Our research

Ā Mātou Rangahau

In this section of our website you'll find our education system evaluations, effective practice reports, resources and guides. These are produced by Te Ihuwaka | Education Evaluation Centre and Te Pou Mataaho | Evaluation and Research Māori.

Read more about Te Ihuwaka | Education Evaluation Centre.

Read more about Te Pou Mataaho | Evaluation and Research Māori.

Read about the questions we are asking.

There are 23 research articles.
  • Topics: Much more than words: Manuka takoto kawea ake, Ngā Whanaketanga Rumaki Māori, Primary, Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), Relationships
  • Published: 10 May 2021

    Exploring Collaboration in Action: Kahukura Community of Practice

    ERO was approached by principals from Kahukura to document and evaluate their community of practice in Christchurch. This report identifies what is working well for this community of practice, areas where they might consider further enhancements, and lessons and insights into practices which could be shared with others.

  • Published: 10 May 2021

    Collaboration in Action: Lessons from a Community of Practice

    This short report accompanies our report Exploring Collaboration in Action: Kahukura Community of Practice.  It looks at the lessons that can be learnt from the Kahukura community of practice, drawing out key lessons on collaboration and providing seven key implications for schools who are interested in collaborating to consider.

  • Published: 22 Apr 2021

    Science in secondary schools: a guide for leaders

    To support leaders and teachers to review and strengthen the science learning opportunities they provide, ERO explored the strategies and approaches that a selection of schools had taken to increase students’ engagement in science. This short guides draws on this work to help secondary school leaders think about how they can support stronger science teaching and learning in their school.

  • Published: 19 Apr 2021

    Science in primary schools: a guide for teachers

    To support leaders and teachers to review and strengthen the science learning opportunities they provide, ERO explored the strategies and approaches that a selection of schools had taken to increase students’ engagement in science. This short guides draws on this work to help primary school teachers think about how they can support stronger science teaching and learning in their school.

  • Published: 19 Jan 2021

    A guide to learning in a Covid-19 world - Supporting primary-aged students into 2021

    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.

  • Published: 18 Jun 2020

    Te Tāmata Huaroa: Te Reo Māori in English-medium Schooling

    This report gives a snapshot of the current provision of te reo Māori teaching and learning in a representative sample of English-medium primary and secondary schools. The education sector is seen as an important lever in the Government’s Maihi Karauna strategy for language revitalisation.

  • Published: 29 Nov 2019

    Social Workers in Schools

    This ERO qualitative case study report undertaken on behalf of Oranga Tamariki captures the voices of children and their whanau who were recipients of the Social Workers in Schools (SWiS) service. SWiS is a government funded, community social work service provided in most English and Māori medium, decile 1-3 primary and intermediate schools.

  • Published: 13 May 2019

    Bullying Prevention and Response in New Zealand Schools May 2019

    New Zealand schools have one of the highest rates of bullying among OECD member countries. In this evaluation, ERO looked at the extent to which schools were effectively working towards an environment in which students feel safe and free from bullying.

    A companion report to this one, Bullying Prevention and Response: Student Voice focuses on ERO’s survey of students on their experience and understandings of bullying and effective bullying prevention and response.

  • Published: 14 May 2018

    Teaching strategies that work - Reading

    The Education Review Office (ERO) has released the latest in its Teaching Strategies that Work series. “Keeping children engaged and achieving in reading” is a description of strategies used by primary schools which have significantly improved their students’ achievement in reading.

  • Published: 20 Feb 2018

    Teaching strategies that work - Mathematics

    This Education Review Office (ERO) report is one of a series of reports on teaching strategies that work. It features strategies and approaches that we observed in 40 primary schools selected from across New Zealand. These schools came from a database of 129 schools, all with rolls of 200 or more, in which the proportion of students in the upper primary years (Years 5 to 8) achieving at or above the national standard had increased. In each case achievement levels were also above average for the decile.

  • Published: 24 Nov 2017

    Teaching approaches and strategies that work

    This evaluation looks at teaching approaches and strategies used in schools where there has been a significant increase in the number of students at or above National Standards in the upper primary school years (Years 5 to 8). We wanted to learn more about any short-term interventions or long-term strategies that may have been influential in bringing about these positive achievement trajectories. We have shared and discussed our findings from some of the 40 schools we visited.

  • Published: 04 Sep 2017

    Shared values

    Culturally responsive relationships and practices support and promote the development of learners’ confidence in their identity, language and culture. These relationships are explicitly acknowledged and understood by teachers and learners and contribute to an inclusive learning environment in which there are equitable opportunities to learn.  This video was filmed at Invercargill Middle School.

  • Published: 04 Sep 2017

    Partnerships between home and community

    This school seeks every opportunity to connect with the groups within its multicultural community to support those groups to connect to one another as well as engage with the school and their children’s learning.

  • Published: 04 Sep 2017

    Relationships for learning

    A learning community characterised by whanaungatanga and manaakitanga creates the challenge and support needed to develop learning to learn capabilities and achieve successful learning outcomes.

    This video was filmed at McAuley High School.

  • Published: 04 Sep 2017

    Purposeful education pathway

    The setting of academic goals that build toward purposeful educational pathways and career options begins early at McAuley High School and supports student choices throughout their schooling.

  • Published: 18 Dec 2015

    Raising student achievement through targeted actions

    In 2015, ERO investigated target setting in both primary and secondary schools. We focused on the extent to which targeted actions of schools supported accelerated progress for students at risk of not achieving.

  • Published: 30 Jun 2014

    Raising achievement in primary schools

    This national report presents the findings of how well a sample of primary schools were taking actions to increase the number of students achieving 'at' or 'above' national standards.The findings show that half of the schools in the evaluation had used deliberate actions to support students to accelerate progress and sustain achievement.