scholarly journals Feedback in New Zealand Classrooms: Do Students Get the Message?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Deidre Carol Vercauteren
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Large Body ◽  
Assessment For Learning ◽  
Classroom Observations ◽  
Individual Student ◽  
Teacher Interviews ◽  
Effective Feedback ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Learning Principles

<p>There is increasing evidence that feedback is a key factor in successful teaching and learning. It is also clear that there are effective and less effective forms of feedback. To be most effective, feedback should incorporate assessment for learning principles. Although there is a large body of literature on feedback, there is limited use of the student’s voice, and little from a New Zealand context. This thesis investigates students’ understandings of feedback in New Zealand classrooms. A feedback typology is used to categorise and analyse examples of teacher feedback given by the students. Individual student interviews were conducted with responses informing the kinds of questions used for the teacher interviews. Advisory work in schools that involves classroom observations on feedback was also used to substantiate the findings. The sample used for this research came from two schools, four classrooms and focussed on sixteen students. The classes ranged from Years 3-6, which meant that the students were aged between 7 and 10. The analysis concludes that while New Zealand students can describe a range of both evaluative and descriptive feedback their understandings do not always match what the teacher intended. The feedback typology was found to be a useful tool but was problematic in that there was no assurance that feedback was against shared expectations of the task.</p>

scholarly journals Feedback in New Zealand Classrooms: Do Students Get the Message?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Deidre Carol Vercauteren
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Large Body ◽  
Assessment For Learning ◽  
Classroom Observations ◽  
Individual Student ◽  
Teacher Interviews ◽  
Effective Feedback ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Learning Principles

<p>There is increasing evidence that feedback is a key factor in successful teaching and learning. It is also clear that there are effective and less effective forms of feedback. To be most effective, feedback should incorporate assessment for learning principles. Although there is a large body of literature on feedback, there is limited use of the student’s voice, and little from a New Zealand context. This thesis investigates students’ understandings of feedback in New Zealand classrooms. A feedback typology is used to categorise and analyse examples of teacher feedback given by the students. Individual student interviews were conducted with responses informing the kinds of questions used for the teacher interviews. Advisory work in schools that involves classroom observations on feedback was also used to substantiate the findings. The sample used for this research came from two schools, four classrooms and focussed on sixteen students. The classes ranged from Years 3-6, which meant that the students were aged between 7 and 10. The analysis concludes that while New Zealand students can describe a range of both evaluative and descriptive feedback their understandings do not always match what the teacher intended. The feedback typology was found to be a useful tool but was problematic in that there was no assurance that feedback was against shared expectations of the task.</p>

scholarly journals Principals' and teachers' perceptions of Innovative Learning Environments

Teachers Work ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 149-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dianne Smardon ◽  
Jennifer Charteris ◽  
Emily Nelson
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Distributed Leadership ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Large Body ◽  
Constructivist Learning Theory ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
Innovative Learning ◽  
Innovative Learning Environments

Innovative Learning Environments (ILE) with their origins in OECD literature, propose to revolutionise Education as we know it. ILEs draw on a large body of literature: constructivist learning theory; distributed leadership; personalised 21st century learning; blended learning (digital); and, future focused Education. Despite an increasing body of research in the area, there appears to be confusion around the concept of ILEs in Aotearoa/New Zealand Schools. This article reports on survey research with 126 questionnaire respondents. These principals and teachers, drawn from a random sample of New Zealand schools, commented on the implications of ILEs for teaching and learning in their contexts. This article explores the theoretical framework that educators apply to this concept. Four themes emerged from the responses: lack of clarity; the significance of material spaces; pedagogical implications; and, the politics around ILEs. The authors pose the question: are ILEs just another neoliberal ambush on Education or opportunity to innovate the fundamentals of schooling?

scholarly journals Pedagogical and decolonial affordances of group portfolio assessments for learning in South African universities

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (SI) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilse Fouche ◽  
◽  
Laura Dison ◽  
Grant Andrews ◽  
Maria Prozesky
Keyword(s):  
Academic Success ◽  
South African ◽  
Group Work ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Assessment For Learning ◽  
Literacy Skill ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Language And Literacy ◽  
South African Universities ◽  
Learning Principles

