The early childhood education (ECE) sector in Aotearoa New Zealand is committed through policy to inclusive pedagogy for all children, however translating such policies into everyday practice for teachers can be challenging. According to an Education Review Office (ERO, 2022) report, many ECE teachers do not feel confident teaching children with…

Under the umbrella of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), this research explored the experiences of nine intermediate and secondary school students from Aotearoa New Zealand with auditory processing disorder (APD) who used a remote microphone (RM) system at school. Much of the school-based research with those with APD…

Timely and coordinated early communication supports are critical to ensuring positive outcomes for all children. This is especially important for autistic children. Autism can be associated with delayed or varied communication development, impacting a child's participation and inclusion in the early years. The purpose of this study was to describe…

A recent development for learning support practitioners in Aotearoa New Zealand is He Pikorua: Our Practice Framework. This study explores the potential of He Pikorua to further bridge the gap between inclusive policy and practice through the lived experiences of 10 specialist teachers using the framework. In line with the principles of He…

This case study explores the complexity of leading adaptive change within a large RTLB (Resource Teacher: Learning and Behaviour) cluster in Aotearoa. Centred on the dilemma of how to adapt an internal case management tool (eRTLB) to strengthen best practices, the reflection draws on the principles of adaptive leadership and Robinson's (2022)…

'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…

The purakau presented in this article come from a narrative inquiry underpinned and guided by kaupapa Maori theory and research principles (G. Smith, 1997; L. T. Smith, 2015). This rangahau explored four teenage Maori mothers' experiences of support in health, social, financial, education and whanau domains. The purakau presented here are the…

The purpose of this study is to understand the current situation where practising New Zealand primary educators have utilised ChatGPT. More explicitly, the research considered how educators perceived the beneficial affordances and used them to support their classroom practice. Concurrently, negative implications of use are noted and an attempt to…

Handicapped, special, or diverse? Segregated, mainstreamed, or included? The field of disability and difference within education, is vast and wide-ranging. This review of the literature highlights how, although we have come far in the last 40 years, there is still much to learn about effective inclusion of disabled children in early childhood…

This research paper asks what Maori educators want Pakeha outreach teachers to know when working with tamariki Maori on the autism spectrum with high, complex needs. A review of the literature noted a shortage of specialists who can speak te reo Maori and practice in a culturally responsive way. Three Maori educators participated in…

A diverse range of high school students dominate negative outcome data in Aotearoa-New Zealand, and a shift in how we support them is needed for outcomes to improve. Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic review of published and grey literature was carried out to identify how research shows belongingness is an important element in improving…

Cerebral visual impairment is a high incidence visual issue with a prevalence rate of 3.4% of children in mainstream education (Williams et al., 2021). However, it is still a very unknown condition with very little awareness in the general public (Ravenscroft et al., 2021). The aim of this research was to better understand how CVI related visual…

This paper examines how kaiako (teachers) view professional learning and development training (PLD) in structured literacy (SL) in a Maori-medium immersion context. Through interviews with kaiako in a kura kaupapa Maori (Maori-medium educational setting) who teach students in Years 1-6, and images of the literacy environment to capture some of the…

The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework has the potential to enhance the inclusive practices of teachers with autistic learners in their classes. This study examines the extent to which the UDL framework is currently being used as a model for the inclusion of autistic learners in New Zealand primary schools. This study gathered data from…

In New Zealand/Aotearoa, high levels of secondary school absenteeism are a nationwide problem. Absenteeism is associated with a range of adverse outcomes for individuals and has detrimental effects on society. Since the global COVID-19 pandemic, with the government closing schools during lockdowns, absenteeism has reached epidemic proportions as…