The COMPASS project is part of NZCER's Te Pae Tawhiti Government Grant Programme of Research. It is also aligned to the broad goals and aspirations of NZCER, in that its overarching purpose is to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the notion of Whakatere Tomua--Wayfinding. The current study employs the Indigenous practice of wayfinding to…

In 2022, the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) identified a range of schools at which the University Entrance (UE) attainment of akonga Maori and Pacific students was at least 10% higher than their decile (now EQI) band average. In 2023, NZQA asked Rangahau Matauranga o Aotearoa NZCER to work with six of these higher UE attainment…

In 2023, Auckland Council's Sustainable Schools Team (SST) piloted a project called "Mana Ora: Students Decarbonising Schools." The aim was that students, with guidance and support from teachers and SST, would plan and implement climate and sustainability action projects linked to decarbonisation within their schools. Eighteen Mana Ora…

Rangahau Matauranga o Aotearoa | New Zealand Council for Educational Research (NZCER) began working with Te Ara Ahunga Ora Retirement Commission in mid-2019 to evaluate Sorted in Schools, Te whai hua -- kia ora. As well as 3 years of evaluation, NZCER has undertaken research to support and develop a sustainable professional learning and…

As part of the National Survey of Schools project, part of NZCER's Te Pae Tawhiti programme of research, we collaborated with the New Zealand Area Schools Association (NZASA) to survey area school teachers between 15 June and 21 July 2023. A total of 652 area teachers across 64 area schools completed the survey, with questions focusing on: (1)…

This is the fourth annual evaluation report for the Sorted in Schools, Te whai hua -- kia ora programme, a financial literacy programme for secondary school students and akonga, led by Te Ara Ahunga Ora Retirement Commission. In 2023, the evaluation focused on collecting data about key programme goals and reporting on the proportion of schools and…

The long-running National Survey of Schools project is part of the New Zealand Council for Educational Research's (NZCER's) Te Pae Tawhiti programme of research, funded through the Ministry of Education. NZCER has run a national survey of secondary schools every 3 years since 2003. As part of the 2022 National Survey of Secondary Schools, we…

The Ministry of Education provides schools with equity funding, in addition to their core funding, so they can work in different ways to help students with socioeconomic barriers reach their potential. Through Budget 2022, the Government has provided a 50% ($75 million) increase in equity funding. From January 2023, the Ministry has used the…

This report explores the support that early career teachers | kaiako (ECT|K) in English-medium early childhood education, primary, and secondary centres need. It includes an examination of aspects of the mentoring process that are working well for both ECT|K and their mentors and suggests ways this support could be improved. Additionally, the…

The New Zealand Council for Educational Research (NZCER) was asked to carry out research for the Ministry of Education related to the future of Special Assessment Conditions (SAC) in the context of the National Certificates of Educational Achievement (NCEA). This report details our findings related to the current application of SAC entitlement…

The long-running National Survey of Schools project is part of the New Zealand Council for Educational Research's (NZCER's) Te Pae Tawhiti programme of research, funded through the Ministry of Education. NZCER has run a national survey of English-medium secondary schools every 3 years since 2003. For the 2021 National Survey of Secondary Schools,…

The "Teaching, School, and Principal Leadership Practices Survey" (TSP) was developed to give schools robust data about key practices that research has shown are worth paying attention to because of their direct and indirect effects on student learning. Drawing the data together from all participants schools in any given year creates a…

It is timely to take stock of the wellbeing of educational research in Aotearoa New Zealand. The major Education Work Programme 2021 includes a Research, Evaluation and Development Strategy. Te Ara Paerangi--Future Pathways Green Paper has launched a major review of the design of public funding for research institutions and for research taking…

Science education has an important role to play in supporting our young people to meet the complex challenges of the modern age. Students need a curriculum that can prepare them to work collaboratively, competently and confidently to address the wicked "glocal" problems of our time. Rangatahi themselves recognise this - those involved in…

The Highest Needs Review was undertaken by the Ministry of Education from 2021-2022. Its purpose is to ensure that children and young people with the highest needs for learning support achieve their full potential through positive education outcomes and that they receive the right support, when they need it, and for as long as they need it. NZCER…