Think Globally. Act Locally

The Bay Science Model

INTRODUCTION

In order to address some of the greatest challenges of our time in the Anthropocene, science education must empower all ākonga to take informed action in their personal and communal lives, to engage critically as participants in democracy, and to understand and engage themselves as individuals and collectives within shared complex systems that include non-human species and environments.

To realise this purpose for all citizens, including those who will go on to become future scientists and the many who will not, science education in a continuously changing world must support the development of the science competencies, values, knowledge, and relational skills needed by individuals and as a citizenry within Aotearoa New Zealand. In doing so, it enables our nation to contribute meaningfully at local scales and within globally relevant contexts, including efforts to enhance planetary health.

Education, and science education in particular, must therefore be understood as a shared societal responsibility. This requires pedagogical and communal approaches that are inclusive and relational, and grounded in contexts and places relevant to tangata whenua, tangata Tiriti, and Aotearoa New Zealand’s shared place in the wider world.

THE BAY SCIENCE MODEL

The Bay Science model, Think Globally. Act Locally., is designed to make visible the shared societal responsibility of the many individuals, groups, and systems that influence the science education experienced by ākonga in Aotearoa New Zealand. Situated within the context of the Anthropocene, the model recognises that supporting rangatahi requires more than schools alone. It highlights how people, places, and structures collectively shape how young people experience, understand, and engage with science over time.

THINK GLOBALLY. ACT LOCALLY

Think Globally. Act Locally. The Bay Science Science kaupapa. Graphic by Vicki Alderson-Wallace and Lian Soh. Colour scheme and 'chronological change' arrow inspired by Curriculum (re)design, A series of thematic reports from the OECD Education 2030 project. OECD 2020.

At the centre of the model is science identity. Science identity is a concept that has emerged from science education literature and, in the context of our organisational model, can be understood as how people see themselves in relation to science. This includes whether individuals feel capable of engaging with science-related ideas, thinking scientifically, see science as relevant to their lives and communities, and experience a sense of belonging in spaces where science is learned and practised.

The Bay Science model visualises science identity as developing through ongoing interactions between people, place, experiences, and systems. It recognises that the relative influence of these factors shifts as learners’ contexts and circumstances change across different stages of life.

To think globally and act locally is to recognise that global challenges, such as climate change polycrises, biodiversity loss, resource scarcity, and issues of health and wellbeing, require collective action. Addressing these challenges depends on individuals, including ākonga themselves, being able to draw upon scientific knowledge, competencies, skills, and values to take meaningful action in their personal lives, while also contributing as part of collaborative efforts within their local communities.

In the expandable sections below, we elaborate on the significance of each influence within the model, as well as how Bay Science seeks to make these influences visible via our platform.

The Bay Science model is tentative. As the world continues to change, and as our understanding of the influences that shape science identity deepens, we expect this model to change over time. For this reason, the model is understood as a living framework, one that remains perpetually open to revision. Last update: January 04 2026.

INFLUENCES ON SCIENCE IDENTITY

SCIENCE IDENTITY | ĀKONGA

At the centre of our model is science identity, because at the centre of science education are ākonga.

Science identity refers to how learners see themselves in relation to science:

• whether they feel empowered to engage with scientific knowledge and draw upon it,

• whether science feels relevant to their lives and communities, and

• whether they believe they belong in, and contribute to, spaces where science is learned, discussed, and applied.

These perceptions shape not only how ākonga engage with science at school and beyond the classroom, but also whether they draw on science in their everyday decision-making, communal and civic participation, and future pathways.

Science identity is not fixed, nor is it formed in isolation or with a definitive endpoint. It develops over time as the places, communities, and influences around ākonga change, and as scientific knowledge and the world around them continues to evolve. This development is shaped through experiences of learning, participation, relationships with others, cultural affirmation, and the extent to which science connects with learners’ personal values and wellbeing.

When ākonga feel seen, supported, and able to bring their whole selves into science-related experiences, they are more likely to develop confidence, curiosity, and a sense of agency. Over time, these experiences influence whether science feels meaningful, relevant, and accessible; and whether learners continue to see science as something they can draw on as they navigate their lives, communities, and futures.

Placing science identity at the centre of our thinking shifts the focus from what students are expected to become, or to perform, towards who they are becoming through their ongoing growth.

