Teachers' conflicting responses to change: an evaluation of the implementation of senior social studies for the NCEA, 2002-2006 : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the degree of Doctor of Education (EdD), Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
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2008
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Massey University
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Abstract
The thesis provides a socio-historical perspective through which to evaluate
the first five years of implementation (2002 to 2006) of social studies within the
National Certificate of Educational Achievement [NCEA] in New Zealand
secondary schools. The experiences of both lead educators, with
responsibilities at a national level, and classroom teachers provide insights
into the personal, contextual and institutional factors which have enabled and
constrained the implementation process, especially at NCEA level one.
The inclusion of social studies as a subject for the new qualifications and
assessment system in New Zealand, the NCEA, heralded a significant
opportunity for this integrated subject to gain academic status and acquire a
unique identity within the senior secondary school curriculum. Paradoxically
it set a relatively strongly framed assessment system beside a curriculum that
has traditionally been weakly classified and framed (Bernstein, 1971). This
paradox has created tensions for teachers who have responded in different
ways, from full implementation to a more functional approach.
Two groups of teachers were identified in the course of this study. The
idealists are passionate advocates for senior social studies and are likely to
implement it to all three NCEA levels in their school. The pragmatists, on the
other hand, are more likely to offer only level one social studies, typically to
their more academically able year 10 (Form 4) students for extension
purposes, and also to induct them into the assessment requirements of the
NCEA system before they study the traditional social science subjects at levels
one, two and three. This pragmatic approach reflects past practices of the pre-
NCEA, School Certificate era (1945-2001). It continues to reinforce the low
status and unclear identity of senior social studies within the social sciences as
well as within an already overcrowded senior school curriculum. At the end
of this first five year period of implementation the viability of senior social
studies is at a critical juncture, with its on-going success not yet assured.
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Keywords
National Certificate of Educational Achievement, New Zealand secondary schools, Teachers' attitudes, Social sciences