This site is for educators who want to know more about Kagan Professional Development and how it might help them meet their aspirations and goals for their students and community.

Kagan Professional Development NZ elevates educational experiences through the implementation of Kagan Cooperative Learning Structures. These adaptable content-free structures are the most researched strategy for fostering culture, safe classrooms, student achievement, communication skills, engagement, equity, and excellence.

Jennie Moore, who heads Kagan NZ, has been involved in education since entering teacher training in 1980 and since then, like many teachers with over 30 years experience, she has enjoyed a wide variety of roles and leadership positions across the primary sector.

Why Jennie ‘chose’ Kagan

Discovering Kagan in 2005 at an intro session with Laurie Kagan was a turning point; it aligned with my teaching philosophy and aspirations. I recognised Kagan's potential to teach all aspects of the New Zealand Curriculum without needing additional programs.

Kagan significantly impacted my teaching, influencing curriculum delivery, classroom management, movement, brain-friendly strategies, class culture, routines, team formation, active engagement, social skills, and norms like greetings and praise. It highlighted the importance of classroom interactions and the subtle signals we communicate when we don't micromanage. For instance, deciding who speaks first or allowing students to choose their seats can affect feelings of equality. If we don’t manage these dynamics, they often fall to the alpha students.

Eighteen years later, my husband Allan and I are proud franchisees for New Zealand and the Pacific. Despite being an electrician and builder, Allan shares my belief in Kagan's positive impact on communities by fostering empathy and kindness.

History

Kagan was founded in the late 1960s by Dr. Spencer Kagan, who developed the structural approach to cooperative learning. Spencer and Laurie Kagan, both bring extensive educator experience and have developed Kagan workshops to mimic classroom conditions, facilitating transference and implementation following the training. Operating in 15 countries, Kagan is dedicated to enhancing education world-wide through it’s proven innovative methodologies.