Key Findings

Te Atakura is a culturally responsive relationships-based approach, guided by kaupapa Māori values, towards achieving ōritetanga within Tertiary Education in New Zealand. It focuses on the educational experience of ākonga Māori in a way that enables the organisation to better support the educational experience and outcomes for all ākonga. It helps provide safe and culturally appropriate relationships-based learning experiences for ākonga Māori and those marginalised so all have the opportunity to thrive in tertiary education.

Te Atakura has become embedded and sustained within UCOL, transforming attitudes and practices among educators. The voices of ākonga Māori and educators, alongside outcome data, demonstrate positive impacts: shifts in teacher and leader attitudes, changes in teaching and leadership practices, and increased course completions for both ākonga Māori and non-Māori students. Te Atakura is implemented by a team whose positionality acknowledges the unique potential of Tangata Whenua and Tangata Tiriti relationships, intending to reflect te Tiriti o Waitangi in how it operates within a kāwanatanga sphere.

This study shows that prioritising Indigenous learning experiences can significantly improve outcomes for all ākonga, challenging the notion that such a focus is unfair. Over a decade later, Te Atakura continues to expand, with other tertiary institutions in New Zealand expressing interest. This research provides compelling evidence to support prioritising ākonga Māori in educational practices, demonstrating that by embracing this approach, educational institutions can drive meaningful educational reform and achieve more equitable learning experiences and outcomes.

Key Recommendations

The systematic embedding of Te Atakura (an evidence-based culturally responsive relationships based model) enables:

• Shift in attitudes and beliefs of what attributes to Māori achievement.
• Teachers/leaders seeing themselves as agents for change.
• Positive shift in teacher understanding and practice.
• Reduction in ‘deficit thinking’ and a shift to searching for strategies and solutions.
• Positive shift in ākonga Māori voice on their learning experiences and outcomes.
• Increased course completions (Māori and non-Māori).
• Higher sustained rates of change in course completions for all ākonga.
• An approach for all kaimahi to use knowledge building and inquiry cycles as a method to continue working for ōritetanga.