Associate Professor Richard K. Coll University of Waikato Visiting Scholar University of Cambridge

1. Insights from Science Education in New Zealand: Can a Student-Centred Constructivist Approach Work for the Gifted and Able? Associate Professor Richard K. Coll University of Waikato Visiting Scholar University of Cambridge

2. Presentation Overview • Development of the NZ Curriculum • Curriculum ‘Stocktake’ • National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) • Government Attitudes towards GATE • Historical overview of NZ GATE • Recent Research of NZ GATE Provision • Current status of NZ GATE • Reasons for changes in NZ GATE

3. Introduction • NZ originally adopted an education system similar to UK • Science education very traditional, ‘chalk and talk’, teacher-dominated, and didactic in nature • Change of political landscape 1980s • Decentralisation of school administration • Curriculum reforms in 1990s

4. Development of New Curriculum • Based at Waikato • History of debate • Seen as ‘left wing’ and ‘soft’ by some • Seen as constructivist-based • Began with NZ Curriculum Framework • Individual curriculum documents followed (National Curriculum Statements)

5. Nature of Curriculum • Essential Learning Areas • Essential Skills • Attitudes and Values • National Curriculum Statements • Assessment • Context

6. National Curriculum Statements • Achievement Aims • Programmes • Levels • Investigative Skills • Achievement Objectives

7. Curriculum Stocktake • Commissioned by Ministry of Education • Aim to see teachers’ views about new curriculum New Zealand Curriculum Framework and Curriculum Statements

8. Summary of Stocktake • NZ Curriculum Framework basis of school planning • ‘Essential Learning Areas’ used to organise curriculum • ‘Curriculum Statements’ very useful • Little use for some special needs (e.g., Māori, indigenous New Zealanders) • Fair bit of integration • Assessment practices changed recently to ‘Achievement Objectives’

9. Summary of Stocktake… • Interaction with parents/care-givers altered significantly (e.g., more detail about assessment) • Positive about flexibility of new curriculum • Programme allows to cater for greater diversity • New assessment practice a problem • Overcrowding of curriculum resulted and a problem

10. NCEA • National Certificate of Educational Achievement • Developed from Curriculum Framework • Derived from ‘Unit Standards’ (industry-based) • NCEA subsumes all prior assessment • Accumulate credits • Complete and predetermined, achievement objectives

11. NCEA… • Three assessment levels: ‘achieved’, achieved with merit’, and achieved with excellence’ • Mixture of internal/external assessment • Shift from norm-based to criterion-based • Unpopular with some seen as: cumbersome, compromised, heavy workload, etc. • More students passing, etc. • Some recent research projects looking at details

12. Government Attitude to GATE • Traditionally ignored • Seen as: ‘patchy, ‘inconsistent’, ‘uneven’ and ‘weak’ • Recent dramatic change in attitude • Commissioned major study • Now seem committed to GATE (Moltzen, in press)

13. Historical Overview • Early years 1940-1950s - infancy • 1960s - NZ education ‘conforming’ • 1970s – Handbook, left to chance, associations • 1980s – decentralization, ‘patchy’ • 1990s – growth, devolution, parental choice • 1990s+ - focus on diversity, GATE advisory group, professional development, etc. • 2000s – policy, identified in NAG, research

14. GATE Review • Terms of Reference/Focus: • Survey (1273 schools) and case studies (10 schools) • Full literature review • Focus on progress of GATE • Initiatives for the future

15. Summary of NZ GATE Review • 60% had identified gifted students • 61% used enrichment and acceleration • 40% had school policy for GATE • Heavy reliance on standardised testing and teacher identification of gifted • Broad criteria for labelling, but ignored cultural, spiritual, etc. • Lack of professional development

16. Current NZ GATE Status • Identification in NAGs as group needing identification and special provision • New funding pool for programmes • Addition advisors • Professional development • Pre-service training • Handbook for parents • ICT initiatives • Research on existing provision • GATE advisory committee

17. Why Changes? • Immigration • Diversity • Devolution/Decentralization • Acceptance of learner-centred approaches • Knowledge economy • Advocacy • Minister • Likely a combination of all of the above

18. Acknowledgements • Roger Moltzen, University of Waikao • Dr Keith Taber, Homerton College • University of Cambridge • University of Waikato • Science & Technology Education Research Centre, University of Waikato • (http://www.minedu.govt.nz/index.cfm?layout=document&documentid=8912&data=l)

19. Discussion/Questions