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

Publication Details

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(s): 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

1. Introduction

This research report is the result of collaborative work from different discipline areas within Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi. Involved in the foundational studies area of the Wānanga, Susan Mlcek (Principal Researcher, interviewer/analysis/literature review) saw this project as an opportunity to raise awareness of, and showcase, the inclusive practice of marae-based learning that is an integral part of the Wānanga. Members from the Mātauranga Māori degree programme all embraced the research rationale and parameters, including Ngareta Timutimu (Senior Researcher, interviewer/ translation/analysis), Monte Aranga (Interviewer/translation/analysis), Nikora Taipeti (Interviewer), Te Rurehe Rangihau (Interviewer), Te Makarini Temara (Student liaison and support), Yvonne Shepherd (Data collection/translation), Haturini McGarvey (Student liaison and support). Carl Mika (Literature review) from the masters degree programme completed the link between all levels of learning at the Wānanga. That is, although this research specifically deals with case studies from one certificate programme – Te Pouhono – and an undergraduate degree programme – Bachelor of Mātauranga Māori, the combined input from all the above Māori researchers includes their engagement also as lecturers who teach across certificate-level programmes, undergraduate degree programmes, and masters degree programmes. Furthermore, their awareness of the need to validate foundation learning opportunities for Māori learners recognises the overall contribution and importance of literacy and language proficiency to provide both capacity and capability for Māori development.

The project has a two-fold purpose. First, the reason for the research is best summarised through its contribution to an overall framework of evidence that is manifested through the following Ministry of Education guidelines for this research (see Table 1), and to which researcher reflections about the rationale and parameters of the project have been added in italics. Second, the project provides an opportunity for exploration and validation of teaching and learning strategies that relate to literacy and language development for Māori learners, including: formal and informal structures of practice, level of inclusion of features of literacy development such as reading, writing, speaking and listening, and the extent to which learner-centred curriculum that is designed to foster oral proficiency in te reo is actually learner-directed or teacher-directed (see section 2, Literature review).

**Table 1: Overall framework of evidence**
	Māori learners currently engaged	Potential Māori learners	Practitioners including Māori practitioners	NGOs – Marae
Where are we at?	The current average age of learners at the Wānanga is 35-40 years. Many are ‘second-chance’ learners and many have minimal high school education.	Potential learners come from the local high schools, youth intervention programmes, further iwi clusters, and newly accredited programmes such as the nursing degree.	The practitioners are expert in their knowledge and understanding of curriculum and need opportunities to use teaching and learning situations to identify and rectify foundation learning gaps for Māori learners.	In one programme alone at the Wānanga, there are seven marae clusters involved. The potential is huge, varied and challenging.
Where do we want to move to?	We want to ensure that Māori learners are provided with education opportunities that increase the likelihood of retention in the programmes and the achievement of successful education outcomes.	Through a cohesive planning approach to design, delivery and assessment of education programmes we can guarantee that potential learners will benefit from a holistic learning environment that provides sound foundation learning and successful transition throughout the length of study.	We want to continue to foster a critical pedagogical approach to teaching and learning. This kind of approach privileges the notion of ‘praxis’ whereby teachers, tutors, facilitators and lecturers at the Wānanga have a commitment and intention to continually critique action and reflection.	The Wānanga acknowledges the potential of marae-based learning environments to provide succession for students to several different programme areas. Foundation learning opportunities become an integral part of the learning journey for many students, including bridging programmes, certificate programmes, and formal discipline programmes.
How do we get there?	In maintaining current learner engagement, every teaching and learning situation needs to be reviewed and evaluated as being appropriate, relevant, and of value to the Māori learner; the application of foundation learning opportunities needs to be approached as a dynamic pedagogy.	In preparatory stages, ongoing review and evaluation of programmes will be invaluable for Māori learners, particularly where the application of foundation learning opportunities is approached as a dynamic pedagogy; its application becomes a ‘living’ resource for students and teachers.	The Wānanga needs to foster staff development and effective resources to assist teachers and trainers to provide ongoing foundation learning support and opportunities for students.	Using appropriate protocol to foster ongoing round-table discussions with iwi and hapū will ensure a continuing learning platform for the facilitation of foundation learning opportunities on the marae.

1.1 Aims and goals

The research provided a unique opportunity to build knowledge and understanding of the foundation learning levels and aspirations of Māori learners in a unique adult learning environment whereby tertiary studies are auspiced by a wānanga and facilitated in cluster groups on the marae with support from iwi and Māori tutors. Therefore, the main goals of this project were:

Goal 1: To broaden our understanding of the utility of marae-based education programmes to provide, develop and improve foundation learning opportunities for Māori learners across a range of different education programme contexts, and in particular two programmes that are underpinned primarily by te reo Māori: the undergraduate degree programme Bachelor of Mātauranga Māori, and a relevant bridging-to-tertiary programme, Te Pouhono.
Goal 2: To build evidence of the ways that marae-based education programmes help to foster holistic learning for Māori learners to enhance foundation learning and also to improve retention and successful outcomes in tertiary education programmes.

The wānanga has mainstream accountabilities that relate directly to government policy and which have the potential to define delivery of tertiary education to a formal model of education. However, in using the context of the marae to facilitate learning, there are implications for iwi and hapū support of tertiary studies to broaden the possibilities for a unique dynamic for learning to occur, so a sub-goal for this research project became evident:

Sub-goal: To document how the juxtaposition of the two ideologies – Māori and non-Māori makes a pedagogical impact on the development of language, literacy and numeracy for Māori learners in both te reo Māori and English. Under the link ‘Te Reo Māori’, the New Zealand Literacy Portal offers no definitive policy, research or notes relating to literacy and te reo. From an earlier source, (Murphy & Keegan 2002) Matauranga reo – language knowledge, is posited as a ‘deep feature’ of a te reo Māori Literacy Framework. Additionally, Te kāwai ora (Ministry of Māori Development, 2001, p. 10) indicates that Māori literacy – ‘reading the world, reading the word, being the world’ – is “literacy [that] is tribally located and that whānau, hapū and iwi were literacy providers”. For the purpose of this project the above ideas are relevant, as well as the concepts of literacy, language and numeracy being not exclusive to, but embedded in, the dynamic processes of speaking, listening, reading, writing and critical thinking that impact foundation learning particularly in the acquisition, development and growth of te reo Māori proficiency.

There were additional considerations for the research project that are encompassed in the following project objectives.

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