Cultural relationships for responsive pedagogy: A bicultural mana ōrite perspective

Abstract

This article responds to increasing school and cross-sector interest surrounding culturally responsive pedagogy and the multiple ways that it is being discussed and understood. We try to bring clarity to how we have come to understand this term both as grounded in cultural relationships and as responsive to the prior knowledge and experiences of the students themselves. These shared understandings come from many years of working and learning alongside teachers, leaders, students, and whānau. These learning relationships, and pedagogy, are discussed from a bicultural, mana ōrite perspective to bring a practical, theoretical, and unique Aotearoa New Zealand perspective to this work.

Introducing critical Tiriti policy analysis through a retrospective review of the New Zealand Primary Health Care Strategy

“…Article 3 of te Tiriti guaranteed M aori the rights and privileges of British subjects and has been characterised as oritetanga (Berryman et al, 2018) which entails 'responsibilities to both groups to maintain the mana of the other, and understand the mana of both as orite [equal]' (2018: 4). British subjecthood has been replaced by New Zealand citizenship, potentially a more robust, far-reaching and politically meaningful category.…”

Honoring the Treaty: School Leaders’ Embrace of Indigenous Concepts to Practice Culturally Sustaining Leadership in Aotearoa**Aotearoa is the Indigenous name for New Zealand.

“…A critical element of culturally sustaining and Indigenous school leadership is working with and creating strong bonds with families (Berryman et al, 2018; Chu et al, 2013; Ngati Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated, 2014; Khalifa et al, 2018). There was wide recognition at all of the schools that I visited that whānau was not only important, but that whānau needed to be part of the life of the school.…”

Funds of identity

“…In settler-colonial New Zealand, historical imposition of assimilationist and racist government policies mean that assaults to positive identity development have been part of the colonisation experience for indigenous Māori (Bishop et al, 2009). More recently, New Zealand education policy has called for approaches to teaching and learning which affirm, centralise, and respect the language and cultural identity of Māori learners (e.g., Ministry of Education, 2013), and Māori scholars stress the need for relational pedagogy to effectively support Māori learners (e.g., Berryman et al, 2018). How might FoI theory support efforts to achieve this?…”