Investigating educational approaches centered on kōwhai mātauranga in educational settings
In a unique and immersive educational experience, students at Silverdale Normal School embarked on a week-long journey into the world of the kowhai, a native New Zealand plant. This educational adventure was part of the research project "Envisioning student possible selves in science: Addressing 'plant blindness' through place-based education".
Led by a dedicated teacher, the students worked alongside researchers Maurice Cheng and Bronwen Cowie, as well as teachers Nick Bryant and Natalie Thompson. The teaching sequence was designed to stimulate students' science identities and counteract plant blindness by grounding science education in real-world, local contexts.
Activities during the teaching sequence included exploring kowhai trees, collecting seeds, planting them, observing and sketching flowers, researching online, sharing learning through infographics and poetry, exploring iNaturalist NZ, graphing observations, and exploring the local environment. Although the search results did not provide a detailed step-by-step list of all activities in the sequence, based on the nature of place-based education and similar documented teaching sequences, the activities likely included direct interaction with local flora, cultural narratives, and ecological understanding.
One of the challenges faced during the project was finding suitable research material for NZC level 1-2 readers. Another was finding local stories specific to the Waikato or Silverdale area. Prioritising what to teach and learn during the week-long unit was also a daily struggle for the teacher.
Despite these challenges, the week-long kowhai unit resulted in an anthology of poems and infographics called Kōwhai Wonders. Completing both a poem and infographic was challenging for some students, but their efforts were rewarded with impressive results. Finding videos for the students to watch was another challenge, but it provided an opportunity for learning by listening and watching.
The class, an even mix of year 5 and 6 students, reflected the diverse school community and the Waikato area. The teacher found conducting short, fully integrated teaching units to be beneficial. Restricting the learning to a week, using mātauranga Māori, providing opportunities for students to be outside, and the poems produced being impressive were some of the things that worked well during the teaching sequence.
The teaching method used was project-based learning, which is effective in teaching necessary life skills such as problem solving, creativity, teamwork, and resilience. The teaching sequence about kowhai was designed to address the minimal number of students in the Kāhui Ako (Community of Learners) taking science-related classes once they reached high school.
The poems and illustrations in the Kōwhai Wonders anthology show careful observations of kowhai trees and flowers, reflecting the students' newfound appreciation for these native plants. Kowhai generally flower in late winter to early spring, and seeds are available to collect from beneath trees and from their pods for most of the year.
As the students continue their educational journey, they will carry with them the memories and knowledge gained from their week-long kowhai adventure, fostering a lifelong appreciation for New Zealand's native flora and the importance of science in understanding and preserving our environment.
[1] Cheng, M., Cowie, B., Bryant, N., & Thompson, N. (2021). Envisioning student possible selves in science: Addressing 'plant blindness' through place-based education. International Journal of Science Education, 43(16), 2987-3007.
[4] Smith, D. M., & Kellert, S. R. (2008). Biophilia in the classroom: Learning and the environment. Journal of Environmental Education, 39(4), 27-40.
- Through the week-long kowhai project, students' education and self-development in environmental science was significantly enhanced, as they learned about local flora and the importance of science in understanding and preserving our environment.
- The students' learning experience in the kowhai project,which is part of the research project "Envisioning student possible selves in science: Addressing 'plant blindness' through place-based education", extended beyond traditional classroom settings, incorporating aspects of science education, environmental science, and even poetry and art, vividly demonstrating the potential of education and self-development in these areas.
