Education news

Janina is passionate about supporting communities to innovate, strengthen, and reshape a system that supports all to feel a sense of belonging and be seen for their strengths, uniqueness and potential, by working together.

A new guide will help empower Aotearoa New Zealand's secondary teachers to engage students and facilitate culturally sensitive and inclusive learning settings, at their own pace and to suit their teaching needs.

Student, lecturer and international student supporter, Mengping Cheng graduates with a Doctor of Education from UC.

An exceptional ‘teacher of teachers’ is celebrating her own scholarly success, graduating with a Doctorate in Education.

University of Canterbury researchers are leading innovative studies to research and improve child health in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Inspiring experts and business leaders, including former Director-General of Health Sir Ashley Bloomfield, are sharing their knowledge in a new series of video interviews.

Te Kura Umanga | UC Business School, in conjunction with MYOB, has run a successful teachers conference in 2019.

Dr Amy Scott gets excited when her five-year-old daughter Ivy brings home her book bag from school.

University of Canterbury (UC) researchers are tackling the knock-on effects of playing rugby by engineering a better way to protect young players’ brains from concussion.

Isla didn’t grow up with te reo Māori. Now, with a Master of Teaching and Learning, she’s inspiring the next generation.

Steve Wakefield is stepping down from his role after four years as Pro-Chancellor of the University of Canterbury Council.

Congratulations to the six UC Health Sciences students who joined 15 other enthusiastic final-year health students and took part in the Future Leaders Programme recently! Four Masters of Health Science Professional Practice (Nursing) students and two Bachelor of Health Science students (majoring in Public Health and Policy) proudly represented the university.

New Zealanders are back in their bubbles after Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced a three day alert level 4 lockdown for the entire country, and a seven day period for Auckland, following the confirmation of a community case — most likely infected with the Delta variant.

The University of Canterbury is bringing an innovative sexuality education theatre show to the campus, giving educators and parents an insight into the cutting edge of how teenagers are being better helped to navigate relationships and sexuality.

The University of Canterbury (UC) has created a new doctoral degree specifically designed to suit working professionals with a background in health.

Kia Manawanui, a new 10-year plan for mental health unveiled this week, is welcome reading for University of Canterbury community mental health expert Dr Kaaren Mathias, but not comprehensive enough

More than 800 students from schools around Canterbury had a taste of university life last week, including experiencing the cold of the Antarctic chill and printing out food.

From quality sleep to developing language, experts will share their expertise on many aspects of child well-being at a symposium at the University of Canterbury (UC) this week.

There has been a dramatic upswing in the number of students training to become technology teachers at the University of Canterbury after a new entry system launched this year.

The University of Canterbury (UC) and Environment Canterbury are teaming up to tackle some of the most pressing environmental issues of our time.

Can children develop a love of reading by sitting alone with an e-book? In a new article on The Conversation, Associate Professor Kathryn MacCallum argues that real books are more engaging.

While the prevalence of injuries doesn't necessarily predict outcomes at the elite level, there is no doubt that preventing injuries is in the interest of individual players and the international teams they play for.

New international rankings have placed three University of Canterbury (UC) subjects in the Top 100 of all universities globally.

Young New Zealanders who are experiencing stress are more likely to seek help from friends and families than from counsellors or other specialists, according to a new study published in Stress and Health journal, raising questions about how effective the help they receive may be.

Not all students in Aotearoa New Zealand are free to dream about their future it seems, with many limiting themselves to harmful and outdated gender and ethnicity-based stereotypes.

Dance, circus and Māori martial arts are woven together with music performed by the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra (CSO) in a new show telling a distinctly South Island creation story.

A new approach is accelerating early literacy skills for New Zealand children. 

The UC team beat 17 opponent universities on the Gold Coast to win the Oceania Qualifiers and earn a spot at the FISU World University Cup in China in November.

A Canterbury-developed structured literacy program, delivering impressive results for New Zealand children, aims for nationwide use and global reach.

