Arguably, the classroom teacher is an important factor, if not the most important factor, in helping students with dyslexia to read and write well, yet there is little known about whether teachers perceive that they have the knowledge and confidence to teach these students. The present study was a national online survey of schools in Aotearoa New…

According to the OECD definition of innovative learning environments (ILEs), inclusion is considered a pillar of its design. The depiction of an inclusive ILE from the OECD outlines the importance of including students in ILEs. We wish to argue, however, that the successful implementation of inclusion also needs to address the location of special…

The purpose of this study is to understand the current situation where practising New Zealand primary educators have utilised ChatGPT. More explicitly, the research considered how educators perceived the beneficial affordances and used them to support their classroom practice. Concurrently, negative implications of use are noted and an attempt to…

A small, but growing, number of studies explore the connections between process drama pedagogy and the development of empathy. In our view, empathy involves affective and cognitive processes of the heart and the mind. In this article, we report findings from a year-long New Zealand research project with four primary school teachers who integrated…

This research aims to develop a deeper understanding of what factors contribute to effective interprofessional collaboration in education from the perspectives of primary school teachers in Aotearoa New Zealand. A qualitative constructivist methodology was used involving semi-structured telephone interviews with seven teachers working in primary…

The increasing use of digital devices by young children, has led to calls for earlier teaching for information literacy. However, some research indicates reluctance to do this, due to perceived limitations of young children and notions about what is and is not 'appropriate' for them learn. This study examines this proposition, through analysis of…

Artificial intelligence (AI) will be in the future lives of children at school today. Voice-activated intelligent personal assistant devices are used in the home and could be useful in the classroom. This article explores how two groups of New Zealand children aged 7-12 engaged with Google Home devices in their classroom. Interactions recorded…

Primary classroom teachers are increasingly moving to the side-line as physical education (PE) is outsourced to external providers. Although there are many critiques of external providers, few studies draw on primary school students' perspectives. This study calls on data from semi-structured focus group interviews with 24 students from four New…

The national increase in schools implementing play-based learning (PBL) has highlighted a need for Resource Teachers: Learning & Behaviour (RTLB) and others to develop a thorough understanding of the pedagogies that align with PBL to ensure they are well placed to fulfil a key element of their role and support teachers to grow their…

In an increasing number of countries, the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) plays a key role in implementing inclusive provision for students with special educational needs. Existing literature on SENCos mainly focuses on the nature and enactment of the role, with few investigating SENCo identities. Hence, the study presented in this…

Invasive species pose a threat to biodiversity, and as such feature in some conservation education programs. However, there is debate about how to teach this difficult subject. We explored perspectives using a case study of education about introduced mammalian predators in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ). We conducted semi-structured interviews with 18…

In the present study, the effects of teachers' beliefs and practices about writing pedagogy on students' progress were investigated in the context of the New Zealand primary school system. A total of 626 teachers completed a survey on their beliefs and practices. Principal component analysis of beliefs isolated three dimensions, reflecting…

This study sought to investigate sixteen New Zealand primary student teachers in the second year of their three-year Bachelor of Teaching (Primary) initial teacher education (ITE) programme. Specifically, how these participating student teachers planned for science, technology, and the arts as they worked to be both more effective and culturally…

Health and Physical Education (HPE) has been an important learning area in the "New Zealand Curriculum" (NZC) since the two learning areas were integrated in the 1990s. HPE in the NZC proposed a multi-dimensional education vision, principles and values for students' holistic development founded upon theoretical perspectives such as…

This study investigates the challenges of teaching history to primary school students and the endeavour to develop a board game, supported by educational apps and augmented reality, to enhance the learning experience. The initiative is in response to the New Zealand Ministry of Education's mandate that New Zealand's history must be taught in all…