     PERSONAL VALUES & WELLBEING | ĀKONGA

While science identity sits at the centre of our model, it does not form in a vacuum. All experiences of science, and the wider world, are filtered through learners’ personal values and wellbeing.

Personal values influence how science is perceived and taken up. When learners hold strong values, for example around environmental care, community wellbeing, or collective responsibility, they may be more responsive to science experiences that align with those values and more likely to seek out or prioritise certain communities, kaupapa, or opportunities. Where scientific issues are not yet seen as meaningful within a learner’s spheres of influence, engagement with science may develop more gradually, or in different ways, as experiences, relationships, and contexts shift what is perceived to matter.

Wellbeing encompasses interconnected physical, mental, spiritual, and social dimensions and influences how ākonga experience learning, belonging, engagement in education, growth and development. We also recognise that there are multiple ways of understanding health and wellbeing, each grounded in the values, cultures, and contexts of individuals and the communities they belong to.

Wellbeing shapes attention, engagement, and readiness to learn. When ākonga are preoccupied with immediate concerns such as health, family responsibilities, food security, housing, or safety, science learning and the wider networks that support it may understandably feel distant or less relevant. This does not reflect a lack of ability or interest in science. Rather, it reminds us that learning is always situated within lived experience, and that the individual needs of ākonga must be understood so that approaches to science education are responsive, supportive, and inclusive.

Supporting wellbeing also means equipping ākonga with the knowledge, capabilities and resources needed to make informed decisions that enhance and sustain their own wellbeing over time. While this includes more visible dimensions such as nutrition, physical activity, cultural connection, and social relationships, it also includes less obvious but equally important competencies. We suggest that critical thinking and data literacy are essential components of wellbeing, enabling learners to evaluate information and recognise misinformation.

Understanding personal values and wellbeing as an immediate filter reinforces the need for relevant, inclusive, relational, and responsive science education.

      WHANAU & PEERS

Science identity is shaped not only through individual experiences, but through relationships with others. Whānau and peers are often among the most influential relationships in a young person’s life, and they play a significant role in shaping how science is perceived, valued, and taken up. The messages ākonga receive, both explicit and implicit, about who science is for and why it matters are frequently formed within these close social circles.

When science is valued, talked about, or seen as relevant within whānau and peer groups, learners are more likely to view science as something that has meaning in their own lives. Conversely, when science is rarely discussed, is seen as distant from everyday concerns, or is associated with people “unlike us”, ākonga may be less likely to see science as something that belongs to them. This is not a reflection of interest or capability, but of the social cues learners absorb about where science sits in relation to identity, culture, and community.

Representation and visibility matter in these contexts. If whānau and peers do not see themselves reflected in science, whether through their own experiences, cultural narratives, or the stories that are shared and valued, it becomes harder for learners to imagine themselves in science-related spaces. Where science is perceived as disconnected from family knowledge, community priorities, or lived experience, its relevance can be diminished, even when learning opportunities are available.

Recognising the influence of whānau and peers highlights the importance of science education that extends beyond the classroom. Creating opportunities for shared experiences, conversations, and connections helps strengthen the relationship between science learning and the social worlds of ākonga. When science is positioned as something that communities can engage with, contribute to, and see themselves in, ākonga are more likely to develop a sense of belonging and confidence that supports the growth of their science identity over time.

How Bay Science supports this dimension

• Membership to Bay Science is free, and also not exclusive to registered teachers - whanau and community members are also welcome.

• Bay Science will highlight science-related events and opportunities, for rangatahi and kaiako. Opportunities which are available to the general public are also shared to encourage whanau engagement.

• Science-In-Action and Kaiako Highlight series can capture examples of real world science.

      CULTURAL INFLUENCES

Beyond close relationships with whānau and peers, science identity is also shaped by wider cultural influences that may be less visible, but no less influential. These include the stories, images, and messages about science that learners encounter through media, popular culture, and creative works. Social media, news reporting, film, television, books, gaming platforms, and online content all contribute to shaping what science is perceived to be, who it is for, and how it relates to everyday life.

The way science is portrayed in these spaces matters. When science appears primarily in the context of crisis, controversy, or distant expertise, it can feel abstract, intimidating, or disconnected from lived experience. When scientists are consistently represented as a narrow group of people, or when science is framed as something that happens elsewhere, learners may struggle to see where they fit. Conversely, when science is woven into stories about place, creativity, problem-solving, and collective action, it becomes easier for learners to recognise its relevance and imagine themselves as part of it.