The government wants a ‘structured literacy approach’ to teaching reading at school. Hear from an expert about the literacy initiative working for all children.

A University of Canterbury researcher has received a prestigious fellowship to study the relationships between young people and their adult mentors.

Canterbury researchers are exploring how web-based support could benefit children on the autism spectrum and their families as demand for services grows.

To support the bicultural principles of the Ministry of Education’s Early childhood curriculum Te Whāriki, a UC researcher created a free resource that strengthens bicultural teaching practice.

New University of Canterbury (UC) research into a virtual volcano field trip highlights the immense value of taking a bicultural approach to science education.

The University of Canterbury (UC) is the first and remains the only New Zealand university to be led by women.

On The Conversation, Dr Annabel Ahuriri-Driscoll highlights some of the deeper questions about Māori identity that lie behind the political discourse.

A shipping container will leave the University of Canterbury (UC) campus on 3 November full of education resources and supplies to support several new classrooms in Tonga.

The University of Canterbury (UC) is joining global online learning platform edX to offer free, short courses to the world.

The University of Canterbury (UC) celebrates 20 years of the Child and Family Psychology programme today. The sought-after qualification trains psychologists specifically to work with children, adolescents and families, and remains unique in Aotearoa.

Canterbury student biologists spotted 260 different species in a ‘Bioblitz’ at Cass Mountain Research Station in one day, including species new to the region.

Our ability to connect and communicate helps us to thrive and contribute to society in meaningful ways. What can parents do today to ensure a bright future for our tamariki in a fast-changing digital world?

A new field trial investigating whether headgear can help prevent collision-related injuries in junior rugby players will kick off next year amid growing concern about health and safety in the sport.

In an article on The Conversation, academics including University of Canterbury Dr David Pomeroy, Kay-Lee Jones and Associate Professor Sara Tolbert explore the decision to end classroom streaming.

Higher levels of screen time in early childhood have been linked to poorer developmental outcomes for Kiwi kids.

Over a thousand tamariki from across Waitaha Canterbury participated in Te Mātāpuna Mātātahi I Children’s University’s On-Campus Experience Day.

University of Canterbury (UC) researchers have made a major step forward in treatment of sleep problems in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), in new research recently published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.

A passion for normalising te reo is driving two researchers from University of Canterbury (UC), whose next project with school children at Burnside Primary School will take te reo out of the school and into the west Christchurch community.

University of Canterbury Senior Lecturer Lisa Emerson explains on The Conversation how establishing research priorities of the autistic community in Aotearoa New Zealand will help change course.

People facing redundancy, suspension or significant reductions in work hours as a result of the economic impact of COVID-19 can now upskill or change careers with the help of a University of Canterbury Study Grant. Called FutureU, the UC initiative will provide grants of up to $7500 per person to subsidise tuition fees.

Even if American President Donald Trump loses this week’s election, the damage he has done to politics is something the United States – and the world - will have to reconcile in the years to come, says University of Canterbury (UC) Associate Professor of Sociology Mike Grimshaw.

In cooperation with academics from other universities around Aotearoa, Associate Professor Cheryl Brown stresses the lack of consideration of students voices on online learning and introduces their Student Online Learning Experiences survey to rectify this issue in an article on The Conversation.

The year 2019 marks the 150th anniversary of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements, declared by the United Nations to raise awareness of its beauty and significance. The periodic table is known around the world to scientists and non-scientists. But how did we get here? Find out in an explosive free public lecture.

The 2019 Stats NZ Prize for a paper with “the best use of official statistics” has been awarded to University of Canterbury researchers whose work concluded that the timing of a child’s fifth birthday, and when they typically first start school, may impact on their NCEA results and University Entrance (UE) later on.

Kay-Lee Jones has helped nurture a love for te ao Māori in over 2000 student teachers in the University of Canterbury’s (UC) School of Teacher Education.

The UC study, led by Director of the Child Well-being Research Institute Professor Gail Gillon, is part of the Better Start Literacy project, which aims to both boost vocabulary and help children distinguish the individual sounds within words (phonemes).

Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury (UC) students put their theory into practice when passing on valuable wellbeing knowledge to over 100 Ilam School students this week.

An education leader and equity advocate has stepped down from Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury (UC) after steering its School of Teacher Education through a decade of challenges and change.

University of Canterbury Professor Letitia Fickel, who is the Acting Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the College of Education, Health & Human Development, says she is pleased the Education Minister is responding to the national need to prepare the next generation of teachers for Aotearoa New Zealand schools.

A solid friendship has helped a group of Christchurch students who met in high school make it through their undergraduate degrees.

In an article on The Conversation, University of Canterbury Associate Professors Kathryn MacCallum and Cheryl Brown explain how the Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the need to redefine good and bad screen time and recommended hourly use for tamariki.

Teachers in the Philippines are benefiting from the knowledge and experience of expert educators from the University of Canterbury (UC) this year.

Interacting with adults is necessary for young brains to fully develop, however childhood education experts in the United States of America have found that under-fives need far more “back and forth” interaction than previously thought.

University of Canterbury’s Adjunct Associate Professor Sonja Macfarlane was awarded this year’s New Zealand Psychological Society Dame Marie Clay Award, while her husband Professor Angus Macfarlane was named a Fellow of the Society, it was announced this week.

The importance of emotions in adult learning should not be underestimated, according to an exceptional new Doctor of Education.

New Zealand primary and intermediate schools could soon be required to test children’s reading, writing and maths at least twice a year, but is it the best way to assess student progress?

Kiwi kids are suffering unnecessarily from severe tooth decay that could be prevented, according to research published today in JAMA Paediatrics, the highest-ranking journal of Paediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health in the world.

Inspired by the experience of helping her own children learn to read and write, Elizabeth Kay has qualified as a teacher so she can help other Deaf students learn and feel pride in their identity.

SIGNAL ICT Graduate School, in conjunction with UC, LU, OU, Institute of Canterbury and Otago Polytechnic launched research report "Horizons 2020, Trends in Technology Education" on Monday 1 June.

The government has announced sweeping changes to the health system. University of Canterbury public health expert, epidemiologist Associate Professor Arindam Basu comments on this major shake-up.

Digital technologies in education will be a hot talking point in Ōtautahi Christchurch in late 2023 as hundreds of education and technology experts come together for the Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education (ASCILITE) annual conference.

‘Food for Thought’ is a five-day series of 15-minute talks in the city, bringing the university’s thought leaders to the public, so people can feed their minds while filling their tummies.

A monitoring system for students needing extra support is showing positive results, helping them get back on track with their studies.

In an upcoming UC Connect public lecture, a world-leading scientist will share her knowledge of how nutrition can help overcome stress, ADHD, and depression.

She is friends with Kiwi Olympian Sir Mark Todd and once trained the champion horse Charisma, but now Francesca Howard is taking the reins as the oldest student currently enrolled at the University of Canterbury (UC).

UC's Dr Kaaren Mathias writes about the lack of investment in India's public sector, which has led to an unaffordable, failing healthcare system, in a new article on The Conversation.

Parenting can be a demanding and stressful job at any time, however parenting through a pandemic can pile additional pressure on parents, according to new research.

New Zealanders returning to the country will be placed into mandatory quarantine, and the Ministry of Health is developing a contact tracing app. University of Canterbury epidemiologist Associate Professor Arindam Basu said it was an accurate assessment by the Government to say that loosening restrictions now, after two weeks, would allow the virus to spread rapidly again. At least another two weeks of Level 4 lockdown was required to maintain momentum.

New relationships and sexuality education (RSE) guidelines are out – and teachers and leaders are getting support to bring the guidelines to life in their schools.

Congratulations to Claire Dong and Luke de Schot for being awarded two Aho Hīnātore | Accelerator Scholarships to do their PhDs in CNRE

From volcanic hazards to student engagement in performing arts, the UC’s fast-paced Research Student Showcase highlighted a range of outstanding research topics.

