Schools can be permanently closed for many reasons -- economic rationalisation, post-disaster relocations, population decline or educational failure. Research on permanent school closures reports mostly negative and long-lasting consequences, not just for the school's staff and students, but for the local community. After the 2010/2011 Canterbury…

This paper analyzes interviews with 27 K-12 distance/online learning experts conducted during the early COVID-19 pandemic, as schools rapidly transitioned to emergency remote instruction. Short video interviews gathered insights from veteran online teachers, school leaders, officials, and scholars on effective remote practices and supporting home…

University of Canterbury, as an institution, had developed strong educational resilience during and after the 2010-11 earthquakes. Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, New Zealand shut down all university educational facilities in March 2020, with education migrated online. Within this unique context, this research aims to (1) investigate civil…

The worldwide disruption of higher education during the COVID-19 pandemic has been studied from the viewpoints of institutions and teachers, with some attention to students' health and learning challenges. Attempts to theorise the diverse and conflicting challenges faced by students learning online during the pandemic have been limited. It is…

The role universities play in advancing COVID-specific knowledge and long-term management of this global crisis is largely unknown. In this comparative perspective study, we document the ways in which members from universities in the US, New Zealand, Italy, South Korea, and China engage in activities to respond to the pandemic. We frame this study…

The government of Aotearoa New Zealand has recognised the gravity of climate change by adopting a Climate Emergency declaration, passing the Zero Carbon Act (2019), and asking the Climate Change Commission to chart a pathway towards a carbon-zero future. The climate emergency necessitates transformation of the practices and visions of individuals…

The future of tertiary education grapples with the opportunities, affordances, and limitations of online teaching and learning (T&L), and educators' valuable insights and experiences can shape and enhance the tertiary sector. The current study provided tertiary educators with an opportunity to anonymously share their online T&L…

A summary of Carol Mutch's research into the role of schools in disaster response and recovery highlights the expectations that are placed on schools following a crisis. Her research shows that school staff undertake these extra demands willingly and conscientiously, despite the toll that it takes on their own health and wellbeing. In this article…

Completing a PhD is difficult. Add a major earthquake sequence and general stress levels become much higher. Caring for some of the nonacademic needs of doctoral scholars in this environment becomes critical to their scholarly success. Yet academic supervisors, who are in the same challenging environment, may already be stretched to capacity. How…

Background: This project is a case study of postdisaster housing recovery in Christchurch, New Zealand, after the Canterbury earthquakes of 2010 and 2011. Aims: In this qualitative study, we analyzed the statutory framework governing the process of postdisaster housing recovery and its impact on local democracy. We also explored the role of…

Scholars, practitioners and educators propose video games as innovative teaching methods to engage geography students. A methodological framework, informed by constructivist learning theory, explored the ability of 'serious' disaster video games to foster student participation in learning within four New Zealand schools. The findings indicate the…

Every year, worldwide, disasters affect approximately seven million children with disabilities, highlighting their potential vulnerability. Although there is a growing move internationally to promote the rights of children with disabilities, they still receive little attention from disaster risk reduction (DRR) researchers and policy makers. They…

There is growing evidence that children are vulnerable to poor psychological outcomes following exposure to a range of potentially traumatic events. Teachers are in a unique and well-placed position to provide vital support to children following potentially traumatic events and to also provide a vital role in helping to identify children who may…

The author followed five primary (elementary) schools over three years as they responded to and began to recover from the 2010-2011 earthquakes in and around the city of Christchurch in the Canterbury region of New Zealand. The purpose was to capture the stories for the schools themselves, their communities, and for New Zealand's historical…