Ka Awatea: an Iwi Case Study of Māori Students’ Success
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Title of project Ka Awatea: An iwi case study of Māori students’ success Contract Number: 11RFC37 PI Name: Angus Macfarlane PI Institute: University of Canterbury Year of Report: 2014 Project researchers: Angus H. Macfarlane, Melinda Webber, Candy Cookson-Cox, Hiria McRae This report was provided to Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga as a contractual obligation of the research project undertaken by the named researchers and funded by Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga. The report is the work of the named researchers. It does not represent the views of Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga and any correspondence about the content should be addressed directly to the authors of the report. For more information on Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga and its research visit the website on: www.maramatanga.ac.nz Manuscript commissioned by Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga Ka Awatea: An iwi case study of Māori students’ success Authors: Angus H. Macfarlane, Melinda Webber, Candy Cookson-Cox, Hiria McRae Copyright © 2014 the authors as named. ISBN 978-0-473-27717-8 A catalogue record for this book is available from the Education Library at the University of Canterbury. This manuscript is copyright. Except for the purpose of fair review, no part may be stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including recording or storage in any information retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. For further information or additional copies of the Manuscript please contact the publisher: Te Rū Rangahau Māori Research Laboratory College of Education University of Canterbury Private Bag 4800 Christchurch 8140 New Zealand Email: [email protected] Table of Contents Acknowledgements i Preface ii Foreword iii List of Tables vi List of Figures vi Chapter One: Introduction 1 Chapter Two: Literature review 19 Chapter Three: Research design 43 Chapter Four: Findings 57 Chapter Five: Discussion 141 Chapter Six: Conclusion 169 Reference List 185 Acknowledgements This research was supported by a grant from Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga, the Centre of Research Excellence funded by the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) and hosted by The University of Auckland. The University of Canterbury was commissioned to undertake the research, and procured an alliance with The University of Auckland, Victoria University of Wellington, and Ua-Cox Consulting Ltd. The foremost contributors were the research participants: students, teachers, principals, whānau, former students, and community leaders. The principal editing tasks were coordinated by Sonja Macfarlane and Tessa Ward, and adept contributions were provided by Bruce Harding, Jani Wilson, Richard Benson and Jennifer Newland. The Research Assistants were Masina Blennerhassett, Anne-Marie Hunt and Fiona Duckworth. Jamie Hape and Ava Asby of the University of Canterbury were administrative support personnel. The Project Manager was Averil Herbert. The Delegate from Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga was Marilyn McPherson Space for meetings was provided by the Ministry of Education, Waiāriki Institute of Technology and Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Pikiao. He mihi kau ana ki a koutou katoa i tautoko mai i tēnei mahi rangahau. i PREFACE The Ka Awatea research project recognises the altruistic history of Te Arawa educational provision, and acknowledges the foundation that was set down by tribal ancestors for the benefit of those who followed them. The references to the past have great importance to the study. This is made more real by identifying the qualities modelled by former Te Arawa icons which inform the education community today. Like all tribes in Aotearoa, Te Arawa valued learning, and the desire for educational success in the younger generations was paramount to the growth and development of the land and the people – those of today and those not yet born. Notwithstanding the national statistics there are growing numbers of successful Māori students, and also calls for changes to school environments, communities and curricula that support Māori success and assure its continuance. This study is about making culture count. It draws from the ‘success’ attributes of eight tribal ancestors as the key indicators for determining the domains of success, and the relevance of these attributes in contemporary educational and societal systems. The intention, it seems, has been to contribute to the challenges of today’s educational terrain by raising an awareness that is located in culture, discourse and history. It is a brave but simultaneously worthwhile intention. This is because while it might be a risky business for a group of tribally-linked authors to undertake research on ‘success’ in the face of inequities, remaining silent about these kaupapa may be an even greater risk. Did the research team believe that they had a responsibility to address these issues and not remain inert? It would seem so, and as such, the community of educators, health professionals, scientists, social scientists, whānau and policy-makers can be grateful that they did. The layout of the manuscript is neatly structured and the vernacular reader-friendly. The chapters interlink with each other, and the recommendations in the final chapter are sensible and certainly appetising to education consumers. The Principal Investigator, who in 2013 was awarded the University of Canterbury Research Medal, has made an outstanding contribution to the Māori research community over an extensive period of time. His loyalty to the academy and his love for his iwi are exemplary. He and his Te Arawa research colleagues are to be commended. This manuscript has been two years in the making and many more years in gestation. There are no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solutions for success but there are some underlying principles and practices. Ka Awatea – An Iwi Case Study of Māori Students’ Success gives expression to these. Professor Gail Gillon (Ngāi Tahu) Pro Vice-Chancellor College of Education University of Canterbury ii FOREWORD A fundamental aspiration of educators in Aotearoa New Zealand is to provide quality and sustainable support for Māori learners to reach their potential. Two Ministry of Education Strategies have been introduced – in 2008 and 2013 – for Managing Success and Accelerating Success, respectively. This manuscript, prepared by a committed group of Te Arawa researchers and their colleagues, is timely. It is about Māori success through a quintessentially tribal lens, but with serious and exciting messages for education nationally and beyond. The Ka Awatea research project recognises the foresightedness of Te Arawa educational provision in terms of the foundation that was set down by tribal ancestors, for the benefit of those who followed them. The meaning of ‘taonga tuku iho’ was manifested in a simple yet profound way. Schools and health facilities were two taonga (prized possessions) that Te Arawa sought to obtain from the earliest period of contact with Pākehā. They were eager for missionaries to live amongst them in the 1830s and 1840s, partly because the missionaries provided opportunities to learn English and gain literacy which was particularly valued. A more comprehensive state-sponsored education system was introduced in 1867 with the passage of the Native Schools Act. This allowed for the establishment of primary schools for Māori students under the auspices of the Native Department, although Māori communities that requested schools were expected to provide a site, sufficient land for an endowment, and make contributions to teacher salaries and books. Over some ensuing years parents and school committees strove to maintain education provision to the best of their ability - often under trying circumstances. A Te Arawa historian and colleague, Paora Tapsell, contends that this is illustrated by the fact that in those former years Te Arawa almost always unstintingly gifted the land necessary for school sites and endowments. The iwi sought educational success for rangatahi then as they do today. The majority of the young achievers in this study were in their final year of secondary school. They were chosen by their schools for the positive qualities and attitudes they possess that contributed to their success. Data were sought from the students, their whānau, teachers, principals and others involved in the core of the nested system of schooling. The collection of information was cast wider to include the thoughts and realities of pākeke (those whose perceptions aligned with that invaluable and immeasurable quality – wisdom), and tuākana (those in mid-career who were themselves climbing toward a tihi or zenith in their respective iii pathways). The triangulation of the data in this way, using different sources of information, increased the validity of the study. During the analysis stage, feedback from the stakeholder groups was compared to determine areas of agreement as well as areas of divergence. Many of the students in this study stood out because of their desire to learn, their generally positive attitude towards school and their motivation to pursue opportunities post-school that would improve the wellbeing of their whānau. More specifically, the majority of the students had positive self-concepts, positive academic self-efficacy, and were intrinsically motivated by school and most of what it offered. They tended to be goal-oriented and future-focussed. To this end they saw a strong relationship between school and work and in many instances possible career options were in their sights. These students appreciated extra academic support, both in the