The study investigates Australian music teachers' approaches to teaching the post-tonal piano music of Béla Bartók, composed between 1908 and 1920 and included in the syllabi of four international music examining bodies in Australia. Despite the inclusion of Bartók's piano music in Australian instrumental music education syllabi, it is often overlooked by music studio teachers. The aim of the study is twofold: firstly, to gain a deeper understanding of what prevents teachers from engaging with his music and secondly, to examine the technical aspects of teaching this music to make Bartók's music more accessible to teachers and students. Data was collected from published analyses of Bartók's music, selected musical scores, two online surveys, a focus group discussion, and fifteen interviews. The study considers a pedagogical model that demonstrates how the identification of patterns and paradigms can be incorporated in the learning process to over come perceived barriers in engaging with Bartók's post-tonal music.