Dr Michael Johnston, of Wellington, ONZM for services to education
Dr Michael Johnston is a cognitive psychologist who has contributed substantially to educational assessment, curriculum design, and education reform. He chaired the Ministerial Advisory Group to redevelop a knowledge-rich curriculum for English and mathematics, and is a member of the Curriculum Coherence Group. He worked with the New Zealand Qualification Authority (NZQA) to develop an NCEA grade score-marking system that improved fairness and reliability in student assessment. As Associate Dean of the Faculty of Education at Victoria University, he led teacher education and co-authored a paper on the neuroscience of memory and learning in the AI age, which has influenced educational thinking internationally. He is a member of the NZQA technical advisory group on assessment for NCEA and New Zealand Scholarship. He is a Senior Fellow at The New Zealand Initiative, and co-hosts the ‘Free Kiwis!’ podcast.