Learners also belong to many cultural groups beyond ethnicity and heritage, shaped by shared interests, identities, and ways of spending time. Whether young people identify strongly with music, sport, gaming, creative arts, environmental action, or other communities, these spaces carry their own values and narratives about what matters. If science is absent from these cultural spaces, or perceived as unrelated to them, it may struggle to gain attention or significance, even when ākonga have the capability to engage.

Recognising cultural influences as part of science identity development invites a broader understanding of where and how science can be relevant. It suggests that supporting science identity is not only about changing individual attitudes, but about expanding the stories, representations, and contexts through which science is encountered. When science is allowed to intersect with diverse cultural spaces and ways of being, it becomes more visible, more relatable, and more likely to be taken up as part of a learner’s identity over time.

How Bay Science supports this dimension

Bay Science seeks to support this dimension of science identity by making visible the many ways science intersects with culture, media, and everyday life. This includes:

• Using micro-updates on our homepage to share media, news, and cultural references related to science and science education

• Highlighting stories that connect with place, creativity, community action, and lived experience

• Amplifying diverse representations of who engages with science and how science is practiced

      KAIAKO, MENTORS, COACHES

People who ākonga experience as kaiako (teachers), mentors, or coaches also play a distinctive role in shaping science identity, regardless of their formal title or setting. These are often the people learners come to trust, look up to, or see as champions or guides in their lives. Through everyday interactions, encouragement, and advocacy, they help signal what science is, who it is for, and how learners might see themselves in relation to it.

When learners feel supported by people they perceive as being on their side, they are more likely to develop confidence in their ability to engage with science. This support may come from a classroom teacher, a learning support staff member, a counsellor, a coach, a community leader, or another adult who takes an interest in their growth. These individuals may act as role models or champions, not because of public status or specialist expertise, but because of the relational trust they build. Simple actions such as noticing effort, valuing questions, making space for uncertainty, and responding with care can have lasting effects on how learners perceive themselves as science learners.

People in these roles also often act as key connectors between learners and wider opportunities. Kaiako, mentors, and coaches are frequently the ones who share information about science-related experiences beyond the classroom, such as holiday programmes, university outreach, environmental monitoring projects, volunteering opportunities, or community initiatives. By noticing a learner’s interests and potential, and by actively passing on these opportunities, they can open pathways that learners may not otherwise encounter or perceive as being 'for them'.

Representation and relational connection are particularly important in these relationships. When ākonga see that the people guiding them recognise their backgrounds, interests, and identities, science is more likely to feel accessible and relevant. Conversely, when learners experience science through interactions that feel rigid, transactional, or disconnected from who they are, it can narrow their sense of what participation in science looks like.

Recognising the influence of people who fulfil these guiding and championing roles reinforces the relational nature of science education. Developing science identity is not only about curriculum content or assessment outcomes, but about the quality of relationships that surround learning. Supportive, responsive relationships help learners see science not as something imposed upon them, but as something they can engage with, contribute to, and grow into over time.

How Bay Science supports this dimension

Bay Science seeks to support the role of kaiako, mentors, coaches, and other trusted adults by helping make science-related opportunities visible, accessible, and easy to share. This includes:

• Maintaining free, open membership so educators and community members can easily stay connected to share news and events.

• Sharing opportunities through newsletters that reach subscribed kaiako, whānau, and community members

• Highlighting science-related events, programmes, volunteering, and outreach initiatives that mentors and teachers can pass on to ākonga

• Providing a platform that celebrates educators in their role as connectors and champions, not just content deliverers

• Reducing barriers to access by centralising information about local and national science opportunities

      SCHOOL POLICY & ASSESSMENT

School policies, assessment structures, and resourcing decisions play a significant role in shaping science identity, often in ways that are subtle but powerful. Through curriculum decisions, assessment practices, and the organisation of learning, schools communicate what is valued, what is prioritised, and what success in science looks like. Over time, these signals influence how learners understand their place within science education.

Assessment, in particular, carries strong messages about what and whose knowledge and practices are considered important. This includes both classroom-level assessment and the formal assessment frameworks that structure qualifications and progression. When science learning is experienced primarily through high-stakes assessment or narrow measures of performance, some learners may come to associate science with compliance, pressure, or comparison rather than curiosity and exploration. Conversely, when assessment recognises a range of ways of engaging with science, including investigation, collaboration, reflection, and application to real-world contexts, learners are more likely to see science as accessible, meaningful, and relevant.

