Investigation of Teacher Education Delivery of Bicultural Education - Volume 41 - Issue 6 - Article 10

Oct 15, 2026

The national bicultural early childhood curriculum in New Zealand, Te Whāriki, and the Graduating Teacher Standards require graduating teachers to be competent in te reo Māori as well as English and to understand aspects of Māori knowledge. Research indicates teachers still lack the skills to deliver the bicultural curriculum effectively. The paper examines how teacher-education providers prepare graduates to deliver the curriculum, using appreciative inquiry data from course websites and interviews, and finds an emphasis on cultural understanding and commitment.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages18

Reading Time45 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Bicultural curriculum mandate in New Zealand

Te Tiriti o Waitangi and recognition in education

Te Whāriki principles and strands

Role and expectations of teacher-education providers

Australian Journal of Teacher Education | Volume 41 | Issue 6 | Article 10 | | --- | --- | | 2016
Investigation of Teacher Education Delivery of Bicultural Education
Chris J. Jenkin
Auckland University of Technology, [chris.jenkin@aut.ac.nz](chris.jenkin@aut.ac.nz) | | Recommended Citation Jenkin, C. J. (2016). Investigation of Teacher Education Delivery ofBicultural Education. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 41 (6). Retrieved from [http://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol41/iss6/10](http://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol41/iss6/10) This Journal Article is posted at Research Online. [http://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol41/iss6/10](http://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol41/iss6/10) Investigation of Teacher Education Delivery ofBicultural Education Chris Jenkin Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand Abstract: The national bicultural early childhood curriculum in New Zealand, Te Whāriki, and the Graduating Teacher Standards require that graduating teachers are competent in Māori language as well as English, and have an understanding of aspects of Māori knowledge. However, research shows that teachers are not yet proficient in the skills needed to deliver the bicultural curriculum effectively. This paper explores the role of teacher-education providers in equipping their graduates to deliver that curriculum. Framed by an appreciative inquiry approach, data were collected from courses displayed on the websites of ten early-childhood tertiary teacher-education providers, followed by interviews with four participants from one provider. Findings revealed that providers considered their key role was in developing student teachers’ cultural understanding and commitment. Although the paper focuses on a bicultural curriculum in Aotearoa New Zealand, the findings have implications internationally for lecturers who seek to provide student teachers with culturally inclusive programmes. Introduction This paper investigates how teacher-education providers equip their students to be effective in their bicultural practice and at the same time more effectively meet the New Zealand Government standards by which graduating students are assessed (Ministry of Education, 2007) . It builds on a larger study (Jenkin, 2010) which explored mainstream early childhood teachers’ implementation of the bicultural curriculum. That study found teachers struggled with the bicultural aspects of the early childhood curriculum, Te Whāriki (Ministry of Education, 1996) . There is a mandate in New Zealand for all teachers regardless of sector (early childhood, primary, and secondary) to provide a bicultural curriculum, which in this context refers to Māori (indigenous) and British (colonisers) . Whilst the term ‘bicultural’ in the Aotearoa New Zealand context refers to the cultures of Māori and British, the term is contested because of the perceived lack of balance in power relationships between the two peoples; as a result, defining it is problematic (Bishop, 1996; Jenkin, 2010; O’Sullivan, 2007; Spoonley, 1995). There are, however, two recurring themes within definitions, particularly with regards to Ministry of Education documentation: that of partnership between Māori and non-Māori and recognition ofTe Tiriti o Waitangi / The Treaty of Waitangi. Te Tiriti o Waitangi is considered to be the founding document of Aotearoa New Zealand as it was the treaty setting out the relationship between Māori and the British Crown in 1840. With the mandate that the treaty is incorporated into all sectors ofthe education system, what is crucial to understand is that this not only for Māori students but all students regardless of ethnicity. As Jenkin and Broadley (2013, p. 15) state “It is worth noting, that had Te Tiriti o Waitangi not been signed, there would be no bicultural curriculum, and although there may have been indigenous education, it may not have been the concern of mainstream education”. This means that teachers and, therefore,

FAQs

What requirement do New Zealand Graduating Teacher Standards impose on graduating teachers?

Graduating teachers are expected to be able to recognise the Treaty of Waitangi as extending equal status and rights to Māori and Pākehā alike, and teacher-education programmes must ensure graduates can meet these standards.

Why is the term “bicultural” described as contested in the Aotearoa New Zealand context?

It is contested due to perceived imbalance in power relationships between Māori and British peoples, which makes defining biculturalism problematic even though recurring themes appear in education documentation.

How does the paper investigate the role of teacher-education providers?

It uses an appreciative inquiry approach: data are collected from courses listed on the websites of ten early-childhood tertiary teacher-education providers, followed by interviews with four participants from one provider.

Oct 15, 2026

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