Mou Piriia Te Kōrero ‘Ā To ‘Ui Tūpuna, Akaoraoraia: Culturally Responsive Pedagogy for Cook Island Secondary Schools Physical Education

Abstract

The purpose of the thesis was to investigate culturally responsive pedagogy in physical education for Cook Island secondary schools. Cook Island core values were incorporated into culturally responsive practice for physical education teaching at Years 9 and 10 in three Rarotongan secondary schools. Two qualitative studies and one study of quantitative research were conducted to establish an understanding of culturally responsive pedagogy and how this might be implemented into the Cook Island secondary school physical education programme. The first study involved interviewing nine community elders, four physical education teachers, four school administrators and five government officials. The question guiding the study was "What core values are needed to structure a physical education pedagogy that is responsive to Cook Island culture?" The pa metua (elders) identified the following six core values: tāueue (participation), angaanga taokotai (cooperation), akatano (discipline), angaanga oire kapiti (community involvement), te reo Maori Kuki Airani (Cook Island Maori language), and auora (physical and spiritual wellbeing). The elders emphasised the importance of these values underlying culturally responsive practice in the Cook Islands. For the second part of the study, an action research group was formed which consisted of the researcher and four physical education teachers. The teachers implemented the core values identified in Study One in three Rarotongan secondary schools. This was accomplished with the inclusion of two phases of planning, action, observation and reflection. While the teachers enjoyed using culturally responsive practice in physical education, they also expressed a need for training in culturally responsive practices if such an implementation was to be successful. Coupled with this was the teachers' own lack of knowledge of te reo Maori Kuki Airani and the tension between western and cultural knowledge. The third section of the study explored student perceptions of the use of cultural activities in physical education. One hundred and one questionnaires were distributed to Year 9 and 10 students in three secondary schools. The findings showed that the students had valued the opportunity to engage in cultural activities in their physical education programme. However, the same tensions the teachers found in relation to the predominance of western pedagogies versus cultural values were evident in the students' comments. The data analyses and findings of the three studies showed that there is a need to address policy and practice in order to achieve a culturally responsive pedagogy in physical education in secondary schools in the Cook Islands.