LOS PRINCIPIOS DE LA DESCENTRALIZACIÓN DE LOS TRIBUTOS

Mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) in this research context, refers to the participants new learning as an outcome of contributing and participating in this research study’s hui kōrero. Thinking critically about the shared conversations, the participants reflected on the shifts they experienced within their thoughts either about themselves or about their roles as Māori teachers.

“‘Hegemony’, powerful, in what ways am I participating in that?”

Ara reflects on how she developed her thinking and how she questioned her own contribution to sustaining Pākehā hegemony by imposing assumptions on herself.

In terms of developing my learning and critical thinking of experiences, this has been really powerful to encourage me to really look at that in more depth than I have been, the word…‘hegemony’, powerful, in what ways am I participating in that? In what ways am I being pushed into boxes? In what way are we being pushed into boxes and all that kind of stuff about being able to unpack some of that? This rōpū [group] has been really powerful in providing space to do that and the value in that is just tremendous, the flip side of that is that I have a sadness or a sadness for others of us out there who are in the same positions that aren’t having this kind of opportunity…that’s been a big part of it for me (April, 2013).

“I’ve come to realise that I actually haven’t driven my own journey”

Rose reflected on the learning shifts she experienced. Her realisation that she had little control in self-determining her decisions earlier in life served as a catalyst in learning to express herself assertively.

I’ve grown in my journey and sharing my narratives of myself has been awesome because now I’ve come to realise that I actually haven’t driven my own journey it’s just that I’ve lived and things have dropped on my way and I’ve kind of picked it up and said ‘oh golly, ok, I can’t do

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this’…It’s been a huge movement for me as a Māori and as a Māori teacher… it still has its battles…the politics and all that behind it. Sometimes I get really angry and then the child comes out of me that I suppress, don’t say anything, don’t talk [but] I am getting better at being more outspoken and trying to put a voice out there…I get nervous and I get a bit shaky and sometimes I don’t put out the words exactly the way I’m thinking but I’m still here and I’m still going and hopefully someone will hear it and make some sort of change (December, 2012; April, 2013).

“Valuing myself I suppose”

Mere’s insights into her learning shifts involved increased confidence to express herself and to positively acknowledge her personal and professional achievements.

I suppose it’s us opening our mouths and maybe not being too radical but bringing these kind of conversations into our work place and getting a view… we know we beat ourselves up, we don’t need anyone else to [do that] but when they do it hurts even more. We’re our own enemies because we self-talk ‘oh no, I could have been better’…but realising that being part of this [research participation], a lot of the stuff that I actually endured could have been avoided and could have been better handled or better learnt instead of some of the ways we’ve had to learn and go through experiences to make us either fight for our rights or walk away…it’s like I’m proud of who I am and what I do, nobody says ‘oh you were brilliant because that’s your Scottish side’ because they can’t see that in me [laughter] it must be my Māori…but the whole journey [research participation] here for me has just opened a new door to looking at things and…valuing myself I suppose and who I am as a Māori…everything I’ve heard, seen, felt in our journey here has, I believe, helped me become a much better teacher, a much better thinker…I don’t just think about what’s in front of me, I’m actually

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reflecting about everything and how it could affect others…I’ve loved this journey… we don’t need to sit in a lecture to get that goodness (October, 2012; April, 2013).

“All those things are forfeited”

Hugh’s learning shift has become more politicised than when he first enrolled into an English-medium teacher education degree. He reflects on what he has learned from his experiences of being marginalised and stereotyped as a Māori male teacher.

The education system has been designed to actually stunt, slow down, take away the things from Māori learners because “you’re in the mainstream now, you’re not in a Māori world” so when you come up to mainstream, all those things are forfeited…I forget that they [my grandparents] too were exposed to social influences and the politics of the day (April, 2013).

“To be uncomfortable means I need to do some changes”

Deb shared her insight of the learning shifts she experienced. Acknowledging her feeling of being ‘uncomfortable’ and thinking about how she can affect changes in her teaching responsibility reveals the ongoing tensions she continues to negotiate in her professional context.

There were parts in this afternoon where I felt a wee bit uncomfortable and that’s a good thing because I’ve learnt that to be uncomfortable means I need to do some changes…today has just brought me back to just touching base again with what I need to do in my class, what I need to do and share with my team. It’s been great in knowing that I’m not the only one swimming against the tide but I’ll still keep going, juggling those balls in the air...it made me think ‘yeah as a Māori teacher in a mainstream school what have I experienced? What does this mean and what could it have looked like?’…bringing an awareness to everything. (October, 2012; April, 2013).

