Education is a multidisciplinary field, enabling graduates to work effectively across the diversity of the education sector. Education is one of the cornerstones of society and teaching is one of many roles education professionals can fulfil. In the field of formal education a vital infrastructure underpins the delivery of the curriculum taught in schools and at tertiary level.
When you ask teachers what they enjoy about their profession they say things like, “The look of pleasure when a child ‘gets it’ is so rewarding,” or, “The variety, no day is the same.” Being able to make a difference to the lives of children and young people in under-privileged areas can be another driver, but a passion for people and learning generally motivates those who say they have a calling to teach. Effective teachers are inspiring and knowledgeable and their students remember them for the rest of their lives. Teachers also work closely with parents and families to help them strengthen the learning opportunities for their children.
Educational psychologists enable others to learn. They will tell you that they enjoy their work because no day is the same, they meet people every day, and they can actively problem solve and support solution-focussed discussions around difficult issues. They might say, “I keep learning and I get acknowledged for being creative - every time I meet a new child, teacher or parent, I learn ways to support their learning and needs.”
Researchers, policy analysts and makers, reviewers, administrators, assessors and psychologists are among those who contribute to education processes. In addition there are the various specialist education services, publishers, and creators of digital, audio and print resources. The career options within education are many and varied, and the skills and knowledge of graduates with education majors are highly transferable and relevant in a number of related disciplines.
WHAT IS EDUCATION?
Education as a subject draws on a number of other disciplines and fields such as anthropology, psychology, philosophy, kaupapa Mäori studies, history and sociology. Education graduates therefore have quite a range of possibilities for employment depending on their area of specialisation.
Whilst many different views and philosophies exist concerning education and teaching, broadly speaking the subject of education is about making the most of the human capacity to learn in various different contexts. The study of teaching and learning, curriculum and assessment may be influenced by the background subject discipline, particularly within the schooling sector.These background disciplines include the sciences, mathematics and the humanities.
Teaching and learning at all stages of life are
influenced by social, cultural and economic agendas. The dispositions, skills, knowledge and values
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individuals acquire during formal education empower them to work in ways that suit their strengths; to support themselves and their families and to adopt a disposition for life-long learning that will be enriching for themselves and society.
Education is also aboutinclusion, and every teacher will work with children and students from diverse backgrounds and with diverse learning needs. Teachers have a responsibility to help every learner to be successful and will use a range of strategies to achieve this. The field of special education attracts educators with a particular passion and requires additional training.
To create, maintain and develop an education system that equips children and young people to be the citizens of tomorrow, government and private agencies are engaged in research, policy making, assessment and advice. There are many potential roles for graduates in these organisations.
PROFESSIONAL REGISTRATION
Teachers in schools or early childhood education must have a qualification recognised by the New Zealand Teachers Council. After completing a teaching qualification, graduates receive provisional registration and work at least two full-time years during which they are mentored and assessed by a fully registered teacher. At the end of two years’ satisfactory full-time service, teachers receive full teacher registration from the New Zealand Teachers Council.
Educational psychologists require postgraduate qualifications, one of which is an internship year based in the field. Graduates have an advanced knowledge of assessment intervention, ethics and professional identity. Their specialist knowledge allows them to work in complex environments, usually within the Ministry of Education.
WHERE DO EDUCATION AND TEACHING
GRADUATES WORK?
Early Childhood Education Settings
New Zealand has a wide range of early childhood education settings from teacher-led services that include kindergartens, education and care centres and home-based services through to whänau and parent-led services such as Köhanga Reo and playcentres. Early childhood education services work with children from birth through five years – crucial years as they begin learning to form secure relationships and master skills that will be the foundation for further development and life-long learning.Early childhood teachers are among the most influential and important members of the community. The teaching and care that they offer lay the foundation for success in education, and in life. They work in close partnership with parents, caregivers and family/whanau in a holistic, inclusive, supportive and empowering way. Following teacher registration, professional growth will continue throughout the teacher’s career. Further experience, postgraduate study, being part of a professional learning community with colleagues, and in-service professional development enable teachers to continually reflect and improve their practice drawing on advances in research.
