Executive summary

This evaluative study, Toitū te Reo: Evaluation of Tāiki E!, Haumi E!, Toi te Kupu and Eke Panuku, provides a critical evaluation for the Ministry of Education of student materials used in the Māori-medium sector. Educational materials that validate Māori identity, tikanga and te reo Māori, and that accurately and positively reflect the readers' lives and values through text and images are an important part of the educational experience for Māori students. Equally, any study of those educational experiences, inclusive of materials produced to support learning and teaching in the Māori-medium context, will be best achieved by researchers who are themselves positioned within the community being researched. Only then can Māori-centred research projects satisfy the research demands of kaupapa Māori education, because the research is positioned within the community and is accountable to community – kura, whānau, hapū and iwi. This is a Māori-centred research approach that produces findings that are relevant and meaningful with a view to improved reo Māori outcomes for ākonga.

This report provides a summary and clarification of the issues identified by the research participants and literature in relation to the development of Māori language resources. It has three main sections. The first section describes the structure of the project, the research methodology which guided this project and further relevant literature which contextualises the study.

The second section focuses on the questions which this study sought to answer and discusses the issues raised by the research participants. A range of strategies to address those issues are suggested in the discussions, including areas for further research and development.

The third section, te pūmanawa o te whakaaro, te kiko o te kaupapa, is an exposé of the data integrated into the relevant sections. These are included as appendices (see Appendix 2-6).

Unlocking Potential

As cited in the latest Key evidence: and how we must use it to improve system performance for Māori, Ka Hikitia (Ministry of Education, 2008)

"What a dangerous activity reading is; teaching is. All this plastering on of foreign stuff. Why plaster on at all when there's so much inside already? So much locked in? If only I could get it out and use it as working material. And not draw it out either. If I had a light enough touch it would come out under its own volcanic power.

Why am I so slow to see these things? This has been with me for a year and I have not seen it until now. What a truly remarkable capacity for not seeing the obvious beneath my nose? It amounts to infirmity, this blindness. What else have I not seen beneath my nose?" (Sylvia Ashton-Warner, 1958).

Our analysis of the data has resulted in a number of recommendations based on the information provided by the participants. We hope that the recommendations will contribute to the ongoing research and development that is needed as a response to the questions that are already being asked by whānau, hapū and iwi; and which draws on the large body of knowledge that resides in Māori communities – the sentiment echoed above. We also hope that there is a continued knowledge sharing for the advancement of Māori literacy/biliteracy pathways.

The key findings in relation to format, design, content, distribution, strengths and improvements suggest that:

• the voices of our tamariki/rangatahi, and the issues relevant to their lives, need to be heard and reflected in the content and design of the resources
• as magazines are shortlived, the turnover between research and publication needs to be rapid in order that they remain relevant and have impact
• the publishing process itself can be an effective tool for educating youth about the power of the media
• the magazines should continue to reflect Māori youth to themselves in a positive light

It is noteworthy that in the process of undertaking this evaluative research project, we have become aware of a considerable number of issues which we consider to be fundamental to the research brief, the results of which are likely to be very useful in terms of future directions.