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7.4 Summary

Whanaungatanga reflected new connections that positively reaffirmed the participants’ personal and professional identities. Kaupapa Māori research and pedagogy provided a safe means for these participants to develop confidence to examine the type of imposition they experienced as urban raised children and as teachers in English-medium primary schools. This Māori-centred research context provided opportunities for and with them to learn and support each other as Māori, and as Māori teachers. The participants contributed to a collaborative process that respected their Māori identity and enabled them to reframe their personal and professional identities from negative and imposed definitions to identities that are liberating and empowering.

Respecting tikanga Māori (values) concepts of whanaungatanga (relationships) and mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) created space for these Māori teachers to form new connections as well as to engage critically in hui kōrero (focused conversations). The opportunity to form connections with other Māori teachers enabled them to reflect critically on their own lived experiences independently from any Ministry of Education expectations or expectations imposed on them by Pākehā and other non-Māori colleagues. Participation in this research process also offered them space to reflect on their own teaching relationships within their professional contexts.

The following chapter presents the learning and implications. I firstly offer considerations of a cultural self-identity continuum that may affirm diverse Māori teacher identities. I then assert that space for Māori teachers to locate themselves culturally with other Māori teachers within English-medium primary schools is a Te Tiriti o Waitangi/Treaty honouring position.

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8 Chapter Eight: Learning and Implications

8.1 Introduction

The participants’ narratives suggest that it is not easy being a Māori teacher within English-medium primary school contexts. Their personal and professional narratives presented in this thesis convey important information that may otherwise not be available to Pākehā and other non-Māori school leaders and teachers.

Chapter Five, ‘Personal identity’ reflected the social and whānau (family/families) influences that shaped the participants childhood self-perceptions of Māori identity as well as their self-perceptions as learners at both secondary school and then with tertiary studies. Chapter Six, ‘Professional identities’ revealed the assumptions and expectations imposed on them by Pākehā and non-Māori colleagues. The participants had encountered in childhood and formal education contexts similar stereotyped assumptions of Māori identity they encountered in their professional contexts as adults. Their narratives also revealed their shared cultural and professional commitment as teachers of Māori students in English- medium primary school contexts.

Chapter Seven presented the participants’ narratives of experience with this research study and process. Connecting with other Māori teachers within a kaupapa Māori framed approach to research was perceived by them to be culturally respectful of their diverse realities as Māori and as Māori teachers. The opportunity to culturally locate themselves through a series of individual and collaborative hui kōrero affirmed their own childhood, schooling and teaching experiences as urban raised Māori.

This chapter presents this learning and implications for theory and practice arising from the findings of the study. The first section indicates possible solutions and responds to the study’s research questions and rationale (see Table 4, p.155).

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Table 4: Potential strategies that respond to research questions and rationale

Potential Strategy Relevant Research Questions Research Rationale

1. Utilising a cultural self-identity continuum: A reflective tool

How do Maōri teachers in English-medium primary schools perceive their own identity as Māori?

Being a Māori teacher in contemporary English-medium schools presents challenges to cultural self-identity ‘as Māori’.

2. Provisions of culturally located opportunities: Professional relationships ‘as Māori’

What tensions (if any) are experienced by Māori teachers in English-medium primary schools specific to their respective identities ‘as Māori’ and as classroom teachers?

Confidence to teach ‘as Māori’ is influenced by how school leaders and teachers acknowledge and support diverse interpretations of Māori identity.

What professional opportunities and resources are available to meet the needs of Māori teachers in English-medium primary schools and classrooms?

Māori teachers in English- medium primary schools and classrooms require access to professional opportunities that are responsive to their cultural realities.

The first potential strategy considers a cultural self-identity continuum (see Figure 8, p. 157). The cultural self-identity continuum offers to Māori teachers in English-medium primary schools a reflective tool that serves to respect and affirm diverse cultural realities as Māori (see Sub-section 8.3.1). The second potential strategy considers the benefits of providing culturally located professional opportunities for Maōri teachers located in English-medium primary school contexts (see Sub-section 8.3.2).

Section 8.3 suggests further research possibilities regarding Māori teachers in English-medium education. Then, I share an update of the participants’ recent personal and professional reflections before presenting my concluding message (Sections 8.4 and 8.5).