Our paper discusses our recent experiences with designing effective assessments for challenging local contexts by using group work portfolio projects. South African universities are experiencing ever-increasing student numbers, diverse student bodies which have different language and literacy skill levels, and limited resources. Simultaneously, the need to decolonise university curricula and teaching and learning practices is being actively investigated across South Africa. In this paper, we discuss preliminary steps we have taken towards achieving this broader transformative agenda in the context of the massification of education, namely designing effective and decolonial assessments that support epistemological access and academic success, while at the same time challenging what counts as ‘powerful knowledge’ (Young and Muller, 2013) in the classroom. We argue that effective decolonial knowledge practices and deep critical engagement can be achieved by using group work portfolio tasks that align with assessment for learning principles (Carless, 2015). Using a design- based research approach, we describe three courses across two universities which have implemented portfolio-type group assessments. The preliminary findings suggest that group projects can yield rich and productive assessment for learning outcomes in large classes. In addition, portfolio projects that purposely interrogate diverse perspectives, knowledges and experiences can harness the diversity of groups to work towards decolonising the classroom.

scholarly journals The Use of Furniture in a Student-Centred Primary School Learning Environment

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Starkey ◽  
V Leggett ◽  
Craig Anslow ◽  
A Ackley
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Learning Environment ◽  
Individual Student ◽  
Furniture Design ◽  
Teacher Interviews ◽  
Student Focus ◽  
School Learning ◽  
Research In Education ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
And Control

© 2021, New Zealand Association for Research in Education. Classroom furniture has evolved over time from fixed desks facing the front to maintain order and control to a range of flexible furniture types to encourage student-centred pedagogies. This article reports research that applied a socio-material approach to explore how furniture is used in a flexible learning environment. Data were gathered from observations, reflections, student focus group interviews and teacher interviews in one school in New Zealand. In this context it was found that students used furniture for different purposes. Individual student preferences and differences were evident including unconventional use of furniture. The use of furniture was influenced by the teachers, students, environment, furniture design and the curriculum, and mediated by pedagogy and a focus on developing autonomy and environmental competence. The students demonstrated environmental competence, including awareness of the ways that the available furniture can be used for different types of curriculum activities and how environmental and social conditions can affect comfort, collaboration and concentration levels. In classrooms where students move around the space, environmental competence should be deliberately embedded in the teaching programme implicitly and explicitly. In this context, the teachers controlled the environment and the students had restricted autonomy over their use of furniture. The notion of student-centredness in contemporary classroom environments requires further investigation.

scholarly journals The Use of Furniture in a Student-Centred Primary School Learning Environment

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Starkey ◽  
V Leggett ◽  
Craig Anslow ◽  
A Ackley
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Learning Environment ◽  
Individual Student ◽  
Furniture Design ◽  
Teacher Interviews ◽  
Student Focus ◽  
School Learning ◽  
Research In Education ◽  
Group Interviews ◽  
And Control

© 2021, New Zealand Association for Research in Education. Classroom furniture has evolved over time from fixed desks facing the front to maintain order and control to a range of flexible furniture types to encourage student-centred pedagogies. This article reports research that applied a socio-material approach to explore how furniture is used in a flexible learning environment. Data were gathered from observations, reflections, student focus group interviews and teacher interviews in one school in New Zealand. In this context it was found that students used furniture for different purposes. Individual student preferences and differences were evident including unconventional use of furniture. The use of furniture was influenced by the teachers, students, environment, furniture design and the curriculum, and mediated by pedagogy and a focus on developing autonomy and environmental competence. The students demonstrated environmental competence, including awareness of the ways that the available furniture can be used for different types of curriculum activities and how environmental and social conditions can affect comfort, collaboration and concentration levels. In classrooms where students move around the space, environmental competence should be deliberately embedded in the teaching programme implicitly and explicitly. In this context, the teachers controlled the environment and the students had restricted autonomy over their use of furniture. The notion of student-centredness in contemporary classroom environments requires further investigation.

Classroom observations and supervision – essential dimensions of pedagogical leadership

2014 ◽  
Vol 28 (7) ◽  
pp. 856-868 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helene Ärlestig ◽  
Monika Törnsen
Keyword(s):  
Student Learning ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
First Century ◽  
Classroom Observations ◽  
Main Task ◽  
Teacher Capacity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Democratic Leadership ◽  
Core Mission ◽  
Learning Issues

Purpose – The main task of every school is to contribute to student learning and achievement. In the twenty-first century, national and international evaluations and comparisons have focussed on measurable student and school results. Not only teachers but also principals are held accountable for school results, which increase expectations of principals to work to enhance student learning and improve outcomes. In Sweden, a principal's work with a given school's core mission is labeled as pedagogical leadership, a concept that includes diverse activities related to national goals and school results. Aspects of pedagogical leadership include principals’ classroom observations and communication about teaching and learning issues. The purpose of this paper is to describe a model of pedagogical leadership as a base for principals’ experience with the aim to develop their understanding of pedagogical leadership. Design/methodology/approach – The paper builds on data from three groups of principals who participated in a course to learn more about pedagogical leadership. Findings – The participating principals performed their pedagogical leadership in different manners and with varying quality. During the course, there was a shift in what activities and duties the principals prioritized. The findings highlight the importance of democratic leadership and the improvement of teacher capacity and student outcomes. Practical implications – The paper gives practical examples on how principals can improve their understanding of pedagogical leadership. Originality/value – There are few articles on how pedagogical leadership is understood and practiced. The paper provides a model for pedagogical leadership and empirical data that shows that the concept deserves to be viewed as a qualitative concept that need interpretation.

