Anne Hynds

Culturally responsive pedagogies in the classroom: indigenous student experiences across the curriculum

There is agreement that teaching practices should be responsive to the cultural identities of their students, but less clarity regarding both the specifics of culturally responsive pedagogies and effective strategies for implementing them in classrooms across the curriculum. A mixed-methods research approach evaluated the impact of teacher professional development to instil culturally responsive pedagogies in secondary classrooms. Results are reported based on systematic observations of over 400 classrooms at 32 mainstream schools across different subjects and interviews with 214 indigenous Māori students. The majority of teachers showed evidence of culturally responsive practices, and students were able to describe examples of teachers caring for them as culturally located individuals. Implications are discussed for teacher professional development designed to impact student achievement including the limitations of relying on teacher change alone for school reform to make a difference for students.

Unpacking resistance to change within‐school reform programmes with a social justice orientation

Previous research in the area of resistance has inadequately described opposition to change within‐school reform initiatives with a social justice orientation. A lack of attention to, and agreement on, the nature and causes of resistance may explain why so many equity‐minded educational reforms fail to be sustained. This article highlights various forms of resistance which emerged during a New Zealand study of an action research project that aimed to improve classroom practice and outcomes for marginalized students. In this research, teachers’ reform work was investigated from the perspectives of dominant and minority groups (students, teachers and parents/caregivers) within two schools involved in this work. Results indicated that different forms of resistance emerged over time, fuelled by separate concerns and characterized by different sets of behaviour. These findings reveal the complexity of resistance as both a construct and as a developmental process in the reform project. In addition, results revealed that school leaders felt unprepared and ill‐equipped to deal with resistance. Understanding the different sides to opposition would have aided reform efforts as resistance revealed a lack of shared vision, alongside inadequate communication and partnership processes. Implications for the preparation and professional development of social justice leaders working to develop and sustain such work are discussed.

Examining the impediments to Indigenous strategy and approaches in mainstream secondary schools

Noted Māori scholar Russell Bishop identified three impediments to developing Indigenous principles and practices in schools within colonized countries. These include confusion about the culture of Indigenous children, uneven programme implementation and issues with measuring student achievement. In this article, we present results from a mixed method -research project that aimed to investigate the development of culturally responsive school leadership in 84 New Zealand secondary schools. Whilst analysed data revealed signs of raised awareness of Māori students and their achievement amongst school leaders, findings also aligned with Bishop’s assertions that the main impediments to successful implementation of important Maori principles and practices were symptomatic of a lack of partnership with Indigenous students and their communities.

The Impact of Teacher Professional Development to Reposition Pedagogy for Indigenous Students in Mainstream Schools

There is a dearth of empirical evidence that examines the impact of teacher professional development for culturally responsive pedagogies, particularly on Indigenous student achievement and teacher practices. Te Kotahitanga was a large-scale professional development initiative for culturally responsive practices for secondary teachers in New Zealand. To study its impact, we used a mixed-methods research approach to gather and analyze data on student achievement outcomes, classroom practices, and perceptions of teachers and students. While results suggested positive changes associated with the program, findings also highlighted ongoing challenges associated with transforming practice for Indigenous Māori students. Specific challenges of analysis are highlighted, along with recommendations for further research and development work in secondary schools.

Ko wai Au? Who am I? Examining the multiple identities of Māori youth

In this paper, we present preliminary findings from a unique collaborative research project involving six Deaf Māori rangatahi (youth) in Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland), Aotearoa New Zealand. This study utilized kaupapa whānau (research family) protocols, established in consultation with two cultural advisory groups within New Zealand and the young people themselves, combined with elements of photovoice methodology, to explore the identities of these youth. Emerging findings highlight the complex nature of these youth’s cultural identity as well as specific issues related to access to and participation within te ao Māori (the Māori world). Specific and critical reflections on the research process are also included.

School expectations and student aspirations: The influence of schools and teachers on Indigenous secondary students

Although there is extensive literature on the relationship between student motivation and achievement, less is known about how secondary schools create conditions that enable diverse groups of students to do their personal best. This article reports research into the development of school leadership in New Zealand secondary schools to enable Indigenous Māori students to achieve educational success as Māori. Data collection included school goal-setting plans for students, in-class observations, student surveys and interviews. Analyses revealed school goals reflected low expectations for Māori achievement and little evidence of culturally responsive practices in classrooms. Interviews with Māori students highlighted perceptions that their schools had low expectations for them and their learning, while analysis of Māori student surveys indicated lower academic aspirations in comparison with European peers. These results are discussed critically alongside specific recommendations for further research on the multiple influences of mainstream secondary school contexts on educational achievement outcomes for Indigenous students.

Challenges of Student Voice Within a Context of Threatened Identities

This chapter expands on an earlier publication in which we discussed the trickiness of a collaborative, community-based participatory research project in Aotearoa (New Zealand) that explored the unique identities and perspectives of a group of Ngāti Turi rangatahi (Māori D/deaf youth). This research was tricky because it involved a diverse group comprising Māori and non-Māori D/deaf and hearing researchers of different ages and genders, and because of the complex ethical issues involved in “outing” students through the use of an adapted approach to the photovoice methodology. In this chapter, we delve more deeply into this collaborative work and its implications for the establishment of radical collegiality with a group of historically marginalised students and their adult peers.