Main heading

Māori Education Publications



Sort by name

Te piko o te māhuri, tērā te tupu o te rākau: language and literacy in marae-based programmes

This report explores the effectiveness of marae-based learning in providing language and literacy for Māori adults. It examines two marae-based programmes at Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi.

‘Te piko o te māhuri, tērā te tupu o te rākau’ can be translated as ‘the way in which the young sapling is nurtured (bent), determines how the tree will grow’. For this research it symbolises the importance of strong learning foundations for future success in learning.

Author:  Susan Mlcek, Ngareta Timutimu, Carl Mika, Monte Aranga, Nikora Taipeti, Te Rurehe Rangihau, Te Makarini Temara, Yvonne Shepherd, Huturini McGarvey, Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi
Date Published:  August 2009

Released on Education Counts: 10 September 2009
Hangaia te mātāpuna o te mōhio: learning foundations for Māori adults

Hangaia te mātāpuna o te mōhio can mean to build the precious gift of knowledge or to build the well-spring of learning. It symbolises the experience of Māori adults as they re-enter education to develop their literacy, language and numeracy.

This report summarises three research projects that explore how success for Māori adults in the learning foundations of literacy, language and numeracy can be built on the foundations of Māori culture and identity.

Author:  Professor Stephen May, Waikato University
Date Published:  August 2009

Released on Education Counts: 10 September 2009
Mā te huruhuru ka rere te manu: how can language and literacy be optimised for Māori learner success?

This report explores success in literacy and language learning for Māori adults. It captures the perspectives of Māori tutors and students who were or undertaking, or considering, tertiary education at introductory, foundation or certificate level.

Author:  Hera White, Tania Oxenham, Marion Tahana, Kim Williams and Kimi Matthews, Waikato Institute of Technology
Date Published:  August 2009

Released on Education Counts: 10 September 2009
Te pakeke hei ākonga: Māori adult learners

This report explores success in literacy and language learning for Māori adults. It captures the perspectives and voices of learners, tutors and providers in foundation learning programmes. It describes how Māori tutors reinforce and strengthen their Māori learners’ identities through ensuring that Māori tikanga and values pervade the teaching and learning environment.

Author:  Colleen McMurchy-Pilkington, University of Auckland
Date Published:  August 2009

Released on Education Counts: 10 September 2009
High Level Executive Summary: Quality Teaching, Research and Development Māori Medium

The focus of this summary is on the Māori Medium which involved a university team, two school based hubs (settings) of teachers with in-service teacher educator support and a provider to support on-line communication and materials development.

Author:  Developed from research coordinators’ original reports with their agreement.
Date Published:  May 2009

Released on Education Counts: August 2009
High Level Executive Summary: Quality Teaching, Research and Development English Medium Settings1

The Quality Teaching Research and Development Project (QTR&D) was funded by the Ministry of Education. The exploratory project was developed collaboratively between the ministry, university academics, research facilitators, schools, teachers, students and their communities.

Author:  Developed from research coordinators’ original reports with their agreement.
Date Published:  May 2009

Released on Education Counts: August 2009
Learning from the Quality Teaching Research and Development Programme (QTR&D) - Findings of the External Evaluation

The Quality Teaching Research and Development Programme (QTR&D) was a bold and ambitious pilot development and research project. It was designed as an exploratory programme to understand more about quality teaching for Māori and Pasifika students, within designated contexts (literacy, numeracy, social studies and science) and across different language settings (English, Māori and Samoan bilingual).

Author:  Lorna M. Earl, Ph.D. Director, Aporia Consulting Ltd. with Helen Timperley, Ph.D. and Georgina M. Stewart, Ed.D.
Date Published:  May 2009

Released on Education Counts: August 2009
High Level Executive Summary: Quality Teaching, Research and Development Samoan Bilingual Hub

The focus of this summary is the Samoan bilingual hub. This QTR&D hub was set up to improve the quality of teaching and learning (pedagogy and student outcomes) in Samoan bilingual school settings. The project outcomes will inform policy, and future research and development work with teachers in schools.

