The Views of Samoan Teachers of Social Studies: Exploring Samoan teachers' perspectives on teaching social studies in New Zealand

Abstract

This thesis set out to examine the views of Samoan teachers of social studies. The compelling issue is that a migrant people from a former mandated New Zealand territory in the South Pacific, have either migrated to New Zealand, or are New Zealand born, and as migrant teachers or New Zealand born teachers, are expected to teach a curriculum area which has comparatively limited traction in the classroom. It is important that we address the issue of a particular migrant teaching force, teaching a curriculum area which has attracted public attention, because of its approach and content. The controversy surrounding the introduction of a compulsory social studies curriculum from Years 1 to 10, and the criticism levelled at it from interested parties, has polarised certain sectors in education and the private and public sector, regarding its introduction. This problem affects Samoan teachers who are required to teach in this area. The introduction of a compulsory syllabus is compounded by preconceived notions surrounding the reluctance to teach social studies and its ramifications on both teachers and students. Although set in the context of a major multi-cultural city, this thesis will be of interest to other educators, local body, and social justice advocates who have a vested interest in determining how a sector of the community will respond to a controversial curriculum area taught by Samoans, who are themselves representative of a minority population in New Zealand. The literature identified that minority teachers in Europe, North America and the Pacific respond to a growing awareness of indigenous and minority students, by adopting teaching processes that are the product of well-meaning educators. The resulting outcomes reflect the uncertainty and success of various initiatives, but the issue of Samoan teachers teaching social studies in New Zealand has received limited attention. This research undertook a qualitative approach using a narrative inquiry methodology to allow Samoan teachers’ stories to be told. An auto-ethnography perspective is also used to provide depth, with myself, as a Samoan teacher, researching and contributing to the narrative. The findings highlighted that there is a need for formal professional development in social studies, that Samoan teachers need to take responsibility for their own historical and social studies knowledge-based learning, and that Samoan teachers will resort to their own cultural perspectives in deference to a curriculum-based ideology. These findings are explained by using Bleicher’s (1980) theoretical constructivist approach, incorporating features of interpretive social science, in an effort to understand individual Samoan’s underlying reasons for pursuing their respective courses of action. The research contributes to our growing understanding of the interactions between a specific Pasifika teaching cohort, and a curriculum area that courts controversy in a way that other curriculum areas do not.