Schools play a central and vital role in society: largely responsible for the education of young people, schools work in collaboration with other learning providers, purposeful and incidental, throughout the social–ecological system to create a web of lifelong, life-wide learning experiences

Agency in the Anthropocene, p16

School policies also shape the opportunities learners have to experience science beyond the classroom. Decisions about resourcing, timetabling, class sizes, access to laboratory and field spaces, and the provision of activities such as field trips, science fairs, monitoring projects, or community-based investigations all signal the importance placed on science. When these opportunities are visible, supported, and celebrated alongside other valued areas of school life, learners are more likely to perceive science as something worth investing in.

The relative prominence of science within the wider life of a school also matters. Where science opportunities are limited or less resourced than other co-curricular activities, learners may infer that science holds a lower status or is intended for a narrow group. Where science is given time, space, and recognition, it becomes easier for a wider range of learners to imagine themselves participating and belonging.

Recognising the influence of school policy, assessment, and opportunity highlights the importance of alignment between intention and structure. If science education is to support all learners to develop confidence, agency, and a sense of belonging, then the systems and opportunities that surround learning must reinforce, rather than undermine, those goals. Thoughtful decisions about assessment, resourcing, and access can play a powerful role in shaping how science is experienced and valued over time.

How Bay Science supports this dimension

Bay Science seeks to support conversations around school policy, assessment, and opportunity by actively seeking opportunities to work constructively with the Ministry of Education and NZQA.

This includes:

• Sharing news and opportunities related to NZQA and curriculum reform with our members.

  Highlighting examples of inclusive and innovative science practice that work within, alongside, or in response to existing policy and assessment structures

• Providing space for kaiako voices to be shared, particularly where assessment and policy influence learner opportunity, engagement, and wellbeing. For example, surveys and community feedback.

• Working with external organisations, such as Empower KEA, to design inclusive assessment approaches.
  

      EDUCATION RESEARCH

Education research and frameworks play an important role in shaping science education, even though their influence is often invisible to ākonga. The ideas, evidence, and assumptions that emerge from research inform curriculum design, assessment structures, professional learning, policy decisions, and classroom practice. While ākonga may never encounter these sources directly, they experience their effects through the learning environments, expectations, and opportunities that surround them.

Research influences what could be emphasised in science education, such as the balance between knowledge and skills, the role of inquiry and problem-solving, and the importance placed on relevance, context, and application. It also shapes how learning progression is understood, how achievement could be measured and why. Over time, these research-informed decisions contribute to what science looks and feels like in classrooms and schools.

The translation of research into practice is rarely straightforward. Ideas move through multiple layers, including curriculum documents, assessment frameworks, professional learning, and school policy, before they reach learners. Along the way, they are interpreted, adapted, and sometimes simplified. This means that the influence of research is often experienced indirectly, through structures and practices rather than explicit teaching about the research itself.

Recognising education research as a shaping influence highlights the importance of critically engaging with evidence and frameworks, rather than treating them as neutral or fixed. Research reflects particular questions, values, and contexts, and its impact depends on how it is taken up and applied. When research is used thoughtfully and responsively, it can support more inclusive, meaningful, and future-focused science education. When it is applied uncritically, it can unintentionally narrow practice or reinforce existing inequities.

Including education research and frameworks within this model acknowledges that science identity is shaped not only by personal experiences and relationships, but also by the ideas that structure education systems over time. Making these influences visible helps educators reflect on how upstream decisions shape downstream experiences for learners.

How Bay Science supports this dimension

Bay Science seeks to support the role of education research in shaping science education by helping make research-informed ideas more visible, accessible, and connected to practice. We recognise that research often influences curriculum, assessment, and pedagogy in ways that are not immediately visible to learners or communities, yet can have significant impacts on classroom experiences and opportunities over time.

This includes:

• Sharing research summaries, commentary, and reflections on science-education that are relevant to science education in Aotearoa New Zealand via our pivotal perspectives column.

• Providing space for educators to reflect on, question, and discuss research-informed approaches in relation to their own contexts. Bay Science members will be able to comment on articles posted from the start of 2026.

