Science in schooling has for the first time been recently considered as a verified whole for the 10 or 12 of its compulsory years, rather than for a limited sector of schooling or for a particular group of students. This has also been occurring as part of a wider review and plan for the whole curriculum of schooling. A framework has been provided…

In this article we share how developing and following tikanga was integral to our enactment of mana orite in the local curriculum as we (tangata whenua and tangata Tiriti) collaborated on a Year 7 science unit: Plants, Place, and People. Our initial thinking as we approached this unit had been to look for connections between matauranga Maori, the…

In this article, we consider how assessment might reinforce New Zealand curriculum goals of knowing and doing in science for active and informed participation in societies that rely on scientific knowledge to guide decision making. This focus constitutes an orientation towards "sustainable assessment". Sustainable assessment encompasses…

A standards-based assessment system provides opportunities to join curriculum intentions to demonstrations of complex learning. In this article we use New Zealand's senior secondary qualifications system--the National Certificates of Educational Achievement (NCEA)--to illustrate how adaptations of existing structures might help to better reflect…

This article draws primarily on a policy discussion hosted by the New Zealand Association of Research in Education's (NZARE) Science Special Interest Group at the 2016 national conference, arguing that an ecosystem view of science education is a useful metaphor when considering both what is being done to implement the vision for science education…

The current trend in science learning leans more towards interdisciplinary (integrated) learning. Before 1989, several studies reviewed articles related to integrated science. However, research discussing articles on integrated science from 1996 until the present day is not yet available. The purpose of this study was to review 36 empirical…

This paper focuses on the curriculum links between statistics and science that teachers need to understand and apply in order to be effective teachers of the two fields of study. Meaningful statistics does not exist without context and science is the context for this paper. Although curriculum documents differ from country to country, this paper…

This paper reports on the illuminatory and exploratory phase of a study into how two educational systems are interconnecting content, policy, and teaching practice into science professional development (PD). New Zealand implemented a new curriculum in 2007 for full implementation in 2010, which should have altered how science was delivered in…

"Wetekia kia rere" is an expression in the Maori language that refers to "unleashing potential". This paper discusses questions of power relevant to challenges recently identified by government officials regarding learners' experiences of science education in New Zealand schools. We begin by summarising the Treaty relationship…

School science aspires for students to develop conceptual, procedural and nature of science understandings as well as developing scientific literacy. Issues and complexities surrounding the development of science curriculum for Indigenous schools in New Zealand is a concern as little is known about these aspects of science learning in…

Profound anatomical knowledge is the basis for modern demands in medicine and surgery, but many countries worldwide including Australia and New Zealand have discontinued offering dissection courses to medical and dental students during the past decades. This educational project done in Australia aimed at enhancing basic and advanced anatomy…

This article is the second of two describing findings of a pilot case study designed to explore learning about science through drama. This article describes students' responses to opportunities that were provided through the guided drama--science inquiry process to gather, interpret and use data as evidence. Findings indicate that a carefully…

This article stems from a professional inquiry carried out by two secondary science curriculum and learning facilitators, as part of a continual strengthening of their facilitating practice. The article describes the reflections of several secondary science teachers as they progress their understanding of the science capabilities, and make changes…

Students' negative experiences of science in the primary sector have commonly been blamed on poor teacher content knowledge. Yet, teacher beliefs have long been identified as strong influences on classroom practice. Understanding the nature of teacher beliefs and their influence on primary science teaching practice could usefully inform teacher…

Bridging/foundation programmes are often provided by tertiary institutions to increase equity in access and academic performance of students from under-served communities. Little empirical evidence exists to measure the effectiveness of these bridging/foundation programmes on undergraduate academic outcomes. This research identifies the predictive…