis action research (AR) project explored critical moments from the education experiences of disenfranchised rangatahi (young people) in Alternative Education (AE). The rangatahi hoped their stories would help teachers, principals, Boards of Trustees, and the Ministry of Education understand their experiences and hear their recommendations for helping vulnerable rangatahi in the future. AE teachers utilised storytelling and arts-based methods that enabled rangatahi to tell their stories. The relational and collaborative nature of AR was crucial to amplify the voices of the rangatahi and their AE teachers. This article shares insights from AE teachers’ inquiries and the AR process. The stories were thematically analysed to understand common schooling experiences. Experiences of microaggressions and microaffirmations, social and cultural spaces, transition and transience, exclusion and alienation, identities and relationships, and pedagogical approaches all impacted rangatahi identity and learning. Recommendations for how teachers and school leaders might adapt their practices to support disenfranchised rangatahi are considered.Item Self-Efficacy Perceptions of Tongan Students and Their Teachers Within Year 11 Business Studies(Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2025-01-22) Hausia, Ella’peta Fifita; Matapo, Jacoba; Gaffney, Janet SA growing number of Pasifika students are pursuing Business Studies at Secondary school. However, indigenous knowledge and epistemologies are not prominent in Business Studies. We discuss a qualitative decolonising study that explores the concept of self-efficacy in Business Studies from a Tongan perspective. We provide insights into the perceptions of Tongan student’s self-efficacy and their Business Studies teachers. Teachers’ views aligned with Western notions of self-efficacy, which conflict with Tongan perceptions, precisely the collective nature of Tongan self-efficacy. Key findings from teacher interviews and Talanoa with students provided an understanding of Pasifika students in general and experiences specific to Tongan students. Three main themes are highlighted: (a) key values for Tongan students, such as relationships, family, and identity; (b) students’ learning experiences across different contexts; and (c) framings of self-efficacy. This study’s implications for curriculum suggest how teachers can learn from and incorporate Tongan students’ values and identities, enhancing their engagement and performance in Business Studies. Extending this research to include the knowledge and understanding of Tongan families, community leaders, curriculum specialists, Business Studies educators, and researchers would create a transformational space for student engagement. Bringing together shared expert knowledge in the future would require more time for effective and meaningful Talanoa as a collective.Item Big Changes to NCEA and Polytechs Must Deliver the Skills NZ Urgently Needs(The Conversation, 2025-08-07) Maurice-Takerei, LisaItem NCEA Reform: How Will Schools Decide Who Takes an Academic or Vocational Path?(The Conversation, 2025-08-27) Maurice-Takerei, LisaItem Planting the Seed: Early Encounters With Art and Materials for Infants and Toddlers(The University of Auckland, 2025-11-24) Probine, Sarah; Denee, RachelThis article reports findings from a qualitative case study exploring visual arts pedagogy for infants and toddlers in four early childhood education settings in Aotearoa New Zealand. Drawing on interviews, observations, and document analysis, the research examined how kaiako (teachers) designed and facilitated culturally responsive, intentional visual arts experiences. Findings highlight the importance of relational pedagogy, sustained engagement with rich materials, and teachers’ views of infants and toddlers as capable, agentic learners. Teachers described their practice as a dynamic “dance” of stepping back to honour children’s exploration and stepping forward to sensitively guide and extend. Organisational conditions, including leadership support and collaborative inquiry, were essential for embedding visual arts as a valued part of the curriculum. The study underscores the transformative potential of early visual arts experiences for fostering identity, wellbeing, and dispositions for learning and calls for strengthened guidance and professional development in this area.Item Kia Tōtika te Haere: Exploring Unhurried Pedagogies Through Child Led Inquiry Learning With Infants and Toddlers(The University of Auckland, 2025-11-24) Probine, Sarah; Heta-Lensen, Yo; Burke, Rachael; Perry, Jo; Alderson, JoanneThis paper explores how inquiry with infants and toddlers can be meaningfully enacted through slow, relational pedagogies that foreground deep listening, documentation, and sustained engagement with people, place, and materials. Drawing on narrative inquiry from two early childhood centres in Aotearoa New Zealand, we examine how kaiako create time and space for infants’ and toddlers’ working theories to unfold through embodied, sensory-rich experiences. We highlight three key strategies: relational practice, pedagogical documentation, and attuned listening, as foundational to inquiry with the very youngest learners. Framed through the concept of Āta (Pohatu, 2013), we consider how these strategies align with Māori values of respect, reflection, and reciprocity, offering a culturally grounded lens for unhurried pedagogy. We argue that in the current political climate, inquiry with infants and toddlers is both a pedagogical and political stance, affirming infants’ and toddlers’ rights to agency, participation, and meaningful