title: Academic success amongst a cohort of gifted and talented Māori and Pasifika secondary school boys: Elements that have contributed to their achievement

authors: Miller, Graeme Oliver

subjects: Māori

abstract: In recent years Māori and Pasifika students have been the focus of much discussion and a significant amount of research relating to underachievement. Despite this, many Māori and Pasifika secondary school boys are achieving highly in the academic sphere within the context of mainstream boys’ state secondary schools in New Zealand. Achievement aside, evidence shows that Māori and Pasifika secondary school boys are seriously under-represented in programmes for the gifted and talented. This enquiry examines factors in relation to identifying gifted and talented students, and investigates how their abilities are forged and nurtured. The reasons for student success merit serious investigation because of how the multiple elements contributing to their achievement are likely to be applicable to others, and are a pressing concern for academic attainment in the New Zealand education system. 
 
This qualitative study examines why 30 academically successful Māori and Pasifika secondary school boys achieved highly in the mainstream education system. The boys ranged from 13 to 19 years, the youngest being in his first year at high school as a Year 9 student, and the oldest being in his second year at university. The thesis argues their academic success was due to the complex interplay of home and school environmental elements, and the boys’ intrapersonal characteristics. The study explored the boys’ and parents’ narratives to explain why students had achieved highly, and examined both the parents’ and boys’ perceptions of how well the schools had provided for their intellectual, emotional and cultural needs. Sociocultural learning theory is the main theoretical lens through which the findings are viewed. The methodology is primarily built upon narrative inquiry. The main method of data collection was by semi-structured interview, both individually and in focus groups. Supplementary methods utilised were questionnaires and observation.  
  
An issue in the research was the disparity between the cultural and ethnic background of the participants and myself as the researcher. However, an endeavour was made to mitigate this by consulting with Māori and Pasifika educators, a kaumatua (elder) and iwi (tribal) representative prior to the research commencing. In addition, models developed through this study were submitted to Māori and Pasifika educators for their comment and approval prior to being included. 
 
With its focus specifically on highly-achieving Māori and Pasifika secondary school boys, this thesis makes an original contribution to the national and international discussion about raising student achievement. It provides a platform for further research to 	address the particular concerns around the underachievement of Māori and Pasifika secondary school boys. 
 
While there are several implications arising from the research, all are linked to the need for policy makers and educators to address the issue of the underrepresentation of Māori and Pasifika students in programmes for the gifted and talented. Policies, practices and relationships need to be examined to evaluate how effectively they contribute to gifted and talented Māori and Pasifika students receiving the academic opportunities they deserve. A key part of this examination will need to include consultation with students and their whānau.

text: Academic success amongst a cohort of gifted and talented Māori and Pasifika secondary school boys: Elements that have contributed to their achievement In recent years Māori and Pasifika students have been the focus of much discussion and a significant amount of research relating to underachievement. Despite this, many Māori and Pasifika secondary school boys are achieving highly in the academic sphere within the context of mainstream boys’ state secondary schools in New Zealand. Achievement aside, evidence shows that Māori and Pasifika secondary school boys are seriously under-represented in programmes for the gifted and talented. This enquiry examines factors in relation to identifying gifted and talented students, and investigates how their abilities are forged and nurtured. The reasons for student success merit serious investigation because of how the multiple elements contributing to their achievement are likely to be applicable to others, and are a pressing concern for academic attainment in the New Zealand education system. 
 
This qualitative study examines why 30 academically successful Māori and Pasifika secondary school boys achieved highly in the mainstream education system. The boys ranged from 13 to 19 years, the youngest being in his first year at high school as a Year 9 student, and the oldest being in his second year at university. The thesis argues their academic success was due to the complex interplay of home and school environmental elements, and the boys’ intrapersonal characteristics. The study explored the boys’ and parents’ narratives to explain why students had achieved highly, and examined both the parents’ and boys’ perceptions of how well the schools had provided for their intellectual, emotional and cultural needs. Sociocultural learning theory is the main theoretical lens through which the findings are viewed. The methodology is primarily built upon narrative inquiry. The main method of data collection was by semi-structured interview, both individually and in focus groups. Supplementary methods utilised were questionnaires and observation.  
  
An issue in the research was the disparity between the cultural and ethnic background of the participants and myself as the researcher. However, an endeavour was made to mitigate this by consulting with Māori and Pasifika educators, a kaumatua (elder) and iwi (tribal) representative prior to the research commencing. In addition, models developed through this study were submitted to Māori and Pasifika educators for their comment and approval prior to being included. 
 
