The marau Hangarau (Māori-medium Technology curriculum): Why there isn’t much research but why there should be!

Abstract

Hangarau is under-researched. Research in this field, from historical case studies to exploration of hangarau practice across a range of educational contexts, is needed. We examine the significant gap by outlining the timelines leading up to the third cycle of curriculum design and implementation of the marau hangarau. The dataset is drawn from a larger project consisting of interviews with tuakana-curriculum designers (Lemon, 2019) and document analysis of material sourced through requests for official information (Ministry of Education, 1999-2003, 1999-2008, 2003-2012, 2007-2009).

Hangarau needs to be researched. As a decolonising curriculum, coming from a Māori foundation of thinking and being, it connects future, past and present in a holistic approach to technological practice. Research will inform the next generation of curriculum designers, and strengthen sector understandings of hangarau. This will be reflected in classroom practice, with better uptake and engagement in hangarau–building on our past achievements. How can we plan ahead if we do not know what has been done? We need to value the work done by those who have toiled to develop a new way of learning for our tamariki mokopuna.

He marautanga reo Māori tēnei mā ngā kura reo Māori. Nō reira, he tika te whakaputa whakaaro, te rangahau mōna ki te reo rangatira. Heoi anō, ko tō mātou hiahia kia tukuna atu tēnei kōrero ki te tokomaha, nā reira te whakamahi i ētahi kupu Māori torutoru noa iho i tēnei wā. Hei tōna wā, ka rere pai te reo rangatira ki konei, ki Aotearoa nei, tae atu ki ngā tōpito o te ao.

We incorporate te reo Māori in writing about a Māori language curriculum taught in classrooms through the medium of the Māori language. There is a glossary at the end of the article for those readers who do not speak te reo Māori.