Bringing an awareness of emotions to the fore through mindfulness-based breathing and providing a space to discuss them is a way of promoting teacher and student agency in collectively developing structures specific to their learning environment. The authors explore students', teachers', and researchers' collective sensemaking through cogenerative…

Many children on the autism spectrum have difficulty developing reading comprehension skills. This multiple phase single case design pilot study examined the impact of a computer-assisted reading tool, Reading Eggspress™, with or without teacher directed instruction on the reading comprehension skills of four children on the autism spectrum (mean…

In this New Zealand study, the maths self-efficacy and achievement of Year 4-10 students is being tracked over 3 years. A particular strength of this study is that maths self-efficacy is being measured in relation to items that have been psychometrically located on a difficulty scale, enabling students' self-efficacy responses to be interpreted in…

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…

This small study sought to determine students' knowledge of multiplication and division and whether they are able to use sets of bundling sticks to demonstrate their knowledge. Manipulatives are widely used in primary and some middle school classrooms, and can assist children to connect multiplicative concepts to physical representations.…

Mindfulness practices are increasingly used in classrooms to enhance the well-being dimensions of learning environments. New Zealand policy documents draw on a bicultural perspective that promotes a holistic framing of well-being. This paper will consider the transformative possibilities of a mindfulness-based breathing intervention in two New…

Aotearoa New Zealand is a diverse multicultural nation, with a vibrant indigenous culture and language. However, levels of bilingualism are relatively low, with less than 20% of the population using more than one language. English is the dominant language, and monolingualism in English the taken for granted norm. In the New Zealand Curriculum…

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…

Patterns of participation in mathematics are often affected by power and status structures in the classroom. This case study focuses on two 10-year-old students who have achievement and status and power issues in mathematics, within a class of predominantly Maori and Pasifika students from low socio-economic backgrounds. The findings illustrate…

In contemporary times, corporate philanthropy is positioned as an effective means to 'solve' a variety of social problems. Childhood obesity is one such 'problem' that has captured the interests of schools, corporations, industry groups and a number of 'not-for-profit' players. In this paper, I critically examine how the private sector uses the…

Research in both the New Zealand and international contexts identifies the need for New Zealand classrooms to foster culturally responsive and mathematical practices that align with Påsifika students' cultural values, backgrounds, interests and experiences. The aim of this study was to investigate how the use of culturally responsive tasks along…

In New Zealand and internationally, diverse groups of people are under-represented in mathematics. Disrupting deficit discourses requires educators to recognise the funds of knowledge of learners. This article focuses on stories of mathematics at home and in the community of Pacific learners to highlight what we can learn from the voices of…

A variety of antenatal risk factors have been established as being detrimental to a child's developing language ability. Our aim was to examine the relationship between exposure to cumulative risk (CR), including antenatal maternal, perinatal, and maternal health characteristics, and children's preschool language ability. Analyses were comprised…

Although informal learning is part of everyday life it is only recently that attempts have been made to more fully conceptualise its nature. This paper explores young children's conceptions of their everyday and informal learning outside of school within the Aotearoa New Zealand context. Phenomenography is used to systematically analyse the…

Little is known about the knowledge and perceptions that inform children's safety in the aquatic environment. This paper reports on 8-9 year old children's critical thinking of water safety and safety strategies at the beach. One-to-one interview data with Year 4 students from across New Zealand, collected as part of the National Monitoring Study…