Abstract
The theoretical inquiry undertaken in this paper examines the discourse of knowledge equivalence used to justify conflating academic and non-academic subjects in New Zealand secondary school science. The purpose is to open up a critical discussion of the discourse and its influence on curriculum and pedagogy. Using a conceptual methodology, we identify the differences between academic and non-academic subjects to argue that there are sound epistemological and equity reasons not to combine academic and non-academic subjects into innovated pathways. A research study which explored the curriculum practices of several senior science teachers is used to illustrate our theoretically derived analysis and explanation of the knowledge equivalence discourse.
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Rata, E., Taylor, A. Knowledge Equivalence Discourse in New Zealand Secondary School Science. NZ J Educ Stud 50, 223–238 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40841-015-0020-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40841-015-0020-1