UC has entered into a collaboration with Microsoft to enhance student experience, research capabilities and employability by being at the forefront of tech innovation.

Hundreds of new Māori and Pacific students are enrolling at Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury (UC) this year, in a sharp increase from 2020.

It’s a motivating feeling helping students get back on track by being a sounding board, adviser and problem solver.

Long-standing debates about the purpose and focus of a school science curriculum have resurfaced this week as New Zealand is refreshing its approach to science education, UC Associate Professor Sara Tolbert discusses on The Conversation.

Young Māori learners across Aotearoa New Zealand are benefiting from teachers with better tikanga and cultural skills thanks to an award-winning team of University of Canterbury (UC) education researchers.

How do male academics become allies in fighting sexism in the #metoo era, without ‘mansplaining’ or ‘white knighting’? Three University of Canterbury (UC) academics have looked into the necessary steps behind championing inclusivity and diversity in academia.

The University of Canterbury (UC) is hosting the New Zealand and China Tertiary Education Exhibition until 4 October 2019, demonstrating the engagement between the countries’ academics and students.

“A community that excludes even one member is no community at all.”

When three Christchurch friends found out they’d been awarded the same full-fee scholarship to study at university they called everyone they knew to share the news.

E-learning specialist Associate Professor Cheryl Brown said that internet access needs to be available to all students to avoid creating systemic inequities.

Two new University of Canterbury (UC) courses will empower ākonga to explore Indigenous representation as we move from traditional storytelling to digital and mainstream media.

Bringing gaming technology and real-world examples into the classroom are some of the strategies used by award-winning University of Canterbury teachers to engage their students.

Sensitive subjects such as trolling or other difficult topics require a careful approach at all points – from examining your motivation before you begin and setting up support to sharing findings, writes Professor Ekant Veer.

A summer internship led to a job that is now furthering University of Canterbury graduate Josie Tricker’s dreams to positively impact people’s clothing choices.

An innovative research-based approach to how New Zealand children are taught to read is to be extended across the country with a $10 million Ministry of Education contract awarded to the University of Canterbury (UC).

The scope of education has expanded beyond focusing on academic progress to include children’s social and emotional development. Researchers at the University of Canterbury (UC) are going one step further, however, to develop a framework for socio-emotional well-being that is culturally and linguistically responsive and fosters children’s sense of belonging.

The IELTS test centre at the University of Canterbury is the first IDP IELTS test centre to offer Computer-delivered IELTS in the South Island.

We’re back in level one and counting our blessings, but what effect has the lockdown period had on our children? What do they need from us now?

University of Canterbury (UC) Doctor of Education graduate, and previous Fulbright Distinguished Teacher, Lynnette Brice has collected and analysed stories from her career working in teen parent education, alternative education and education in Corrections facilities to better understand the powerful role that emotions can play in learning and in transforming lives.

Recently released, the 2021 ShanghaiRanking (AWRU) have ranked the University of Canterbury in the 401-500 ranking group. The University has retained its ranking group this year placing it third equal in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Rainbow community members in Aotearoa could soon be able to jump online to find doctors who are friendly and well-informed when it comes to meeting their health needs.

When three Christchurch friends found out they’d been awarded the same full-fee scholarship to study at university they called everyone they knew to share the news.

Police, firefighters and other emergency personnel from Utah, United States of America, are visiting the University of Canterbury (UC) this week to learn from academics who have transformed their experiences during Canterbury’s earthquakes into valuable lessons to share with others.

Latest research into what makes Māori flourish has highlighted the need to change the narrative in Aotearoa New Zealand from a negative bias to one of recognising Māori success.

University of Canterbury graduate & ex-All Blacks rugby midfielder Daryl Gibson has written a thesis on how to break a losing streak after leaving his coaching position with the Waratahs, NZ Stuff reports.

To explore what is possible, non-Indigenous scholars Mahdis Azarmandi and Sara Tolbert offer an anticolonial feminist praxis for unsettling settler institutions.

