The focus of this study is the cognitive process called mentalisation and how it is woven into "Te Whariki." Employing a qualitative content analysis, we sought to examine the embedded expectations and assumptions evident in the curriculum concerning how mentalisation processes and practices should be employed by teachers. Results showed…

This report focuses on part of a recently completed New Zealand case study exploring teachers' experiences of effectively supporting students with social, emotional and mental health needs. The participants came from nine diverse faith-based and State school contexts. The findings pertain to the first interview question which invited participants…

Decades of research has documented the consequences of allocating school students into a hierarchy of classes with narrow ranges of mathematics attainment, a process known as streaming, tracking, setting, or "ability" grouping. The purported benefits of streaming are inconsistent and disputed, but the harms are clear, in particular, (1)…

Defined as the power to increase or lessen the capacity to act, affect is purported to be pedagogy's first lesson. In this article we explore the work of ordinary affects in relation to oppressive social norms with particular attention to race. Using feminist new materialist concepts, we trace the capacities of these affects as they play into two…

Can environmental education help to mitigate learners eco/climate anxiety? Anxiety surrounding climate change has drastically risen in youth in recent years. This paper aims to answer the call from Pihkala's (2020) previous review for more concrete information on educational approaches to support learners in processing eco/climate anxiety. As…

This article presents an innovative narrative inquiry study carried out in a primary school in Aotearoa New Zealand with three young people who provide insights into how they perceive, construct, give meaning to, and make sense of their own emotions. The analysis from this primary research draws on Foucauldian scholarship to examine how the…

Educational psychology remains constricted by Westernised science's universalising views. The teaching about emotions and their expression is a critical element at the core of educational psychology, but the underpinning ontology and theories appear to be largely unexamined. The importance of educational psychology was highlighted by the COVID-19…

In times of disasters and adversity, children are among the most vulnerable. The "United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child" (1989) highlights the importance of protecting children from harm and making decisions in their best interests--matters that become heightened in an adverse context. From 2020 to 2023, the government of…

Background: Comparative educational research has studied inequality in educational outcomes through large-scale assessments like PISA and TIMSS, by identifying achievement gaps within social groups (e.g., gender, parental education, and immigrant gaps) to inform investment in intervention programs and educational policies. However, the focus of…

The climate strikes of 2019 motivated millions worldwide onto the street and provided a platform for youth voices that demanded global climate action. This article explores the experiences of climate strike leaders in Aotearoa New Zealand questioning the motivational factors behind the youth action. In-depth interviews with 15 climate strike…

This article is written in response to listening to teachers query the place of fun in learning. Students often express that learning should be fun but teachers are often unsure what they mean by this and whether fun is actually important to learning. We have drawn some relevant understandings and views together to promote further conversation and…

The paper, through the lens of positioning and agency theories, examines the experiences of being stranded in the home country due to the restricted mobility caused by the COVID-19 pandemic of 10 international doctoral students of different nationalities (Chinese, Vietnamese, Malaysian, and Indian), majoring in different disciplines (Education,…

This article presents a phenomenological study on lived and living conscious experiences of improvisational dance. Six experienced improvisational dancers and one dance piano accompanist were interviewed individually, and shared the past-lived experience of improvisational dance. After the interviews, the six dancers agreed to perform solo…

This paper proposes a distance-based doctoral supervisory model to support students in the process of navigating self, agency, and emotions over their doctoral journey. The model emerged through our examination of the lived experiences of three Chinese female doctoral students who, though enrolled as internal students in our New Zealand…

Background: Many people fear failure and making mistakes. This fear can be transmitted from parents to children, suggesting that parental communication regarding failures and setbacks may play a critical role in shaping a child's perception of mistakes. Aims: In this study, we investigated how everyday parent-child conversations about setbacks…