A methodology for design based research (DBR) into effective development and use of Multi-User Virtual Environments (MUVE) in vocational education is proposed. It blends software development with DBR with two theories selected to inform the methodology. Legitimate peripheral participation LPP (Lave & Wenger, 1991) provides a filter when…

International research suggests that government policy, institutional culture and learner characteristics influence the attrition rate of first-year tertiary education students. These variables were investigated in relation to a cohort of 21 New Zealand students who failed a core literacy paper. The research utilised questionnaires, interviews…

This paper reports on interviews conducted with 36 teachers involved in university preparation courses at language teaching centres in New Zealand. The interviews were designed to investigate teacher attitudes to extensive reading in higher educational contexts, and current practice in such contexts. While teachers expressed positive beliefs about…

Research attention in English for academic purposes has generally been more focused on written than spoken genres, but there is growing interest in the value of speaking for learning, as well as recognition of its significance for students themselves. This article reports on one-to-one interactions between undergraduate students and teaching staff…

This paper reports on the reality of classroom-based inquiry learning in science, from the perspectives of high school students and their teachers, under a national curriculum attempting to encourage authentic scientific inquiry (as practiced by scientists). A multiple case study approach was taken, utilising qualitative research methods of…

One of the main objectives in health education in the New Zealand national curriculum is that students should be helped to take responsibility for their own health. However, most decisions about health programmes in primary schools are made by adults. This paper reports findings from a study which sought the views of primary children about their…

The first (exploratory) phase of the Learning in Science Project focused on science teaching/learning in the Form 1 to 4 level (ages 10 to 14) and sought to identify problems and difficulties in several areas. Provided in this paper are comments obtained during structured/unstructured interviews (from teachers, headmasters, science advisers, and…

This study presents findings from the second phase of a longitudinal study of teacher education, based on interviews with 105 students in their second year of training at three colleges of education (Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch) in New Zealand. The study investigated students' perceptions of their second year of training, their…

The first (exploratory) phase of the Learning in Science Project focused on science teaching/learning in the Form 1 to 4 level (ages 10 to 14) and sought to identify problems and difficulties in several areas. Provided in this paper are comments obtained during structured/unstructured interviews (from students, ex-students, teachers, headmasters,…

This report presents findings from the third phase of a longitudinal study of teacher education, based on a survey of 289 students in their third and final year of training at Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch Colleges of Education in New Zealand and interviews with 74 of the students. The study investigated students' perceptions of their…