New Zealand schools can do more to bridge cultural and language barriers and improve academic outcomes for Pacific children, a University of Canterbury (UC) researcher says.

A Canterbury team of researchers has been honoured for an innovative approach to literacy that has so far helped more than 45,000 Kiwi children learn to read and write.

Can Crusaders fans help their team triumph in the Super Rugby Aotearoa final against the Chiefs this weekend? University of Canterbury (UC) sports psychology lecturer Dr Brad Miles explores the advantage of playing at home.

University of Canterbury Associate Professors Kathryn MacCallum & Cheryl Brown, Co-Directors of Te Puna Rangahau i-Ako | Digital Education Futures Lab discuss the pros and cons of our children’s increasing screen time, and how to deal with it this summer.

Surrounded by family members and wearing colourful ula around their necks, a Samoan couple has celebrated achieving their PhDs together at a graduation event in Christchurch.

Internships with professional sporting organisations are helping bridge the gap between study and work for UC Sport Coaching students. A strong relationship has developed between the University of Canterbury and the Crusaders in recent years, with UC interns learning on the job and making a valuable contribution.

Fifty young Māori and Pacific students are learning about budgeting, health, history and how to navigate their first year at Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury as part of a unique scholarship programme.

Tuahiwi pūrākau (stories) are soon to be published as children's picture books in a collaboration between Tuahiwi School, Tuahiwi Marae and Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury (UC) researchers.

Learning how to hone recruitment skills and create positive workplaces is just a click away, thanks to an innovative online MicroMasters programme. The Organizational Psychology MicroMasters programme is unique in Aotearoa New Zealand and already attracting a global following on UCx – the University of Canterbury’s online learning platform.

Spring GradFest is here

Exceptional Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury (UC) teachers who students describe as “life-altering”, “energetic” and “inspiring”, have been honoured with prestigious awards.

Anti-bullying expert Dr Cara Swit is delighted to see University of Canterbury (UC) students supporting the annual Pink Shirt Day tomorrow, but would like people to feel empowered to confront bullying every day.

An innovative new resource developed at Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury (UC) offers educators across Aotearoa New Zealand practical help to develop or deepen their culturally responsive teaching.

A kaupapa Māori research approach has brought together Te Rūnanga o Arowhenua and mountaineers to help address the human waste issue at Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park. 

A new UC study is developing critical training opportunities for early childhood education student teachers, without an infant in sight.

When a ‘scientist’ turns into a ‘beaker’ and ‘newbies’ are called ‘fidlets’ you have most likely arrived in Antarctica.

Frontiers Abroad is a semester-long study abroad programme that provides students from the United States with an enriching academic and experiential adventure in New Zealand.

Have a go at entering one or more of our three Essay Prizes and get yourself some extra cash!

Researchers say the extent to which children’s worries lead to positive action for change or immobilised fear depends on how sustainability learning is framed.

What type of toothpaste are you using? A new paper from award-winning University of Canterbury (UC) researcher Dr Matt Hobbs may have those of us preferring a ‘fluoride-free’ or ‘natural’ approach to oral health, questioning that choice.

UC education expertise has been instrumental in increasing equity and reducing the damaging practice of streaming children in schools.

Are you thinking of Postgraduate study in 2025? We have a number of Postgraduate Scholarships closing mainly between 15 October and 2 December for study in 2025.

Innovative UC research aiming to remove megatonnes of carbon from the atmosphere each year has received a $10 million grant from the Government. 

Wanting to help Pacific and Māori students succeed in education as well as in sport motivated Ratu Lolohea to tackle a postgraduate degree. 

Decades of work aimed at improving children’s learning success and wellbeing has earned Professor Gail Gillon the University of Canterbury’s (UC) highest research honour.

UC’s Child Well-being Research Institute Director, Professor Gail Gillon, has been appointed Education Commissioner for the New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO. 

A long-running education initiative that has given hundreds of Kiwi teachers the chance to experience life in a Samoan village is now the subject of new research.