Implications and Conclusions
6.3 Implications
The findings from this research indicate that curriculum leaders of AHS in New Zealand are motivated and sustained by the students that they teach, their love of the subject content, and through inspiring their students and being a part of their successes. Four key implications emerged from the results of this small-scale research. Firstly, strategies need to be explored that would reduce the workload incurred in this curriculum area.
Secondly, schools must place value on including AHS as a subject that is available for
84
students to take and be wary of the impact that negative perceptions can have on the teacher and students. Thirdly, mentoring and professional development support is essential for the success of the AHS teacher. Lastly, the SLT have a large influence on the working conditions and culture in the school, and therefore the job satisfaction and retention of experienced, quality specialist teachers.
6.3.1 Workload
There is a need to recruit and retain passionate and effective AHS curriculum leaders.
From the findings, it was evident that workload was a challenge and that a reduction would be of benefit to AHS teachers in New Zealand. It needs to be acknowledged that workload for all secondary teachers is an issue, and not a new one (Ministry of Education
& Post-Primary Teachers' Association, 2016). However, AHS teachers have extra work demands placed on top of the classroom workload that include resource management and keeping up to date with constantly evolving content (Delnero & Weeks, 2000; Torres, 2008). Thus, curriculum leaders of this subject require ongoing professional development (PD) to ensure that they are providing their students with the most up to date information in their course. Teachers are often expected to do this in their own time, so the opportunity exists for the SLT to acknowledge the extra time commitment by allocating PD time during the school day. It is important that the SLT create the conditions where this is valued, which will increase job satisfaction. Strategies such as an allowance for the school to employ a resource technician, similar to that of a science technician, or a reduction in contact time for the classroom teacher, could be implemented by the SLT;
however, this requires support from the Ministry of Education (MOE). Implementation could be placed across all hard to staff specialist subjects, as the strategies are transferable to ensure recruitment and retention of teachers in specialist subject areas.
6.3.2 The Importance of Perception and Valuing the Subject
The SLT must understand and realise that AHS provides a career pathway, and that the primary industries are of significant importance to the New Zealand economy. It is the food and fibre sector that continues to lead New Zealand’s economic recovery from COVID-19 (Smith, 2022). The SLT, along with the MOE, must acknowledge the AHS teacher and the crucial role that they play in this space. Perception is important, with an implication being that in some schools it can be perceived as a space for less academic students. The SLT, middle management and deans need to be conscious of the discourses present among teachers, and the community. Negative perceptions can lead to de-valuing of the student within that space, as well as the teacher of the subject.
85
Acknowledgment that extra time is required for the subject, and SLT valuing of this time commitment is one way of addressing this.
Schools must place value on including AHS as a subject of choice for students. Students today are far more aware and educated about environmental and sustainability issues than previous generations. With students having the option to take the subject at school, regardless of whether they follow a career in the primary industries, increased knowledge about how food and fibre is produced here in New Zealand will enable them to make informed choices as a consumer. If they are to adequately prepare their students for the future, the SLT needs to carefully consider placement and promotion of this subject within the school timetable.
6.3.3 Mentoring Avenues
Mentoring support of AHS teachers is crucial for their success. This support becomes of even more importance when a beginning teacher is the only teacher of the subject in the school. The implication is that whilst the HATA is doing the best they can in curriculum mentoring, they are heavily reliant on teachers who already have a significant workload.
Those teachers are giving service for the good of the subject. The MOE have an obligation to address this and should look to employ a subject mentor who is an experienced classroom teacher to support teachers. This could be implemented across all subjects that have a higher proportion of single ‘siloed’ teachers of subjects in schools within New Zealand. This is because those teachers do not have the benefit of belonging to a department in which they can more easily get the curriculum support, guidance, and leadership they need. In August 2022, government funding for a nationwide advisory team, based out of St. Paul’s Collegiate School, was announced. This advisory team will provide support to AHS teachers, with acknowledgement that a support network is of immense importance for those single-department teachers (O'Connor, 2022).
Taking a step back into the Initial Teacher Education space, the implication is that mentoring of AHS preservice teachers could begin in tertiary institutions. In fact, this could occur for any subject specialisation. This would allow, at the preservice level, curriculum specific mentoring with a registered subject teacher who can help unpack standards, give suggestions for content for unit plans, and be able to start the formation of collegial networks. With the curriculum mentor being a current classroom teacher, this would allow for the preservice teacher to be exposed to the most up-to-date information, therefore understanding what is expected in the AHS classroom. Such a curriculum mentor could also help guide, suggest, or share personal experiences of challenges they
86
have faced, and strategies to help overcome them. As tertiary institutions are leading the initial education of future generation teachers, they must look at how they are best preparing these teachers for the profession.
6.3.4 The Influential Senior Leadership Team
From the findings and literature, working conditions and culture in the school have a considerable influence on job satisfaction. This is important because if job satisfaction decreases, then there is an increased likelihood that teachers will leave either the school or the profession. Teachers have communicated that they need the SLT to have confidence in them, giving them autonomy in the subject. Therefore, the implication for the SLT is to embrace transformational and relational leadership characteristics and develop high trust relationships with their teachers, allowing those teachers the agency and freedom to lead the curriculum in ways that best suits the subject they teach.
Clear, open, and transparent communication around decisions made, including the rationale for these, are important in ensuring that teachers feel valued and heard.
Expectations and workload within the teaching profession have increased, so members of the SLT need to reduce the micromanagement of their teachers, and realise that when delegating responsibilities, there will be an increase in workload. Thus, there are greater implications for those who display instructional or transactional leadership styles, and reflection needs to occur regarding how to incorporate more transformational, relational or servant leadership characteristics. Instructional leadership does at times, given the situation, have benefits; however, to encourage teacher agency, motivation and for teachers to feel valued, the SLT must trust their teachers.
What the SLT can do for AHS teachers would be of benefit to all teachers regardless of their curriculum speciality. Thus, if the SLT can create a positive culture and working environment in the school, and are supportive of their teachers, this will have a positive influence on the job satisfaction and retention of experienced, quality teachers and curriculum leaders.