Six projects funded in 2015 round

Six projects have been funded in the Teaching and Learning Research Initiative (TLRI) 2015 funding round. They were announced by the Minister of Education Hekia Parata here.

The projects selected for funding are:

The relationship between participation in singing programmes and student wellbeing in a Christchurch primary school
Principal Investigator:  Daphne Rickson
Partnerships: Te Kōkī  New Zealand School of Music; Victoria University of Wellington; Waitākiri School.

This project will examine the relationship between singing programmes and well-being in a school community severely affected by Christchurch earthquakes. It will look at how the singing programmes have been developed and sustained, and how participation in the singing programmes has contributed to perceptions of wellbeing.
Funding: $130,000 over two years.

Tuhia ki te Ao - Environmental Identities and "3D literacy" learning
Principal Investigator:  Sasha Matthewman
Partnerships: University of Auckland; Hobsonville Point Secondary School; James Cook High School

The project will examine the future focus of ecological sustainability as a context for literacy pedagogy in three secondary school learning areas (English, The Arts and Social Sciences) in two secondary schools. Cycles of planning, teaching and evaluation of learning will be used to examine how knowledge and values of sustainability, environment and ecology in these learning areas inform students’ bicultural environmental identities and benefit their literacy achievement in 3D – the operational, enviro-cultural and eco-critical dimensions of literacy.
Funding: $199,755 over two years

Enhancing the intercultural capability of students of additional languages in New Zealand's intermediate schools
Principal Investigator:  Martin East
Partnerships: University of Auckland; University of Canterbury; Te Kura - The Correspondence School; International Languages Exchanges and Pathways; Takapuna Normal Intermediate School; Auckland Normal Intermediate School; Berkley Normal Middle School; Kirkwood Intermediate School

Schools with students in Years 7 to 10 are expected under the New Zealand Curriculum to offer language programmes. This project will investigate how four intermediate schools are meeting the challenge. It aims to tell stories of practice and develop research-informed principles to support other schools with improving learners’ intercultural capability.
Funding: $199,251 over two years.

Generating positive outcomes by Year 5 to 8 priority learners in writing: An inquiry into effective teacher practice.
Principal Investigators:  Judy Parr and Murray Gadd
Partnerships: University of Auckland; Balmoral School; Fergusson Intermediate; Marshall Laing School; Mt Cook School.

Writing is vital to success in education and the workforce, but is an area of relatively low achievement in New Zealand. This is particularly the case in the upper levels of primary school and amongst Māori, Pasifika and boys. This collaborative, design-based research and development project will support Year 5 to 8 teachers to generate stronger engagement, accelerated progress and higher levels of achievement in writing by priority learners.
Funding: $199,714 over two years.

Making mathematical thinking visible
Principal Investigators:  Caroline Yoon and John Moala
Partnerships: University of Auckland; Northcote College; Papatoetoe High School; Unitec Institute of Technology

Employers, government, and education researchers have increasingly advocated for mathematical modelling activities to be integrated into secondary and tertiary mathematics curricula, as they encourage students to develop deep and diverse 21st century mathematical competencies. This project seeks to design reporting tools for documenting, measuring and describing the complexity of mathematical thinking that emerges on modelling activities.
$196,287 over two years.

Teaching for Equity: How do we do it?
Principal Investigator:  Lexie Grudnoff
Partnerships: University of Auckland; Fairburn School; New Lynn School

Eight teachers from two diverse Auckland primary schools in low socio-economic communities are working with five University of Auckland teacher educator researchers in this project. The research team will work as a collaborative inquiry community to build and share knowledge about what it means to teach for equity and to undertake teacher inquiry research to improve participants’ practice for the teaching of priority learners.
Funding: $199,483 over two years

 For information about the TLRI or any of the projects, contact:
Sarah Boyd
Communications manager, NZCER
Email: sarah.boyd@nzcer.org.nz
Phone: 04-8021468 or 027-231 4300