Utilizing culturally responsive pedagogical practices in Māori primary schools

Abstract

To respond to the rising trend of globalization internationally in most educational contexts, education systems must adapt the ways that schooling is offered for diverse students from all backgrounds, instead of keeping the prevalent Global North and Eurocentric epistemologies and educational paradigms. Teachers must realize the imminent need for adequate schooling that matches students from diverse backgrounds and their home surrounding cultures. This is why culturally responsive models for schools are being implemented, to address the inequities within education and the socioeconomic and political factors that seep into schools from the students’ homes. One key group of students that require culturally inclusive and responsive learning are Indigenous students who have been oppressed historically in schools, as they were not allowed to access their home languages, cultures, customs, and knowledge within the classrooms.

This thesis adopts a literature review framework; it aims to address the theoretical backgrounds of culturally relevant and responsive learning and teaching, which is consolidated into culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP). Frameworks of critical, emancipatory, and transformative education from Freire (2014) are also integrated as one of the core conceptual foundations. Then, the literature review specifically examines CRP in the context of Indigenous schooling and its further applications to Māori education, especially the methodology and praxis teachers utilize to implement CRP in Indigenous classrooms. Different Kaupapa (policy), Tikanga (customary practice), and Mātauranga (knowledge) Māori are woven together to shed light on the effects of different culturally inclusive approaches within Māori education. The objective is that this investigation into culturally responsive Māori pedagogy would serve as a starting point for further research into a more comprehensive model of CRP for Māori education.