Browsing by Author "Bevan-Brown, Jill"

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    Culturally appropriate, effective provision for Māori learners with special needs : he waka tino whakarawea : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Education at Massey University, Palmerston North, Aotearoa/New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2002) Bevan-Brown, Jill
    How can Māori learners with special needs have their needs met in a culturally appropriate, effective way? What challenges exist and how can they be met? A multi-method approach was used to answer these questions. This involved a review of Aotearoa/New Zealand and international literature; a written survey of 78 people from 56 special education, Māori and disability organisations; interviews with 25 organisation personnel, 38 parents and whānau and four Māori learners with special needs; a six year case study of one learner; and four consultation meetings with 50 people from six kōhanga reo. To assist in evaluating the cultural effectiveness of programmes and services, a cultural audit checklist and process were developed and trialed in 11 educational establishments. Feedback on the cultural audit was also obtained from the kōhanga reo focus groups. Research data revealed that despite recent improvements, Māori learners with special needs are not being adequately provided for. Major challenges are a widespread shortage of culturally appropriate resources, services, programmes and people with the necessary cultural, language and professional expertise and the existence of beliefs and attitudes detrimental to Māori learners with special needs. Recommendations to meet these challenges include a substantial increase in funding to overcome identified shortages; the establishment of compulsory bicultural training for all relevant occupation groups; and the introduction of proactive measures to enable Māori to enter special education-related occupations. The research data also revealed that programmes and services should be based on Māori perspectives of special needs and incorporate Māori concepts, knowledge, skills, attitudes, language, practices, customs, values and beliefs; focus on areas of importance, concern and benefit to Māori; involve and empower parents, whānau, the Māori community and the learners themselves; be of a high quality; accessible; result in equitable outcomes for Māori learners; and be delivered by people with the required personal, professional and cultural expertise. The cultural audit was seen as an effective means of helping educational establishments evaluate and improve their programmes and services for Māori learners with special needs. However, findings also indicated that for long-term, widespread improvement to be achieved, genuine power sharing and societal-level changes in the ideologies, systems and circumstances that disadvantage Māori are needed.
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    A red-tipped dawn : teaching and learning about indigeneity and the implications for citizenship education : a thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Massey University, Palmerston North, Aotearoa New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2020) Tawhai, Veronica Makere Hupane
    The politics of Indigeneity and reconceptualisations of citizenship education present both challenges and opportunities to those of us engaged in teaching and learning about Indigeneity and citizenship in settler colonial societies. Utilising Kaupapa Māori (Indigenous, decolonising, critical) practitioner ethnography, this project investigated "what is best evidence-based practice in teaching and learning about Indigeneity? and what are the implications for citizenship education?" by examining existing literature and interviewing senior Indigenous, expert Indigeneity educators from Turtle Island (mainland USA and Canada), Hawai’i, Australia and Aotearoa. The findings from these interviews in particular offer significant guidelines for Indigeneity educators into the future: (1) best evidence-based practices in teaching and learning about Indigeneity, including the specific outcomes sought, the challenges that may be encountered with learners, and then curricula and pedagogical considerations to overcome these particular challenges; (2) citizenship as a site of Indigeneity struggles and the subsequent implications of Indigeneity for citizenship education, including what might be some initial curricula elements of transformative citizenship education in settler colonial societies, and; (3) the implications of best evidence-based practices in teaching and learning about Indigeneity for citizenship education generally in the areas of praxis, curricula and pedagogy.
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    Special abilities : a Māori perspective : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1993) Bevan-Brown, Jill
    This study investigated special abilities from a Māori perspective. In particular it sought to discover if traditional and contemporary concepts of special abilities existed and if so, what these concepts were. It also sought Māori opinion on effective and appropriate ways of identifying and catering for Māori CWSA. A two-pronged approach was utilised. Possible traditional and contemporary Māori concepts were constructed from: • a documentary analysis of a variety of resources • informal, exploratory interviews with 33 Māori participants. Whānau networks were used to select the interview sample of 6 kaumātua, 12 educators and 15 "others" who strongly identified themselves as being Māori and had a demonstrated commitment to Māoritanga. Participants came from a variety of educational and socio-economic backgrounds and there was wide tribal and hapū representation. Data from documentary analysis and interviews was both equivalent and complementary. The concepts of special abilities from the past and present that emerged: • were holistic in nature and inextricably intertwined with other Māori concepts, values, customs and beliefs. • were broad and wide-ranging. Many abilities and qualities were valued. These included spiritual, cognitive, affective, aesthetic, artistic, musical, psychomotor, social, intuitive, creative, leadership and cultural abilities and qualities. • were not bounded by social class, economic status or gender. • were grounded firmly in Māori kaupapa. • placed importance on both "qualities" and "abilities." Qualities in the intrapersonal, affective domain were particularly valued. • incorporated an expectation that abilities and qualities would be used in the service of others. • involved the bestowing of mana tāngata especially in the areas of service to others and cultural knowledge. The suggestions about how Māori CWSA could be identified and catered for at home and at school contained many approaches equally applicable to all children. Culture-specific suggestions emphasised the encouragement and teaching of Māoritanga, the development of strong, supportive whānau networks, the training of teachers in Māoritanga especially aspects relevant to recognising and catering for Māori CWSA and the provision of culturally appropriate education. The latter involved teaching programmes, strategies, styles and environments particularly suited to Māori children. It was also emphasised that educational provisions for Māori CWSA should not isolate them from their culture. The research concluded that to enable children who identify as Māori and live within Māori norms to realise their potential, identification procedures and educational provisions should be based firmly on a Māori concept of special abilities.