Schools and Other Institutions
The two types of schooling in New Zealand are state and integrated schools funded by Government, and private schools which are funded partly by government and partly by fees. Schools are ranked in deciles from one to 10 depending on the socio-economic make-up of the roll and area they service.
Primary School Teaching: Primary school teachers teach children between the ages of five and 13 at primary or intermediate schools. They are generalists and teach across a range of curriculum subjects. Children can attend either a full primary school (years one to eight) or a contributing primary school (years one to six) followed by an intermediate school (years seven and eight).
Primary school teaching is a high energy, highly interactive occupation. Teachers plan and deliver whole class and group-based lessons, placing students in a wide variety of learning situations. Teachers continually assess and report on children’s achievement using evidence-based assessment. Following registration, there are many opportunities for career advancement. Most schools provide opportunities for leadership and management such as teacher in charge of a curriculum area, senior teachers or syndicate leaders, and with further experience may become assistant/associate/deputy principals or principals. Teachers seeking posts with management responsibility may be encouraged to undertake postgraduate study.
Secondary School Teaching: Secondary schools educate students aged 13 to 18 from year nine to the end of year 13. Students are usually grouped in form or home classes that may be organised by age or by a vertical grouping including students from all year levels.
Secondary school teachers teach the curriculum in particular subject areas, which they have usually studied at university and for which they have a particular interest. Teachers are expected to specialise in at least two major curriculum subjects but it is an advantage to be flexible and able to teach more than this at junior level. There is real skill in being able to make course content interesting and relevant to students who may ask, “What’s the point in doing this?” The ability to relate to adolescents and manage behaviour in a classroom is essential, along with good time management and organisational skills.
Secondary schools teachers often find they are called upon to contribute to school life beyond the classroom in a voluntary capacity, perhaps by coaching sport or drama or taking a language club. Teachers who do this earn respect from their students and can find it satisfying to pass on their expertise. During their first two years new teachers have some extra time for planning and are mentored and guided by experienced teachers. Once fully
registered, teachers interested in school management may become assistant/associate/deputy principal and eventually principal. On the pastoral side deans take care of a year group and heads of department specialise in a subject area. Other areas of responsibility include sports, culture and careers advice.
Tertiary: There are a number of polytechnics, institutes of technology, universities and private training establishments which offer tertiary
education qualifications in New Zealand. Education and Teaching graduates require specialist subject knowledge, appropriate education experience and postgraduate qualifications with a focus on education research to teach at tertiary level.
Private tuition: Private training establishments offer after school tuition from primary through to secondary school. Organisations such as SPELD train registered teachers to teach literacy and numeracy to students with learning disabilities. It is usual to be a fully registered teacher when considering this kind of work.
Government and Education Agencies
Education and teaching are relevant to a number of fields. Graduates may consider work in areas to do with children and young people whether in ministries which oversee youth affairs, social development, child youth and family, ethnic affairs, or within the justice system.The Ministry of Education advises Government on the education system, providing strategic direction, support and resources for education agencies and providers. At National Office there are many entry-level administrative, advisory and support-type roles that graduates can apply for. The skills required are: ability to think logically; plan one’s own work; meet deadlines; good written and verbal communication; willingness to learn and be an effective member of a team. Policy analysts need excellent analysis, statistical analysis, research, and writing skills. The Education Review Officeplays an important role in the education system, as it evaluates the quality of early childhood education services and schools on a regular review cycle. Reviewers are highly experienced educators from across the sector who are trained as evaluators to give an overview of current practices in areas such as Mäori achievement, use of technology in education, literacy and numeracy.
