By Gail

The American Educational Research Association’s (AERA) met in Vancouver earlier this year. The theme was ‘Non Satis Scire: To Know Is Not Enough’.

Educators’ knowledge about learning and teaching continues to increase through the publication of scholarly research. However, although AERA gave high marks to advancing knowledge about education through scholarly inquiry, the report was not as glowing for “the use of research to improve education and serve the public good”.

What would our New Zealand report card look like? 

If your Board of Trustees asked you for studies and evidence that reading for pleasure supports student learning outcomes, what would you suggest?

What research would you mention as part of an ‘elevator speech’ about the value of school libraries? 

Reflect for a moment. Check your list against the information in Education counts. 

Which studies do you consider most useful? Are NZCER, PISA and PIRLS on your list? Which others? What about research on improving students’ inquiry learning skills, what examples would you draw on?

For starters, we could refer to BlueMountain College, Tapanui (Otago) where teachers and library staff used the National Education Monitoring Project’s (NEMP) Information Skills survey to test Year 8 students. The findings showed the need to focus on developing the students’ skills and attitudes to writing.

How can we place more emphasis on using research as well as adding to the body of research on the difference school libraries make?

Let us know of anything you have done that has transformed the impact of your library service on your students’ learning. Share your research journey and inspire others with examples of evidence, which supports student achievement.

One avenue for you to share your research experiences and to learn about others is National Library’s Online Community: Collaboration, Advocacy and how libraries can add value to learning. 

For inspiration, these research findings will help you on your way.

Further reading:

•  Education Counts: This Ministry of Education site providesuseful links to education statistics and research, including:
• Competent children, competent learners: A longitudinal study by the New Zealand Council for Educational Research (NZCER) which includes the importance of students reading for pleasure within its findings.
• Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) : An international (including NZ)study of 15 year olds’ achievement in reading, mathematics and scientific literacy. The results show that, on average, students who read daily for enjoyment score the equivalent of 1.5 years of schooling better than those who do not.
• See PISA in Focus 8: Do students today read forpleasure?
• PIRLS (Progress in International Reading Literacy Study),  2005/2006:  A five-yearly international study of Year 5 students, including NZ, which showed those students with the most positive attitudes toward reading generally had the highest reading achievement. Furthermore, reading achievement was highest for students whose parents enjoyed reading and read frequently, and who came from homes with many children’s books  The results from PIRLS 2011 are scheduled to be released in Dec 2012.

National Library’s Services to Schools includes research findings on school libraries, learning and pedagogical models.  See:

•  Student achievement – the research 
•  Evidence and Learning Outcomes
• Research and innovative thinking  
•  Raising Mäori student achievement: the research
•  Developing library services to support Pasifika learners