The Impact of Future-Focused Change on the Professional Lives of New Zealand Primary School Teachers

This thesis investigates the research question, ‘In what ways is future-focused change influencing the professional lives of New Zealand primary school teachers?’. In the early-21st-century, proponents for future-focused learning have outlined a simple argument for the importance of instilling skills for ‘lifelong learning’. Skills that will prepare students to contribute to economic improvement in an uncertain future. In response, the New Zealand Ministry of Education has invested heavily in promoting modern technologies, innovative learning environments, and new pedagogical approaches. An interesting period of change has resulted. However, little research has considered the influence that the promotion of future-focused approaches has had on the teachers tasked with implementing change. Therefore, this thesis considers this phenomenon. The study utilises a multiple case-study design researching the lived experience of twelve primary school teachers across four innovative Auckland primary schools. Qualitative data has been collected through a combination of interviews, observations, and an anonymous online-questionnaire. Subsequently, the theoretical perspectives of Bernstein and Beeby are drawn upon to support the data analysis process and extrapolate a ‘theoretical generalisation’ to New Zealand’s wider primary school context. The findings indicate that international organisations and the Ministry of Education have widely disseminated a simple narrative for change. Proponents for change argue that the transition from an industrial to a knowledge economy has brought about the need for future-focused pedagogies to replace traditional approaches. However, the teachers’ reflections highlight that New Zealand’s primary school history does not correlate with the strong sentiment of a shift from teacher to student-centred approaches presented in the future-focused narrative. Instead, it can be argued that New Zealand has a longstanding progressive history and acknowledging this history could in fact be a catalyst for introducing future-focused learning in a considered, rather than a divisive way. Therefore, a conclusion is drawn that a closer relationship is required between the Ministry of Education and the sector. By drawing on both politicians’ broad understanding of the wider functions and benefits of education and educators’ and educational researchers’ practical understanding of classroom practice it could support the development of a nuanced and achievable plan for the future.

Name thesis:degree_name

PhD

Level thesis:degree_level

Doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Education

Grantor dc:publisher

ResearchSpace@Auckland

Year dc:date.issued

2021

Author dc:creator

• Pinel, Edward

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• McPhail, Graham
• Lee, Kerry

Statement dc:rights

• Items in ResearchSpace are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• https://researchspace.auckland.ac.nz/docs/uoa-docs/rights.htm

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/2292/56297

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:researchspace.auckland.ac.nz:2292/56297