The New Zealand Teachers Council oversees professional leadership by enhancing the status of
the teaching profession and ensuring teachers meet registration and practicing certificate requirements. The registration team manages teacher registration for all qualified teachersacross the New Zealand education system. Policy and research positions require analytical thinking, knowledge of the education sector and issues, excellent writing skills, teamwork, ability to work under pressure, research skills and experience. The New Zealand Council for Educational Research (NZCER) provides educators, policy makers and the general public with research, analysis and advice on a wide range of educational and related matters. Relevant honours or a higher degree are required and experience in quantitative research may be an advantage. An interest in national and international educational issues and in the contribution research can play in informing current and future practice and policy, and strong analytical and conceptual abilities are also sought.
The New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) coordinates the administration and quality assurance of national qualifications in New Zealand. Graduates interested in this aspect of education may be eligible for roles within NZQA’s small policy and research group, or the corporate groups (Human Resources/Finance/IT), and in the tertiary and secondary operations groups. When recruiting, NZQA generally looks for skills, knowledge and ability matches to the job requirement such as the ability to write and communicate clearly, and skills in planning and organisation.
The Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) is responsible for leading the government’s relationship with the tertiary education sector and for policy development and implementation. The TEC builds the capability and capacity of tertiary education and training to contribute to national economic and social goals, advising government on policies, priorities and sector performance. Entry level roles are options to consider for graduates with an interest in tertiary education.
Careers in Special Education: Early intervention staff work with children and their families and the early childhood teachers before children start school. Most school students with special education needs are taught in inclusive classroom environments, where special education professionals work closely with teachers to meet the needs of the students. Educational psychologists focus on how students learn and develop and often work with students with specific learning difficulties or behavioural issues, and gifted students. Additional training and prior experience working with children and young people are usually required.
Private Companies/Consultancies: Specialist education consultancies and companies that publish print and digital educational resources provide some avenues for graduates with teaching qualifications or education majors.
WHAT SKILLS DO EDUCATION AND
TEACHING STUDENTS DEVELOP?
Undergraduate and graduate degrees in education and teacher education programmes provide excellent grounding for a range of careers. During their degree studies graduates develop subject and generic transferable skills, attitudes and knowledge that are sought by employers.Interpersonal skills and relationship building.
Education involves learning about people.
Understanding how and why people from different cultures and backgrounds behave helps with relationship building and communication. Working with students, their families and communities requires empathy and the ability to work with a wide range of people.
Communication. The ability to write, speak and listen accurately and clearly are key skills in educational processes. Students learn to communicate sensitively using language appropriate to age, level of development, gender, race, and ethnic/socio-economic background.
Intellectual rigour. Educators and teachers must be committed to achieving high standards to enable children and young people to reach their full potential. Teaching is an intellectually demanding profession,
as teachers need to plan for and meet the individual needs of all their students. Through their studies graduates develop the capacity to be discriminating, analytical and to assess and evaluate their teaching practice.
Self-reflection. One of the key competencies trainee teachers and education graduates develop is the ability to be self-reflective. Being able to critically analyse the effectiveness of one’s own behaviour and practice on the learning occurring in the classroom or early childhood service is an essential attribute of a teacher.
Planning/organisation. Teacher training gives students experience in lesson planning, delivery and assessment within classroom routines or early childhood services. Being able to meet deadlines is an important requirement of a teacher.
Self-motivation. Degree studies require a high level of personal motivation.Teaching requires energy and staying power and the ability to motivate others to learn.
Work ethic. Resilience, commitment and a sense of responsibility are key qualities that develop through university study and teacher training.
Creativity. The ability to work creatively with others and generate effective teaching and
learning opportunities is important. Students have opportunities to develop their creativity during course work and in the classroom.
Information Communications Technology (ICT).
Education is making increasinguse of multi-media such as interactive whiteboards, student computers, digital cameras and video. Teachers need to be able to effectively integrate the use of such technologies into the curriculum.
