This review provides an overview of the literature related to inclusive education for students with autism/takiwatanga in Aotearoa. A search of peer-reviewed literature identified 49 potentially relevant publications; of these, 13 met the inclusionary criteria. The reviewed publications addressed issues of how best to achieve inclusive education…

Given the challenges faced in enacting curricular expectations of developing intercultural communicative competence through the teaching of languages, this study reports on a language and culture assistants (LACs) programme that may offer a viable pathway for foreign language programmes around the world. We examine how local non-native speaker…

Teacher-student relationships are critically important for student engagement and learning. Increasingly, children with additional behavioural, physical, communication, and learning needs are supported in the classroom by teacher aides working alongside teachers. Although the teacher aide role is often described as relational, few studies have…

In response to community and sector needs, in 2020 an Initial Teacher Education (ITE) provider in Aotearoa/New Zealand developed a Bachelor of Teaching (Primary) programme with a unique design as an alternative pathway into the profession. The design elements of the programme included being field-based, online, and with a bicultural kaupapa. This…

One of the most important achievements individuals accomplish is the development of a first language. However, many students who are deaf who use sign language to communicate struggle to become fluent in sign. One factor that hinders their language development is the fact that most of the adults they interact with do not sign well. The purpose of…

The role of teacher aides (TAs)1 has increased in complexity and includes working to support students with challenging behaviour. This review examines the professional learning and development (PLD) needs of TAs who work with students with challenging behaviour and the types of PLD which are effective. TAs feel underprepared for behaviour work and…

Teacher aides have been part of New Zealand classrooms for many decades. Initially, they were employed to perform clerical and supervisory duties that required no professional training, such as typing, duplicating and playground supervision. Over the years, however, their role has changed significantly. They now play a pivotal role as a 'people…

This report investigates students' perspectives on a sense of belonging, and the relationship between inclusive practices. It further considers the implications for Resource Teachers: Learning and Behaviour (RTLB) as they work in secondary schools to support inclusive teaching practice. The inquiry question, "How can RTLB effectively support…

Personal narrative ability is crucial for social-emotional well-being and classroom participation. This study investigated the ability of 10 school-age participants with Down syndrome to share past personal experiences with their teacher aides in their school environment. To participate, children were required to speak in short sentences and be…

This study investigated the role of ITE in preparing beginner, secondary school teachers for including diverse groups of learners by capturing their experiences of ITE and their early career. An online questionnaire was completed by early career secondary school teachers. Follow-up interviews with four teachers explored salient findings from the…

Teachers are often faced with the challenge of teaching students with high functioning autism without any formal professional development in autism. Resource Teachers of Learning and Behaviour (RTLB) are a service which is able to provide short-term support for teachers. One of the roles of RTLB is to provide teachers with the required support to…

Effective school leadership in supporting outcomes for all students is critical. This study focuses on six New Zealand principals as they endeavour to make a difference to reading outcomes for 11 to 13 year-old students. In New Zealand, there are approximately 20% of students who are underachieving in reading. Once they reach the final years of…

Disabled students' entry to the (compulsory) education system in New Zealand is often conditional upon the presence of untrained teacher aides, who are frequently regarded as the "solution to inclusion". This widespread practice has occurred within a research and policy void, despite the growing body of international research literature…

In this article, Gill Rutherford seeks to understand, from the perspectives of teacher aides, the influence of their work on the school experiences of New Zealand students with disabilities. Rutherford contributes to a growing body of international research regarding the role of teacher aides that documents the complex and ambiguous nature of…

Since 1989, teacher aides have become a familiar part of our classrooms as they support students with special educational needs. International and New Zealand research shows that despite many teacher aide practices that effectively support student learning in inclusive settings, there are some practices that work against the inclusion of some…