Rowena Taylor
Curriculum Matters 7: 2011
195
Since the introduction of senior social studies for the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA ) in 2002, some progress has been made towards developing a unique identity for the subject. This progress has clarified a number of unresolved tensions relating to the nature and purpose of social studies, which have recurred during its 65-year history in New Zealand.
Martin East and Adèle Scott
Assessment Matters 3: 2011
93
The introduction of a revised national curriculum for New Zealand has precipitated a subject-wide project to align requirements for high-stakes secondary school assessments (the National Certificate of Educational Achievement [NCEA] achievement standards) with curriculum aims and intentions. This article considers the process of revising NCEA standards and the potential for positive washback into classrooms in terms of enhancing pedagogical “good practice”.
Rosemary Hipkins
set 2010: no. 1
18
Drawing on secondary teachers’ experience of standards-based assessment for NCEA, this short article discusses moderation challenges that will face primary teachers as they make overall professional judgments of each student's progress against the new National Standards. Moderation potentially offers rich professional learning possibilities—but only if teachers feel safe to learn, have the time needed, and are given access to robust examples to inform their debates.
James Graham, Luanna H. Meyer, Lynanne McKenzie, John McClure, and Kirsty F. Weir
Assessment Matters 2 : 2010
132
New Zealand’s previous examination-based secondary assessment system can be viewed as encompassing cultural values presenting unfair challenges for indigenous and other nonmajority students. The standards-based National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) incorporates enhanced flexibility, student choice and grading practices independent of comparisons with others. These features may be a better match for the educational aspirations of collectivist cultures, yet little is known about the views of Māori and Pacific students and their parents on NCEA.
Seini Jensen, Elizabeth McKinley and Irena Madjar
set 2010: no. 2
37
NCEA course choices matter, especially where students or their parents have aspirations to follow an educational pathway beyond school or even just to leave their academic options open. This study, conducted in four mid–low-decile schools in Auckland and Northland, found that reaching academic aspirations requires careful and planned navigation of NCEA courses. It suggests that informing and engaging parents in their children’s NCEA educational pathways may contribute to better educational outcomes.
Seini Jensen, Irena Madjar and Elizabeth McKinley
set 2010: no. 2
45
The aim of any subject-choice process should be to provide better educational outcomes for all students. This study, however, found that many students do not understand the full implications of their NCEA course choices or course allocations. Māori, Pacific and lower decile secondary school students are particularly at risk of ending up with inappropriate choices if their academic potential is not recognised early enough and they do not receive clear guidance about the best course choices.
Gregor Fountain
Curriculum Matters 4 : 2008
134
Gregor Fountain analyses how, since the 1990s, changes to the curriculum and the development of NCEA have impacted on the teaching of history in New Zealand schools. He argues that the inclusion of history achievement objectives in the new curriculum is an opportunity to reclaim lost ground.
Kristine Blewett and Bronwen Cowie
Curriculum Matters 3 : 2007
176
The implementation of the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) has posed a challenge for curriculum leaders and teachers in all learning areas. These challenges have been particularly acute for technology departments because of the need for teachers from a range of subject areas to develop coherent, schoolwide technology programmes that ensure a range of opportunities for student achievement in technology education. This paper is based on research carried out in 2002 and 2003, when NCEA Level 1 was being implemented.
Trevor McDonald and Christina Thornley
set 2005: no. 2
9
For students to be most successful in their education, schools and teachers need to recognise, plan, and teach for the literacy demands inherent in the learning and assessment activities they undertake across the curriculum. McDonald and Thornley present a "scope and sequence" chart of literacy skills central to student achievement in Years 9–11. To exemplify the significance of this chart they report on their most recent research findings with a group of 57 Year 10 students.
Dawn Coburn and Angela Miller
set 2004: no. 1
44
Technology students often have widely varying knowledge and skills, so making qualification credits accessible to all is a challenge for the teacher. This study focused on real-life contexts, formative student–teacher interactions, and alternatives to written assessment to achieve this aim. The focus was on capturing evidence of learning, through techniques that supported the students’ technological practice.
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