Special Issue call for papers from the New Zealand Journal of Educational Studies

– Te Hautaka Mātai Mātauranga 

Theme: Learning Environments research innovations: Policy, practice, philosophies 

New Zealand Journal of Educational Studies – Te Hautaka Mātai Mātauranga https://www.springer.com/journal/40841 

Call for papers: 

Special Issue call for papers from New Zealand Journal of Educational Studies – Te Hautaka Mātai Mātauranga 

Theme: Learning Environments research innovations: Policy, practice, philosophies 

Guest editors: 

Dr Suzanne Trask, University of Waikato, strask@waikato.ac.nz

Dr Elaine Khoo, University of Waikato, elaine.khoo@waikato.ac.nz 

National and international interest in learning environments research (LE) has been increasing. Current New Zealand developments in innovative learning spaces (ILE) involving multidisciplinary collaborations such as those between architecture and education are influencing our understandings of teaching, learning and assessment practices. 

As a result of this interest, the NZARE Learning Environments SIG was formed in November 2018. The SIG provides a forum for ideas and development of shared research interests and collaborative research networks. The SIG aims to support publication of high-quality LE research that informs policy and professional practice. The SIG hosted a successful one-day symposium in October 2019 with the theme of Learning Environments research innovations: Policy, practice, philosophies. 

This Special Issue with the same theme in New Zealand Journal of Educational Studies (NZJES) addresses this aim. Contributions are invited from researchers and practitioners of learning environments across physical, pedagogical, social, cultural, leadership and digital/technological aspects. 

Submissions to the Special Issue are invited on work-in-progress and/or research outcomes on topics such as: 

• Policy development and trends in LE practice across educational sectors 
• Philosophical/theoretical approaches guiding LE practice 
• Pedagogy, curriculum and assessment across formal and informal learning environments 
• Creative/interactive spaces e.g. makerspaces, museums 
• Design of physical learning spaces 
• Cultural aspects relevant to LE 
• Digitally supported teaching-learning spaces 
• Methodological issues in LE research 
• Evaluation of teaching and learning in LE 
• Multidisciplinary initiatives between disciplines such as architecture and education impacting on LE teaching, learning and assessment practices. 

Articles should be no more than 7000 words in length and must adhere to the Submission guidelines. 

Initial proposals (title, authors, 4-6 keywords, abstract of no more than 300 words) are to be submitted by email to the guest editors by 20 March. Authors will be advised of acceptance by 31 March with full papers due by 15 July. The expected publication date is 20 December. 

See below for the full timeline: 

 Please contact the guest editors for any inquiries with this Special Issue.

The Learning Environments SIG aims to provide a forum for:

• sharing and discussion of ideas

• developing shared research interests

• the formation of research networks to foster collaborative research

• supporting members to present and publish high-quality research which informs policy and professional practice

The work of the SIG will relate to all aspects of learning environments across education sectors and will relate to physical, pedagogical, social, cultural, digital/technological aspects, and leadership of learning environments.

Rationale:

There has been increasing interest for a SIG focussed on learning environments due to international and current NZ developments in innovative learning spaces and increasing multidisciplinary collaborations between disciplines such as architecture and education impacting on our current understandings of teaching, learning and assessment practices. This is a vibrant yet emerging field of research. A number of NZARE members have indicated their interest in being named a member of the founding group.

Research Interests:

This SIG should appeal to practitioners, researchers, and interested others across all levels of education who have an interest in the following areas:

• Innovative Learning Environments (ILEs)

• Flexible Learning Environments (FLS) / modern learning environments (MLEs)

• Informal learning environments, e.g. play-based learning, beyond the school/tertiary institution

• Creative/interactive spaces, e.g. makerspaces, museums

• Digitally-supported teaching-learning spaces

2020 Co-convenors 

Suzanna Trask 

I am a part-time Research Fellow at the Liggins Institute, University of Auckland. I work in areas of health science knowledge translation and student engagement in science, leading and supporting curriculum development and evaluation. I recently gained my PhD (August 2019) in secondary science education. My thesis demonstrated ways that affordances in the national curriculum and assessment systems might support different types of personalised pathways for diverse senior secondary science learning in innovative learning environments.

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 Dr Elaine Khoo

I am a senior research fellow at the Wilf Malcolm Institute of Educational Research, Faculty of Education at the University of Waikato. In my current role, I lead, support and facilitate the development, conduct and dissemination of research projects involving teaching and learning in digitally-supported learning environments across a range of educational levels. My research orientation is a sociocultural one with a qualitative interpretive methodological focus aimed at improving pedagogical practice. More details can be obtained from the website:

https://www.waikato.ac.nz/staff-profiles/people/ekhoo

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