Becoming Cognisant of Research Informed by Kaupapa Māori in Early Childhood Education: Issues and Contexts

This paper outlines tensions existing within student teacher self-study action research projects undertaken as a requirement of a Bachelor of Teaching (Early Childhood Education) at Te Whare Waananga o Wairaka Unitec Institute of Technology (Unitec). Whilst student teachers in our programme are expected to engage in Kaupapa Māori knowledge, the meaningfulness of this engagement is questionable for student teachers undertaking self- study action research. In response to these tensions a research framework is proposed which would serve to guide student teachers as researchers to engage more meaningfully with Kaupapa Māori knowledge. The framework draws on the seminal works of Rangimarie Rose Pere, Te wheke, a celebration of infinite wisdom (1991), the bicultural curriculum for early childhood, Te Whāriki (Ministry of Education, 1996), and Te whatu pōkeka: Kaupapa Māori assessment for learning: Early childhood exemplars (Ministry of Education, 2009). The kaupapa Māori research principles of mana, mauri and wairua are related to the action research cycle, as outlined by Cardno (2003), with examples of these principles in action within the research process

Ko tōku whānau tēnei : a whakapapa based approach to building community in mainstream ECE

Within te ao Māori whanaungatanga is seen as a quintessential value, requiring the establishment and maintenance of a pattern of right relationship between people, place, space and time (Williams, 2005). Early childhood education in Aotearoa emphasises children’s sense of belonging in their community. This is evidenced by the strands of the early childhood curriculum, Te Whāriki (Ministry of Education, 1996). The strand Whanau tangata / Family and community calls for this to be an integral part of curriculum. Through the strand of Ngā hōnonga / Relationships, teachers support children’s learning through ensuring responsive and reciprocal relationships with people, places, and things. This presentation (workshop) offers an approach to supporting tamariki to build their sense of community and belonging based on the concept of whanaungatanga. It supports all levels of fluency te reo Māori. It acknowledges whakapapa of the child and whānau and assists in building knowledge of Māori ways of being in the world

Toi Tū Te Whenua : a study of Māori visual arts as dialogue with Papatūānuku

This article expands on ideas developed in Ngā Taonga Tuku Iho Māori Visual Arts and Cultural Fusion. Studying Authentic Engagement (Wrightson & Heta-Lensen, 2013). In it we discussed the integrated nature of ngā toi ataata (visual arts) to Māori life and the connectedness to people, places, things and time. In this article we demonstrate how ngā toi ataata dialogues with histories, values and locations across time, place and space. Authentic engagement in ngā toi ataata in the context of early childhood education in Aotearoa New Zealand is critiqued through a socio-cultural and socio-political lens. Through the examples that we present, stories emerge that demonstrate a growing relationship with Ranginui (Sky father) and Papatūānuku (Earth mother) which contribute to developing student teachers’ own working theories, stories, and understandings about the world and their place in it. Employing the visual arts in this way provides opportunities to deepen understandings of indigenous world views and develop a sense of connection to the natural world. It engages student teachers in understandings of artsbased teaching and learning practice from both an educational and a cultural perspective. It provides an opportunity to reflect on multiple perspectives held about the world and how different peoples express their relationship with it. The article also explores how the incorporation of Māori visual arts in an initial teacher education programme supports teachers to meet the requirements of the Aotearoa New Zealand early childhood curriculum, Te Whāriki. He whāriki mātauranga mō ngā mokopuna o Aotearoa. Early childhood curriculum (Ministry of Education, 2017)

Hauora : supporting wellbeing in exceptional times

Hauora models to support teachers’ work Te Whare Tapa Whā (Durie, 1982) Break out room activity Tāku Whare Oranga Supporting the philosophical underpinnings of Te Whārik

Inquiry-based project learning in early childhood: Time to develop localised understanding of this pedagogical approach

Ko te tamaiti te pūtake o te ao The child is the centre of the universe Who is the child in the 21st century? Industry 4.0 He kakano i ruia mai i Rangiatea What does the 21st Century child need to know? Inquiry based project work The issues and rationale for the research Aim of the study Data collection Findings: The dominance of the international discourse Evidence of localised curriculum and the influence of National discourse A need for further guidance on processes Discussion, cultural knot

Senses of hauora and wellbeing in early childhood initial teacher education: Report of phase one data

Auckland University of Technology, Unitec Institute of Technology, The University of Auckland, and Open Polytechnic have joined together to research early childhood student teacher hauora and wellbeing. The project is underpinned by a dedication to treasure and nurture early childhood student teachers during their studies and throughout their journey as teachers and leaders. This research aims to contribute provocations for the design of early childhood teacher education programmes. We are collectively concerned with better understanding the ways in which student teachers navigate their studies, how the navigated journey contributes to professional learning, identity and experience, and how these factors impact on the hauora and wellbeing of student teachers. We recognise that the study of teaching contributes to each student teacher’s personal and professional understanding of hauora and wellbeing through a complex whole of direct and indirect experiences. This understanding is similarly holistic, including cognitive, affective, and embodied learning. The study involves multiple phases, beginning with a first phase gathering student teacher views on hauora and wellbeing in their study. This first phase began in October 2020, at which time the nation was in Level One of its pandemic response. In phase one, student teachers were invited to respond to an online anonymous questionnaire. The survey was completed by 101 participants. A link was provided for participants to share contact details if they were interested in being involved in subsequent phases. The primary purpose of phase one was to provide themes for the development of later phases. The data was analysed through the development of student teacher cases, analysis of themes, and poetic inquiry – the latter of which introduces this Executive Summary as A student teacher’s promise