Self-efficacious teachers are critical in the development of students' positive attitudes towards science and scientific literacy yet to date little attention has been given to studies of experienced teachers of primary science and development of their self-efficacy (SE) beliefs. The aim of this study was to explore how two experienced teachers of…

Teacher efficacy influences what and how they teach. This may be particularly important to consider in Aotearoa New Zealand contexts where primary classroom teachers teach health and physical education and use physical activity breaks with little training. It remains unclear how classroom teachers perceive this role and how to better support them.…

This article reports on a research study of the perception of work stress among twelve participant primary school teachers in the Wellington region in New Zealand. Specifically, it focuses on the way the participants' perceive work stress and its contributing factors, and the coping strategies they employ. Interpretative phenomenological analysis…

Socio-scientific issues (SSIs) are real-life problems which have a scientific basis yet require the consideration of social concerns. Using SSIs has been advocated as an approach to engage secondary-school students with science and this study aimed to explore the potential of such an approach in the primary-school classroom. The experiences and…

This article outlines research in which six primary teachers were interviewed and asked to discuss their ability to identify giftedness in a range of domains. Teachers seemed more likely to identify giftedness in domains in which they perceived themselves to have a higher level of content knowledge. This small-scale study suggests that variations…

In this paper, I report on one teacher's journey of change in grouping her students for mathematics learning. In addition, I describe and illustrate the design and implementation of a smart tool used for planning for effective grouping in collaborative mathematics problem-solving. The findings illustrate that when explicit teacher support is…

With online learning becoming a more viable option for teachers to develop their expertise, our report shares one such effort focused on improving the teaching of statistics. We share design principles and learning opportunities in an online course developed specifically to serve as a widescale online professional development opportunity for…

Since the 2010-2011 Christchurch earthquakes staff and learners at Waitakiri School have been participating in daily singing specifically to promote wellbeing, and wellbeing scores have remained high. Facilitation of the singing involved the creation of "no pressure", democratic and participatory conditions, with teachers specifically…

The first year of teaching is a significant period in a teacher's life but for many it can signal the end, rather than the beginning, of their career. The demands of beginning teaching are well documented (Devos et al. in "Teach Teach Educ" 28(2): 206-217, 2012; Fantilli and McDougall in "Teach Teach Educ" 25(6): 814-825, 2009)…

The authors define accountability broadly as a government's mechanism for holding educational institutions to account for the delivery of high quality education. The idea that the practice of accountability can contribute directly to improvements in education is a powerful one that underpins policy. Paradoxically, though, some hold that…

Recycling is often included in lists of things that can be done to mitigate climate change. Recycling is not a "bad" thing, but recycling alone is an insufficient response to the complex problems posed by climate change. This article takes the reader through the journey of an experienced teacher who began with a hopeful vision to include…

This commentary aims to encourage a research-based, critical, inquiring approach to the development of play-based learning in primary schools. I suggest that this approach could build from the wealth of knowledge in the early childhood education sector. I also invite greater collaboration between early childhood and primary teachers, particularly…

Understanding the goals for learning is fundamental to students' success as writers. We investigated how Year 6 students in New Zealand experienced, understood and responded to goals during a writing unit. The study took place over seven weeks. Data were gathered through interviews with two teachers and six student participants; field notes from…

The aim of this study was to explore how purposeful educational design using mobile learning might enable integration of classroom and outside of classroom teaching and learning. It was based on a marine reserves learning experience at a primary school which connected with a marine science and conservation visitor centre. The researchers'…

Teachers are obligated to construct an environment inclusive of "all" students. This article argues critical literacy with queer intent can offer strategies to expose normative constructions of gender and sexuality that can exclude some students. I initiate the case with a queer theory analysis of a description of critical literacy…