JOB TITLES
The Education Gazette is a first port of call for teachers and other educators seeking teaching positions and other positions from early childhood through to secondary level. Other examples of job titles inlcude: Adviser (curriculum and others) • Assistant policy analyst • Early childhood teacher • Early intervention teacher • Education officer • Educational adviser • Educator • Facilitator/trainer • Health promoter • Information analyst • Lecturer • Policy analyst • Researcher • Research analyst • Research assistant • Support officer • Teacher (primary) • Teacher (secondary) • Teacher/coordinator • Training and development adviser
GRADUATE PROFILES
Sera Tokakece
Pacific Support Coordinator
Victoria University of Wellington
I was born in Fiji and I came to New Zealand at the age of six. I am from Gau (dad’s village) and Lau (mother’s village) and have been brought up in Wellington. I am the oldest of four. My mother was the firstin our family to graduate from Victoria University, and so set the standard for me to strive for. I have a six year old daughter whom at the time I enrolled was nine months old. So as a parent I figured that if I wanted her to graduate from University, then I would have to have done so myself. I decided on a major in Education, because I like to reflect on my education as a person to whom English was a second language; with a “voice” moving forward and a holistic approach to education encompassing the lived experiences of Pacific people within a cultural education framework.
What I enjoyed most about studying was the journey of learning how I coped with everything; from obtaining the information from lectures, translating it to my own understanding and then to producing an essay that made sense, which answered the question! I really enjoyed seeing my progression from my first year, second and then to my final year. I overcame the self-doubt, and my own stereotypical thinking that University was only for the really ‘brainy’ people. Anyone can attend University - you just have to honestly apply yourself.
The skills I gained from studying are prioritisation, leadership, communication and research skills. These skills overlap and interchange and there are challenges, but over the duration of your study you develop a resiliency which pushes you through the challenges. What I have gained from Education overlaps in many facets of life, both personally and professionally. Having an Education degree allows for a broad range of options in the workplace. The advice I would give to students contemplating studying Education is go for it! Education is a major which intertwines your personal experiences (practical) with literature (theory).
Rosie Driver
Primary School Teacher
Birchwood School
I have always been passionate about learning and have always had a broad spectrum of subject interests. As a result my educational trajectory took me in a number of different directions. As well as short
forays into pre-med and pre-vet studies, I have loved studying French, Classical Greek, Art, History, Cultural Studies, Classics and Anthropology. I am fascinated by the human mind as well as the human condition, and hugely enjoyed counselling and psychology. In the interests of job security, I also obtained an Honours degree in Environmental Law. I spent a year working in strategic analysis, and a further year working as a solicitor before I made the decision to switch to primary teaching.
I was drawn to teaching as I had felt for some time that my experiences in the corporate world lacked the multi-dimensional community flavour of the ‘real’, world. I was longing to roll my sleeves up and try to make some contributions in practice rather than on paper (or in cyberspace!). I wanted to work more closely with people, taking a broader and more personalised approach to the challenges and aspirations of those I worked with.
I love the variety of challenges inherent in the role of a teacher and the diversity of subject areas in the primary curriculum. Teaching offers me an opportunity to be socially and professionally responsive, continually changing my own practice and priorities in response to the real and diverse needs of learners, parents and colleagues, as well as the chance to indulge my own passion for broad-spectrum learning and new experiences. It is very much a “get out what you put in” kind of profession, and that suits me!
I have only just begun my career as an ‘educator’ but hope that I will be able to contribute to the education and welfare of young people in a variety of ways. I retain a very strong interest in youth psychology and social services, so may in the future, look to combine these interests in a related role, perhaps as an educational psychologist, or a youth or family court mediator. At the moment, I am trying both to teach and to learn as much as possible from my wonderful classroom of year one learners here in Nelson!!