      LOCAL & NATIONAL GOVERNMENT

Local and national government decisions shape the wider conditions in which science education operates, often in ways that are not immediately visible to learners. Through policy, legislation, funding priorities, and long-term planning, government influences how science is valued, resourced, and applied across society. These decisions help determine what issues are prioritised, which opportunities are available, and how science connects to everyday life in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Government decision-making informed by evidence plays a critical role in responding to complex challenges such as environmental protection, public health, food security, and economic resilience. Commitments to global priorities and international collaboration also shape how Aotearoa New Zealand participates in a science-connected world. While ākonga may not engage directly with these processes, they experience their impacts through the landscapes they inhabit, the health systems they rely on, and the futures they are being prepared to navigate.

In Aotearoa New Zealand, government also holds responsibilities to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi through participation, partnership, and protection. This includes ensuring that Māori knowledge, leadership, and priorities are meaningfully included in decision-making, that relationships with tangata whenua are upheld, and that taonga such as land, waterways, and ecosystems are actively protected. How these responsibilities are enacted influences whose knowledge is recognised, whose voices are heard, and how science is positioned in relation to place and community.

Funding decisions are a particularly visible expression of these responsibilities and priorities. Investment in education, health, environmental care, and community initiatives creates opportunities for learners to engage with science beyond the classroom. This includes support for outreach programmes, conservation and monitoring projects, local care groups, and partnerships between schools, communities, and organisations. Where such opportunities are sustained and accessible, science is more likely to be experienced as relevant, practical, and connected to real-world outcomes.

Government policy also shapes economic pathways and future opportunities for learners. Decisions about workforce development, innovation, infrastructure, and sustainability influence which science-related skills and careers are supported and valued. At the same time, policies that protect and restore land, waterways, and ecosystems signal the importance of science in caring for place and ensuring intergenerational wellbeing.

Recognising the influence of local and national government helps situate science education within a broader civic and societal context. It reinforces the idea that science is not only something learned in schools, but a tool used to inform collective decisions, uphold responsibilities, steward shared resources, and shape the futures that young people will inherit.

How Bay Science supports this dimension

• Sharing news about council-funded/led initiatives and opportunities that relate to science, education, environment, and wellbeing

• Highlighting how evidence, science advice, research and global priorities are used to inform decision-making at local and national levels

  
  

      COMMUNITY OUTREACH

Community outreach and organisations play an important role in shaping science identity by creating opportunities for learners to encounter science in real, lived contexts. These include individuals, groups, and organisations that design and host science-specific and science-related experiences beyond formal schooling and often provide some of the most memorable and meaningful points of connection for ākonga.

These opportunities take many forms. They may include university open days, laboratory experiences, and STEM holiday programmes, as well as planting days, conservation projects, and volunteer work in forests, rivers, and coastal environments across Aotearoa New Zealand. They may involve citizen science, monitoring initiatives, or community-led projects that connect science with care for place. For many learners, these experiences help make science visible as something that happens in the world around them, not just in classrooms or textbooks.

Community outreach also helps young people see that their participation matters beyond the immediate moment. By working alongside others, including different age groups and communities across the motu, ākonga can begin to recognise that agency in the Anthropocene is intergenerational and collaborative. Seeing how small, local contributions connect to wider efforts can foster a sense of hope and agency, reinforcing the idea that sustained participation can contribute to positive change, such as improved ecosystem health and community wellbeing.

Community organisations also support pathways by offering scholarships, internships, mentoring, and access to networks that learners might not otherwise encounter. These opportunities can help demystify science-related study and careers, particularly for learners who do not see science represented within their immediate whānau, peer circles or in the media. By lowering barriers to participation and widening access, community initiatives can play a powerful role in expanding who feels science is for.

Importantly, community outreach does not only benefit ākonga. Opportunities for kaiako, whānau, and the wider community help build a shared garden of experiences that begins early and continues to grow over time. When young people encounter science situated in meaningful contexts, and later see adults around them continuing to learn, contribute, and participate through lifelong learning, science becomes part of a wider community practice rather than something confined to school or specialist careers.

Recognising the role of community outreach and organisations highlights the importance of partnership and connection in science education. These intergenerational opportunities help strengthen connections between schools, communities, and organisations, and position science as something people engage with at different stages of life, in different roles, and for different purposes. In doing so, they reinforce the idea that science education is not a one-off pathway, but an ongoing relationship with knowledge, place, and community that supports the development of science identity over time. How Bay Science supports this dimension

Bay Science seeks to support community outreach by helping make science-related opportunities visible, connected, and accessible to ākonga, kaiako, whānau, and the wider community. We recognise that community groups, organisations, and individuals design many of the science-specific and science-related experiences that help learners encounter science in meaningful, real-world contexts.

