Week 31 - Indigenous Knowledge and Cultural Responsivenessveness

My reflections on indigenous knowledge and cultural responsiveness will be structured using
Rolfe's model of reflection.

What?

This week’s task requires that I define the terms 'Indigenous knowledge' and 'cultural
responsiveness’. I believe that everyone has a 'culture'. For those who are a part of the
dominant culture, this may not be acknowledged as being culture - but 'it's just what we do'.
Cultural responsiveness for me personally means, teaching and thinking in a way that
promotes pride and equity in one's culture and beliefs.  

Culturally responsive pedagogy is defined by Gay (2001, p.106) as “using the cultural
characteristics, experiences and perspectives as conduits for effective teaching”. It is reflected
in five elements including knowledge about cultural diversity, the culturally integrated content
in the curriculum, the development of the learning community, the ability to communicate with
culturally diverse students and culturally responsive delivery of instruction (Gay, 2001). My
understanding of indigenous knowledge is recognising Māori as tangata whenua, the first
settlers in New Zealand and the honouring of the Treaty of Waitangi as the ongoing partnership
between Pakeha and Māori.

Through my team leader position, I have noticed that the teachers who don’t understand this,
limit the students' ability to have self-efficacy and self expectations. One area that my school
is trying to meet the needs of our Maori students is by provinding professional development
through Core Education to up-skill teachers on “Culturally Responsive Practices”. As Ka hikitia
developed by the Ministry of Education (2013-2017) shows a clear link between high
expectations and success for Maori students by fostering goal setting, sessions focussed on
MASAM (Maori Achieving Success As Maori) and setting goals for ourselves and our students.

So What?
So what can be done to continue working towards cultural equity? Bishop (2012) says that
teachers with agency are the key to making a difference for Maori students. They can create
learning situations in the classroom to allow Maori students to bring their own cultural
experiences which promotes student engagement. Our school’s policy on recognition of cultural
diversity states that “We recognise, value, and celebrate the different cultures represented
within our school and wider community” (Maraetai Beach School Board of Trustees, 2017). Our
school reflects the Māori values of whanaungatanga by engaging in positive and collaborative
relationships with learners, their whānau and of manaakitanga by our welcoming, caring and
creative learning environment. However, I believe as a teacher in a bi-cultural society I could do
more to promote the reality of Māori as the tangata whenua. Our school-wide cultural activities
include Māori Language Week, a kapa haka group and the involvement in kohanga festivals.
Our school monitors and targets the progress of Māori students although a lot more could be
done to cater for these students on a daily basis.  

With regards to Milne’s framework, I initially placed myself in the purple box, but through my
Mindlab journey I focussed on cultural responsiveness and on Kaupapa Māori principles,
thereby seeing myself working towards the green and red box.  

What next?
From this learning, I will embrace Māori culture through my cultural responsiveness, promote
pride in Maori culture and all other cultures in my classroom. I will encourage students to
bring their heritage into the teaching and learning experiences. Embedding cultural
responsiveness into my daily practice will ensure that Māori students will achieve success.
I need to think of creative ways in my planning to keep Māori students engaged. Whilst
continuing my professional development with Core Education on Culturally Responsive
Practices, I can better respond to cultural diversity in my classroom and find ways of amending
teaching practices to suit.

References

CORE Education. (2017, 17 October). Dr Ann Milne, Colouring in the white spaces:
Reclaiming cultural identity in whitestream schools.[video file].
Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cTvi5qxqp4&feature=em-subs_digest

Edtalks.(2012, September 23). A culturally responsive pedagogy of relations. [video file].
Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/49992994

Gay,G. (2002). Preparing for culturally responsive teaching. Journal of Teacher Education,
53(2),106-116.

Maraetai Beach School Board of Trustees, (2017). Recognition of Cultural Diversity School
Docs retrieved from http://maraetaibeach.schooldocs.co.nz/

Ministry of Education (2007). Ka Hikitia – Accelerating Success: The Māori Education Strategy 2013–2017. Wellington: Ministry of Education.