Te Whakahōnere ngā Wawata o te Whānau: Honoring the Educational Aspirations of Whānau to Improve the Well-Being of Māori Learners in English-Medium Primary Schools in Aotearoa (New Zealand)

• In Event: 26.057 - Toward Justice for Indigenous Peoples: Research on Schools and Schooling

Abstract

The on-going crisis of underachievement for Māori learners in Aotearoa New Zealand remains glaring apparent. Attempts to improve educational outcomes for Māori learners in English-medium schools has not achieved the desired result and in some ways has been counter to the aspirations of Māori enjoying educational success as Māori. The paper reports on a preliminary study conducted in two English-medium primary schools in the lower half of the South Island, New Zealand where whānau discussed their children’s aspirations and explored the perceptions of student teachers in a one year Masters programme as counter- narrative to the study. The feedback from both groups identified a number of important insights, reflections and learnings schools and teachers may well benefit from.

Author

• Paul Whitinui, University of Otago