Abstract:
This presentation reports on a two-year TLRI study of Pepe Meamea (Samoan conceptualisations of infant/toddler) grounded upon Samoan epistemologies, values and beliefs of the Samoan child as a collective, holistic and relational being. The study is co-designed alongside faiaoga (Samoan ECE teachers) as experts in Samoan pedagogy in full immersion Samoan early childhood centres. The Samoan worldview of children and childhood prioritises the whole child, which has implications when positioned alongside dominant notions of infant and toddler development discourse and ECE philosophy. As an innovative philosophy of practice, Pepe Meamea already has deep Samoan cultural knowledges associated with its term.
