Te Pā Harakeke: Māori and non-Māori parent (whānau) support of culturally responsive teaching pedagogies

Camilla Highfield; Melinda Webber; Rachel Woods

doi:10.55146/ajie.v52i1.335

Authors

Camilla Highfield University of Auckland https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8896-1989
Melinda Webber University of Auckland https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1930-6790
Rachel Woods University of Auckland

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55146/ajie.v52i1.335

Abstract

This strengths-based paper draws on the qualitative and quantitative survey results from whānau (family members) of tamariki (children) attending 12 schools in an urban area in New Zealand with a high proportion of Māori people. The paper describes the positive impact of effective family engagement on tamariki, from the perspectives of whānau, paying particular interest to the differences between Māori and non-Māori whānau. The views of all whānau who participated in the project support the importance of relational and culturally sustaining aspects of teaching, and challenge commonly held stereotypes about indigenous parents’ low expectations in relation to their children’s education. The paper amplifies whānau voice about their children’s school enjoyment, perceptions of teacher support and future career aspirations for their tamariki.

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Author Biographies

Camilla Highfield, University of Auckland

Dr Camilla Highfield is Deputy Dean at the Faculty of Education and Social Work, University of Auckland. Camilla’s teaching, research and professional interests are in the arts and creativity, teacher professional development, school change, and culturally responsive teaching and leadership. She works on projects with a focus on equity and social justice.

Melinda Webber, University of Auckland

Professor Melinda Webber (Ngāti Whakaue, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Hau, Ngāti Kahu) is Te Tumu – Deputy Dean at the Faculty of Education and Social Work at the University of Auckland. She is an Associate Professor in Te Puna Wānanga/School of Māori and Indigenous Education, and Rutherford Discovery Fellow, MRSNZ. Melinda is the Co-Director of the University of Auckland – Atlantic Fellows for Social Equity, Associate Director of the Woolf Fisher Research Centre and Co-Editor of MAI: A New Zealand Journal of Indigenous Scholarship.

Rachel Woods, University of Auckland

Rachel Woods is a research assistant at the Faculty of Education and Social Work, University of Auckland, and has worked on numerous research projects. She has a Bachelor of Arts in education and history from the University of Auckland.

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