PPTA

(2012) McConney, A., Price, A., Woods-McConney, A. (2012). Fast track teacher education: A review of the research literature on Teach For All schemes. Perth: Murdoch University, Centre for Learning, Change and Development.  This review of the literature was commissioned by the New Zealand Post-Primary Teachers Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua as a means of informing the decision-making of the Association and its members about the TFA scheme seeking to prepare teachers for New Zealand’s schools. The review was conducted by Andrew McConney, Anne Price and Amanda Woods-McConney, all lecturers at Murdoch University in Perth, Western Australia. This review of the research literature is about fast track schemes in teacher education, and specifically focuses on what is currently known about such schemes run by the organisation Teach For All (TFA). In stark contrast to traditional university-based teacher education, schemes characterised as fast track provide would-be teachers a greatly accelerated programme of study and practical experience for gaining entry to teaching in schools. Within a wide variety of alternative routes for teacher training and eventual certification (credentialing), so-called fast track programs have been one of the more visible and aggressively developed and marketed schemes over the last twenty-five years. Initially conceived and developed as Teach For America, similar fast track teacher education programs are now also established as Teach First UK and Teach For Australia, and such a scheme is currently under negotiation and development as Teach First New Zealand. TFA schemes have been established in some 18 countries around the world.

(22 March 2011) PPTA wishes to contract a researcher (or group of researchers) to conduct a literature review of fast-track teacher education schemes.    Schemes around the world make various claims for this being a successful approach to teacher education, and there have been evaluations done, often commissioned by the schemes themselves, e.g. Manchester University’s Maximum Impact Evaluation: The impact of Teach First teachers in schools (2010), funded for Teach First by the Goldman Sachs Foundation. (The Maximum Impact Programme “sits within Teach First’s leadership programme…” (p.5).)    PPTA is funding a literature review to evaluate the evidence on the effectiveness of such schemes in order to establish whether its concerns are able to be supported by the evidence or not.  Proposals should be submitted electronically by 5pm on Monday 2 May 2011

(2004)  In March 2004, PPTA conducted a survey of guidance counsellors, both members and non-members, in order to gather some key information regarding issues such as qualifications and teacher education, professional association membership, extent of classroom teaching responsibilities, and views of PPTA services.   256 guidance counsellors responded to the survey, which was an excellent response rate.   A copy of the questionnaire used is attached as an Appendix.

(July 2009) This paper was discussed at Te Roopu Matua on 27 March 2009 and at the Executive Professional Issues Advisory Committee (PIAC) on 2 April 2009. The full Executive Committee received this paper at their May meeting.      (Tags: research; PPTA governance; professional development; Maori education)

(2007)  School qualifications reform in New Zealand, 1980-2002.    Staff member Judie Alison, Advisory Officer (Professional Issues) PhD     The thesis has considerable content about PPTA’s involvement from the mid-1960’s in advocating for the abolition of norm-referenced assessment in favour of some form of standards-based assessment.   PPTA members will find this interesting in the context of the ongoing debates about NCEA.   Chapter Five, ‘The union’s role in qualifications reform’ (pp.93-125), is a particularly interesting account, using PPTA documents dating back to 1965, of PPTA’s advocacy for qualifications reform, in particular for the abolition of norm-referenced assessment in favour of some form of standards-based assessment.

(2007)  Staff member Judie Alison, Advisory Officer (Professional Issues) PhD    The thesis has considerable content about PPTA’s involvement from the mid-1960’s in advocating for the abolition of norm-referenced assessment in favour of some form of standards-based assessment.   PPTA members will find this interesting in the context of the ongoing debates about NCEA.   Chapter Five, ‘The union’s role in qualifications reform’ (pp.93-125), is a particularly interesting account, using PPTA documents dating back to 1965, of PPTA’s advocacy for qualifications reform, in particular for the abolition of norm-referenced assessment in favour of some form of standards-based assessment.  

(2007) Response to a critique of the Te Kōtahitanga questionnaire, written by Professor Roger Openshaw and Associate Professor John Clark, School of Educational Studies, Massey University

(August 2007) Presentation on the evaluation of Te Kōtahitanga made by Professor Roger Openshaw

(August 2007) Roger Openshaw, Massey University College of Education.  Key findings of the Evaluation of Te Kotahitanga – Phase 3 (2 pages).

(August 2007) Roger Openshaw, Massey University College of Education.    Māori educational underachievement is a major issue for New Zealand society and concern to adequately address the problem is justifiably, widespread. Te Kōtahitanga contends that the central issue in Māori educational underachievement is teachers positioning themselves in non-agentic positions because of their adherence to deficit theorising. Hence, its remedy is equally simple – by changing teachers’ attitudes to Māori students and their culture teachers will come to use the power of their own agency to see, ‘wonderful changes in Māori students’ behaviour, participation, engagement and achievement in their classrooms’ (Phase 3 Report, 2007, p.189). The currently high level of political support for Te Kōtahitanga has major implications for teachers, students, pedagogy, school organisation, and teacher training in New Zealand. It also has the potential to re-kindle public debate regarding the wider issues of professional autonomy and teacher accountabilities.    Whilst this review is broadly supportive of the goals sought by the Te Kōtahitanga writers, it is highly critical of both the Phase 3 Report and its operationalisation as a professional development programme for teachers.

(June 2007)  Windshift.   This report contains the results of an investigation commissioned by the New Zealand Post-Primary Teachers’ Association (NZPPTA), into the attitudes of parents of current state secondary school students towards secondary school teaching.

(2006)   Prepared by Lynette O'Brien, Judie Alison, Bronwyn CrossNew Zealand’s secondary schools are facing a crisis in recruiting and retaining technology teachers thanks to a systematic undervaluing of their skills and experience.PPTA conducted this research in 2005 in response to the concerns of technology teachers.  Post script: while there have been some positive changes since this report- such as the offer of scholarships to career changers and the introduction specific programmes (such as that at the University of Waikato and the DipSS) and changes to the technology curriculum - there is still a recruitment and retention crisis in technology teaching.