Activity 9 Evaluations of Cultural Responsive in Practice

Data from the last ERO report at my school, just 1% Maori with the majority 

of students from Samoan families.

Working with Māori, working with Pasifika, working with all cultures

Ka Hikitia, Tataiako and the Pasifika Education Plan underpin good teaching practice. It is important teachers understand a student’s history, customs, and world-view and establish good relationships with parents and whānau/families.

Working with Pasifika 

In my school this is a priority over working with Maori as  the majority of students are from Samoa.

The Pasifika Education Plan is a Ministry of Education document to improve education for Pasifika learners. It emphasises that effective education for Pasifika learners should:

• acknowledge that Pasifika students are from a range of Pacific Islands with unique cultural and language identities
• ensure approach is culturally appropriate
• ensure families are included in the processes.

The teacher can contribute to Pasifika education by:

• acknowledging specific Pacific cultural backgrounds of individual students
• communicating effectively and positively with the family, for example, using interpreters and liaison people
• involving and empowering the family.

Programmes and resources reflect Pasifika cultures so they are:

• effective and meaningful for Pasifika students
• responsive to the Pasifika culture of the student
• culturally appropriate.

Working with Māori

At my school Māori students benefit from the wide variety of educational opportunities and the high levels of support and care available to all students at the school. They have many opportunities to gain a sense of pride in their identity as Māori. An understanding of the Treaty of Waitangi and the implications for biculturalism are valued features of the school. Te reo and tikanga Māori are integrated within both Religious Education and the term by term concept-based programmes. 

The Māori Education Strategy: Ka Hikitia is a Ministry of Education document to improve education for Māori learners (also see Tataiako: Cultural competencies for teachers of Māori Learners,    Tataiako.pdf ).\
It emphasises a Māori potential approach by:

• tailoring education to the learner
• embracing culture
• collaborating and co-constructing
• emphasising ako, identity, language, and culture counts
• promoting productive partnerships
• ensuring that interventions should take the Māori potential approach for Māori students.

Partnerships with parents and whānau/families are important. They should feel their knowledge can be shared in a supportive environment.Teachers should work with Māori in ways that ensure:

• shared power
• self-determination
• cultural responsiveness
• reciprocal interactions
• common vision.

Programmes and resources should reflect the Māori world view so they are:

• effective and meaningful for Māori
• responsive to Māori culture
• culturally appropriate
• inclusive of cultural traditions and Māori protocols.

Working with all cultures

New Zealand communities are diverse with many different cultural, religious, ethnic, and socio-economic groups we need to cater for them all.

REFERENCE 

http://rtlb.tki.org.nz/Professional-practice/Culturally-responsive-service

http://www.tlri.org.nz/sites/default/files/projects/9268_cowie-summaryreport.pdf