Research on peer review to date has focused on its role as a formal compliance mechanism, a process for enhancing and developing teaching practice, and as a considerable source of anxiety for educators. In this paper, we draw on scholarly reflections from our experience of undertaking a reciprocal, formative peer review in an Australian higher…

The compulsory education of students who have complex learning characteristics has received little attention in New Zealand research literature. This paper explores the positive educational experiences of a student who transferred from one high school to another in the same city, which resulted in him 'actually learning'. Using Appreciative…

This dissertation describes a Contextualized Appreciative Instructional Design process for equipping Ethiopian churches' intercultural workers to advance God's mission more effectively--"missio" Dei in Ethiopia and beyond. The CAID model can contextually equip intercultural workers to deal with the many challenges of the mission field…

The implementation of action learning workshops in three nursing homes in rural Victoria, Australia has been critical in the re-visioning of how care can be enhanced for residents. The workshops were designed with the intent of improving quality of care for residents by providing health care staff with opportunities to learn together and effect…

This paper originates from an earlier comparative study of professional learning in a Christian, a Jewish, and a Muslim Australian independent school, in which teachers and school leaders were asked to engage in critical reflection as to the school's distinctive characteristics. The paper recognizes the tension that may arise in all schools from…

In this paper, we suggest strength-based approaches for the creation of sustainable rural learning ecologies. We have framed the creation of rural learning ecologies with appreciative inquiry (AI) as a framework and argue that it begins from understanding rurality from positive psychology. The premise within AI has been seen to be the shift from…

In recent years, New Zealand schools have been challenged to cater for increasing numbers of students in material hardship without comprehensive support. New Zealand once led the world in putting equity at the centre of education policy and practice, this is no longer the case. Recent Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)…

Experiential learning has been documented as an effective method for student learning, yet its use in large-enrollment classes remains limited. Kolb's experiential learning theory emphasizes that experiential learning requires a hospitable learning space (HLS) that is conducive to learning. In this article, we reframe the challenges to…

The subject of talent in sport continues to fascinate and intrigue as organisations seek to identify and deliver an effective talent development programme in an effort to ensure systemic success. In the quest to deliver an optimal national governing body talent development programme, this paper investigates the role that Appreciative Inquiry can…

Good oral communication skills are necessary to help people understand and process information in a clear manner. Aspiring language teachers must be able to exemplify good verbal ability to become competent in their fields. Therefore, it is important to develop a future teacher's ability to communicate in English. This study investigated the…

The Australian Curriculum requires teachers of all learning areas to include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples' Culture and History where there is opportunity to do so meaningfully. Despite this requirement, there are few studies considering culturally responsive pedagogy for those perspectives in the teaching of Physical Education…

Purpose: This research paper presents an innovative evaluation methodology which was developed as part of a doctoral research study in a voluntary sector youth organisation in England. Design/methodology/approach: The transformative methodology synthesises aspects of appreciative inquiry, participatory evaluation and transformative learning and…

Crucial to the success of Pacific learners is the engagement of schools with the learners' families and their communities. This article reports on a small-scale study which focussed on home-school relationships for Pacific secondary learners in Aotearoa New Zealand. It explored good practice and further considered how schools might develop their…

This paper reports on a study that investigated the potential of using Appreciative Inquiry for exploring the development of three beginning science teachers in the Solomon Islands. Using the four phases of an Appreciative Inquiry framework, the teachers followed a process that allowed their strengths to be identified through the analysis of their…

The low participation of Pacific students in tertiary STEM studies has implications for schools as they consider how best to engage these learners in STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). This article reports on an innovative project that supports Pacific learners with STEM learning through 3D printing technology.…