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…

The school and the home are both influential contexts in which a child learns mathematics, and therefore schools and families should work collaboratively to achieve shared goals for children's mathematics learning. In culturally and linguistically diverse areas, schools have richness to draw on but may face additional challenges in engaging with…

As theorised by Etienne Wenger, communities of practice are becoming settled as a framework for community engagement within Aotearoa New Zealand schools. In this article, the authors critically analyse the assumptions and inequities that can arise when communities of practice prioritise school values and staff comfort over the priorities of…

Kaiako in Aotearoa New Zealand inquire into innovative practice in meaningful ways. This mixed-methods study explored the use of curriculum innovation and key factors that shape kaiako self-belief, relationships, and teaching contexts. Phase 1 utilised a national quantitative survey of early childhood education (ECE) kaiako from a range of…

This article draws on the research findings of a case study at Greerton Early Learning Centre in Aotearoa, New Zealand, utilising data from the teachers' research inquiries into their professional practice. Teachers' inquiries included Learning Stories -- a research-based sociocultural narrative assessment approach -- written for children and…

The KiVa anti-bullying program is an evidence based whole-school intervention and prevention program that has been implemented in a small number of New Zealand schools to help address high rates of bullying behaviors. Parents are a key component of the whole-school program as without parental support the ongoing sustainability of the program…

This qualitative study examined the interplay between home and school environments across the transition from Primary School (Year 8) to High School (Year 9) for 10 high-achieving Pasifika students and their families. Interview data from the students revealed the important role that their parents played in their education. Drawings completed by…

The essay explores the role of Learning Stories in early childhood education and the connection to the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child (1989). The paper highlights the use of Learning Stories in a teacher preparation program and student perspectives on the value of narrative assessment in their work with children, their…

The COVID-19 pandemic brought with it a new way of being in a changed and uncertain world. Aotearoa/New Zealand took a well-being approach and in turn, we share the positive outcomes which resulted for some low socio-economic schools and communities in relation to teacher learning and relationships with families. In this article, we report on how…

This article analyses data from a study that explored the role of early childhood education in supporting a sense of belonging for immigrant children and families in Aotearoa New Zealand, whilst sustaining their connections with homes and homelands. We draw on teachers' documentation of curriculum experiences, focus group discussions, and…

This strengths-based paper draws on the qualitative and quantitative survey results from whanau (family members) of "tamariki" (children) attending 12 schools in an urban area in New Zealand with a high proportion of Maori people. The paper describes the positive impact of effective family engagement on tamariki, from the perspectives of…

This article explores the experiences of a group of established academic staff in New Zealand and the UK, as they undertake a doctorate in their home institutions. Our interest is in how individuals negotiate this dual status from a cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT) stance that explores how rules, tools, community and divisions of labour,…

The contributions partial-immersion Maori programmes offer to the wider educational landscape of Aotearoa is essential to Maori achieving as Maori. In this article, partial-immersion settings are defined as Level 2 immersion (51%-- 80% te reo Maori instruction) and Level 3 immersion (31%--50% te reo Maori instruction). While lower levels of…

This article reports from a Teacher-led Innovation Fund project that investigated connecting practices and resources for mathematical learning between a kindergarten and the first year of school. Teachers at both sites were teacher-researchers in the 2-year project. Our results highlighted expected and unexpected aspects of connections and…

This paper reports on findings from a study that explored the efficacy of a home-based literacy intervention in advancing preschool children's foundational literacy skills. A secondary line of enquiry in the study sought to determine the effects of the intervention on the family literacy practices, in particular, the way in which families engaged…