Our founder
David Russell founded the Russell Education Foundation. He is a teacher, a school leader and a doctoral researcher in education.
David Russell
Founder and Trustee · MEd, BCom, HDipEd (PG)
David is Director of STEM and a teacher of Computer Science and Commerce at Wentworth Computer Science College. He has taught senior Computer Science in both the International Baccalaureate (IB) and Cambridge (CIE) curricula.
Before that, David spent nine years teaching in Hong Kong, where he taught Computer Science, Economics and Business Studies and worked with students with a wide range of learning needs. He has also lectured in business and taken part in seminars and conferences in the private sector, and he brings that industry and international experience into the classroom.
He founded the Russell Education Foundation to open doors to education for learners and teachers in Aotearoa, and is currently its trustee.
Doctoral research
David is a Doctor of Education (EdD) candidate in the School of Education at the University of Bristol, and a member of the Bristol Doctoral College. His research looks at the benefits of vendor-sponsored and vendor-neutral IT certifications, and at the place they can have in New Zealand high schools.
Publications
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To certify or not to certify! Should we teach IT certifications in New Zealand high schools?
Russell, D. (2026). In 2025 TENZ Conference Proceedings (pp. 146–161). Technology Education New Zealand. Presented at the TENZ Conference 2025, Wellington, 29 September – 1 October 2025.
Enrolments in technology subjects in New Zealand high schools are falling, and qualified computing teachers are scarce. This paper presents a case study of high school students taking IT certifications, which found better motivation and engagement, including in other subjects, and argues that certifications have a place in New Zealand curricula.
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International IT certifications in secondary schools in New Zealand
Russell, D. L. (2024). In Proceedings of the 15th Annual CITRENZ Conference (p. 33). Computing and IT Research and Education New Zealand. Otago Polytechnic, Dunedin, 2–4 October 2024.
David ran a formal IT certification track with high school students and looked at how well it prepared them for tertiary study and work. Students’ motivation and sense of competence improved. The paper recommends using micro-credentials and recognition of prior learning (RPL) to give these certifications credit.