This includes:

• Sharing opportunities created by community groups, organisations, and institutions, such as outreach programmes, open days, monitoring projects, volunteering, and place-based initiatives

• Highlighting experiences that connect science with care for land, water, biodiversity, health, and community wellbeing

• Amplifying opportunities that support rangatahi participation, including scholarships, mentoring, internships, and holiday programmes

• Supporting kaiako and mentors by centralising information they can easily share with learners and whānau

• Making visible how local action contributes to wider collective efforts, reinforcing a sense of agency and hope in the face of global challenges

• Listing and sharing opportunities voluntarily, without charging providers fees or requiring paid promotion, to help ensure equitable access and community trust
  

      PLACE & LAND

Place and land play a significant role in shaping science identity through the relationships people hold with the environments they live in. When ākonga feel connected to a place, whether that is a local awa, ngahere, coastline, maunga, or neighbourhood, they are more likely to care about what happens there and to see value in contributing to its wellbeing. This sense of connection can influence motivation, relevance, and purpose in science learning, grounding abstract ideas in lived experience.

Place and land include all who live there. This encompasses people and communities, as well as non-human species that together form complex, interconnected, and ever-evolving ecosystems. Understanding place in this way helps position science not as separate from daily life, but as a way of making sense of relationships between living systems, environments, and human activity over time. It reinforces the idea that biodiversity and natural resources are not isolated topics, but integral parts of the places people belong to and depend on.

The care and maintenance of place and land often require collective effort. In Aotearoa New Zealand, this commonly involves collaboration between community groups, organisations, local authorities, and tangata whenua, including iwi and hapū. These partnerships reflect shared responsibilities for stewardship and provide opportunities for learners to see how knowledge, values, and action come together in practice. Through participation in place-based initiatives, ākonga can observe how science supports decision-making, restoration, and long-term care.

Factors such as kaiako, mentors, coaches, cultural influences, and community care groups can provide a range of informal and structured opportunities that help learners see how science contributes to the social, ecological, and political systems connected to place and land. Through these influences, ākonga can begin to understand how science informs decisions about biodiversity, natural resources, and environmental stewardship, and how these decisions intersect with community values, responsibilities, and ways of living. Seeing science applied within local systems helps learners recognise its relevance to the places they belong to and the futures of those places.

Place and land are also closely connected to wellbeing and health. When environments are healthy, people are more likely to experience physical, emotional, spiritual and social wellbeing. Conversely, environmental degradation can affect communities in ways that are felt deeply and unevenly. Recognising these connections reinforces the idea that science education is not only about understanding systems, but about supporting the conditions for collective wellbeing.

Beyond responsibility, place and land offer opportunities for enjoyment, exploration, and learning. Being in natural environments can spark curiosity, invite observation, and provide rich contexts for investigation. These experiences allow science learning to emerge through noticing change, asking questions, and engaging directly with the world. When science is rooted in place, it becomes more tangible, more meaningful, and more closely tied to learners’ sense of belonging.

Recognising place and land as influential contexts highlights the importance of science education that is locally grounded and relational. When learners see science as connected to the places they care about, it becomes easier to imagine their role in sustaining those places now and into the future.

How Bay Science supports this dimension

Bay Science seeks to support connections between science education and place by foregrounding land, water, ecosystems, and biodiversity as central to learning, wellbeing, and belonging in Aotearoa New Zealand.

This includes:

• Highlighting science-related events connected to local environments, such as forests, rivers, coasts, wetlands, geothermal areas, and urban ecosystems

• Sharing stories and initiatives that connect science with the care and restoration of whenua, wai, and biodiversity

• Using imagery throughout our platform which showcases the beauty, and importance, of our place.

• During 2026, the Experiences section of the website will include a catalogue of place-based activities accessible to kaiako and whanau.

      IWI & HAPŪ

Iwi and hapū play a vital role in shaping science identity in Aotearoa New Zealand through their deep connections to place, land, and people. Like whānau, iwi and hapū hold aspirations for rangatahi and for the regions they are connected to, grounded in long-standing relationships with whenua, wai, and ecosystems. These aspirations reflect intergenerational responsibilities and visions for wellbeing that extend beyond individual learners to communities and environments as a whole.

