This study examined young learners' motivation and strategy use for Chinese-as-a-foreign-language (L2 Chinese) learning in New Zealand. A total of 1157 primary school students from 29 primary schools were recruited for the study. The results revealed that primary school young learners' overall motivation and strategy use for L2 Chinese learning…

Big ideas, sometimes referred to as key, core, fundamental or threshold concepts, are widely applicable concepts at the heart of disciplines that are or have been central and influential for their fields. Attention here is particularly directed to meta-concepts common to sister disciplines in the sciences. "Learning thresholds",…

This article explores the motivation of non-Maori learners of te reo Maori as an L2. Inspired by calls for contextualised investigations of the L2 motivation of learners of LOTEs, our study utilises an "ethical self-formation framework" [Hennig, B. B. 2010a. "Language Learning and the Self: Exploring Hong Kong Students' Motivation…

Perfectionism has adverse impacts on mental health and academic outcomes. We evaluated a 5-lesson classroom intervention for young adolescents delivered by teachers for impact on perfectionism, well-being, self-compassion, academic motivation and negative affect, at post-intervention and 3-month follow-up. Classes (N = 636 students, M[subscript…

Research on grit indicates that perseverance positively predicts academic achievement. Yet, the mechanisms through which perseverance might lead to academic success remain less explored, particularly in cross-cultural research. The current study investigated such mechanisms by examining possible mediating effects of students' use of self-regulated…

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to accurately identify what motivates the English language learning of Palestinian refugee girls at Al-Hussain Prep School in Camp Jabal Al-Hussain, Amman, Jordan. This study also explores the formal and informal avenues by which the girls learn English, as well as the potential obstacles that…

The present qualitative study investigated the experiences of the English language learning of the Palestinian refugee girls, motivations, formal and informal avenues of learning English. The study discussed the support and the obstacles of learning at AlHussain Prep School in Camp Jabal Al-Hussain, Amman, Jordan. As illustrated in the literature…

The purpose of this article is to explore the concept of student agency when applied to learning across "The New Zealand Curriculum" (Ministry of Education, 2007). To explore agency the author presents and describes a range of teaching pedagogies that are based on principles of intrinsic motivation. The author describes, with examples,…

Field education is a critical and enriching component of the undergraduate geoscience curriculum and is enhanced when combined with a study abroad program. The affective domain -- defined in geoscience as emotion, motivation, and connection to Earth -- is an integral part of the field experience. Using questionnaire data collected at the start of…

Purpose: This article investigates the mathematics educational values of Pasifika students in New Zealand. It draws on student voice to examine Pasifika students' understanding of mathematics educational values and their reasons for rating values at different levels of importance. Design/Approach/Methods: The study involved Years 7 and 8 Pasifika…

This article reports on a teacher-led inquiry at Mt Roskill Primary School from 2016 to 2017. Teachers worked with a group of Pasifika and Maori students to develop a learning environment and use pedagogies inspired by the makerspace movement. Data on students' engagement and achievement levels indicated positive development in the key…

This article reports on the final phase of a three-phase project and investigates the characteristics of high-achieving students at a university. It also reports student evaluations of a low-cost program aimed at supporting them, assesses their levels of satisfaction, and evaluates the applicability of the program across three institutions in the…

This study employed a large-scale cross-sectional survey (n = 443) to develop and validate second language (L2) regulatory styles [Noels et al. 2000. "Why are You Learning a Second Language? Motivational Orientations and Self-Determination Theory." "Language Learning" 50 (1): 57-85] in the sample of successful English learners…

This article presents a systematic review of literature that explores the educational value of the Internet in the home for school aged children. Research published between 2008 and 2018 was examined and 67 items were analyzed. A range of positive, negative and neutral correlations or outcomes of home Internet use were identified across the three…

Immersion programs have long been considered the gold standard for school-based language revitalization, but surprisingly little attention has been paid to the quantity and quality of the input that they provide to young language learners. Drawing on new data from three such programs (Kaqchikel, Western Subanon, and Maori), each with its own…