Curriculum Conference Series

The Collaborative Path to Implementation

Curriculum Conference overview

We ran a four-conference series in May. At each location invited local school leaders shared aspects of their school’s recent professional learning journey, and discussed how the curriculum fitted into that. They represented a range of experiences, contexts and issues. Each session was framed and summed up by the facilitators, and all attendees took part in discussions. That discussion helped inform the summing up.

Highlights from each conference, including slides and video clips have been added to the relevant conference page, with more to follow.

The conference was facilitated by NZCER chief researcher Rose Hipkins, and Bronwen Cowie of the University of Waikato.

Conclusions: a summary of the four conferences

At each conference, Bronwen and Rose listened in on the talk around the tables and at several points they drew the discussion together and summarised the main points from the presentations and the discussion. Their summary also weaved in findings from the curriculum implementation exploratory study, which is a collaborative project between NZCER and the University of Waikato.

Key messages

1. Schools need to clarify for themselves who they are and what they want for their children and their community. Several presentations highlighted the power of that shared vision. Effective pedagogy, and changing learning for students are important drivers of change.
2. Schools don’t sit in isolation. There needs to be an informed sense of a shared direction.
3. The implementation process is complex and requires opportunities to think deeply about beliefs and practice or pedagogy. Schools are at different points on the implementation journey and have chosen different pathways, for example, through looking at their pedagogy, or considering their values and vision. Whatever the starting point, there was a strong message about the importance of making a start.
4. Leadership and ongoing learning at all levels is crucial.
5. Teachers and schools need support to try out different things, to take risks.
6. Schools need to engage in active, ongoing collaboration with students, parents, colleagues, other schools, and the wider community.

These points will be further explored, with examples, in the printed summary from the conference, which will be sent to all attendees and will be available for purchase.

Session leaders

Rose Hipkins is well known to New Zealand teachers as a science educator, and leading writer and thinker on curriculum and assessment issues. She has published widely on the curriculum, in particular the key competencies, and is a sought-after speaker to schools and education organisations.

Bronwen Cowie also has a background as a science educator. She is Associate Professor at the University of Waikato. Her research interests are in assessment for learning, classroom interactions, student voice, the role of ICT in teachers’ professional lives, and curriculum development.