Clinical Supervision: A Review of Underlying Concepts and Developments

2002 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 92-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanna Macdonald
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
American Literature ◽  
Clinical Supervision ◽  
Developmental Process ◽  
Empirical Support ◽  
Personal Contact ◽  
Role Conflicts ◽  
Effective Feedback ◽  
Zealand College ◽  
The Relationship

Objective: This review examines how psychiatric clinical supervision is represented in the psychiatric literature and its relevance for Australasian psychiatry. Method: The literature was first identified then reviewed using Medline and Psychlit, manual searches of relevant journals and personal contact with some key workers in Australia and New Zealand. Results: The predominantly American literature written two to three decades ago reflected the conditions in which psychiatry was practised at that time, largely based in asylums or private offices and informed by the dominant psychoanalytic discourse of that era. These articles, frequently anecdotal and with little empirical support, conceptualized supervision as a developmental process, a syndrome, or a process of identification. They focused substantially on the nature of the relationship between the trainee and supervisor. More recent writers have included trainees’ perspectives. They have identified a number of problems with supervision, including role conflicts, uncertainty about boundaries, lack of supervisory training and lack of effective feedback, and have introduced the concepts of adult learning as highly relevant. These concerns, however, have led to little change to date. Conclusion: The implementation by the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) of new training by-laws provides an opportunity to define the meaning of supervision in the current clinical context, to undertake research to clarify the key elements in the process, and to evaluate different techniques of supervision.

scholarly journals 'Seductive promises' and the use of online mathematics instructional programmes in New Zealand primary schools

2021 ◽  
Vol 26 ◽  
pp. 162-167
Author(s):  
Lisa Darragh
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Digital Devices ◽  
Mathematics Classrooms ◽  
Discursive Analysis ◽  
Learning Mathematics ◽  
Commercial Applications ◽  
Obvious Similarity ◽  
Online Mathematics

Internet access and the availability of digital devices in the classroom have grown exponentially. Correspondingly, we have online platforms for learning mathematics that are subscription-based and available for schools or individuals to purchase. Research in mathematics education tends to focus on the benefits to teaching and learning afforded by digital technology, while less attention is given to the implications of having commercial applications in our mathematics classrooms, and their considerable cost. This paper reports on a study of online mathematics instructional programmes in primary schools of New Zealand. Data sources include a survey sent to mathematics leaders of all primary schools, and a discursive analysis of the websites of the most commonly used instructional programmes. There was an obvious similarity found between the promises of the websites and the rationales expressed by school leaders for using the programmes, suggesting that schools are succumbing to the seductive promises of these commercial programmes. It is argued that we need to further examine the implications of using such programmes in our mathematics classrooms, especially in the context of profit-making inside public education.

scholarly journals The Cross Roads of Heritage

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Philippa Dalgety
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Adaptive Reuse ◽  
Built Form ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
History Of ◽  
Fit For Purpose ◽  
The Town

<p>This research explores an approach for adaptive reuse to enhance livability and greater connection to place within provincial towns of New Zealand. There are existing buildings which are often left in disrepair or considered too expensive to refurbish or strengthen. They are often demolished with little consideration to the building’s significance, therefore adaptive reuse has become a missed opportunity in New Zealand.  Many of our provincial cities have uninhabited large-scale buildings, which need upgrading due to being outdated and no longer fit for purpose. Seismic upgrading is a key factor in why these buildings are left uninhabited. One of the urban areas which this is prevalent is Whanganui. Whanganui has the opportunity to blend the old and the new built form to create a revitalized and timeless street appearance.   The regeneration of Whanganui can be achieved through adaptive reuse to enhance the crafted beauty of the town through its architecture. The revitalization of Whanganui can give guidance to other provincial cities in New Zealand while enhancing the quality of life within the town.  An in-depth analysis of the history of Whanganui, will allow for heritage significance to play a major role in the redesign. This design will be developed at three different scales to demonstrate how the built form can enhance connection to place and livability. These scales are at an urban, a built and a detailed scale.   The main cross roads linking the city of Whanganui to its river is surrounded by character and historical buildings. It will be used as a key area illustrating Whanganui’s past to better inform the future.</p>

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