Analysing NCEA Trends Using NZQA Data - Summer Research Scholarship

This is a summer research scholarship opportunity at Victoria University of Wellington for a student researcher to explore trends in NCEA achievement using publicly available NZQA data. Working with Education academics Catherine Hill and Taylor Hughson, the student will extract data from NZQA's Standard Attainment files (2015–2024), creating pivot tables and graphs to show how student participation in individual standards and subjects has changed over time. In the second phase, the student will visually capture ethnicity data to identify trends in Māori and Pasifika student participation and achievement. These visualisations will support deeper analysis of trends, contributing to evidence about the current NCEA system and potential changes. The project seeks someone confident with Excel who enjoys turning raw data into clear, compelling insights. This is a great opportunity to build data skills and contribute to meaningful educational research. The project is for a single student and will be conducted mainly remotely or flexibly.