Learning about inclusion by listening to Māori

Abstract

Behavioural and learning difficulties experienced by students from minoritised cultural groups often arise because their cultural beliefs, values and preferred practices differ markedly from those of their teachers and their school. Research in New Zealand has shown that if inclusive education is to have real meaning for these students and their families, then their teachers and schools need to move towards pedagogies founded on relationships that are more inclusive of cultural differences. This paper discusses what we can understand about inclusion for Māori students experiencing behavioural and learning difficulties, from the experiences of their teachers and family members. Often effective interventions are found to be connected to a Māori worldview and begin by taking the time to develop relationships with Māori families, to regularly listen to them and seek to work and learn alongside them.