Citizenship Education in New Zealand: Inside or Outside the Curriculum?

Notions of what it meant to be a citizen of New Zealand have mirrored the social and political changes as the country's identity moved from a British colony, through independence to a bi-cultural country with a more global outlook. Citizenship ideals were originally taught through history, geography, moral education and social studies. Although some countries, such as the United Kingdom, have moved to an explicit citizenship education programme, citizenship in New Zealand is currently taught through an integrated curriculum approach supported by participatory pedagogical practices. This article reports on research undertaken to investigate the inter- and extra-curricular opportunities for teaching and learning citizenship in New Zealand schools