Mrs Chia and Eileen

The assessments included thirteen tasks investigating students’ knowledge, understandings and processes in the area of social studies called culture and heritage. This area focuses on the contribution of culture and heritage to identity and exploration of the nature and consequences of cultural interaction.

Eight tasks were identical for both year 4 and year 8 students. Two were administered only to year 4 students, and three were administered only to year 8 students. One is a trend task (fully described with data for both 1997 and 2001), seven are released tasks (fully described with data for 2001 only), and five are link tasks (to be used again in 2005, so only partially described here).

The tasks are presented in the three sections: the trend task, then released tasks and finally link tasks. Within each section, tasks administered to both year 4 and year 8 students are presented first, followed by tasks administered only to year 4 students and then tasks administered only to year 8 students.

Averaged across 48 task components administered to both year 4 and year 8 students, 20 percent more year 8 than year 4 students succeeded with these components. Year 8 students performed better on 47 of the 48 components.

On the single trend task, there was little evidence of change between 1997 and 2001. Averaged across the 7 trend task components attempted by year 4 students in both years, 3 percent more students succeeded in 2001 than in 1997. Gains occurred on 4 of the 7 components. At year 8 level, on average 1 percent more students succeeded in 2001 than in 1997. Gains occurred on 3 of the 7 components. Because a single task and only seven components were included, the trend information should be interpreted very cautiously.

Students at both levels generally succeeded well with associating symbols or logos with the associated New Zealand activities or features, but showed quite limited knowledge and understanding of the Treaty of Waitangi and early New Zealand history. About half of the year 8 students showed little understanding of the importance of cultural traditions for immigrants from other cultures, and fewer still had well developed ideas about important features of New Zealand culture.