Teaching about the Past

The Maori proverb \'ka haere whakamua,titiro whakamuri\'(we walk into the future facing the past) is a compelling reason for learning our history. This book examines the nature of social studies teachers subject matter knowledge for teaching about a significant event in New Zealand\'s past and present. The Treaty of Waitangi, signed in 1840 between Maori and the British Crown, is regarded as the founding document of the nation. Knowledge and understanding of this treaty, and its implementation over time, is seen as crucial for New Zealanders\' capacity to accommodate cultural differences and to handle challenges in their future. The focus of this book is a research study using concept mapping and video-stimulated recall to investigate the role of pedagogical content knowledge in teaching. Findings demonstrate that in teaching about the past, historical discipline knowledge informs teachers pedagogical content knowledge and that its presence or absence significantly affects students learning opportunities. The research has practical implications for secondary teachers, curriculum developers, teacher educators and organisers of professional development for in-service teachers.