Page 12 -

12 FACULTY OF EDUCATION THE UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND
was found to negatively affect teacher expectations, particularly for
male teachers.
At the end of the year, the intervention showed to have
positively impacted teachers’ gendered expectations of student
achievement, particularly for female teachers.
Can practices and strategies of high
expectation teachers be taught?
- Lyn McDonald and Annaline Flint
This study used data to explore whether teachers can employ the
practices and strategies of high expectation teachers after an
intervention, and how the teachers evaluated the effectiveness of
those practices and strategies. During intervention workshops three
main themes were raised as being directly linked to the strategies
taught:
• Flexible and mixed ability grouping
• Enhancing classroom climate
• Goal setting to enhance student motivation and autonomy
The intervention workshops focused on these strategies
equipping teachers with confidence to motivate and engage
students in their learning through goal setting, managing e-learning
effectively through flexible grouping, and providing skills to enable
students to become self-managing and reflective in their learning.
The initial findings reveal teacher expectations can be changed
through teaching teachers the beliefs and practices of high
expectation teachers.
Accurate expectations of gifted and
non-gifted students
- Lynda Garrett
This study initially investigated whether all (intervention and control)
participating teachers held accurate expectations for gifted or non-
gifted students’ achievement in reading. During the investigation,
teachers were split into two groups – those who underwent
intervention and those who did not. The degree to which teachers
altered their expectations for gifted and non-gifted students by
mid-way through the year were examined as well as the different
expectations from intervention and control teachers.
Findings revealed that at the beginning of the year, intervention
teachers overestimated their gifted students’ achievement
in reading and underestimated their non-gifted students. In
comparison, the control teachers overestimated both their gifted
and non-gifted students’ achievement in reading. Mid-year results
showed that intervention teachers became more positive in their
views towards their gifted and non-gifted students. However, the
control teachers’ views remained similar for the gifted students and
became more negative towards the non-gifted students.
Overall, more girls than boys, and specifically more New
Zealand European girls, were classified as gifted by their teachers
than was warranted given their achievement levels. Additionally,
more Māori and Pacific Island girls were underestimated.
Principals take up
secondment positions at
the University of Auckland
The University of Auckland Centre of Educational
Leadership (UACEL) has appointed Ngaire Ashmore,
Principal of Tangoroa College, and Tom Webb, Deputy
Principal of Onehunga High School, to fill two one-year
secondment positions in 2014.
Tom and Ngaire will be contributing to all areas of the
Centre’s objectives and vision.
Their specific areas of focus will be:
• Collaboration with others in the development of resources
for a new module “Culturally Responsive Leadership” and
“Engaging Families and Communities”.
• Connecting and working with Te Puna Wānanga and the
Pasifika Success units at the University of Auckland’s Faculty
of Education in the pursuit of the above objective and to
support the Centre to work in partnership with these groups
over time.
• Contributing to the leadership and facilitation of the First-
time Principals’ programme.
• Contributing to the leadership and facilitation of the
Centre’s Growing Great Leaders’ courses.
As part of their secondment position Tom and Ngaire will
have one day per week to continue their studies. Tom is working
toward his Master of Educational Leadership with a research
focus on academic counselling. Ngaire has just begun her
doctoral studies on effective partnership with families and
communities that raise student achievement.
Dr Linda Bendikson, Director of UACEL, is extremely happy
to have such experience join the Centre’s team in 2014. “Ngaire
and Tom bring current practical knowledge to the team,” she
says. “They will also be in a position in Term 2 onwards to
actually lead professional learning in schools. “
“The Centre has made huge strides, in the last year in
particular, in delivering a full leadership curriculum and a team
with wide experience is needed to deliver this in New Zealand
and overseas.”
Ngaire Ashmore and Tom Webb