The New Zealand Curriculum (2007) emphasises the importance of effective teaching and learning by including a statement about effective pedagogy for the first time. A concurrent development in the New Zealand Ministry of Education is the best evidence synthesis programme which has identified the characteristics of quality teaching for diverse learners.
Research in the Effective Pedagogy in Social Sciences/Tikanga ā iwi: Best Evidence Synthesis tells us that teaching in the social sciences/tikanga ā iwi is most likely to be effective if teachers:
· make connections to students’ lives
· align learning experiences to important outcomes
· build and sustain a learning community
· design experiences that interest learners.
In this section, find information and resources to support effective teaching in social studies classrooms.