learning from birth.Item Change and Persistence. The Legacies for VET in Aotearoa, New Zealand(Osnabrueck University, 2025-10-02) Maurice-Takerei, LisaThis paper provides a background to vocational education and training in Aotearoa New Zealand with a focus on the legacies that continue to impact the environment and conditions for a stable and viable VET system. Despite ongoing measures to reform and organise VET through legislative shifts and changes in administration and organisation, the sector continues to be unsettled and in flux. There are several embedded attitudes associated with vocational, trade and technical education that have thwarted efforts to develop a strong vocational and technical education system in Aotearoa, New Zealand over time and these have had an impact on efforts at reform. This paper examines some of the historical conditions that have led to the environment for VET as we now find it – underdeveloped, underfunded and in a constant state of reform.Item Feasibility and Potential Efficacy of Movement-Active-Physical-Play (M.A.P.P) Physical Activity Program in New Zealand’s Early Childhood Education Centres: A Pilot Cluster-randomised Controlled Trial(Elsevier, 2025-11-14) Pirie, Wendy; Duncan, Scott; Gibbons, Andrew; Jones, Rachel; Stewart, Tom; Harris, NigelObjective: To determine feasibility and potential efficacy of the M.A.P.P physical activity program in early childhood education (ECE) centres. Method: Four ECE centres were randomised to intervention (n=2) or control (n=2). Participants included 46 children (3.9 ± 0.5 years, M = 22, F = 24), 8 female leaders, and 20 female teachers. The 10-week online M.A.P.P. intervention aimed to improve physical activity (PA) levels and the quality of movement environments. Potential efficacy was assessed using accelerometry; feasibility was explored via observations and interviews. Results: Programme adherence was high (80%). Teachers, leaders and children reported M.A.P.P as enjoyable. No significant intervention effects were found for sedentary behaviour (β = 1.14, 95% confidence interval (CI): [-7.00, 9.27], p=0.244), light PA (β = 11.5, 95% CI: [-0.97, 23.9], p=0.367), moderate PA (β = -10.8, 95% CI: [-22.1, 0.49], p=0.685), vigorous PA (β = -1.98, 95% CI: [-6.48, 2.51], p=0.458), moderate-to-vigorous intensity PA (β = -13.5, 95% CI: [-27.1, 0.125], p=0.849). Conclusions: M.A.P.P. is feasible in ECE centres but its effects on PA require further investigation. Implications for public health: Supporting ECE teachers to promote PA may provide public health benefits in early childhood.Item Doing Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) in Applied Linguistics Research: A Field-Specific Guide(Elsevier, 2025-11-03) Willis, Rohan; Harvey, SharonAs applied linguistics increasingly embraces qualitative and socially situated methodologies, it has drawn on approaches from other disciplines. This paper extends that trajectory by exploring interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), a qualitative methodology originating in psychology and grounded in phenomenology, hermeneutics, and idiography. IPA offers a valuable framework for research focused on the lived experiences of language users, learners, and educators. The paper argues for a critical repositioning of IPA within applied linguistics, highlighting its capacity to examine how individuals make meaning of complex linguistic, cultural, and educational phenomena. Using data from interviews and focus groups, the IPA demonstrated here enables detailed, contextualized analysis of additional language (AL) learning and teaching practices. It attends to both individual cases and cross-case thematic patterns. By providing a methodological guide featuring a worked example from a doctoral study with New Zealand-based ESOL teachers, the analysis examines how teachers’ experiences of AL learning inform their TESOL knowledge and practices and how they view their professional positioning in the TESOL sector. The paper offers strategies for rigor, transparency, and ethical reflexivity in IPA research. It concludes with a critical reflection on the strengths and limitations of IPA for researching language teacher knowledge and practice.Item Challenging and Expanding the Concept of ‘Readiness to Teach’ in Neoliberal Times: Insights From New Materialist and Posthumanism Theories(New Zealand Tertiary College (NZTC), 2024-10) Tulloch, LynleyTeacher education degree programmes have a range of imperatives when preparing students for the multifaceted and complex role of becoming a teacher. In the field of Early Childhood Education (ECE) in Aotearoa, readiness to teach is one such pressing driver. It is important to prepare student teachers to develop a range of theoretical and practical competencies that will support them in being ready to teach. Yet teaching is so much more than a technical practice – it’s a political act that occurs in a localised time/space. In this article, I rethink the concept of ‘teacher readiness’ in neo-liberal contexts in Aotearoa. This article uses new materialist and posthumanist theories to challenge the neoliberal notion of teacher readiness as an outcome based on predetermined attributes and standards. Instead, I focus on how the concept of (un)readiness might challenge dominant Western Euro-centric and neo-liberal ways of knowing and being. It is argued that refractive thinking allows a nuanced and fluid approach to aspects of teacher readiness such as teacher positionality, identity, and pedagogy. Embracing (un)readiness opens spaces for imaginative, creative and deeply thoughtful practice with children. It also offers possibilities