AKOA161-26A (C) Approved Start 2026

Mana Ako: Practice Exploration 1

15 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 20 July 2026
End Date: Sunday, 9 August 2026
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): the Friday prior to the placement commencing
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): available only through a special consideration application for late discontinuation.

Description

This course and first teaching practice experience provides opportunities for pre-service teachers to enact learning about teaching and demonstrate professional skills, knowledge and dispositions. Mana ako is a way of describing how, through a process of exploration on teaching practice, pre-service teachers learn how to teach. During this process of self-discovery and understanding of their own developing teacher identity, pre-service teachers develop skills of collaboration, problem-solving, perseverance, curiosity and confidence. Practice experience is focused on understanding and responding to learners, design for learning, establishing a learning-focused culture, fostering professional relationships, enacting principles relating to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and engaging in professional learning. The course and teaching practice experience is closely linked to other courses in the Ako: BTchLn programme.

Learning Outcomes

On the successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
1. Demonstrate teaching practices consistent with values, knowledges, skills and dispositions from relevant policy and legislation
2. Describe and enact teaching practices that reflect the mana of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, including the application of te reo Māori me ōna tikanga and mātauranga Māori.
3. Demonstrate and reflect on teaching practices that align with each of the Standards for the Teaching Profession.
4. Demonstrate and reflect on teaching practices that align with the values described in Ako Waitaha, Te Whare Wānanga O Waitaha (University of Canterbury) initial teacher education philosophy, with an emphasis on Whanaungatanga and Teu le vā fealoa’I

Prerequisites

30 points from 100 level AKOE, AKOM, AKOP or AKOT courses

Timetable 2026

Students must attend one activity from each section.

Placement A
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01-P1 Monday 08:00 - 17:00 In Schools or ECE centres
20 Jul - 9 Aug
01-P2 Tuesday 08:00 - 17:00 In Schools or ECE centres
20 Jul - 9 Aug
01-P3 Wednesday 08:00 - 17:00 In Schools or ECE centres
20 Jul - 9 Aug
01-P4 Thursday 08:00 - 17:00 In Schools or ECE centres
20 Jul - 9 Aug
01-P5 Friday 08:00 - 17:00 In Schools or ECE centres
20 Jul - 9 Aug

Lecturers

Karen Turnock and Jessie Shuker

Programme Contacts:

Early Childhood : Karen Turnock

Primary:  Jessie Shuker

Assessment

Assessment Due Date Percentage  Description
Assessment - Practice Exploration 100% Submission of completed Pukenga Taituara Report that compiles and evaluates all the evidence from practice

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $948.00

International fee $4,263.00

* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.

For further information see School of Leadership and Professional Practice .

All AKOA161 Occurrences

  • AKOA161-26A (C) Approved Start 2026
  • AKOA161-26A (D) Approved Start 2026 (Distance)
Previous year