Author:  Developed from research coordinators’ original reports with their agreement.
Date Published:  May 2009

Released on Education Counts: August 2009
Ngā Haeata Mātauranga

This is the home page for the Ngā Haeata Mātauranga - Annual Report on Māori Education publication series. See below for a general description of the publication or follow one of the links to view the publication for that year.

Author:  Education Information and Analysis Group / Group Māori [Ministry of Education]
Date Published:  Annually


Profile & Trends

Use the following links for information on:
- The tertiary education system
- What the tertiary education sector provides
- Finding out more about tertiary education

Profile & Trends is a primary information resource on New Zealand’s tertiary education system covering participation, achievement, resourcing, capability, research and much more.

In addition to the analysis of sector trends and performance, the report contains a number of short articles covering a range of topics of interest to the sector’s stakeholders and those who are involved in the provision of tertiary education.

Author:  Tertiary Sector Performance Analysis and Reporting, Ministry of Education
Date Published:  Annually


Te Rau Awhina: - Good Practice Examples of Māori and Pasifika Private Training Establishments

This study was designed to investigate the practices of nominated Māori and Pasifika Private Training Establishments (PTEs) in relation to teaching & learning, and programme design & development. It also investigated for what reasons the nominated Māori and Pasifika PTEs used the strategies they did to develop teaching and learning. It asked what cultural elements were interwoven into their practices, and finally, to what extent the practices of the nominated PTEs compared with those considered in the literature to be indicators of good practice.

Author:  Dr Jane Marshall, Kathryn Baldwin and Dr Roger Peach
Date Published:  June 2008


Hei titiro anō i te whāinga: Māori achievement in bachelors degrees revisited

This report revisits and updates Te whai i nga taumata atakura – supporting Māori achievement in bachelors degrees. In this report, we look in greater detail at the link between NCEA results and Māori success in first-year bachelors degree study.

The findings in this report confirm the earlier study, while providing more detail on the link between school performance and tertiary success. An important finding is that Māori students enter degree study, on average, with lower school qualifications and lower NCEA results than their non-Māori peers. Māori students who had the same level of performance in NCEA as non-Māori did slightly less well on average in their first-year degree studies.

Author:  David Earle, Tertiary Sector Performance Analysis & Reporting [Ministry of Education]
Date Published:  June 2008


Senior Secondary Students’ Achievement at Maori-Medium Schools 2004 – 2006 Fact Sheet

This fact sheet provides some key statistics of Years 11 - 13 students’ achievement in NCEA1 at Maori-medium schools over the time period of 2004 – 2006. Maori-medium schools include Maori immersion schools and bilingual schools 2. Except for participation, all data are based on candidates 3.

Author:  Haobo Wang and Claire Harkess
Date Published:  October 2007


From Targeting Problems to Tailoring Potential: The Wairoa West Cluster Schools Success Strategy

This report summarises the changes in schooling practice in a group of remote rural schools, with a combined roll of approximately 120 students constituting the Wairoa West Cluster, as the result of the short term appointment of a Schools’ Director.

Author:  Dr R. Gorinski & C. Fraser
Date Published:  October 2007


A Study of In-school Facilitation in Two Teacher Professional Development Programmes

This report evaluates the in-school facilitation component of two projects, Te Kauhua and Te Kotahitanga.

Author:  Rawiri Hindle, Meri Marshall, Joanna Higgins and Sandi Tait-McCutcheon
Date Published:  October 2007


Maori Senior Secondary Students Achievement 2004-2006 Factsheet

This fact sheet presents some key statistics on Maori senior secondary students’ achievement in NCEA over the time period of 2004 to 2006.

Author:  Haobo Wang, Claire Harkess and Michael Parkin
Date Published:  October 2007


Te whai i ngā taumata atakura: supporting Māori achievement in bachelors degrees

This study looks at what matters for the success of first-time Māori students studying towards bachelors degrees. The purpose of this study is to build understanding about how to increase the number of Māori attaining bachelors degrees or higher.

