Overview
Examines and critiques the education system in Aotearoa and the learning theories and key documents that underpin development as a member of the teaching profession.
About this paper
| Paper title | Teaching in an Aotearoa New Zealand Context |
|---|---|
| Subject | Education |
| EFTS | 0.25 |
| Points | 30 points |
| Teaching period | 1st Non standard period (12 January 2026 - 19 June 2026) (On campus) |
| Domestic Tuition Fees ( NZD ) | $2,498.25 |
| International Tuition Fees | Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website. |
- Limited to
- MTchgLn
- Contact
- Teaching staff
To be advised when paper is next offered.
- Paper Structure
Knowledge is often viewed as a source of power, EDUC 471 seeks to explore the following questions:
What counts as knowledge?
Who decides?
How does knowledge shape thinking, learning and action?
In order to arrive where you are today, you have all demonstrated your ability to achieve within a prescribed education system. For some, your journey may have been trouble-free, others may have experienced or continue to experience challenges in how you see yourself in education and how you feel your knowledge is valued. This paper explores where you have come from in terms of your values, knowledge and identity, and asks what will this ‘positionality’ mean for you as kaiako (teachers).
Acknowledging our responsibilities as takata Tiriti (Treaty of Waitangi partners), we adopt He Awa Whiria (a braided rivers metaphor) as an approach to safeguarding the mana (integrity) of Mātauraka Māori (Māori knowledge) and Western learning sciences relevant to education in Aotearoa. We will explore how different streams of knowledge can run alongside one another, converge, or journey in different directions, while still contributing to learning. We will use critical literacy skills to support our analysis and deepen our understanding of the changing learning and teaching context of Aotearoa New Zealand, and our place in it.
Students will be attending an overnight stay at a marae at the beginning of the year. The code of Professional responsibility, outlined on page 10 of the Teaching Council’s Our Code and standards (2017), asks teachers to demonstrate a commitment to tangata whenuatanga and Te Tiriti o Waitangi partnership in the learning environment. The standards also addresses the need to understand partnership in Aotearoa Te Waipounamu New Zealand.
- Textbooks
Book:
Māori made easy : for everyday learners of the Māori language
Morrison, Scotty (2015)
Auckland, New Zealand : Raupo
If you are a beginner learner of te reo Māori then this book has examples, short grammar explanations and sample sentences/questions with answers at the back. There is some online support material too.
Book:
Tikanga : an introduction to te ao Māori
Opai, Keri, (2021) Niwa, Tania, photographer (expression)
Auckland, New Zealand : Upstart Press Book published by Upstart Press Ltd
If you are not familiar with tikanga Māori then this book has great introduction information for teachers.
- Graduate Attributes Emphasised
- Lifelong learning, Communication, Critical thinking, Cultural understanding, Ethics, Self-motivation, Teamwork.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes. - Learning Outcomes
Student teachers who successfully complete this paper will be able to:
- Demonstrate understanding and application of key theoretical ideas about knowledge, learning, and the transformative potential of education
- Engage in rigorous intellectual analysis regarding their own personal and professional development
- Demonstrate an awareness of the significance of the Te Tiriti o Waitangi to education in Aotearoa New Zealand