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The  way  they  are  to  us,  it’s  like  bondable,  you  bond  good.  

The   perspectives   of   the   Pacific   students   in   this   study   affirm   the   importance   of   positive   connections  fostered  by  caring  and  empathetic  teachers  to  promote  student  engagement   and   learning   success.   The   research   findings   show   a   marked   difference   between   the   frequency-­‐counts  of  students’  responses  which  related  to  positive,  supportive  relationships   compared  to  the  frequency  of  all  other  types  of  responses.  That  is,  comments  and  selected   concepts  about  positive  teacher-­‐student  connections  were  much  more  common  than  other   types   of   comments.   This   was   particularly   the   case   when   students   were   giving   written,   individual   and   more   discrete   responses   in   the   questionnaire   and   post-­‐it   exercises   (Refer   Figures  3  and  4).  

Students  often  described  positive  connections  with  teachers  who  were  empathetic,  listened   to  them  and  understood  them,  as  the  following  comments  show:  

Teacher  that  gets  you,  understands  you.  

  Teachers  that  (get)  down  to  your  level,  point  of  view.     When  they  understand  you.  

  They  actually  come  and  talk  to  you.   They  like,  listen  to  what  you  have  to  say.   They  actually  listened  to  me.  

Students  appreciated  teachers  who  were  supportive  and  helpful.  Particularly  when  they  felt   that  the  teacher  went  out  of  their  way  to  help  them.  As  one  student  articulated:    

They  listen  to  me,  understand  me  and  help  me.  (They)  understand  the  things  I  find   difficult.  They  go  out  of  their  way  to  help  me.  

Another  student  wrote:    

She  understood  how  hard  it  was  to  learn  as  a  Pacific  Islander.  She  went  out  of  her   way  to  help  others  as  well.  

Several  New  Zealand  studies  similarly  argue  that  positive,  respectful  connections  between   teachers  and  students  are  necessary  for  enhanced  educational  success  for  Pacific  learners   (Averill  2012;  Martin,  Sullivan  et  al,  1998;  Ostler-­‐Malaulau,  2009;  Pasikale,  1998;  Poskitt,  (in   press);  Samu,  2006;  Spiller,  2013).  

Hill  and  Hawk  (2000)  describe  teachers  found  to  be  effective  in  the  AIMHI  project  as  caring   and  giving  of  themselves.  This  included  giving  extra  personal  time  to  students,  supporting   them  with  personal  problems  and  in  co-­‐curricular  activities.  

The  words  of  a  Year  10  male  focus  group  participant  resonate  with  the  findings  of  Spiller’s   (2013)   research.   She   found   that   disrespectful   student   behaviour   and   disengagement   only   occurred   in   the   classrooms   of   teachers   who   had   poor   relationships   with   their   Pacific   students.  

If  I  don’t  get  along  with  the  teacher  then  I  don’t  have  a  good  lesson.  

Student  perspectives  about  the  importance  of  relationships  reflect  the  findings  of  significant   and  longitudinal  New  Zealand  research  that  has  explored  what  Māori  and  Pacific  students  

believe   supports   their   successful   learning.   The  Te   Kotahitanga   project   responded   to   the  

perspectives  of  Māori  students  and  ensured  a  strong  focus  on  supporting  teachers  to  foster   positive,  respectful  relationships  with  their  students  (Bishop  &  Berryman,  2006).  Alton-­‐Lee’s  

(2014)  report  about  the  impact  of  the  programme  demonstrates  that  the  achievement  of  

Māori  students  from  Phase  Five  Te  Kotahitanga  schools  improved  at  around  three  times  the  

rate   of   Māori   in   comparison   schools   (Alton-­‐Lee,   2014).   She   concludes   that  

Whakawhanaungatanga  was  one  of  the  critical  success  factors.    

An   examination   of   schooling   improvement   work   that   has   enhanced   Pacific   student   achievement   in   Auckland   schools   is   reported   by   Amituanai-­‐Toloa   et   al   (2009).   Their   work   captures  the  voices  of  Pacific  students  and  draws  comparisons  to  the  student  perspectives  

conveyed   through   the  Te   Kotahitanga   research.   Pacific   students   spoke   about   positive  

teacher  relationships  and  the  sense  of  teachers  being  like  family.    

In   a   synthesis   of   research   about   effective   teaching   for   Māori   and   Pacific   learners   Hawk,   Cowley   et   al   (2002)   found:     ‘The   dominant   theme   that   emerged   independently   from   all   projects  is  the  critical  importance  of  the  relationship  between  the  teacher  and  the  learner’   (p.  1).  Each  of  three  individual  studies  found  that  teaching  was  more  likely  to  be  effective,   and  students  more  actively  engaged,  when  there  was  a  positive  relationship  between  the   teachers  and  students.  

Furthermore,  Alton-­‐Lee’s  Best  Evidence  Synthesis  (2003)  identified  one  of  the  ten  research-­‐ based   characteristics   needed   for   quality   teaching   practices   for   diverse   students   was:   ‘Pedagogical   practices   enable   classes   and   other   learning   groupings   to   work   as   caring,   inclusive,   and   cohesive   learning   communities’.   (Alton-­‐Lee,   2003   p.   vi).   She   asserted   that   effective  teachers  ensure  that  their  practices  and  interactions  with  students  result  in  caring   and   supportive   classroom   learning   contexts.   Martin,   Sullivan   et   al   (1998)   describe   similar   sentiments   offered   by   student   participants   in   their   research   almost   twenty   years   ago.   Rather   than   ethnicity   and   age   being   ranked   as   most   important,   students   overwhelmingly   identified  that  tutors  who  listened  to  them  and  ‘understood  where  we  were  coming  from’   were   the   most   important   qualities   for   a   tutor.   Hawk   &   Hill   (2000)   and   Ostler-­‐Malaulau   (2009)   similarly   found   that   teachers’   ‘inward   qualities’   (Martin   et   al,   1998)   were   more   important   to   students   than   teachers   who   shared   the   same   ethnic   culture.   Ezra   Schuster   captures  this  idea  in  his  article  titled:  Who  are  the  best  teachers  of  Pasifika  children?    ‘The  

best  teachers  of  Pasifika  children  are…  the  best  teachers.  It’s  empathy,  not  just  ethnicity,   that’s  important’  (Schuster,  2008,  p.  12).  

The  concept  of  ‘va’  –  relationship  or  ‘the  space  that  relates’  (Airini,  Anae,  et  al,  2010)  is  at   the   heart   of   many   Pacific   nation   cultures   and   their   value-­‐systems.   Pacific   students   in   this   thesis   research   clearly   appreciate   teachers   who   ‘teu   le   va’   -­‐   respect   and   nurture   relationships.   This   study   did   not   explore   the   extent   to   which   participants’   perspectives   about  relationships  are  influenced  by  their  ethnic  cultural  identities,  values  and  beliefs.  This   would  be  an  interesting  area  for  future  research.