Author:  David Earle
Date Published:  June 2007


Māori Immersion & Bilingual Schools

The achievement patterns of candidates involved in Māori-medium education, and whether they differ from the general population, are of interest to many groups, including school communities and policy makers.

Author:  Siobhan Murray
Date Published:  Various


He tini manu reo: learning te reo Māori through tertiary education

This report examines the size and impact of the provision of te reo Māori courses through tertiary education over the period from 2001 to 2005, in order to provide an information base for considering future directions for supporting te reo Māori through tertiary education and areas for further research.

Author:  David Earle
Date Published:  April 2007


Māori in Tertiary Education - fact sheets

A series of factsheets on Māori in tertiary education. These latest fact sheets present data on the participation, retention and progression of Māori students in tertiary education, by qualification level.

Author:  David Earle, Tertiary Sector Performance Analysis & Reporting/Māori Tertiary Education, Ministry of Education
Date Published:  Last Updated: March 2007


Te Kōtahitanga

This is the homepage for the Te Kōtahitanga publication series. The project sought to investigate how to improve the educational achievement of Māori students in mainstream secondary school classrooms, by talking with Māori students and other participants in their education. It was from these narratives that the rest of the Te Kōtahitanga project developed.

Author:  
Date Published:  


Te Reo Māori in the Mainstream Professional Development (PD) Pilot Programmes for Primary School Teachers - An Evaluation

In 2005, the Ministry of Education funded four te reo Māori professional development (PD) pilot programmes for mainstream primary school teachers. These pilot programmes were run in different areas of the country by four different providers.

Author:  K. Murrow, K. Hammond, E. Kalafatelis, K. Fryer and H. Edwards
Date Published:  January 2007


Second Language Acquisition for English-Medium Secondary Te Reo Māori Teachers - Evaluation of the PD Pilot Programme

The report is an evaluation of a professional development programme designed to enable English-medium secondary school teachers of te reo Maori to deepen their understanding of current second language teaching methodology and to use a range of second language teaching strategies and resources to improve student learning outcomes.

Author:  Katrina Fryer, Emanuel Kalafatelis & Kathleen Murrow
Date Published:  2007


Bilingual Education in Aotearoa/New Zealand

This report highlights some of the key findings from Professor May’s literature review that relate to Māori-medium education.

Author:  S. May, R. Hill and S.Tiakiwai
Date Published:  December 2006


Māori Student Achievement on the National Qualifications Framework 2002-2005 Fact Sheet

This fact sheet provides an overview of Māori student achievement between 2002 & 2005. It uses NZQA achievement data at senior secondary school level.

Author:  Haobo Wang, Claire Harkess and Michael Parkin
Date Published:  November 2006


Ngā Taumatua - Research on literacy practices and language development (Te Reo) in Years 0-1 in Māori medium classrooms

Ngā Taumatua was developed in 2002 as a 12 month professional development programme for resource teachers of Māori. A subsequent professional development programme called Ngā Taumatua Whakapakari was developed for Ngā Taumatua graduates and has been operating since 2005.

Author:  Stuart McNaughton, Shelley MacDonald, Julia Barber, Sasha Farry and Heneira Woodard
Date Published:  2006


Māori in Tertiary Education

This latest in a series of factsheets on Māori in tertiary education provides information about student loans among Māori students. In addition, an earlier factsheet on Māori participation in tertiary education is now updated with 2004 enrolment data.

Author:  Ministry of Education
Date Published:  August 2005


Student Loans Among Māori Students

This latest in a series of factsheets on Māori in tertiary education provides information about student loans among Māori students. In addition, an earlier factsheet on Māori participation in tertiary education is now updated with 2004 enrolment data.

Author:  Ministry of Education
Date Published:  August 2005


Analysis of the Characteristics of Whānau in New Zealand

This report was commissioned in early 2005 by the Ministry of Education. Its intention is to give an understanding of what the concept of whanau means within Aotearoa, and specifically what such meaning may have with regard to the educational learning of children/tamariki who reside in whanau.

