Teachers, Teacher Education, and Professional Development

Before becoming a certified teacher in New Zealand, prospective teachers must obtain an approved teacher education qualification followed by provisional certification and completion of a two year induction and mentoring period.

Universities and accredited private training establishments offer initial teacher education programs that have been approved by the Education Council of Aotearoa New Zealand (EDUCANZ) for early childhood, primary, and secondary teaching.32 The qualifications for primary school teaching typically take three or four years to complete and lead to a bachelor’s degree of teaching (primary school), with a one year intensive graduate diploma of teaching program available to candidates who already hold a university degree. Prospective secondary school teachers usually complete a three or four year bachelor’s or master’s degree in a subject appropriate for teaching in secondary schools (e.g., mathematics or English) followed by a one year graduate teacher education program. Some teacher education providers offer degree programs for prospective teachers wishing to teach in bilingual or Māori immersion settings.33

All initial teacher education programs include a compulsory practicum from 14 weeks for one year postgraduate teacher education programs to about 26 weeks for three or four year degree programs. The practicum requires teachers to work under the supervision of experienced teachers in a variety of schools. While there are no specific requirements for time spent on particular learning areas (subjects), initial teacher education programs must be designed to enable graduates to meet the seven Graduating Teacher Standards that were implemented in 2008.34 The standards relate to professional knowledge, professional practice, and professional values and relationships.

After graduating from an initial teacher education program, graduates are entitled to seek provisional certification from EDUCANZ. They then progress through an induction and mentoring period in schools for a minimum of two years.35 When the induction period is completed and candidates have enough recent teaching experience and meet the Practicing Teacher Criteria for all fully certified teachers, they can be issued a full practicing certificate.v,36 Teachers employed in New Zealand schools must have a practicing certificate (i.e., provisional, subject to confirmation, or full), and EDUCANZ maintains a register of all certificated teachers. Full practicing certificates have to be renewed every three years; upon renewal, teachers are expected to demonstrate that they are complying with the Practicing Teacher Criteria.

Teacher Education Specific to Reading

While varying in content, philosophy, pedagogy, and number of core hours spent on content areas, teacher education programs cover the national curriculum, the foundations of education, learning processes, and teaching practices. In many programs, student teachers may elect to focus either on a curriculum area (e.g., reading or science) or a stage of schooling (e.g., new entrants or Years 7 to 8). Other than what is taught in the core requirements, there are no requirements specific to the teaching of reading.

Requirements for Ongoing Professional Development in Reading for Teachers

A new professional learning and development framework has been implemented by the Ministry of Education, enabling Communities of Learning | Kāhui Ako to take responsibility for the professional learning and development of teachers. Communities of Learning are able to put forward proposals for professional development aligned to their particular achievement challenges that are in line with national priorities—literacy (or te reo matatini), mathematics (or pāngarau), science (or pūtaiao), and digital fluency.

To be fully certified, generally for the profession teachers are expected to demonstrate a commitment to ongoing professional learning and development of personal professional practice.37 A professional leader must testify that a teacher has undertaken satisfactory professional development at each certificate renewal every three years. Schools are responsible for ensuring that teachers regularly participate in some form of professional development, the majority of which occurs in school contexts. Practicing teachers have various professional development opportunities that range from one day seminars and workshops to part time master’s degree programs.38

  • v Previously known as the Registered Teacher Criteria.