Big Ideas are derived from the Learning Area essence statement and capture the essence of a subject, ensuring coherence rather than fragmentation of learning. At the subject level, they inform the Significant Learning – learning that is critical for students to know, understand, and do in relation to a subject by the end of each Curriculum Level. This covers knowledge, skills, competencies, and attitudes and includes level-appropriate contexts students should encounter in senior secondary education.

The Significant Learning is collated into a Learning Matrix and progresses across Curriculum Levels 6-8. Teachers can use the Learning Matrix as a tool to construct learning programmes that cover all the 'not-to-be-missed' learning in a subject. There is no prescribed order to the Learning Matrix within each level. A programme of learning might begin with a context that is relevant to the local area of the school or an idea that students are particularly interested in. This topic or context has to relate to at least one Big Idea and may also link to other Big Ideas. The Learning Matrix is designed so that educators have the freedom to create courses that are both flexible and coherent.

Materials and Processing Technology has four Big Ideas. These have been derived from the Technology Learning Area Big Ideas which capture the essence of the subject. Two are grounded in process and two in knowledge. The Significant Learning encompasses all the Big Ideas.

Authentic contexts inspire fit-for-purpose outcomes

For outcomes to be fit for purpose and authentic, students will need to develop a brief that identifies an issue that is related to a need or opportunity relevant to them. They will need to develop design specifications for their outcome that describe fitness-for-purpose, so they can evaluate their product against these. Exploring their own worldviews and how these influence their approach to creative problem solving will enable students to bring themselves to the products that they choose to develop and create. During this design process students will gain new skills, develop confidence in their ability to make informed decisions, and the courage to apply their skills. Reflecting on and analysing their own and others' outcomes and products will strengthen their ability to manage and take risks.

Innovation in Materials and Processing Technology empowers ākonga to respond to their own and others' needs now and into the future

Materials and Processing Technology gives students opportunities to learn transferrable skills and ways of thinking that help them to deal with practical challenges and opportunities throughout life. This can be through learning and mastering well-known skills and methods, using these skills and methods in traditional as well as new ways, through creative problem solving, and through innovating completely new ways of working with materials and processes.

In all of the Materials and Processing Technology disciplines, the technology design process directs students' thinking toward fitness-for-purpose in the meeting of human needs, and towards being of service to the greater good, whether that be for an individual end user, for a community, or for wider groups of people or markets.

Students will learn that reflection and evaluation on their learning is important because reflecting on results enables understanding to grow and be applied to the development of an outcome.

Understanding and evaluating how technological materials are formed, manipulated, and transformed according to their properties is an essential aspect to creating products that are fit-for-purpose. This gives students opportunities to see themselves in their work, collaborate, reflect, share their experiences with others, enjoy what they create, and take pride in their achievements.

The technology design process enables ākonga to understand and manage risk, and to express themselves

Students will need to understand and reflect on their learning to manage risks in their practice. It is important to explore how tikanga influences ways of working with resources and product development. Because great problem solving and innovation is often achieved through failure, students should be encouraged to trial and take enough risks to fail, as well as to succeed, and to share their learning with others.

Health and safety is integral to learning about techniques and processes and the tools, machines, and equipment used to create technology outcomes.

Appreciating the nature and scarcity of resources helps ākonga to develop successful and sustainable outcomes

Students will learn about the importance of materials selection from both a performance and sustainability approach. Students will learn to plan, including making modifications when needed. Students will test and trial to determine the suitability of materials and will consider sustainable practices for an outcome or product. Developing understanding of sustainability and sustainable practices should be derived from the responsibility we all have for the land, and therefore students should consider both people and the environment in product development. By developing an understanding of materials, techniques, and processes students can learn to make informed and confident decisions about their work which in turn enables reflection and evaluation to take place.