In the past 10 years Aotearoa/New Zealand, the educational landscape has experienced a significant shift towards Innovative Learning Environments (ILEs). The paper discusses the perceptions of 79 Aotearoa/New Zealand teachers who work with students with high and very high needs in mainstream Innovative Learning Environments (ILEs), and the aspects…

This study reports data on early childhood teachers' perspectives of early childhood inclusive education in New Zealand. A qualitative method was employed for this research. The process included an internet survey questionnaire which was sent out to early childhood teachers across New Zealand. The results indicated that though early childhood…

Literacy is one of the most important life skills. Being able to read and write effectively enhances our participation in learning, personal development and employment (Clendon & Erickson, 2009; Copeland & Keefe, 2019). Literacy instruction is the cornerstone of teaching in New Zealand primary schools. However, not all students have…

Acceptance and belonging are essential to human growth and development. Currently, there is limited literature regarding acceptance and belonging in the field of special education and what facilitates this experience within the classroom. This research study asks: 'How do New Zealand school settings help or hinder a sense of acceptance and…

Inclusive education has long been implemented in regular educational settings in many jurisdictions including New Zealand (NZ). Since many children with special educational needs (CSEN) are not identifiable in a family environment, to ensure all CSEN are supported in a timely manner, early identification should be an integral component of the…

Significant movement in educational practice within New Zealand schools, particularly evident in special education, has seen schools actively encouraged to mainstream students. Central to the success of this transition, is the facilitation of a child's acceptance and belonging within the school setting. Yet, there is a dearth of literature in New…

Learning trajectories/progressions are an emerging research focus in mathematics education. A set of descriptors of early progress in mathematics was developed for students with complex needs. Developers leveraged off existing research-based frameworks and meta-analyses, as well as integrating findings from individual research studies in some…

The teacher workforce could be better prepared to cater to the learning needs of special needs students. The low percentage of teachers reporting a positive impact from their professional development signals that there is more to be done regarding the quality of the training offered in special needs education. Also, allocating more experienced and…

This article presents the results of a comparative and critical study of the competency standards of Québec school administrators compared with seven other education systems within the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). An inductive-type analysis has made it possible to identify the social categories targeted in the…

Public education is not just a way to organise and fund education. It is also the expression of a particular ideal about education and of a particular way to conceive of the relationship between education and society. The ideal of public education sees education as an important dimension of the common good and as an important institution in…

There are still no major assessment and diagnostic tools that educators can use to properly assess our Inuit students' learning. Cultural safety as it is currently defined in New Zealand educational research (Macfarlane et al., 2007) is necessary in creating a classroom community that encourages the appreciation of culture and worldview, and…

Historically, Maori children in New Zealand have been consistently over-represented in negative social statistics. To describe the current status of New Zealand's education and services for at-risk Maori children and their families, this article highlights the country's overall structure of special education and services, as well as unique…

Twice-exceptional (gifted with associated learning difficulties) students face complex learning challenges because of their varying combinations of high ability alongside domains of learning difficulty. There is currently little original empirical research in the New Zealand education setting specifically concerning twice-exceptional students. The…

Personal narrative ability is crucial for social-emotional well-being and classroom participation. This study investigated the ability of 10 school-age participants with Down syndrome to share past personal experiences with their teacher aides in their school environment. To participate, children were required to speak in short sentences and be…

The importance of the Special Needs Coordinator (SENCO) in facilitating inclusive and equitable education is well supported in the literature with many countries formalising the role through legislation and policy. New Zealand however, while adopting the role of SENCO, has not formalised this role, meaning that those in SENCO positions in New…