Activity 7: Indigenous Knowledge and Cultural Responsiveness in my Practice

This blog uses Rolfe et al’s (2001) reflective model consisting of three key questions: What? So What?  and Now What? to reflect on two whole school contexts:

1.  Policies - Banding of students in Year 9/10 (Mauri Moe/Noho)

2.  Goals - Ka Hikitia/He Kakano/Kia Eke Panuku (Mauri Oho/ Ohooho moving towards Mauri Ora)

What?

Cultural responsiveness and indigenous knowledge have been elaborated in a previous blog.

Durie (2016) uses the state of mauri to describe the holistic wellbeing of an individual/learner and can be expressed through three states:  Mauri noho, ohooho, and ora (Table 1).  It is comparable to Pohatu (2011) use of the terms mauri moe, oho, and ora (Table 1).

Table 1

Moving from a state of moe/noho to ora can best be realised through a lens of, “equity, excellence and belonging” (Berryman, 2016).  My personal definition of culturally responsive practice is where the student is at the centre of learning and all students can be actively engaged as individual learners through programmes that promote equity, excellence and belonging. 

So What?

Policies:

A more detailed consideration of banding/streaming can be found in my previous blogs.

My objection to banding/streaming in our school is based on the premise that it does not promote equity, excellence and belonging of all students.  Those who find themselves in top band classes tend to be offered a wider programme, have higher expectations and tend to form more constructive relationships with their teachers.  We should be having high expectations, equality of access and diversity/quality of programmes irrespective of which band a student is in.

Banding or streaming tends to accentuate socioeconomic disadvantage and is disadvantageous for students academically, socially and psychologically (Ainscow, 2016; Johnston & Wildy, 2016).  Let’s be honest – deficit theorizing (at the centre of Te Kotahitanga) is commonplace among teachers who have lower ability/streamed/banded classes.  Disproportionally, our Maori students tend to be in the mainstream classes rather than top bands.  Reflect on banding, streaming or ability grouping at your school and look at the cultural makeup of those classes.  We seem to be adding insult to injury.  This is not in keeping with fairness, equity and inclusivity.

This represents a state of mauri moe/noho at present.  A number of staff want change in the face of CRP to awaken and nurture our learners, yet an influential minority want to keep it asleep (or even kill off the discussion).

Goals:

We have been part of the four year journey that is Ka Hikitia (accelerating), He Kakano (professional development), and Kia Eke Panuku (step up/lift up).  This has brought about a challenging of current school/personal practice.  This in turn has led to a re-evaluation of school practices and policies by passing over them the lens of culturally responsive practice.  Currently the pastoral system is under review.  However, funding for Kia Eke Panuku – and in particular the shadow coaching associated with it – has run out.  The question now is, “have we reached sufficient critical mass that the changes are self-sustaining?”  Since we have been involved in these initiatives, Maori disparity with respect to achievement has narrowed to the extent that in 2017, there was no disparity between Maori achievement and that of the senior cohort.  In fact our Maori students out performed Maori students both nationally, and when compared to other Decile 8 schools in NCEA.  Interestingly, there is only English/Maths banding in senior school (see above).

Now What?

The challenges are two-fold.

In terms of banding/streaming we need to keep advocating for change, always keeping the learner and the notions of equity, excellence and belonging at the forefront.  This will come up for review in the near future.

In terms of the learning from Ka Hikitia/He Kakano/Kia Eke Panuku, we need to be wary of what Savage, Hindle, Meyer et al (2011) refer to as “saturation” (p.194) and a sense of complacency that goals have been achieved so efforts taper off.  We need to find our own way to sustain the gains we have made to date.

References:

Ainscow, M. (2016). Diversity and Equity: A Global Education Challenge. New Zealand Journal of Educational Studies, 51(2), 143–155. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40841-016-0056-x

Ako: Critical Contexts for Change - Poutama Pounamu. (2018). Poutamapounamu.org.nz. Retrieved 12 March 2018, from https://poutamapounamu.org.nz/mauri-ora/ako-critical-contexts-for-change

Berryman, M. (2016). Education for equity, excellence and belonging - “as Maori”. University of Waikato. Retrieved from https://www.uregina.ca/education/assets/docs/pdf/events/20170310-11-Decolonizing-Teacher-Education-Presentation-Mere-Berryman.pdf

Durie, M. (2015). Engagement with rangatahi [power point slides]. Presentation to the Palmerston North Youth Sector Network. Retrieved from: www.yoss.org.nz/user/file/61/Durie%20 Youth%20Engagement.pdf

Durie, M. (2016, March). Realising Māori Potential [power point slides]. Tauranga Moana SENCO Hui.

Johnston, O., & Wildy D.H. (2016). The effects of streaming in the secondary school on learning outcomes for Australian students – A review of the international literature. Australian Journal of Education, 60(1), 42–59. https://doi.org/10.1177/0004944115626522

Lineham, C. (2018). Indigenous Knowledge & Blue Mink (1969).  Retrieved 21 March 2018, from http://mindlabpracticeclineham.blogspot.co.nz/2018/03/indigenous-knowledge-blue-mink-1969.html

Lineham, C. (2017).  Activity 2: A Change in My Practice Towards Future-oriented Learning and Teaching.  Retrieved 21 March 2018, from http://mindlabpracticeclineham.blogspot.co.nz/2017/11/activity-2-change-in-my-practice.html

Pohatu, T. W. (2011). Mauri - Rethinking human wellbeing. MAI Review, 3, 1-12. Retrieved from http://www.review.mai.ac.nz/index.php/MR/article/v...

Reflective model according to Rolfe et al. - Nicole Brown. (2015). Nicole Brown. Retrieved 7 March 2018, from http://www.nicole-brown.co.uk/reflective-model-according-to-rolfe/

Savage, C., Hindle, R., Meyer, L. H., Hynds, A., Penetito, W., & Sleeter, C. E. (2011). Culturally responsive pedagogies in the classroom: Indigenous student experiences across the curriculum. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 39(3), 183–198. https://doi.org/10.1080/1359866X.2011.588311