Lui Lafou
Secondary School Teacher
Bishop Viard College
My journey to Bishop Viard College was the result of gathering life experience. Before teaching, I had spent five years as a learner studying at Victoria University which I dub the “Victorian Era”. During this time
I completed a Bachelor of Arts with Honours and first year Law. Then, while in Samoa, I took up a relief teaching position taking senior English at my former college, St. Joseph’s College in Alafua. I had no idea how to write lesson plans and I had limited resources to work with. By the end of the six months I knew I wanted to teach. I spent a further four years teaching at Matiti School on Nukunonu in Tokelau before moving back to New Zealand. With the support and encouragement of colleagues and other professionals, I decided to undertake a teaching qualification. I chose Victoria to complete a Graduate Diploma of Teaching (Secondary) because I was already familiar with the support networks at Vic. I made close friends and the lecturers and tutors were great because I knew they wanted us to succeed. The ‘hook’ for me was during the two seven-week teaching experience blocks where you spend time observing as well as putting into action various strategies learnt throughout the year. I was fortunate to receive assistance from the Tumau Awards and PIPEF Hardship Awards to assist in my studies. During my second teaching placement, I was better equipped and felt better knowing I had received some assistance.
Victoria offered me the opportunity to understand my own limitations and abilities academically as well as personally. The subjects challenged me to strive for excellence but also provided the much needed pedagogy for teaching which supported the valuable experiences I gained during my time in Samoa and Tokelau. Along the way, I have met and worked with some amazing people. My advice to those interested in taking up teaching is to be open to all opportunities that present themselves. Teaching is no easy feat but it is a rewarding profession seeing and knowing that you have made a difference. You must be prepared to take a journey towards life-long learning, whether you choose Early Childhood, Primary or with Secondary level, because it is a pathway that teachers and students take together.
Miriama Cribb
Administrator
Te Atawhai o te Ao
Independent Mäori Research
Institute for Environment and
Health
I have always been passionate and committed to being involved in a range of activities. At university it was no different,
and whilst I embraced my studies in Management and Mäori Business, my heart was and always is with Education. It was a natural path to follow, as my family is complete with teachers, policy makers and an ex-Principal.
Now that I look back, the most enjoyable thing about studying is the people – friends, lecturers, tutors, and staff. Whilst a degree is a prerequisite to employment, I feel that networking is the key to get a foot in the door. The most valuable skill I gained was learning how to ‘play the game’. I’m not sure how to describe that more explicitly, but it’s really about doing your homework, asking around, reading the rules, doing extra research and going the extra mile to find out what exactly is asked of you. It’s a skill that can become very valuable for the future. Alongside my degree, I completed the Victoria Plus Award, the university’s leadership and service award. Through volunteering and student support roles, I greatly enhanced my university experience and developed strong leadership skills. Upon finishing University, I needed a break from the big city and decided to return home. I was fortunate to secure my current position, mostly due to my qualifications. The role is quite varied and has been the perfect job for my transition into the workforce. Whilst the job is a practical one focusing on the day-to-day operation of the organisation, it has included tasks such as networking with esteemed academics in the field, traveling the country with international guests, event management and some writing. An Education degree certainly helps in being able to understand the research environment where a lot of ‘higher order’ thinking is necessary. The theoretical and professionalism aspect of studying education was a great contribution to the managerial skills required for this position. Working in education gives you the ability to make a significant and positive change. People who choose this field are likely to be passionate people, therefore the only other advice that I would suggest, is that genuine hard work goes a long way.
David Pomeroy
Secondary School Teacher
PhD (Cambridge University)
I became a secondary school teacher because it brought together my academic interest in maths and science with the joys and challenges of working with teenagers. It was hard work but the energy, humour andintellectual curiosity of my students meant that no two days were the same. I began postgraduate study in education part time while I was still teaching, to learn more about how I could better meet the needs of students learning English as an additional language. I enjoyed this so much that I decided to take a break from teaching and study full time towards a Master of Education at Victoria. The flexibility of the coursework meant that I was able to apply much of what I learned to secondary mathematics teaching, even when the paper did not have a specific mathematical focus. For my thesis I investigated an approach to teaching coordinate geometry by relating it to navigation techniques used in the first human settlement of the Pacific.
