Sharing ancestral stories as purakau is an ancient tradition in Maori culture, used throughout generations to transfer knowledge, teach traditional values, and promote communication. While often incorrectly relegated to the genre of "myths and legends", purakau, as a traditional form of Maori narrative, is central to the sharing of…

This article presents the findings of a qualitative case study on voluntary participation in morning "karakia" (incantation, prayer) and "waiata" (song) sessions, led by a group of teacher educators. This study is informed by a selective review of literature from three relevant sources: the impact of music therapy practices,…

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…

The aim of this study was to develop, implement and evaluate the novel one-day, school-based health education program Yantiin Kalabara that embedded Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and perspectives within a series of interactive learning stations. In consultation with local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members, the…

The mission of Land Grant Institutions (LGIs) and Cooperative Extension has always included the concepts of educational access and inclusion, but not all communities have equitable access to Extension programs. Specifically, Extension is currently only serving about 10% of Indigenous communities. Given the complicated history of Indigenous land…

Despite growing scholarly interest in student voice and leadership over the past two decades, both terms continue to be used with little consensus about their meaning. They are also often evoked without much clarity or agreement as to how they should be enabled or enacted, for what purposes they should be fostered, or what conditions are necessary…

This study investigated the effects of an eight-week mindfulness in schools programme delivered in five primary schools in New Zealand. The participants included 126 students ranging in age from 6-11 years old and six classroom teachers. The programme was developed by one of our researchers (Rix) to align with The New Zealand Curriculum (Ministry…

While research in youth mentoring is extensive in the U.S., little research has explored its effectiveness in New Zealand, despite its growth in the past 20 years. While arguments have been raised that overseas models may not fit all cultural contexts within New Zealand, there appears to be limited evidence supporting this contention. Further,…

Te Kotahitanga is a research and professional development project that aims to support teachers to raise the achievement of New Zealand's indigenous Maori students in public/mainstream classrooms. An Effective Teaching Profile, developed from the voices of Maori students, their families, principals and some of their teachers, provides direction…