Guidance and PD for Teachers

Recommendation (11): that further guidance materials and professional development for teachers is provided

Support materials and professional development that develops teachers' understanding of the content knowledge underpinning each of the curriculum statements and ngä tauäkï Marautanga mö te motu should be provided.

In addition, high quality professional development and materials should be developed for teachers which:

• updates teachers' knowledge of content in all of the essential learning areas and ngä tino wähanga ako; and
• provides information on effective pedagogies, such as the most effective strategies for integrating curricula, and how teachers can better recognise and cater for diversity in all of the essential learning areas and ngä tino wähanga ako.

There is a case for having bilingual versions of ngä tauäkï Marautanga mö te motu for schools who do not have the benefit of a staff member fluent in the specialised language of all of ngä tauäkï Marautanga mö te motu.

Professional development and materials for kura Mäori should reflect Mäori aspirations for education and be cognisant of the difficulties of working in Mäori medium education. More resources for children and teachers should continue to be developed. Consideration should be given to whether bilingual versions of guidance materials should be developed for kura Mäori and Mäori immersion teachers.

Rationale

A significant number of teachers believe that they need more content knowledge to teach from the curriculum statements and ngä tauäkï Marautanga mö te motu.

Most teachers still feel that they need more professional development about all of the curriculum statements and ngä tauäkï Marautanga mö te motu.

There are significant problems with materials and professional development to support the implementation of ngä tauäkï Marautanga mö te motu.

There are too many small, unlinked initiatives, and professional development and resource development initiatives in kura Mäori need to be aligned.

A lack of resources for ngä tauäkï Marautanga mö te motu has placed pressure on experienced and fluent teachers of te reo, as well as new teachers with limited language capability.

Available Mäori medium resources are also not effectively utilised. There are also particular curriculum issues for bilingual units and for students shifting between Mäori medium and English medium instruction.