I emerged from this degree with much more confidence in my understanding of education and plenty of new ideas for the classroom. Also as a result of this degree, I was awarded PhD scholarships for study in the US and UK. So after returning to teaching for a year, I moved to the UK where I am currently working on my PhD at Cambridge University. Based on extensive fieldwork in three New Zealand secondary schools, I am investigating the influences of socio-economic status, culture and gender on students’ experiences of learning mathematics.
Doing postgraduate study in education has considerably broadened my career options. Once I finish my PhD I hope to work at a university as a researcher/lecturer, and at some point return to school teaching and provide curriculum leadership. My research has given me a much better knowledge of what fantastic teachers are doing internationally and of which policies are working and failing in other countries. I feel like this would enable me to bring a valuable perspective to teachers and policy makers, potentially opening up careers in the public service or educational consulting. My one piece of advice to someone beginning postgraduate study would be to make sure that you have enough time to make the most of it!
Special thanks to:
The Faculty of Education; graduates Miriama Cribb, Rosie Driver, Lui Lafou, David Pomeroy, Sera Tokakece; and all those people who contributed to this publication.
Career View is published by Career Development and Employment.
Victoria University of Wellington, Te Whare Wananga o te Upoko o te Ika a Maui PO Box 600, Wellington 6140, Tel: 64-4-463 5393
www.victoria.ac.nz/careers
September 2013 ISSN 1172-4315
EDUCATION AT VICTORIA
Teacher Education
The Faculty of Education offers a variety of
programmes which lead to a qualification to teach at early childhood, primary and secondary levels. As well as meeting university entry requirements, admission to teacher education programmes includes successfully taking part in an assessment exercise, providing referee details and making declarations about criminal convictions and any health or disability issues. TeachNZ scholarships may be available to those studying to become teachers.
Early Childhood Teacher Education
Bachelor of Education (Teaching) Early Childhood:
This degree requires three years of full-time or up to six years of part-time study. Delivery of the programme uses a blended approach of campus-based classes and online study, and the timetable is arranged to allow students to undertake part-time work in their early childhood centre whilst they are studying.
Graduate Diploma of Teaching (Early Childhood Education): This full-time one-year programme involves campus-based or online study and is open to graduates or qualified primary teachers. Both delivery modes include two blocks of teaching experience in early childhood centres and online students attend a residency on campus.
Primary and Secondary Teacher Education
The Conjoint Programme: This programme combines a Bachelor of Teaching with either a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science and requires four years of full-time study, including study over three summer trimesters. Conjoint graduates are qualified to teach in both primary and secondary contexts.
Graduate Diploma of Teaching: This is a one-year full-time programme for those who have already completed an undergraduate degree. Students study to become either a primary or a secondary teacher. The programme is delivered on campus and online and includes two seven-week blocks of teaching experience.
Education
Bachelor of Arts (BA): Education is a major in the Bachelor of Arts (BA) and courses cover a wide range of topics including human development; youth and life crises; learning and motivation; guidance and counselling; educational psychology; classroom studies; Mäori education; Pacific Nations education; multi-ethnic education; policy; early childhood education; information and communications technology.
Postgraduate Programmes: A full suite of
postgraduate qualifications in Education is available including Honours, Master’s and PhD, in addition to diplomas and certificates, which are tailored specifically for teachers, educational administrators, public servants, researchers and industry educators/ trainers.
Educational Psychology Professional Pathway
Three qualifications make up the pathway tobecoming a professional Educational Psychologist:
• Postgraduate Diploma in Educationand Professional Development (PGDipEdPD) • Master of Educational Psychology (MEdPsych) • Postgraduate Diploma in Educational
Psychology Practice (PGDipEPP) – an internship year involving 1500 hours of psychology practice in educational and community based settings and four research and practice-based courses to consolidate their professional practice, all of which are integrally related to the placements as an intern psychologist.
