Key competencies and a thematic approach

This tool presents some considerations for discussion about three features of the thematic approach outlined in the clip from Katikati College – big ideas, connections, and critical thinking.

Big ideas and enduring understandings in a thematic approach

• How can we ensure that students both encounter the big ideas, and also have enough particular examples from authentic contexts to make sense of them?
• What are the actions of others (in the past and the present) that students could learn about?
• What actions (actual participation in something real) could students take now?
• How can we address attitudes and values as we think about knowledge and ideas?
• What might we say to a student that draws their attention to values as they consider conceptual understandings?
• There are likely to be lots of possible contexts that relate to the theme – how can we involve students in decisions about the contexts that would be most useful to deal with?

Connections in a thematic approach

• There are likely to be lots of potential connections to be made between understandings related to a theme. How can we decide which ones are most meaningful for students?
• How can we ensure that connections between ideas from various learning areas are useful to make?
• What connections could be made between school-based learning and the ‘real’ world?
• What is the relationship between the proposed theme, and students’ current needs and interests?
• How might we help students see the connection between the skills they are using and other contexts in which they could apply those skills?
• Are we being explicit about the relevance of the theme to learners’ lives?

Critical thinking in a thematic approach

• How might we ensure that a range of diverse perspectives on the content of the theme is considered?
• Big ideas might seem universal – how can we help students challenge that and look for different viewpoints?
• How can we encourage students to raise questions and problems about the theme or big ideas?
• How can we improve the quality of students’ thinking and reasoning?
• How can we help students reflect on their knowledge, attitudes, and values to evaluate the quality of their thinking?

Return to top