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
The Wellington City Council is juggling a few financial priorities at the moment. The top priority is to clear as many curb-side parking places as possible, to make way for bike lanes. Read more
Dr Michael Johnston talks to Michael Laws on The Platform about the recent challenges facing New Zealand's education system. You can find a snippet of their conversation below. Read more
Dr Michael Johnston and Stephanie Martin talk to Dr Ursula Edgington about the effects of technology education, what teachers are taught vs. the realities of the classroom, and how the addictive nature of technology impacts students. Read more
New Zealand’s teachers are operating under a lot of pressure. Our schools face an acute shortage of teaching staff, especially in specialist areas like secondary mathematics and science. Read more
In a week from now, when the special votes have finally been counted, coalition negotiations will begin in earnest. National, ACT and, probably, New Zealand First will get into horse-trading over policy and Ministerial posts. Read more
Dr Michael Johnston talks to Paul Brennan on Reality Check Radio about the shocking results of the new NCEA maths and writing tests. Listen here. Read more
As we digest the results of the election and contemplate the future, it is an opportune time to shine a light on an educational and social timebomb that was completely ignored during the campaign. Young men, many of them barely literate, fill our prisons and dominate our suicide statistics. Read more
Dr Michael Johnston talks to Dr Mark Sheehan, from Victoria University of Wellington, about the transition of teachers' colleges into the universities, discusses the state of teacher education today and considers what might need to change in order to make a difference in the lives of young people. 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 talks to Maryanne Spurdle, Researcher at the Maxim Institute, and Stephanie Martin, Adjunct Fellow at NZ Initiative, about teacher education. To listen to our latest podcasts, please subscribe to The New Zealand Initiative podcast on iTunes, Spotify or The Podcast App. Read more
In 1981, the German electronic band Kraftwerk released a song called Pocket Calculator. At the time, affordable calculators were a recent phenomenon. Read more
Dr Valerie Sotardi, a Senior Lecturer of Educational Psychology at the University of Canterbury, facilitates this webinar to discuss expert views and opinions on quantitative research in the current education landscape. Joining her in this panel discussion are Dr Michael Johnston, Agate Ponder-Sutton, and Stuart McNaughton. Read more
Dr James Kierstead talks to Dr Michael Johnston about NZ's interesting Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) system vs First Past the Post (FFP), in the run-up to the 2023 NZ election. To listen to our latest podcasts, please subscribe to The New Zealand Initiative podcast on iTunes, Spotify or The Podcast App. Read more
In a recent survey[1], New Zealand voters were asked to nominate the issue of most importance to them in the forthcoming election. Unsurprisingly, hip-pocket matters topped the list, with the cost of living on 28% and the economy on 17%. Read more
Dr. Michael Johnston appeared on the AM Show to discuss the ACT Party's new education policies.
Read more
Here are a couple of highlights from the leaders’ debate last Tuesday evening: “That’s a good point, Christopher. Most economists do agree that selectively removing GST from fruit and vegetables is a dumb idea. Read more