Teachers can respond to the climate crisis through deliberate choices about what and how to teach. We suggest that, for history teachers, this requires stepping outside traditional topics that often focus on political change. Instead, they need to select contexts for learning that illustrate how global forces of colonisation impact the ecology of…

Embracing Fa'a Pasifika within New Zealand schools helps students of Pacific heritage to feel that their culture is valued. If transformational change is to happen for Pacific students, then Fa'a Pasifika needs to be weaved through everything that the school does. This article looks at one school's journey to achieve that.

There is a significant lack of te reo Maori resources, especially digital materials, for learning pangarau/mathematics. Few studies have investigated how well digital resources for pangarau align with kaupapa Maori principles. In this article, we examine a digital resource, Matific, from a kaupapa Maori perspective. We find the te reo version of…

Educators have a central role in the advocacy and implementation of children's rights. In reframing Western notions of wellbeing, rights, and student voice from a Maori view, educators are more likely to provide more meaningful support for rangatahi, whanau, and community. This research is underpinned by He Oranga Mokopuna, which repositions…

This article explores how schools and educators can create learning environments that foster the innate mana of students. Mana is a concept that comes from a Maori worldview and refers to a person's sense of authority, influence, self-efficacy, purpose, pride, and belonging. The Mana Model contends that student thinking, behaviour, and wellbeing…

The education system is in a period of significant change. Wellbeing is an increasing priority as schools reintegrate students after COVID-19 lockdowns and climate-related disasters. A large-scale curriculum refresh programme and the implementation of a new Aotearoa New Zealand histories curriculum are underway. These changes are encouraging…

In this article we share how developing and following tikanga was integral to our enactment of mana orite in the local curriculum as we (tangata whenua and tangata Tiriti) collaborated on a Year 7 science unit: Plants, Place, and People. Our initial thinking as we approached this unit had been to look for connections between matauranga Maori, the…

The connection between the environment and our individual wellbeing can be seen through our indigenous histories, traditional ways of living, and understanding of health benefits of living in balance with our land, water, and sky. Educational settings can be reimagined and transformed to better use outdoor spaces and build the wellbeing of our…

English-medium schools often find successful engagement with their Maori hapori and whanau challenging. This article endeavours to provide guidance to schools wanting to successfully and authentically engage with their Maori hapori and whanau. It suggests that adopting the powhiri ritual as the foundation of their whanau engagement strategy can…

Purakau, or Maori narratives, have shaped the historical accounts of Maori throughout the generations. Yet they have historically been misappropriated, misrepresented, and misinterpreted as "fables" or anecdotes" (Lee, 2008). This article argues that purakau remain critical to Maori, as they preserve the cultural repositories of…

This article provides a critical commentary on the recently released learning programme, "Climate Change: Prepare Today, Live Well Tomorrow" (Climate Change programme). The Climate Change programme is sorely needed in this time of climate emergency and we believe it to be a great start in guiding teachers in this important work. Here we…

Harko Brown is an expert on traditional Maori games and play. He has written several books including Nga Taonga Takaro II: The Matrix (2016), and Te Mara Hupara (2017), co-authored by his teenage daughter Yves Tennessee Brown. In 2015 Harko was co-opted by the New Zealand Government to organise and lead the first Aotearoa New Zealand Maori…

The contributions partial-immersion Maori programmes offer to the wider educational landscape of Aotearoa is essential to Maori achieving as Maori. In this article, partial-immersion settings are defined as Level 2 immersion (51%-- 80% te reo Maori instruction) and Level 3 immersion (31%--50% te reo Maori instruction). While lower levels of…

Despite the Ministry of Education Statement of Intent 2021-2026 to focus on improving equity for Maori and Pacific learners and ensure education opportunities and outcomes are within reach for every learner, these groups remain a concern in the New Zealand education system. Inequity still exists for Maori and Pacific learners. This article…

The Ministry of Education's recent changes to NCEA to incorporate mana orite mo te matauranga Maori has become the source of consternation for many kaiako in secondary schools in Aotearoa New Zealand. Kaiako are struggling to understand what integrating mana orite and matauranga Maori into their programmes looks like. This article is intended as a…