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Dr Michael Johnston

Senior Fellow

Michael is a Senior Fellow at The New Zealand Initiative. He leads the Initiative’s work on education. He is a cognitive psychologist with a background in literacy research, educational assessment and psychometrics.

Prior to his time at the Initiative, he was the Associate Dean (Academic) of the Faculty of Education at Victoria University of Wellington. Between 2005 and 2011, he worked at the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA), where he developed a new, more reliable, marking system for NCEA examinations. In 2024, Michael chaired a Ministerial Advisory Group (MAG) for Education Minister Erica Stanford. The MAG advised on the development of a knowledge-rich curriculum for English and mathematics. Following that work, Michael is currently a member of the Curriculum Coherence group, which advises on the development of knowledge-rich curricula across all school subjects. Michael is also a member of a technical advisory group to NZQA on assessment for NCEA and New Zealand Scholarship.

In his time at The New Zealand Initiative, Michael has published reports on Modern Learning Environments, systems reform in education,  teacher education, the use of AI in education, and pathways for industry training and apprenticeships.

Phone: 044990790

Email: michael.johnston@nzinitiative.org.nz

Recent Work

Eric Crampton

Free Kiwis! podcast: Democracy, online content regulation, smoking and pirates

This week's podcast is a Free Kiwis episode. Drs Michael Johnston and James Kierstead discussed a range of issues with Dr Eric Crampton. Read more

Dr Eric Crampton
Dr Michael Johnston
Dr James Kierstead
Free Kiwis! Podcast
7 December, 2022
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Podcast: Michael Johnston and Emma Chatterton on improving teacher supply through immigration

Michael Johnston sat down with Emma Chatterton, Strategic Project Lead at ImpactLab, to discuss her experience gaining registration and certification as an overseas-trained teacher. In addition, they discuss how New Zealand might improve teacher supply through immigration, and the country's growing truancy rate. Read more

Dr Michael Johnston
Emma Chatterton
Podcast
22 November, 2022
Boy reading

The definition of insanity…

One of the few things more irritating than someone saying, “I told you so”, is someone sticking their fingers in their ears when you’re trying to tell them something important. In July of this year, the New Zealand Initiative published a Policy Note titled, A Way Ahead for Literacy and Numeracy. Read more

Dr Michael Johnston
Insights Newsletter
28 October, 2022
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James Kierstead and Michael Johnston on new NCEA trial results

James Kierstead and Michael Johnston discuss the results of a second pilot for literacy and numeracy assessments, as well as an upcoming survey on the extent to which university students are willing to express their ideas. To listen to our latest podcasts, please subscribe to The New Zealand Initiative podcast on iTunes, Spotify or The Podcast App. Read more

Dr Michael Johnston
Dr James Kierstead
Podcast
28 October, 2022
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Podcast: Europe’s mega crisis – Michael Johnston in conversation with Oliver Hartwich and Eric Crampton

In this episode Michael Johnston hosts Oliver Hartwich and Eric Crampton to discuss various European crises and how New Zealand should be learning from, and not repeating, the European mistakes. To listen to our latest podcasts, please subscribe to The New Zealand Initiative podcast on iTunes, Spotify or The Podcast App. Read more

Dr Oliver Hartwich
Dr Eric Crampton
Dr Michael Johnston
Podcast
29 September, 2022

Media release: School classrooms experiment has been based on ideology – report

Wellington (Tuesday, 20 September 2022) – Ideology rather than evidence is the basis for the Ministry of Education’s (MoE) ‘Modern Leaning Environments’, research by think tank The New Zealand Initiative reveals. The fact that a government ministry could not produce data to support its policy for mass conversion of New Zealand’s classrooms to Innovative Learning Environments (ILEs), is the main finding of the Initiative’s new report, No Evidence, No Evaluation, No Exit – Lessons from the 'Modern Learning Environments' experiment. Read more

Dr Michael Johnston
Media Release
20 September, 2022

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