Author:  Chris Cunningham, Brenda Stevenson, Natasha Tassel
Date Published:  May 2005


Māori Economic Outcomes from Tertiary

This latest in a series of factsheets on Māori in tertiary education provides information about student loans among Māori students. In addition, an earlier factsheet on Māori participation in tertiary education is now updated with 2004 enrolment data.

Author:  Ministry of Education
Date Published:  February 2005


Evaluation of Kaupapa Ara Whakawhiti Mātauranga (KAWM)

Kaupapa Ara Whakawhiti Mātauranga (KAWM) encompassed a number of school improvement initiatives and aimed to:

• improve student achievement;
• improve school performance;
• strengthen school and community relationships;
• upgrade school ICT infrastructure; and
• improve teachers' professional capability through ICT.

Author:  Pauline Waiti
Date Published:  2005


Hui Taumata 2005: Māori in Early Childhood Education and Schools

This analysis of trends in Māori in early childhood education and schools was commissioned for Hui Taumata 2005.

Author:  Data Management and Analysis, Ministry of Education
Date Published:  January 2005


Hui Taumata 2005 - Māori in Tertiary Education: a Picture of the Trends

This analysis of trends in Māori in tertiary education was commissioned for Hui Taumata 2005.

Author:  Tertiary Sector Performance Analysis and Reporting, Ministry of Education
Date Published:  January 2005


Māori Perspectives of Autistic Spectrum Disorder

The purpose of this study was to investigate Māori perspectives of Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Parents and whanau of 19 Māori children with ASD shared stories of raising their children.

Author:  J Bevan-Brown
Date Published:  December 2004


Whaia te iti Kahurangi: NZCER Evaluation

NZCER was contracted by the partners in Whaia te iti Kahurangi (Te Runanga o Ngati Porou and the Ministry of Education) to undertake a formative evaluation of the initiative. Whaia te iti Kahurangi (WTIK) is aimed at improving student achievement in Ngati Porou East Coast schools. The evaluation found that significant progress had been made.

Author:  Cathy Wylie and Vyletta Arago-Kemp
Date Published:  2004


Focus on Māori Achievement in Reading Literacy: Results from PISA 2000

This report first reviews educational outcomes for Māori 15-year-olds drawing on the PISA 2000 study, and then focuses on reading literacy and the factors associated with high achievement among Māori students. By highlighting the differences between high and low achievers within the Māori population, this report should assist in identifying some of the factors associated with success for Māori in education. More PISA documents can be accessed from the PISA publication home page.

Author:  Comparative Education Research Unit, Ministry of Education
Date Published:  September 2004


Māori Student Retention, Completion and Progression in Tertiary Education

This latest in a series of factsheets on Māori in tertiary education provides information about student loans among Māori students. In addition, an earlier factsheet on Māori participation in tertiary education is now updated with 2004 enrolment data.

Author:  Ministry of Education
Date Published:  August 2004


Raising Māori students' achievement in Te Taitokerau

This publication is a summary of the Evaluation of Te Putahitanga Matauranga. Te Putahitanga Matauranga (TPM) is an education improvement and development project aimed at raising Māori students' achievement in Te Taitokerau (the Far North). TPM encompasses 78 schools in the Far North from Cape Reinga to Towai. The full report is attached as a downloadable file.

Author:  Margie Hohepa, Kuni Jenkins with Jo Mane, Dale Sherman-Godinet and Sharon Toi
Date Published:  February 2004


Language Acquisition Research

This research report is a compilation of papers presented at the Language Acquisition Forum held in 2003. The papers were written and presented by educationalists who have had wide experience in both research and teaching in the field of language acquisition and bilingual development. The report will provide the Ministry of Education with possible strategies to support schools and teachers who offer bilingual and immersion education, and the children and whanau who participate in these programmes.

Author:  Research Division, Ministry of Education
Date Published:  2004


Analysis and Use of Student Achievement Data

This group of five studies reports on aspects of the AUSAD initiative in Mangere and Otara that is designed to improve the capacity of the schools to analyse, share and learn from their student achievement information.

