Abstract:
Te Whāriki (Ministry of Education, 1996) the bicultural early childhood curriculum document in Aotearoa New Zealand, asserts that all early childhood settings should be committed to promote te reo Māori and affirm its value for all children. This thesis argues that listening to the voices of student teachers about the attitudinal, pedagogical and contextual factors which impact te reo Māori in teaching, would open up creative pathways for enhanced teaching and learning practices. This thesis adopted a qualitative methodology, interpretive approach and Kaupapa research methodology to gather the narratives of six student teachers through semi-structured interviews. Rose Pere’s Te Wheke (octopus) health model, which was adapted to education, informed the thematic analysis of this thesis. Four out of the eight tentacles of the wheke, namely; wairua (spirituality), whanaungatanga (family relationships), mana ake (identity of individuals), and whatumanawa (open and healthy expression of emotions) were used to interpret the findings (Pere, 1991). The findings revealed that for student teachers, the early childhood programme and the practicum experiences brought out their sense of wairua, mana, whatumanawa and whanaungatanga towards the Māori language. The formation of relationships emerged as the most powerful influence on the teaching practice of student teachers. The connections which the student teachers made to the language within their programme of study, the relationships they established with the teachers during their practicum and the links they fostered with parents and community, were apparent as the underlying factors motivating their thoughts and actions around the practice of te reo Māori. The language was not seen alone in itself, comprising of letters and words for communication, but as a part of a whole, intertwined with feelings and emotions and heart. This study concludes that engaging student teachers in reflective practices which nurture their spiritual dimensions might be a powerful pathway to enhance te reo Māori competencies, and empower the student teachers to undertake their journey of bicultural development with confidence.