We recognise iwi and hapū as kaitiaki. This stewardship is informed by mātauranga, lived experience, and ongoing relationships with the natural world. Understanding iwi and hapū as kaitiaki helps position science as one of the systems used in how we understand and care for environments, alongside other knowledge systems, values, and practices. It reinforces the idea that science is not separate from culture or place, but part of how decisions are made in relation to land, water, biodiversity, and resource use.

When whānau, kaiako, mentors, schools, government agencies, and community organisations share how science-related work is carried out with genuine partnership with iwi and hapū, young people are given opportunities to see how science is accessed and applied collaboratively in real-world contexts. These relationships make visible how different knowledges, values, and perspectives are brought together to support decision-making around everyday challenges, such as biodiversity loss, access to clean water and energy, population health and wellbeing, and the sustainable use of resources.

Seeing how research organisations, community groups, and care groups work in partnership with iwi and hapū also makes visible the tikanga and relational practices that shape how science is carried out in Aotearoa New Zealand. These ways of working are specific to place and to relationships with tangata whenua, and vary across regions. When ākonga are able to observe science in action through these partnerships, they gain insight into how scientific work is undertaken responsibly and collaboratively in this context.

For those who may go on to become scientists, this supports an understanding of what it means to work with tangata whenua and to engage respectfully with mātauranga Māori as part of scientific practice in Aotearoa New Zealand. At the same time, for learners who do not pursue science-related careers, seeing these partnerships in action supports their ability to participate critically in democracy. It provides concrete examples of what it means to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi in practice, including partnership, inclusion, and shared decision-making in matters that affect people and place.

Importantly, seeing authentic partnerships in action also supports learners to think critically about how science is practised in real-world settings. When ākonga encounter multiple ways of learning about and understanding the natural world, they are better positioned to reflect on how knowledge and practices are developed, and to recognise that science in practice does not occur in a vacuum. This supports a more nuanced understanding of science as a human endeavour, shaped by context, relationships, and responsibility.

Seeing science accessed through collective and relational processes helps ākonga recognise that participation in science involves collaboration and ethical judgement, as well as technical and lived expertise. In this way, engagement with iwi and hapū partnerships supports the development of science identity that is reflective, grounded, and responsive to place.

Recognising the influence of iwi and hapū within this model affirms that science education in Aotearoa New Zealand is strengthened when it is grounded in place-based relationships and shared aspirations. When learners see how science contributes to kaupapa that matter to iwi, hapū, and communities, it becomes more meaningful, more relevant, and more closely connected to their own sense of belonging and purpose.

How Bay Science supports this dimension

Bay Science seeks to support the role of iwi and hapū within science education by making visible the importance of partnership, place-based relationships, and mātauranga Māori in shaping how science is understood and practised in Aotearoa New Zealand. We recognise that iwi and hapū hold deep knowledge of place and carry aspirations for rangatahi, communities, and environments that are integral to science education grounded in this context.

This includes:

• Sharing initiatives where ākonga can explore how science and mātauranga Māori are brought together to support decision-making and care for people and place

• Approaching this work with humility, recognising that learning in this space is ongoing and that Bay Science’s role is to listen, learn, and support rather than to speak on behalf of iwi or hapū

      GLOBAL PRIORTIES, FRAMEWORKS, CONTEXTS & CHALLENGES

Science education does not exist in isolation from the wider world. Global priorities, frameworks, contexts, and challenges shape the questions that science is asked to address, the skills and knowledge that are valued, and the responsibilities placed on education systems. These influences provide a shared horizon for science education, helping situate local learning within global conversations and collective challenges.

International frameworks and agreements, such as the OECD’s PISA Science and Climate Literacy frameworks, UNESCO initiatives, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, articulate expectations about the role of science in addressing issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, health, equity, and sustainability. These frameworks are periodically revised to reflect emerging evidence, shifting priorities, and changing global conditions, reinforcing that science education must remain responsive rather than static.

Global challenges, including climate change and related polycrises, highlight the interconnected nature of environmental, social, economic, and health systems. Agreements between countries, such as commitments to reduce carbon emissions or protect biodiversity, rely on scientific evidence while also being shaped by political, cultural, and ethical considerations. Preparing learners to engage with these challenges requires more than technical understanding. It requires the ability to navigate uncertainty, weigh evidence, consider values, and participate in collective decision-making.