Author:  Helen Timperley in association with Linda Smith, Judy Parr, Jennifer Portway, Sarah Mirams, Suzanne Clark, Mali Allen and Jill Page
Date Published:  2004


Bilingual/Immersion Education: Indicators of Good Practice

Based on a review of national and international research on bilingualism and bilingual/immersion education, this report explores effective approaches for bilingual education. While the focus was on Māori-medium education, the indicators of good practice can also be applied to other bilingual contexts in Aotearoa/New Zealand, such as Pasifika bilingual education.

Author:  Stephen May, Richard Hill and Sarah Tiakiwai
Date Published:  2004


Evaluation of the Te Kauhua Māori Mainstream Pilot Project

Te Kauhua is a professional development pilot project which provides schools with opportunities to address Māori student achievement in mainstream settings. The evaluation identified common transformative processes which resulted in sustained professional growth amongst teachers.

Author:  M. Tuuta, L. Bradnam, A. Hynds and J. Higgins with R. Broughton
Date Published:  2004


Teachers' Experiences in Curriculum Implementation: English, Languages, Science and Social Studies

This is the second of three National School Sampling Study reports. This initiative to investigate how teachers work with the curriculum began in 2001 and continued into 2003, as part of the Ministry of Education's Curriculum Stocktake. This report details teachers' experiences in teaching from the New Zealand national curriculum documents: English; Languages (Japanese, Spanish, Chinese, Korean and Samoan); Science; and Social Studies.

Author:  Clive McGee, Alister Jones, Bronwen Cowie, Mary Hill, Thelma Miller, Ann Harlow and Karen Mackenzie
Date Published:  February 2003


The Sustainability of Professional Development in Literacy: Part 2 School-Based Factors Associated with High Student Achievement

This report examines the sustainability of professional development following the completion of an intensive course in literacy acquisition by teachers of Year One students and their literacy leaders in seven schools. The research on which it is based had two aims. The first was to examine the ways in which the professional development changed teachers’ expectations of student achievement over the period of the course. The findings of this study are reported in Part One of this report. The second aim was to examine issues of sustainability once the course had finished and the findings are reported here (Part Two). Two issues related to sustainability were examined. These included the trends in student achievement over all participating schools over three years, and the school-based factors that were associated with sustainability because it is these that exert the major influence on teacher implementation of new practices (Cohen & Ball, 1999; Darling-Hammond, 1997; Goodlad, 1984; Robertson & Allan, 1999). The summary report and Part 1 of this report can be found in the inset box in the top right hand corner of the screen.

Author:  Helen S. Timperley and Joy Wiseman
Date Published:  2003


MM - He Kete Raraunga

Tēnā koutou kātoa This is the home page for He Kete Raraunga which provides the education sector with information about student achievement in Māori medium primary school settings.

Author:  
Date Published:  


The Sustainability of Professional Development in Literacy: Part 1: Changing and Sustaining Teachers’ Expectations through Professional Development in Literacy

This report forms Part One of the report to the participating schools and the Ministry of Education on the sustainability of professional development in literacy. It examines the ways in which teachers’ expectations of student achievement changed over the course of six months’ professional development in literacy, and how well those changed expectations were sustained over a period of 18 months. It sought to answer the question, “To what extent did the professional development impact on the participants’ expectations of students’ achievement and their own self-efficacy in impacting on that achievement?”. The summary report and Part 2 of this report can be found in the inset box in the top right hand corner of the screen.

Author:  Helen Timperley, Gwenneth Phillips and Joy Wiseman
Date Published:  2003


Shifting the Focus: Achievement Information for Professional Learning: A Summary of the Sustainability of Professional Development in Literacy - Parts 1 and 2

This publication is a summary of The Sustainability of Professional Development in Literacy, Parts 1 and 2, research commissioned by the Ministry of Education and led by Dr Helen Timperley, University of Auckland. The research was part of a much larger project, Strengthening Education in Mangere and Otara (SEMO), which aimed to raise achievement significantly for students in these two communities. The two full reports (Part 1-Changing and Sustaining Teachers' Experiences through Professional Development in Literacy, Part 2-School-Based Factors Associated with High Student Achievement) can be found in the inset box in the top right hand corner of the screen.

