The nature of sex/ualities, genders and schooling has changed considerably over the last 20 years, with global political, social and cultural shifts bringing the lives of queer youth to the fore. Trans youth are now more visible and various kinds of support groups in schools (such as diversity support groups, queer groups and gay-straight…

Facilitators and barriers to recess physical activity are not well understood. To date, research on recess physical activity has predominantly focused on quantitative measures typically focusing on a narrow set of predefined factors, often constructed by adults. To really understand the factors affecting recess physical activity it is crucial to…

Purpose: Food practices, including associated routines, rituals, and habits, are an unexplored area in school health promotion. The purpose of this paper is to fill this gap through exploring how food rituals act as vehicles for young people to establish, maintain, and strengthen social relationships. Design/methodology/approach: Through an…

Children's interests and thinking emanate from their daily lived experiences in their families, communities and cultures. This paper substantiates the view that the construct of "funds of knowledge", understood through the lens of "cultural repertoires of practice", provides an analytical tool for early years teachers to…

This article describes a case study designed to investigate some of the consequences of physical education teacher education (PETE) coursework to discern how students reinterpreted those experiences into their professional practice. In particular the article examines PETE student learning when teaching "Maori" content, "te reo…

Because identity (language and culture) are central to Pacific knowledge and knowledge construction processes, Pacific students' educational experiences should be viewed through a cultural lens that sees Pacific knowledge and practices as valid and valued. This study explores the relationship between culture and educational outcomes as seen in how…

In the process of transitioning from one institution or workplace to another, people often encounter new interactional norms and values. For those moving countries as well as workplaces, the transition may involve different cultural and societal norms and values; but even a move between organisations or workplace teams within a country may present…

In a longitudinal case study of apprentices, the term proximal participation was coined to describe the entry process of young people, with unclear career destinations, into the trade of baking. This article unravels the significance of proximal participation in the decision-making processes of young people who enter a trade through initial…

This research article reports on the experience of a special needs unit within an Aotearoa/New Zealand high school during a period of inclusive change. The study of the special needs unit represented a case study within a larger year-long qualitative study of the school experience. Utilizing the Index for Inclusion: Developing learning and…

How do funding providers make informed decisions about funding youth work programs and services? One provider in New Zealand commissioned a group of participant-researchers to explore the question "What is youth work of value?" and then develop a model of best practice. The findings have implications for both youth work practitioners and…

Children's interests are frequently cited as a source of early-years curricula. Yet, research has rarely considered the nature of these interests beyond the play-based environment of early-childhood education. This paper reports findings from a qualitative, interpretivist study in two early childhood settings in Aotearoa/New Zealand. Using…

Grouping of students for instruction is an organizational pattern that is commonplace in literacy instruction in classrooms. A debate exists, however, about whether instruction is more effective when groups are heterogeneous or homogeneous with regard to student ability. A study aimed to provide a description of the grouping practices of New…