Importantly, global frameworks and priorities do not replace local knowledge or context. Instead, they interact with national, regional, and community-level realities. In Aotearoa New Zealand, global expectations are interpreted through Te Tiriti o Waitangi, local environments, and the lived experiences of communities. This reinforces the idea that global science priorities must be understood and enacted in ways that are locally grounded, culturally responsive, and attentive to place.

Because global priorities and challenges evolve over time, science education must support learners to adapt and continue learning beyond school. Developing science identity, critical thinking, systems thinking, and relational skills helps prepare ākonga to engage with changing scientific knowledge and shifting global contexts throughout their lives. Rather than training learners for a fixed set of future problems, science education can equip them with the knowledge and competencies to respond thoughtfully to challenges that do not yet fully exist.

Recognising the influence of global priorities and frameworks completes the outer layer of this model. It highlights how science education connects local action to global responsibility, and how learners, grounded in identity, values, place, and relationships, can engage meaningfully with the complex challenges of the Anthropocene. In this way, science education supports both participation in global conversations and action within local communities, bringing the model full circle.

How Bay Science supports this dimension

Bay Science seeks to support understanding of global priorities, frameworks, contexts, and challenges by helping make them visible, interpretable, and connected to local science education and action.

This includes:

• Using Pivotal Perspectives to share and/or summarise global frameworks and priorities relevant to science education, such as PISA frameworks.

• Recognising that global priorities and frameworks are dynamic, and that science education must remain responsive as knowledge, challenges, and societal expectations change over time. This also means that the Bay Science model is subject to ongoing revision and change.

      CHRONOLOGICAL CHANGE

This model recognises that science identity develops over time, and that the relative influence of each layer changes across different stages of life. For rangatahi, the people, places, and experiences that shape engagement with science before, during, and beyond formal schooling are not fixed, nor do they carry equal weight at every moment. In early life, whānau and place often play a dominant role. During schooling years, peers, kaiako, school structures, and cultural influences may become more prominent. Post-school, community participation, work, civic engagement, and global contexts often take on greater influence.

Chronological change also reflects the reality that development is not always predictable or linear. Young people may experience disruption, transition, or displacement due to changes in family circumstances, housing, health, or community. In these moments, the presence of multiple, connected layers becomes especially important. Community outreach organisations, schools, kaiako, and mentors can provide alternative points of connection, continuity, and support, helping learners maintain engagement and a sense of belonging even when other influences are temporarily disrupted.

At the same time, the layers themselves continue to change. Global priorities and frameworks evolve in response to emerging challenges, such as the complex and interconnected climate polycrises. National and local governance decisions can reshape school policy, assessment structures, and access to opportunities. Funding shifts may expand or constrain community initiatives, scholarships, or outreach programmes. Cultural narratives and ways of representing science in the media can also change over time.

Together, these forms of change highlight that supporting science identity and learner wellbeing cannot rest with any single group or institution. Education, and lifelong learning more broadly, are shared and collective responsibilities. When governance influences school structures and systems, whānau, iwi and hapū, peers, mentors, coaches, and community groups all play important roles in providing multiple ways for young people to connect with science, grow, develop and experience success. This collective approach helps ensure that learners are supported as whole people, able to navigate change, maintain connection, and continue developing their science identity as lifelong learners.

How Bay Science supports this dimension

Bay Science seeks to support this by treating our model and approach as living and responsive. As contexts, priorities, and understandings shift over time, we commit to revisiting and refining our model to reflect change, rather than assuming a fixed or final position.

While this model has been developed with a focus on science education and science identity, its underlying structure is intentionally student-centred. By placing the ākonga at the centre, the model reflects a broader commitment to their wellbeing, as well as an understanding how people grow, learn, and develop over time within complex social, cultural, and ecological systems. As such, the Bay Science model may also resonate beyond science education, offering a way of thinking about identity, wellbeing, and agency across other areas of learning.

Ngā Mihi | Acknowledgements

We extend our sincere thanks to the kaiako, ākonga, whānau, researchers, community groups, and organisations who engage with, contribute to, and challenge our thinking. Your whakaaro, questions, and shared experiences help shape our understanding of science education and strengthen this model over time.

We are grateful to those who share opportunities, stories and reflections which support science education that is inclusive, relational, and grounded in place.