The making of a New Zealander: the ideology and values in social studies textbooks

The purpose of this research project is to investigate the content of a selection of Social Studies textbooks commonly in use in New Zealand schools with third and fourth form pupils, and which deal with the two basic social studies themes of the secondary school syllabus: social control, and social change. The investigation is not of the strict item analysis type, but is rather an impressionistic account which nonetheless periodically delves into the intricacies of the texts to reveal what is there. Some of the textbooks are critically examined in close detail, while others are only mentioned in passing at-the point where an example or two from them might serve to illustrate, or broaden the scope of the issue that is being raised