AKOP352-26YC2 (C) Year C Second Half 2026

Teaching Sustainability, Justice and the Local Curriculum

15 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 6 July 2026
End Date: Sunday, 8 November 2026
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Sunday, 19 July 2026
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Sunday, 27 September 2026

Description

This place-conscious course introduces students to multiple perspectives related to critically examining intersections between sustainability and justice that may arise in relation to the design and delivery of local curriculum activities. Students will engage with theoretical and practical frameworks for critical/trans-disciplinary teaching related to the environment and sustainability, as per the Key Competencies and Values of the New Zealand Curriculum. This course will consequently take account of learners’ diverse backgrounds and draw on local, national and international contexts - of the past, present and future. Students will engage with, and undertake, case studies to enable them to employ critical pedagogies of place and land based pedagogies to empower learners/communities to take action on issues of concern, and understand the importance of balancing rights, roles, and responsibilities and of contributing to the quality and sustainability of social, cultural, physical and economic environments.

Learning Outcomes

On the successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

1. Interact with course material to critically examine intersections between sustainability and justice that may arise in relation to the design and delivery of the Local Curriculum in Aotearoa/New Zealand primary schools (with special consideration given to Te Tiriti o Waitangi issues & Pasifika community concerns).
2. Engage critically with course material to become “informed decision makers”, and support learners to also become informed decision makers - better connected to their diverse local communities, land and environment.
3. Analyse and apply theoretical and practical frameworks for critical/trans-disciplinary teaching related to the environment and sustainability, as per Te Tiriti o Waitangi, Tapasā, and the Key Competencies and values of the New Zealand Curriculum.
4. Undertake authentic case study research to empower diverse learners/communities to take action on an environmental problem of concern, as per the NZC guidelines for Education for Sustainability.

Prerequisites

30 points from 200 level AKOP courses

Timetable 2026

Students must attend one activity from each section.

Lecture A
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Wednesday 11:00 - 14:00 Rehua 005
13 Jul - 16 Aug
12 Oct - 25 Oct

Course Coordinator / Lecturer

Shweta Sharma

Lecturer

Billy O'Steen

Assessment

Assessment Due Date Percentage  Description
Assignment 1 20% Due date : TBC
Assignment 2 50% Due Date: TBC
Assignment 3 30% Due Date: TBC


You are required to submit all assessments to pass the course.

Textbooks / Resources

Readings will be provided weekly

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 Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment .

All AKOP352 Occurrences

  • AKOP352-26YC2 (C) Year C Second Half 2026
  • AKOP352-26YC2 (D) Year C Second Half 2026 (Distance)