This invited article comprises three parts that document the history of distance and flexible learning in New Zealand and the professional association DEANZ/FLANZ (Distance Education Association of New Zealand, later known as the Flexible Learning Association of New Zealand), which serves this community. The first part was originally published in…

This article details findings from an exploratory case study that examined the efficacy of a phonological awareness and vocabulary programme with children educated in a bilingual immersion context of English and te reo Maori (Maori language) in Aotearoa New Zealand. The current paper discusses changes in the development of early literacy skills in…

Judgements of the work of school principals may be formal through an appraisal process or informal from students, teachers, parents, and members of the community in which the school operates. This article focuses on New Zealand rural primary school principals' experiences of informal expectations--and judgements about whether they meet these…

'Trauma-informed' is fast becoming a buzzword, a term being used widely across health, education, and other sectors. Online technologies are enabling an increasing number of schools to have instant access to 'expert' trauma-informed approaches, practices and research, however, the ways in which this information is being used varies greatly. This…

As part of the National Survey of Schools project, part of NZCER's Te Pae Tawhiti programme of research, we collaborated with the New Zealand Area Schools Association (NZASA) to survey area school teachers between 15 June and 21 July 2023. A total of 652 area teachers across 64 area schools completed the survey, with questions focusing on: (1)…

Rapid urban development in small rural communities is occurring at an unprecedented pace in regional Aotearoa New Zealand. Despite this growth, rural schools are positioned at the margins of the planning process and the implications of this urbanisation trend remains unknown. This research challenges the notion of the rural-urban divide by…

This paper examines online collaboration between small rural primary schools in New Zealand, focusing on principals' perspectives. Through semi-structured interviews with eight principals involved in the Virtual Learning Network (VLN) Primary, the study explores the benefits, challenges, and key factors for successful collaboration. The findings…

This is a reflective account of an inquiry learning process that took place as a small country school corrected its name from Tiritea to Turitea. We discuss the process as an example of how boards in mainstream schools can work collaboratively to uphold te ao Maori (the Maori world) in schools and to recognise obligations under the Te Tiriti o…

This article speaks to classroom reality issues that may supersede any ideals, funding and expectations. We document a journey regarding the implementation of arts integration for six teachers in a small rural school in New Zealand. Arts Integration is a pedagogical approach to teaching and learning that employs arts activities to teach concepts…

In this article we discuss teachers' perceptions and experiences of a collaborative case study to adapt a literacy approach originally designed for an Aotearoa New Zealand English-medium context. The approach was adapted to meet the needs of learners in a school offering differing levels of bilingual education. Our collaboration included a…

This paper, by a Bangladeshi and a New Zealander, brings together narrative inquiry studies of the leadership initiatives in two quite different rural schools, in Bangladesh and New Zealand respectively. The schools are in communities that might be considered as significantly underprivileged, and generationally alienated from education, within…

This research examines teaching outdoor education in two rural primary schools in Aotearoa New Zealand. The aim was to give "voice" to how outdoor education is taught, programmed and understood. Underpinning the research was the question: what factors enable/constrain teachers' ability to implement outdoor education? The findings…

In this literature review, the authors examined three key areas that were chosen as relevant to the challenges faced by small rural schools, and collaborative practice between schools working in virtual learning environments in New Zealand. The first area was rural education, where definitions of rurality and the demographics and characteristics…

Public education is not just a way to organise and fund education. It is also the expression of a particular ideal about education and of a particular way to conceive of the relationship between education and society. The ideal of public education sees education as an important dimension of the common good and as an important institution in…

This article considers the "creative education" of influential Aotearoa/New Zealand art educator Elwyn Richardson, which is based on what he calls the "discovery method": the "concentrated study of material from [students'] own surroundings." Through a game that his students play with tyres, we explore the role that…