Curriculum and Pedagogy

Applications for 2023-2024 are now closed.

Supporting Linguistically Minoritised Multilingual Learners in NZ Schools

Supervisors

Naashia Mohamed
Christine Biebricher

Discipline

Curriculum and Pedagogy

Project code: ESW003

Project

Schools in New Zealand and throughout the world continue to increasingly receive students who speak the school/societal language as an additional language. In our project we refer to these students as linguistically minoritised multilingual learners (henceforth MLs). We are conducting interviews and focus groups with school leaders, teachers, and students in schools in Auckland to better understand how schools support MLs, how prepared teachers feel to effectively work with MLs, and how supported MLs feel in school.

We seek an enthusiastic summer scholar to assist with preparation and analysis of the interview data we collect. Prior experience of transcribing and qualitative analysis will be useful, but not essential.

Language teaching assistants in NZ classrooms

Supervisors

Constanza Tolosa
Christine Biebricher

Discipline

Curriculum and Pedagogy

Project code: ESW006

Project

Our project will investigate the perceptions, roles, functions and classroom practices of Language Assistants in school classrooms. Language assistants come to NZ for a year to support the teaching of languages in schools. We want to better understand the impact of the assistants in the learning and teaching of languages as well as the development of their own teaching identities.

The summer scholar will work with the researchers in different aspects of the project: the ongoing review of literature; the analysis of institutional documents; the recruitment of the participants; and the development of research instruments (surveys, interview schedules, reflective prompts).

Pacific youth, online gaming communities and digital vā

Supervisors

Dr Jean M Uasike Allen
Dr David Taufui Mikato Fa`avae
Dr Joanna Ting Wai Chu

Discipline

Centre for Arts and Social Transformation

Curriculum and Pedagogy

Project code: ESW007

Project

This summer scholar project collaboration will supervise up to three students with three supervisors: Dr Jean M Uasike Allen, Dr David Taufui Mikato Fa`avae and Dr Joanna Ting Wai Chu. The project explores how online player vs player gaming communities contribute to Pacific youth wellbeing and understandings of digital vā.

This summer scholarship supervision will provided students with experiences working collaboratively with all three supervisors to explore quantitative and qualitative data, contribute to data analysis and report writing.

We would like to build Pacific capacities wherever possible. Therefore, students must:
• Have an interest in Pacific youth wellbeing
• Have Pacific ancestry and/or have clear connections to Pacific communities.

Enhancing HPE in schools: Supporting teachers to create solutions

Supervisor

Alan Ovens

Discipline

Curriculum and Pedagogy

Project code: ESW009

Project

During 2023 we have been using an innovative collaborative approach to support participating teachers to co-design, trial and evaluate pedagogies to enhance the quality of physical education in both NZ and China. We are keen to work with a summer scholar to help analyse the data we have generated and review the contemporary literature on quality teaching. The scholarship will provide an opportunity to learn about analysing qualitative data, doing literature searches, and writing research papers. Part of the project also involves contributing to a website designed to support teachers in the project.

Students as partners in teaching, course and programme evaluation

Supervisors

Gail Ledger
Sean Sturm
Shareen Sapsworth

Discipline

Curriculum and Pedagogy

Learning, Development and Professional Practice

Critical Studies in Education

Project code: ESW010

Project

The recent SET Review Working Group’s found that there was a need for more, earlier and better formative evaluation of teaching and courses, as well as timely feedback and effective ‘closing of the loop’ with evaluations. This project will report on the existing research evidence and support a move to more responsive, student-led evaluation (students as partners in evaluation) that draws on students’ expertise and experience as learners in formal and informal learning environments, and will provide resources to develop their expertise in evaluation.

It will report on the existing methods of, and conceptual frameworks for, student-led evaluation such as the students as partners (Healey et al., 2014; Mercer-Mapstone et al., 2016; Sutherland et al., 2019) and ako (Bishop & Glynn, 2000; Cram et al., 2018) frameworks. (We would note that there is little research on SaP in evaluation, excepting the now ‘venerable’ Giles et al., 2004.)

The project will involve three students who will work with us as their academic supervisors to co-design a project to support the above aims. The project will be bookended by two hui and other student-student or student-academic hui will be added if the co-design requires it.

It will aim to produce a literature review and a resource for the TeachWell website. Depending on the co-design of the project, it may produce additional outcomes such as a draft of a collectively written article or input to the revised Enhancement and Evaluation of Teaching and Courses Policy and Procedures.

Enacting student voice in mathematics education

Supervisor

Dr Lisa Darragh

Discipline

Curriculum and Pedagogy

Faculty of Science (Mathematics)

Project code: ESW012

Project

You will work in a research team with two other scholars from another Faculty on three different projects:

1. You will engage with survey data related to student learner identity and capture an authentic student voice by creating a playscript.
2. You will analyse data on students’ memorable events from their mathematics studies and how these shaped their attitudes towards the subject
3. You will review the use of creative writing methodologies for conducting mathematics education research

Applicants should be interested in mathematics education, and willing to learn about alternative research methodologies.

What is social justice? Good Question! Health and Physical Education teachers perceptions of social justice (UAHPEC25647)

Supervisor

Rod Philpot

Discipline

Curriculum and Pedagogy

Project code: ESW016

Project

Social justice is a concept that underpins the current Health and Physical Education curriculum in Aotearoa New Zealand yet our recent research demonstrates that the concept itself, and teaching practices done in its name, are not understood. This project will involve analyse of data from two research projects that focus on teaching for social justice in HPE. The first work package involves qualitative analysis of survey data. The second work package involves organisation and analysis of data from a participatory action research project. The tasks include checking digital transcribing of interviews and focus groups, coding, theme development and the development of resources for our project website.

Investigating the effects of a T-Shaped Literacy Intervention

Supervisors

Aaron Wilson

Selena Meiklejohn-Whiu

Discipline

Curriculum and Pedagogy

Project code: ESW018

Project

T-Shaped Literacy is an intervention study where teachers of Year 7 and 8 students learn to use multiple texts to explore big ideas in literary analysis, such as how authors use language to create mood and atmpsphere, or memorable characters. We have collected considerable qualitative data in the form of teacher materials, student work, and interviews. You can read more about the project here - http://www.tlri.org.nz/tlri-research/research-progress/school-sector/investigating-effects-t-shaped-literacy-intervention. With our support you will learn to conduct qualitative analyses of these data.

Enacting student voice in mathematics education

Supervisors

Dr Ofer Marmur
Associate Professor Caroline Yoon
Dr Lisa Darragh

Discipline

Mathematics
Faculty of Education and Social Work (CURRPD)

Project code: SCI143

Project

You will work in a research team with two other scholars on three different projects focussed on students’ voice in mathematics education. You will:

  1. Engage with survey data related to student learner identity and capture an authentic student voice by creating a playscript
  2. Analyse data on students’ memorable events from their mathematics studies and how these shaped their attitudes towards the subject
  3. Review the use of creative writing methodologies for conducting mathematics education research

Applicants should be interested in mathematics education, and willing to learn about alternative research methodologies.