Our research

Critical to science education is the quality of teaching of science in schools, and the engagement of students with science. This guide sets out actions you can take to strengthen science teaching in your school.

Critical to science education is the quality of teaching of science in schools, and the engagement of students with science. This guide sets out actions you can take to strengthen science teaching in your school.

Science is a way of making sense of the world and the universe beyond it. Science involves systematically making and testing ideas, collecting evidence through a variety of methods, problem-solving, and creating new knowledge. Scientific knowledge and ways of thinking help to inform technological innovations and creative solutions to problems.

Science is a way of making sense of the world, and the universe beyond it. Science involves systematically making and testing ideas, collecting evidence through a variety of methods, problem-solving, and creating new knowledge. Scientific knowledge and ways of thinking help to inform technological innovations and creative solutions to problems.

Children are curious by nature and demonstrate this through how they engage with the world. They are eager to explore, question, experiment, and learn about science through the play-based curriculum provided in early childhood contexts. A play-based approach builds on children’s motivation to learn and provides opportunities for them to explore ideas, experiment, and express new ideas. When this occurs, benefits include children becoming better problem solvers and critical thinkers. 

To help support teaching science in the early years, ERO has talked to 147 early childhood services across New Zealand to find out what is happening for learners, and to identify good practice.

Learning science in the preschool years helps children become better problem solvers and critical thinkers. Children are curious by nature and are eager to explore, question, experiment, and learn about science through play. Early childhood educators can use a playbased approach to teaching science to give children opportunities to explore, experiment, and express new ideas.

Science is important – we rely on science and scientific thinking in almost every endeavour in our modern society. High quality science education at school is essential for learners who want a career in science, but it is also important for all learners to help them understand the scientific issues that whānau, communities, and nations face. Issues such as climate change, healthy living, and innovation all depend on science.

Learning science in the primary school years helps children become better problem solvers and critical thinkers. Children are curious by nature and are eager to explore, question, experiment, and learn about the world around them. Primary school teachers can use a variety of approaches when teaching science, that give children opportunities to explore, experiment, and express new ideas.

Science is increasingly important in today’s world as people come to rely on science and scientific thinking for almost every kind of endeavour. Critical for our scientific understanding is the quality of science teaching in our schools, and the extent to which students engage with science learning.

We wanted to understand more about what was happening for children’s learning in science from early childhood up to Year 4. From the literature, and ERO’s previous reviews, we identified three key components to focus on in this evaluation: leadership, intentional teaching and responsive curriculum.

Te Pou Mataaho, ERO’s evaluation and research group, and Te Uepū ā Motu, ERO’s national evaluation and review team, pursued this evaluation to provide an evidence base about the initial impacts of Covid-19 on Māori-medium education and how the sector responded.

Schools faced new challenges in 2020 as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. To understand what these challenges were and how schools responded, the Education Review Office interviewed 750 schools and surveyed over 2500 principals and teachers across the country, from May through to September 2020.

I whāia tēnei arotake e Te Pou Mataaho, te rōpū arotake, rangahau hoki a Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga me Te Uepū ā-Motu, te rōpū arotake ā-motu a Te Tari Arotake Mātauranga, ki te whakaputa i tētahi kohinga taunakitanga e kitea ai ngā pānga tōmua o te Mate Korona ki te rāngai mātauranga reo Māori, me ngā rautaki i whāia ai e taua rāngai.

We know that Covid-19 has had a huge impact on you, your early childhood education service and other services across NZ. In 2020, you had to deal with new challenges and develop innovative ways to support your children.

This short guide is for school leaders and teachers in schools with primary-aged students. It covers what we found from talking to schools in 2020 about the impact of Covid-19, and shares strategies used by schools to respond to the challenges they faced. It also sets out some actions that could be considered for continuing to support students, parents, whānau and staff in 2021.

This short guide is for parents of children in early childhood education, and of school-aged children. It covers that we learnt from talking to schools and early childhood education services in 2020 about the impact of Covid-19. It also sets out some recommendations for how parents can continue to support their child’s learning this year.

This short guide is for Board of Trustees for schools. It covers what we found from talking to both Boards of Trustees and schools in 2020 about the impact of Covid-19. The guide shares suggested actions for continuing to support students, parents, whānau and staff in a Covid-19 world.

This short guide is for school leaders and teachers in schools with secondary-aged students. It covers what we found from talking to schools in 2020 about the impact of Covid-19, and shares strategies used by schools to respond to the challenges they faced. It also sets out some actions that could be considered for continuing to support students, parents, whānau and staff in 2021.

Early childhood education services had to quickly adapt to changing requirements and periods of uncertainty due to Covid-19 in 2020. Through our work on the impact of Covid-19 we found that services went above and beyond to support children, staff and whānau and that there have been some real gains