for a deepening resistance to the neoliberal discourses within ECE in Aotearoa.Item The Three Strands of Teamwork: Learning, Dialogue and Trust(Private Entity "Center of Excellence", 2025-04-07) Youngs, HowardTeamwork requires intentional effort on a daily basis. It may flourish when school leaders, team leaders and teachers intentionally position themselves as learners so team learning may occur. One approach to enhancing teamwork in teacher teams is through collaborative inquiry, provided the three strands of teamwork mutually support each other through day-to-day practice. These strands are learning, dialogue and trust. Работа в команде требует ежедневных целенаправленных усилий. Она может быть успешной, когда руководители школ, лидеры групп и учителя намеренно позиционируют себя как обучающихся, что позволяет им учиться в команде. Одним из подходов к улучшению командной работы в учительском коллективе является совместное исследование при условии, что три составляющие командной работы взаимно дополняют друг друга в повседневной практике. Этими составляющими являются обучение, диалог и доверие. Командалық жұмыс күнделікті жоспарланған іс-әрекеттерді қажет етеді. Ол мектеп басшылары, топ көшбасшылары және мұғалімдер командалық оқытуды қамтамасыз ету үшін білім алушы ретінде әрекет еткен кезде табысты болады. Мұғалімдер ұжымындағы командалық жұмысты жетілдіру тәсілдерінің бірі – командалық жұмыстың үш құрамдас бөлігі күнделікті тәжірибеде бірін-бірі толықтыруын қамтамасыз ете отырып бірлескен зерттеу жүргізу. Командалық жұмыстың құрамдас бөліктері – оқу, диалог және сенім.Item Editorial: Teachers’ Work in Aotearoa New Zealand’s Changing Policyscape(Faculty of Education, University of Canterbury, 2025-06-30) Cook, Helena; Teschers, Christoph; Devine, Nesta; Couch, Daniel; Jones, Kay-LeeIt is not easy to be an educator in 2025 in Aotearoa New Zealand. Amidst a variety of pressures, many educators continue to see their role as not merely a job but rather a privilege to guide, support, and empower future generations. However, while teaching is never ‘easy’, it seems that attacks on education, educators, and widely shared values in education such as equity, fairness, and a commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi have been relentless in the policyscape over the last 12-18 months. Looking back at the past two editorials in Teachers’ Work, we critiqued the progressing privatisation and commercialisation of education (Couch et al., 2024), and the ongoing attempts of the current government to undermine Te Tiriti o Waitangi as a foundational document of our government and society (Jones et al., 2024). As Alwyn Poole opines in The Post (Poole, 2025), our education system appears to be in decline on multiple levels and none of the recent successive governments have made any substantial inroads that would address key issues, such as “an overworked and under-appreciated teaching profession; a general over-reliance on market-driven policy; a culture of testing, measurement and accountability; ongoing equity and access issues; and a lack of urgency in preparing students for the 21st century” (Baker, 2023, p. 14). Although one can argue that much has changed in recent years, these issues remain or indeed are being exacerbated.Item Reweaving Practice: The Challenges and Opportunities for Overseas-trained Teachers in Aotearoa(Massey University: Institute of Education and the Early Years Research Lab, 2025-07-16) Ong, PatriciaThis opinion piece explores the complex journey of overseas-trained teachers (OTTs) entering New Zealand's early childhood education (ECE) sector. While these educators bring diverse professional experience and cultural capital, they face significant challenges aligning their practices with Te Whāriki and bicultural commitments grounded in Te Tiriti o Waitangi. This piece critiques current induction systems, highlighting gaps in cultural mentoring and relational support. It calls for a reimagined induction process that emphasises culturally sustaining pedagogies, iwi partnerships, and reflective practice. The paper advocates for reweaving rather than merely integrating OTTs’ knowledge into Aotearoa’s unique educational fabric, emphasising the transformative potential of well-supported international educators in strengthening culturally inclusive learning environments.Item The Price of Milk: Dairy Farming as Colonialism in Aotearoa New Zealand(University of Wollongong Library, 2025-07-02) Tulloch, LynleyThis paper critically analyses the history and culture of dairy production in Aotearoa New Zealand through a historical-materialist approach. It is argued that the violence of settler colonisation in Aotearoa New Zealand is pervasive and multifaceted. In historicizing the production and ideological maintenance of pastoralism and dairy farming in Aotearoa New Zealand, I argue that this has resulted in ongoing interspecies violence. A decolonial perspective is adopted, focusing on how pastoralism was the bedrock for animal agriculture and the alienation of Māori from their land and ways of being. The first part of this paper explores the development and growth of dairying in Aotearoa New Zealand, arguing that this was enabled in large part due to the confiscation of Māori land by the British colonial government. Following this, insights from postcolonial theory and critical animal studies are applied to examine the ongoing effects of capitalist colonisation and dairy expansion on the environment, the cows themselves, and Māori. Critical discourse analysis is then employed to explore dominant colonial ideologies of dairy farming that have persisted into the present day.