With its focus specifically on highly-achieving Māori and Pasifika secondary school boys, this thesis makes an original contribution to the national and international discussion about raising student achievement. It provides a platform for further research to 	address the particular concerns around the underachievement of Māori and Pasifika secondary school boys. 
 
While there are several implications arising from the research, all are linked to the need for policy makers and educators to address the issue of the underrepresentation of Māori and Pasifika students in programmes for the gifted and talented. Policies, practices and relationships need to be examined to evaluate how effectively they contribute to gifted and talented Māori and Pasifika students receiving the academic opportunities they deserve. A key part of this examination will need to include consultation with students and their whānau.

year: 2015

title: Toitū Te Whānau, Toitū Te Iwi: A Community Approach to English Transition

authors: Berryman, Mere

subjects: Maori

abstract: The research project presented in this thesis documents and describes the outcomes of effective whānau (immediate and extended family), kura (school), student, and researcher collaboration. The researcher became part of a whānau-of-interest (Bishop, 1996b) in 1998 and 1999 when she was invited by this community to help develop a suitable programme to assist highly competent Māori immersion students in their transition to a bi-lingual secondary school (the only option available in their community). The whānau wanted students to begin their secondary schooling with an improved competence in reading and writing in English but without compromising their competency in Maori language. Prior to this programme few of the students had received any formal instruction in the English language.
After a ten-week intervention implemented mainly outside the classroom, the researcher found that whānau tutors had effectively implemented the programmes and that all Year 8 students were able to read stories (in English) and talk about them (in English) at age appropriate reading levels. They also displayed improved rates of writing in English while maintaining their high fluency in reading and writing in Māori. The 10-week programme and results were replicated over a further three terms with the Year 7 and again with the Year 6 students. The study employed a multiple baseline across groups, design. A collaborative story gathered from participants at the end of the programme, together with these process and outcome data, strongly support the successful outcomes of this "participant driven" (Bishop, 1996b) programme.

text: Toitū Te Whānau, Toitū Te Iwi: A Community Approach to English Transition The research project presented in this thesis documents and describes the outcomes of effective whānau (immediate and extended family), kura (school), student, and researcher collaboration. The researcher became part of a whānau-of-interest (Bishop, 1996b) in 1998 and 1999 when she was invited by this community to help develop a suitable programme to assist highly competent Māori immersion students in their transition to a bi-lingual secondary school (the only option available in their community). The whānau wanted students to begin their secondary schooling with an improved competence in reading and writing in English but without compromising their competency in Maori language. Prior to this programme few of the students had received any formal instruction in the English language.
After a ten-week intervention implemented mainly outside the classroom, the researcher found that whānau tutors had effectively implemented the programmes and that all Year 8 students were able to read stories (in English) and talk about them (in English) at age appropriate reading levels. They also displayed improved rates of writing in English while maintaining their high fluency in reading and writing in Māori. The 10-week programme and results were replicated over a further three terms with the Year 7 and again with the Year 6 students. The study employed a multiple baseline across groups, design. A collaborative story gathered from participants at the end of the programme, together with these process and outcome data, strongly support the successful outcomes of this "participant driven" (Bishop, 1996b) programme.

year: 2001

title: Mo(ve)ments in the academic supervision relationship: Ethics in practice

authors: Kotzé, Elmarie

subjects: academic supervision

abstract: The context of the article is a supervisory relationship between an academic supervisor and a student-researcher and an ethic of risk within the research and supervision. Focus: The challenges for supervisor and student, and thus the supervisory relationship, and the strategies to move beyond the ethical dilemmas encountered in the research project, within an ethic of risk, form the focus of the article. Discussion: This article highlights the moments when a student counsellor/ researcher came to an impasse in transcribing and analysing data generated in an auto-ethnography, and the author, the academic supervisor's responses to these difficulties. The use of specific knowledge, skills and strategies in the supervisory relationship opened space for agency and movement within these moments of impasse. Text work and researcher identity work was facilitated through the use of particular listening skills and narrative therapy informed questions.

text: Mo(ve)ments in the academic supervision relationship: Ethics in practice The context of the article is a supervisory relationship between an academic supervisor and a student-researcher and an ethic of risk within the research and supervision. Focus: The challenges for supervisor and student, and thus the supervisory relationship, and the strategies to move beyond the ethical dilemmas encountered in the research project, within an ethic of risk, form the focus of the article. Discussion: This article highlights the moments when a student counsellor/ researcher came to an impasse in transcribing and analysing data generated in an auto-ethnography, and the author, the academic supervisor's responses to these difficulties. The use of specific knowledge, skills and strategies in the supervisory relationship opened space for agency and movement within these moments of impasse. Text work and researcher identity work was facilitated through the use of particular listening skills and narrative therapy informed questions.

year: 2013