25 November 2004

Research projects to raise education standards

Eighteen new research projects have been awarded grants under the Teaching and Learning Research Initiative (TLRI), aimed at contributing to the government's goal of raising education standards, Education Minister Trevor Mallard announced today.

“This is the second year of funding for the TLRI, and takes into account the increase in funding from $1 million to $2 million. These projects continue the important work we are doing in the early childhood, school and tertiary sectors to raise education standards through supporting quality teaching.

"A broader range of projects is to be undertaken than previously, and I am particularly pleased that there are three three-year projects in this years round. These projects will enable the researchers, one each in the areas of science achievement, early childhood learning, and teacher education, to partner with other educators over a longer period to produce studies that are relevant, practical and usable.

“The TLRI is part of the government’s investment in education and educational research, and reflects our commitment to improving educational achievement through quality teaching. The research projects cover all aspects of teaching and learning, and allow the benefits of partnerships between education research experts and teachers to be maximised.

“Through these projects we can build on teaching and learning knowledge by enhancing the links between educational research and teaching practices so that these projects have outcomes that are of practical use to teachers and other educators.

“For the 2004 round there were 72 expressions of interest. The quality of the proposals this year was significantly higher than those in 2003, a reflection of the importance of this initiative and depth of interest in educational research."

The New Zealand Council of Educational Research has been contracted to manage the programme on behalf of the Ministry of Education. A team of specialists in key areas of educational research will manage the initiative and assist the researchers.

A list of the research projects in the 2004 funding round and background information is attached, and more information on the TLRI programme is available at www.tlri.org.nz.

ENDS

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