Author:  Helen Timperley, Gwenneth Phillips, Joy Wiseman and Irene Fung
Date Published:  2003


Pathways over the Transition to Schools: Studies in Family Literacy Practices and Effective Classroom Concepts for Māori and Pasifika children

Two outcomes of research and development are described in this report. One is the development of a set of resources suitable for family literacy education. The second is a set of research goals involving Māori and Pasifika families.

Author:  Lavinia Turoa, Ema Wolfgramm, Lonise Tanielu and Stuart McNaughton
Date Published:  2002


Whanau Toko I Te Ora: A Parenting Skills Programme

The Māori Women's Welfare League undertakes a parent support & development programme: Whanau Toko i te Ora. This is an evaluation of the progress of whanau moving though the programme. It involves an overall account, based on the database held at the Māori Women's Welfare League; and includes the write up of 16 case study interviews.

Author:  Ian Livingstone
Date Published:  January 2002


Picking up the Pace

This research project delivered concentrated professional development in literacy instruction to groups of early childhood and new entrant teachers in decile one schools in Mangere and Otara. The outcome was a substantial lift in the reading and writing achievement of new entrants. Picking up the Pace was a component of the Early Childhood Primary Links via Literacy (ECPL) Project which was part of a much broader project, Strengthening Education in Mangere and Otara (SEMO), which aimed to raise achievement significantly among students in these two communities. The summary report is available as downloads above right and the full report as downloads at the bottom of this page.

Author:  Gwenneth Phillips, Stuart McNaughton, Shelly MacDonald and Michael Keith
Date Published:  2002


Te Toi Huarewa

Te Toi Huarewa looks at effective teaching and learning strategies, and effective teaching materials for improving the reading and writing in te reo Māori of students aged five to nine in Māori-medium education. The main purpose of the project was to observe and collaboratively reflect upon the teaching and learning strategies used during literacy programmes by a range of year one to year five Māori-medium classroom teachers who were identified as effective.

Author:  R. Bishop, M. Berryman and C. Richardson
Date Published:  2001


Diagnostic Assessment Tools in Māori Medium Education: A Stocktake and Preliminary Evaluation

This project was undertaken as a partnership between researchers of the Māori Educational Research Institute (MERI) in the School of Education at the University of Waikato and the research whānau of the Specialist Education Services Poutama Pounamu Research and Development Centre of Tauranga.

Author:  R. Bishop; M. Berryman, T. Glynn & C. Richardson
Date Published:  2001


Making a Difference in the Classroom: Effective Teaching Practice in Low Decile, Multicultural Schools

The AIMHI Project is a School Support initiative set up to raise the achievement of Māori and Pacific Island students in eight low decile secondary schools. The project began in 1996 and since that time major collective and individual school developments have been undertaken. Alongside this programme of development, there have been a number of research activities. In 1996, a baseline report identified the factors that influence achievement for these students. A mid-project report was prepared in 1998, evaluating the progress being made by the schools and the AIMHI group as a whole. In 1999 the researchers were commissioned to constructively critique actual teaching practice by identifying effective teaching and learning strategies used in the classrooms of teachers in the AIMHI schools.

Author:  Jan Hill and Kay Hawk
Date Published:  March 2000


Anne Else summary of Māori Participation & Performance in Education

This is a summary by Anne Else of a report prepared for the Ministry of Education in May 1997 entitled Māori Participation & Performance in Education: A Literature Review and Research Programme. The original report was authored by Simon Chapple, Richard Jefferies, and Rita Walker.

Author:  Anne Else
Date Published:  May 1997


Towards Making Achieving Cool: Achievement in Multi Cultural High Schools (AIMHI)

Eight decile one schools with high ratios of Pacific Island students were selected to be part of a developmental project called AIMHI.

Please Note: The AIMHI school listings can be downloaded at the bottom of this webpage.

Author:  Kay Hawk and Jan Hill
Date Published:  December 1996


Back to top of page.