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      Harakeke: Enhancing Māori Student Engagement and Achievement in a Mainstream Primary School

      Anderson, Diana
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      Anderson, D. (2009). Harakeke: Enhancing Māori Student Engagement and Achievement in a Mainstream Primary School (Thesis, Master of Education (MEd)). The University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10289/3953
      Permanent Research Commons link: https://hdl.handle.net/10289/3953
      Abstract
      Ministry of Education research indicates that the inclusion of culture and te reo

      Māori in teaching can help improve Māori student education. If students can find

      the links between what is being taught and the relevance to their own lives then

      information will be easier to retain. Research has also shown that environmental

      education provides relevant learning that can connect students to their world.

      Māori indigenous knowledge (IK) and environmental education (EE) share many

      commonalities. One such similarity is the relationship between tangata (people)

      and nature. While the sometimes destructive nature of this relationship has lead to

      global environmental issues, this study explores the combination of IK and EE to

      enhance Māori student engagement and achievement in a mainstream primary

      school.

      An intervention unit based on harakeke was designed delivered in a Year 5/6

      boys' only class in a suburban mainstream primary school, over a 10 week period.

      The environmental and socio-cultural significance of harakeke enabled a range of

      kaupapa (themes) to be included in the unit. This included; eeling and how to

      make and use a hinaki (eel/fish trap), karakia (prayer) and the relevance when

      harvesting kai (food) and resources. Each kaupapa also provided the opportunity

      for students to increase their te reo Māori vocabulary, with the introduction of

      kaupapa specific words. The Māori kaupapa also enabled the students to view EE

      from a Māori perspective, including the introduction of rahui - a form of

      conservation.

      The findings indicated that the incorporation of a Māori kaupapa strengthened

      student engagement, improved student use of te reo Māori, improved the selfesteem

      and confidence for some students, increased students' awareness of

      harakeke and the value and versatility of the plant, and increased their awareness

      from a Māori perspective on sustainable harvesting.

      Bringing Māori kaupapa into the classroom allowed the classroom teacher, who

      was Māori, the opportunity to share her own lived experiences of IK, as these are

      passed down from generation to generation, and people are born into them. The

      Page | iii

      familiarity of whanau offered the teacher the opportunity to bring this concept into

      the classroom and teach values that could flow into all curriculum areas while

      strengthening relationships between the teacher and student, student and student

      and teacher and student whanau.

      This study has shown that both IK and EE, while each complex in their own right,

      have the ability to provide a holistic curriculum approach that can lead to

      engagement and achievement by Māori students in a mainstream school.
      Date
      2009
      Type
      Thesis
      Degree Name
      Master of Education (MEd)
      Publisher
      The University of Waikato
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