"I didn't know it was normal": How student stress, anxiety, and confidence during COVID-19 influence student wellbeing

Students in 2020 experienced unprecedented levels of anxiety and stress as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic affected not only students’ experiences of academic achievement in their first year of NCEA assessments, but also their wellbeing. This action research project, which was conducted with 23 female Pasifika Year 11 students, looked at the drivers of stress and anxiety in students, and investigated methods of minimising and managing these stressors. Another focus was the impact confidence has on agency and expectations of achievement in Level 1 NCEA. Data was collected through student voice, using small-group talanoa, one-on-one conversations, surveys, and conversations with staff. My research findings indicate that students are not aware of the prevalence, nor normalcy, of anxiety and stress experienced by people in daily life. Conversations are presented confirming that students struggle to know how to manage achievement-related anxiety or cope in a learning environment when it becomes overwhelming. This work finds that students would appreciate teachers and adults being more transparent and vulnerable about their own anxieties, and that teacher practice would improve in turn. It suggests that classrooms that serve as safe spaces for mutual sharing about anxiety allow for the sharing and construction of healthy methods for dealing with achievement-related anxiety.

An Evaluation of the Flipped-Learning Pedagogical Approach

In recent years the emerging possibilities in the education system are flexibility (Nuhoğlu et al., 2020) and self-paced learning (Priscila, 2020). The flexibility of studying anywhere and anytime can provide opportunities for learners to achieve their educational goals. A self-paced and customized learning environment could enhance the learning experience of the students. This research evaluates flipped-learning pedagogical approaches for year 13 Maths students. Quantitative and qualitative data collection methods track and monitor students’ academic outcomes. The findings suggest that flipped-learning improved students’ academic achievement and progress. Additionally, students who missed the lessons could understand the concept and complete learning activities before coming to the next lesson. A flipped-learning approach has encouraged the students to make them responsible for their learning, bringing questions to the classroom to extend their conceptual understanding, and develop mathematical reasoning and thinking skills.

The Effect of Wānanga-Based Learning in Supporting the Development of Teacher Agency in Computational Thinking

As of 2020, all schools and kura in Aotearoa New Zealand were expected to teach digital technologies as part of the core curriculum. Our digital world is rapidly expanding and in order to be successful in this space, our rangatahi (youth) need to be capable of both using and creating digital tools. This project seeks to support secondary-school teachers of different subject-specialty areas to authentically integrate computational thinking concepts into their regular teaching practice. This was accomplished through a series of wānanga and exploration phases, with a focus on critically reflective practice and ako (reciprocal learning). Questionnaires and recording of kōrero (conversation) were used to understand changes in teacher confidence in the areas of understanding, lesson design, and ability to give feedback in relation to computational thinking principles. Results of this research have shown that using wānanga to support teachers to learn and apply computational thinking in their classrooms positively impacts their agency in developing high-quality lessons that are aligned with digital technologies curriculum. The findings from this project are intended to support other schools in Aotearoa New Zealand to develop their own frameworks of professional development in this area.

He Reo Reitū

I runga ngā kōrero whakawhiti a tōkū tumuaki o te Kura a Rohe o Uawa me Kahukuranui, ka kōrero hoki ki ētahi o ngā kaumātua / pakeke, otira mai ngā kai korero katoa, mai i te hāpori o Uawa ka whakaurahia te tauihu o tēnei kaupapa, kia tūteitei ai ki ngā whakangarungaru o te ao hurihuri nei, kia ora mo ake tonu atu. Ka karapinepine i ngā māramatanga me ngā kōrero tuku iho ā rātau mā ka whakatakoto i waenga i ngā reiputa o te iwi o Te Aitanga a Hauiti kia whiriwhiria mai ngā whenu o te karanga. I au e whakaritorito i ngā pūkōrero, ngā kai kōrero, ki ngā kōtiro hoki mai te whārua o Uawa, ka tō te aro, ki te hanga he rauemi, ki te whai take a hangarau, ki te pāhekoheko ki te ahurea wānanga, ki ngā horopaki o tēnei wā, ko te karanga hei ako. No reira, nā runga i te rongo i te karanga a te kura, te karanga a te hāpori kei te mimiti te reo karanga ki runga i ngā marae, ka pūmina ake te whakaaro, “he reo reitū” te kaupapa. Ko tōna tikanga ka āhei te ākonga ki te whanake, ki te whakapakari, ki te whakangungu, i runga i te tika me te pono, ngā whenu o te karanga. Ko rātau hoki te reo reitū, mo apōpō, hei kanohi mo te reo okawa, hei pupuri te reo mana-aki o te marae, kia ora ai tēnei taonga ki tua o pae. No reira ko te ahunga o te reo reitū kīhai ki ōku tīpuna, koinei te reo ka rangonatia ake e te ao wairua kārekau rawa e ōrite ana ki te kōrero ā-waha.