Developing the Tokelau National Health and Physical Education Curriculum: A case study

Abstract

National school curriculum statements detail what it is important to learn and are highly context- and discipline-specific. The health and physical education (H&PE) learning areas have multiple learning purposes, and facilitating this in curriculum design is a significant and challenging task. There is little reporting on ‘behind-the-scenes’ practices of H&PE curriculum writing, despite this being a key mechanism by which the shaping of curricula occurs. This article offers a descriptive case study of curriculum development for the Tokelau National Curriculum H&PE learning area for Years 0–13. Prior to 2021, this learning area did not formally exist in the Tokelau National Curriculum Framework. The case reports on the processes and decisions of a multi-national transdisciplinary writing team from Tokelau, New Zealand and New Caledonia. We explore the questions: ‘Why the need for an H&PE curriculum, and who is it for?’ Document collection and team-based interviews formed the basis for deductive descriptive analysis of the writing processes. Three key themes were developed. Related to ‘why’, findings illustrate the importance of formalising H&PE learning, representing knowledge, skills and capabilities useful for present and future generations of young people in Tokelau. Considering ‘for whom’, findings emphasise the involvement of the community in curriculum decisions, and the inclusion of distinctive features aligned with community values, needs and aspirations. The case study illustrates the requisite coming together of different groups and expertise in the creation of a curriculum, a synthesis of pre-existing and new knowledge and experiences. The focus on health promotion and health and physical literacies exemplifies the everyday use of school curriculum goals to support community health.