"The Learning Theories Profile" (LTP) supports professionals to locate various learning theories within four epistemological quadrants of the "Matrix of Perspectives." Professionals can use this tool to identify some of the theories they hold and to reflect on the alignment between their espoused theories and theories-in-use.…

The primary objective of this small-scale study was to identify ways in which Resource Teachers: Learning and Behaviour (RTLB) can work with teachers to implement evidence-based practices for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) within an inclusive educational system. With the increasing prevalence of children with ASD in mainstream…

This research paper focuses on the successful implementation of play-based learning (PBL) environments within the New Zealand mainstream primary school sector. In particular, the focus is on the role of Resource Teachers: Learning and Behaviour (RTLB) in supporting the implementation of PBL within the junior classes of Year 0 to Year 2. A review…

The concept of home-school partnerships is widely accepted as being important for student success. How this concept can be quantified in a more equitable and valid way, specifically through the lens of the Resource Teachers of Learning and Behaviour (RTLB), is the focus of this inquiry. RTLB and parent surveys, plus a questionnaire answered by the…

Communities of Practice (COP) have been used in schools and other educational institutions as a way of growing knowledge and managing change. This article centres on one professional inquiry with a group of Resource Teachers: Learning and Behaviour (RTLB) and using a strengths-based approach, explores the elements that increased the effectiveness…

The concept of home-school partnerships is widely accepted as being important for student success. How this concept can be quantified in a more equitable and valid way, specifically through the lens of the Resource Teachers: Learning and Behaviour (RTLB), is the focus of this inquiry. RTLB and parent surveys, plus an interview with a Ministry of…

Teacher-talk is a key tool for engaging students in learning. This report examines a process whereby data was used to support teachers in reflecting on their teacher-talk. The context for the study was a small rural New Zealand area school with predominantly Maori students and staff. Emphasis was on strategies that engage, in particular, Maori…

Priority learners in New Zealand include those who have special educational needs, yet gifted learners with multiple exceptionalities are variably identified, understood or provided for in our schools. International research advocates the use of interprofessional practice (IPP) teams, with competency across shared values, roles and…

The ecological approach, based on the RTLB Toolkit that guides RTLBs in New Zealand, is one of the seven principles used for interventions for students with learning and behaviour concerns. As a result of a paradigm shift moving from a functional limitations perspective to a more inclusive/ecological perspective in 1999, RTLBs have been trained…

The "Special Education 2000" initiative (Ministry of Education, 1998) led to the creation of the role of Resource Teachers: Learning and Behaviour (RTLB). The role was designed to support inclusion, provide consistent service, and bring about improved outcomes for students with learning and behaviour difficulties and their teachers in…

This article describes the work undertaken by a cluster of Resource Teachers: Learning and Behaviour (RTLB) to ensure that annual effectiveness reviews were more than a compliance exercise but a genuine attempt to improve their service to schools, hence the title of this article of "Going Beyond Audit". Historically, the cluster had met…

Resource Teachers: Learning and Behaviour (RTLB) are agents of change, charged with the responsibility to facilitate paradigm shift from traditional to inclusive models of educational theory and practice. With seven years experience in an RTLB role I have come to the realisation that if there is congruence between a practitioner's value and belief…

Resource Teachers: Learning and Behaviour (RTLB) have supported more than 15,000 students since RTLB 1999 by assisting teachers to manage and support students with learning or behaviour difficulties within inclusive classroom environments. Research indicates that there are long term positive educational effects for students receiving short-term…

Taking part in the autism spectrum disorder participatory action research (ASD PAR) project was a genuine team effort for the group of people supporting Rose, a primary school student with Asperger syndrome. The following excerpts are from interviews with some of Rose's team. This is a collaborative approach to telling the story of the team's…

Research suggests New Zealand has the biggest gap between its highest and lowest achievers, and this is known as the "long tail". The debate over whole language and phonics approaches to reading is unfinished, but must now focus on where the point of difference lies. While reading involves a range of skills, teachers need to model the…