Rate My Professor Jenny Ward

Dr Jenny Ward is a key figure in educational assessment at the University of Otago College of Education, serving as Project Lead for the Educational Assessment Research Unit (EARU) and the Curriculum Insights project. She completed her PhD in 2010 at the University of Otago College of Education with a thesis entitled 'Teacher knowledge of fractions: An assessment,' examining educators' conceptual understanding of fractions critical for effective mathematics instruction. In her leadership role, Ward directs Curriculum Insights, a major national assessment program commissioned by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the New Zealand Council for Educational Research. This initiative tracks trends in student achievement in English-medium state and state-integrated primary schools, evaluating Years 3, 6, and 8 students across reading, writing, mathematics, and the eight learning areas of the New Zealand Curriculum. Each year, the project assesses more than 6,000 students in around 160 schools through learning area assessments, foundation skills evaluations, and a dedicated research panel of schools. Building on the National Monitoring Study of Student Achievement (2011-2022) and the National Education Monitoring Project (1995-2010), it delivers actionable insights to support curriculum implementation, teacher professional development, and policy decisions aimed at elevating educational standards nationwide.

Ward's research focuses on mathematics education, particularly teacher self-efficacy, pedagogical practices, and national monitoring of student performance. She co-authored the 2024 article 'Self-efficacy in teaching mathematics and the use of effective pedagogical practices in New Zealand primary schools' in the Journal of Mathematics Teacher Education, drawing on survey data from 327 primary teachers to investigate links between teaching experience, qualifications, self-efficacy, and classroom strategies. Her earlier contributions include evaluations of the Early Numeracy Project 2001 (with Gill Thomas), Te Poutama Tau 2005, and involvement in numeracy development projects, as well as mathematics-specific research, evaluation, curriculum design, and resource development for the National Monitoring Study of Student Achievement. Ward co-presented 'Insights into mathematics' at the 2021 New Zealand Association for Item Banking and Rasch Measurement conference with David Berg. Through these efforts, she has significantly influenced New Zealand's educational landscape by providing evidence-based data on achievement trends, especially in mathematics and writing, informing systemic improvements.