title: Māori transitions into tertiary education

authors: Amundsen, Diana Leigh

subjects: Maori

abstract: This thesis critically examines Māori transitions into tertiary education. The research explored the lived transition experiences of 20 Māori tertiary education students in the Bay of Plenty region. Historical and contemporary factors in Aotearoa influencing effective Māori student transitions into tertiary education were investigated. Data were collected and analysed through repeated semistructured interviews and focus groups over the 2016-2018 period with 20 Māori students enrolled in a wānanga, a polytechnic and a university. Participants experienced their transition as a journey, continuously evolving their identities and agency in relation to the tertiary education environments and social structures they encountered.
The findings suggest that transitions to tertiary education for Māori students involve a reciprocal interplay of identity, agency and structure which support or constrain transition experiences. Effective transition experiences were underpinned by processes of continuity enabling identity growth. Support was central to how well participants perceived their transition—racism and lack of support were significant barriers; suitable support was a significant enabler.
An over-riding theme from this research related to the interplay of power relations and Māori identity. How effectively participants developed a sense of belonging (or alienation) and identity growth linked to the tertiary education environments they encountered during their transition. Within wānanga, participants felt their Māori cultural identity was highly valued; within polytechnics, there was a sense that Māori culture is included but more could be done; within universities, a need for more inclusive practices to support Māori learner requirements was identified.
Lastly, this research was conducted by a Pākehā researcher working across kaupapa Māori spaces within interpretive and critical paradigms. Unexpected moments of struggle, discomfort and vulnerability opened up new and deeper understanding of implications for Pākehā educators and researchers engaging across Māori research spaces. This thesis argues for Pākehā to use their privilege to foster more equitable social structures. Equitable social structures would be beneficial for Māori transitions into tertiary education environments.

text: Māori transitions into tertiary education This thesis critically examines Māori transitions into tertiary education. The research explored the lived transition experiences of 20 Māori tertiary education students in the Bay of Plenty region. Historical and contemporary factors in Aotearoa influencing effective Māori student transitions into tertiary education were investigated. Data were collected and analysed through repeated semistructured interviews and focus groups over the 2016-2018 period with 20 Māori students enrolled in a wānanga, a polytechnic and a university. Participants experienced their transition as a journey, continuously evolving their identities and agency in relation to the tertiary education environments and social structures they encountered.
The findings suggest that transitions to tertiary education for Māori students involve a reciprocal interplay of identity, agency and structure which support or constrain transition experiences. Effective transition experiences were underpinned by processes of continuity enabling identity growth. Support was central to how well participants perceived their transition—racism and lack of support were significant barriers; suitable support was a significant enabler.
An over-riding theme from this research related to the interplay of power relations and Māori identity. How effectively participants developed a sense of belonging (or alienation) and identity growth linked to the tertiary education environments they encountered during their transition. Within wānanga, participants felt their Māori cultural identity was highly valued; within polytechnics, there was a sense that Māori culture is included but more could be done; within universities, a need for more inclusive practices to support Māori learner requirements was identified.
Lastly, this research was conducted by a Pākehā researcher working across kaupapa Māori spaces within interpretive and critical paradigms. Unexpected moments of struggle, discomfort and vulnerability opened up new and deeper understanding of implications for Pākehā educators and researchers engaging across Māori research spaces. This thesis argues for Pākehā to use their privilege to foster more equitable social structures. Equitable social structures would be beneficial for Māori transitions into tertiary education environments.

year: 2019

title: Te Pai Tawhiti: Exploring the Horizons of Maori Economic Performance through Effective Collaboration

authors: Joseph, Robert

abstract: Effective collaboration, good governance and active management provide a potential platform for enhanced economic performance for Ngāti Pikiao, in line with its self-determination aspirations to
work better as a collective of entities on behalf of iwi members.

Literature and case study data analyses show a pathway forward for Ngāti Pikiao in the form of 9 key principles for working towards a foundation for effective collaborative action that enhances economic
performance.

text: Te Pai Tawhiti: Exploring the Horizons of Maori Economic Performance through Effective Collaboration Effective collaboration, good governance and active management provide a potential platform for enhanced economic performance for Ngāti Pikiao, in line with its self-determination aspirations to
work better as a collective of entities on behalf of iwi members.

Literature and case study data analyses show a pathway forward for Ngāti Pikiao in the form of 9 key principles for working towards a foundation for effective collaborative action that enhances economic
performance.

year: 2016

title: Introduction to the forum on meaning/ful work studies in organizational communication: Setting an agenda

authors: Zorn, Theodore E.

abstract: On the first day of Nikki’s undergraduate seminar, Organizing Work, she asks students to list the idioms and phrases commonly used to make sense of the “work” experience. She shares the example of her father repeatedly using the phrase “daily grind” when she was growing up (important to note, he was not referring to the ubiquitous Starbucks of today). Slowly but surely, the chalkboard fills with an array of idiomatic expressions: “on the clock,” “work like a dog,” “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy,” “work your fingers to the bone,” “all in a day’s work,” and a host of others, including the Marxian favorite, “a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work.” Students are asked to reflect on the meanings embedded within the list and how language constitutes cultural meanings and values of work.

text: Introduction to the forum on meaning/ful work studies in organizational communication: Setting an agenda On the first day of Nikki’s undergraduate seminar, Organizing Work, she asks students to list the idioms and phrases commonly used to make sense of the “work” experience. She shares the example of her father repeatedly using the phrase “daily grind” when she was growing up (important to note, he was not referring to the ubiquitous Starbucks of today). Slowly but surely, the chalkboard fills with an array of idiomatic expressions: “on the clock,” “work like a dog,” “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy,” “work your fingers to the bone,” “all in a day’s work,” and a host of others, including the Marxian favorite, “a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work.” Students are asked to reflect on the meanings embedded within the list and how language constitutes cultural meanings and values of work.

year: 2008