Transitory Māori Identities: shape-shifting like Māui : pūrākau of Māori secondary school students experiencing ‘complex needs’

Abstract

The Māori education strategy Ka Hikitia: Accelerating Success (2013-2017) and the government action plan Success for All: Every School, Every Child, stipulate that schools must provide inclusive environments for all learners, including Māori students experiencing complex social, behaviour, and education needs. Inclusive education for Māori learners acknowledges Māori culture, te reo Māori, and identity as fundamental to Māori student success ‘as Māori’. This thesis addresses a research gap by investigating the perceptions and the importance of ‘being Māori’ to Māori students who are involved with government agencies due to ‘complex needs’ in their lives. Following pūrākau, a Māori narrative qualitative research methodology, this study used semi structured in-depth interviews to investigate the educational experiences of five Year 10 Māori students enrolled in mainstream secondary schools in Rotorua, New Zealand. The main research question: ‘how do Māori students experiencing complex needs perceive the role being Māori plays in their lives?’ guided this study. This thesis presents the pūrākau (stories) of the participants and a thematic analysis of the recurring themes. Findings from this study suggest that Māori adolescents experiencing complex needs want teachers and professionals to get to know them for who they are, and not just for their behaviours. Secondly, Māori identity is important, but there is a diversity of experiences and understandings of what ‘being Māori’ means. Finally, despite challenges in their lives, the participants had career and life aspirations and wanted to succeed in education. The implications of this research suggest that developing and maintaining a positive sense of Māori identity promotes the engagement and inclusion of Māori students experiencing complex needs in mainstream education. A culturally adept educational service is necessary, and the deficit discourses framing these students according to negative behaviours should also be addressed. This thesis argues that Māori cultural constructs, such as pūrākau and whakataukii (proverbs) are rich cultural resources that can provide insight into understanding the behaviours of Māori adolescents.