An authentic curriculum

By Judy Bruce

To what extent does, or might, your school ensure that teaching and learning is authentic and meaningful for your ākonga? In this article we share key ideas from the Change Kete for School Transformation and consider links to Te Mātaiaho.

Aspirational and truly authentic curriculum will align with The New Zealand Curriculum and/or Te Marautanga o Aotearoa, honour the bicultural heritage of Aotearoa and be localised, inclusive and flexible, in order to meet the varied needs of the ākonga in your school. An authentic curriculum will provide multiple pathways for ākonga to experience success and to see themselves represented so it is relevant to them and their whānau. 

An authentic curriculum will:

• invite agency through a balanced provision of teacher led, student led and co-constructed learning opportunities,

• contain a strong culture of assessment as learning, and

• have intentional and scaffolded opportunities for ākonga to collaborate with each other.

Harvesting fruit and vegetables at Edendale School’s Garden to Table programme — Image by: Carolyn Marino

In this pānui (Aug 2023), an example of authentic curriculum in action is explored with the Edendale School Garden to Table programme

Ideally, curriculum, pedagogy and learning pathways will be developed, prototyped and co-designed with the learning community (ākonga, educators, whānau and mana whenua) to ensure that ākonga experience learning that matters. It is essential for school leaders to consider, 

To what extent does, or might, your school ensure that teaching and learning is authentic and meaningful for your ākonga?

If you would like to learn more about authentic curriculum, the attached Change Kete excerpt contains a curated kete of online resources. 

An authentic curriculum is reflected through the NZC refresh, Te Mātaiaho. In this article, the key concepts of Te Mātaiaho are shared with key links (from the July 2023 pānui). 

Here is the link to the Change Kete for School Transformation 2023 where we explore all nine elements for transformation. 

Te Whao | Monitoring and Evaluation Framework — Image by: Courtesy of Tārai Kura

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