Browsing by Author "Knight-de-Blois, Lynda"

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'O mātou 'o le fatu 'o le fa'amoemoe - fesili mai! : we are the heart of the matter - ask us! : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
(Massey University, 2015) Knight-de-Blois, Lynda
This study explored the perspectives of junior secondary school students of Pacific heritage and asked them what enhanced their learning. A qualitative, interpretive framework was used for this multi-‐site case study and grounded theory was used to analyse data. Three groups of Year 9 and 10 students from three North Island city schools, representing a range of Pacific nations, socio-‐economic areas and genders, participated in focus group interviews and questionnaires. Pacific concepts, values and research methodologies were explored and integrated into both the research process and discussion of the findings. An innovative approach was trialled which involved “insider” research assistants facilitating the focus group interviews: four Samoan teenagers worked with the researcher to draw out the opinions and ideas of the participants about what helped them to learn. Data analysis led to the identification of ten pedagogical attributes and strategies. The voices of the participants in this study echo the findings of earlier New Zealand research, which demonstrate that the key factor for successful Pacific learning is the strength of the relationship between teachers and learners.