Learning pathways

Please note that this section is under development

The principle of coherence (The New Zealand Curriculum, p. 9) states that:

“The curriculum offers all students a broad education that makes links within and across learning areas, provides for coherent transitions, and opens up pathways to further learning.”

Coherence means that students’ programmes (within and across years) should collectively equate to more than the sum of their parts. Nothing should be a dead-end.

For this reason, it is important that teachers identify and emphasise the common threads of learning as well as the unique contribution of their particular subject. Again, the key competencies suggest a means for this.

• How might accounting fit within a student’s total programme?
• How might it contribute to their lifelong learning? (Keep a diverse range of students in mind.)
• How can community resources help students plan for the future?
• Where might a year 11 student take their learning in year 12?
• Where might a year 12 or 13 student take their learning the following year?
• What are some of the possibilities?

In accounting, aiming for coherence could result in mix-and-match courses that allow students to enter accounting at any curriculum level, if they have the prerequisite skills, including an appropriate level of numeracy, literacy, and general knowledge or interest. (Refer to the appropriate sections in pedagogy for ideas on reinforcing students’ literacy and numeracy skills, in the context of accounting.)

Students may also acquire complementary achievement standards from several different curriculum areas. See for example, Learning Programme Design: Cross-curricular approaches based on values.

The focus for learning should be on quality not quantity. In other words, teaching and learning will revolve around key competencies that will support students’ ability to contribute to and expand their worlds.

When thinking of further formal learning, don’t limit the possibilities unnecessarily. Consider polytechnics, wānanga, universities …

Even if a student does no further formal learning in accounting, how might it nevertheless be an important part of their learning journey?

Last updated January 30, 2012

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