Western knowledge systems are increasingly scrutinised for their colonial roots and their dominance over Indigenous perspectives. In response, Indigenous, First Nations, and Pacific scholars are actively challenging these colonial epistemologies in higher education through research and community engagement, carving out spaces that honour and…

Euro-Western schooling systems often sideline play, or when learning through play is valued, it is rarely recognised as a Maaori way of knowing. In te ao Maaori, however, play is woven through identity, wairua, and whakapapa. Drawing on my puuraakau and the koorero of my tumuaki, Te Haumoana Biddle, this article re-centres play as a…

There is a growing body of evidence highlighting effective pedagogical approaches for educating First Nations students around the world. Despite this evidence, and a plethora of culturally-inclusive aligned policies and professional strategies, many Aboriginal students continue to receive inequitable and poor-quality schooling in Australian…

This article shares findings from an 18-month research project at Te Whai Hiringa, a primary school in Hawke's Bay, where over 90% of learners identify as Maori, or Pacific peoples. The project explored how play-based learning and culturally sustaining pedagogy can be integrated into a single, purposeful approach. Drawing on the Play-Based…

Education systems founded on the legacies and structures of colonisation (for example, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada) have established curricular structures that have perpetuated and entrenched processes and practices that marginalise and delegitimise Indigenous people and knowledge. We argue that the approach to curriculum inclusion used…

Purpose: To share the narratives of six Indigenous Researchers representing the diverse thinking of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders. The narratives describe the impact Decolonizing Methodologies have on our lives within the framework of Tuhiwai Smith's Indigenous Research Agenda. Design/methodology/approach: Linda Tuhwai Smith's Indigenous…

Many theories support the idea that children's literacy learning develops as they learn to make meaning through interactions with others. These assertions are premised on the understanding that childhood literacy serves various social purposes and that these literacies are learned through participating in social contexts. In this position paper,…

This introductory 'research paradigms' article discusses Indigenous methodologies in relation to those approaches more familiar to educational researchers. A useful Table introduces methodological frameworks for research students in education, highlighting the significance of theoretical and philosophical thinking for research.

In 2024, the Ministry of Education commissioned Te Wahanga, NZCER's Kaupapa Maori research unit, to conduct a literature review on the concept of "equity" in kura mana Maori motuhake - a term that includes kura kaupapa Maori te aho matua, and kura a-iwi. This review aims to inform the Ministry's evaluation of the Equity Index (EQI)…

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.

At the heart of sustainability is the relationship between humans and the planet. The binary of anthropocentric or ecocentric worldviews appears to be powerful in defining this relationship. Sustainability requires nuanced approaches which go beyond simple binaries, and therefore a dialectic approach which works to synthesise the binaries may be…

"Tautai: The Master Navigator" is a groundbreaking reimagining of the role of educational leadership in "untangling the tangled net" of entrenched issues undermining Pacific learners' educational achievement. Dr Taleni offers a powerful, deeply personal journey that spans oceans and generations--a voyage from his Samoan village…

Across the globe universities are reckoning with issues of diversity, equity and inclusion. In Aotearoa (New Zealand), conversations have centered around decolonization and indigenization to assist with diversifying the workforce, reducing inequities and building inclusive cultures. This article presents case studies from three libraries and their…

Five early childhood teacher educators in Aotearoa New Zealand explored a range of literature to respond to the question: What does literature tell us about Maori leadership and how are our findings relevant to leadership in early childhood education (ECE) in Aotearoa? The process of finding and reviewing literature sources about Maori leadership…

This article addresses the application of matauranga Maori (Maori knowledge) to Classical Studies in light of the NCEA Change Programme (and the 2023 coalition government's changes to that programme). I focus on the (now-dormant) first 'Big Idea', which originally proposed that some classical terms or concepts might be optimally explained through…