These projects are currently underway, with the last close to finishing. Further related projects are in the pipeline.
Ka nanakia hoki ‘ki’ te numeracy (Better than expected)
Project Leader: Pania Te Maro – Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi
The Te Tauākī Ako framework (Ako Aotearoa’s Teaching and Learning Framework) has highlighted the value of culture in supporting Māori literacy achievement. Other studies have also shown the importance of Maori-inspired pedagogy in driving Māori student success. Despite these developments, fewer studies have explored the relationship between te reo, kaupapa, mātauranga, and Maori achievement in numeracy. This project is designed to bridge this gap by carrying out interviews with Maori students across a range of disciplines, in order to better understand how cultural pedagogies enhance numeracy teaching and learning – initially in Wānanga, with a view to informing practice across institutions.
How can the concept of pōwhiri be used to teach essay writing skills?
Project Leader: Tepora Pukepuke – The University of Auckland
In spite of considerable investment, many Māori students still struggle to adapt to a tertiary environment. The reasons for this are complex, but not helped by the fact that their level of essay writing proficiency is often well below the expected standard. Raising their ability to better prepare and construct essays will have a measureable impact on their achievement and success. However, encouraging this type of skill development requires a bespoke approach, an approach which integrates cultural philosophies and practices and which in turn promotes long-term skill development and change. This project looks to explore how the concept of “powhiri” can be used to encourage this development and contribute to enhanced teaching and learning.
The successes of a wrap-around training programme transitioning Māori youth into employment
Project Leader: Paddy Forde – Kiwi Can Do
Aotearoa New Zealand is enjoying a period of low unemployment and unprecedented growth in the construction industry, and yet youth, and especially Māori aged 16-24, are still overly represented in statistics of people not in education, employment or training (Buzzeo et al., 2016; MBIE, 2018; TEC, 2014). For this reason, this group is a priority area for Government, who are highly supportive of programmes which can show success in moving young people from unemployment to the workplace – and help them to stay there.
Kiwi Can Do has been offering vocational training and work experience opportunities over the past four years, demonstrating strong employment outcomes for graduates of around 67%. The purpose of this report is to tell the organisation’s story, and identify the strategies which are contributing to this success.