Educational psychology remains constricted by Westernised science's universalising views. The teaching about emotions and their expression is a critical element at the core of educational psychology, but the underpinning ontology and theories appear to be largely unexamined. The importance of educational psychology was highlighted by the COVID-19…

Thinking sexuality education and religion together often results in antagonisms that pit religious and secular values against each other. Political theology provides new insights into this tendency by showing how modern concepts of political legitimacy are based on secularised Christian theology. Neoliberal schooling, public sexual health and…

As a non-indigenous science educator, I have embraced the idea of critical reflexive practice in order to be more responsive to the cultures and values of my Pasifika students and to become more inclusive of their indigenous knowledges. In this article I share three ways I have negotiated the incorporation of Pasifika values and knowledge into my…

Pasifika students' cultural knowledge and practices have long had low value in New Zealand schools. It has been argued that culturally responsive teaching practice is a priority for improving the achievement of Pasifika students. Teachers who are culturally responsive in their practice know how to capitalise on the key learnings of Pasifika…

In 1957, Ans Westra immigrated, as a young adult, from her native Holland to Aotearoa-New Zealand, where she eventually became one of the nation's foremost photographers, and perhaps the pre-eminent photographer of Maori people and events. Early in her career, before she became a famous photographer, Westra worked on contract developing classroom…

This article draws on data from research on how early childhood centres in Aotearoa New Zealand are responding to diversity. The historical and contemporary contexts which are shaping possible responses to diversity are discussed. Two case studies of a parent-led and a teacher-led centre are presented. It is argued that it is important to be more…

This author begins by mapping the policy changes of the past 20 years that have occupied and changed the educational terrain in New Zealand. Fundamentally, the reform of education was premised on ideological conjecture that some changes (structural, administrative, pedagogical and managerial) were required, and that these changes would deliver…

In this post 9/11 era Western cultures are focusing on values that support war and violence. In this article an ethnographer explores the impact of these values on schools. These values, seen through the lens of restorative justice, include: (a) punishment, (b) adversarial relationships, (c) monopolization of power, (d) problemization and…

In schools today inclusion involves a challenge to attitudes and expectations within educational communities. "The New Zealand Disability Strategy" (Minister for Disability Issues, 2001), is a guide for government action to promote a more inclusive society. Out of its 15 Objectives, Objective 1 encourages and educates the community and…

The discourses and practices of neoliberalism, including government policies for education and training, public debates regarding standards and changed funding regimes, have been at work on and in schools in capitalist societies since at least the 1980s. Yet we have been hard pressed to say what neoliberalism is, where it comes from and how it…