Kaupapa Māori in the education curriculum : kaupapa waka as a case study.

Using kaupapa waka as a case study this thesis explores ways that kaupapa Māori can be included more effectively within New Zealand education curriculum and resources that support curriculum. This study suggests that the inclusion of mātauranga Māori and Māori histories within curriculum content, will increase Māori student engagement alongside achievement and success for Māori students. Theoretical underpinnings are drawn from Kaupapa Māori Theory and autoethnography as methodology. I utilize my own nuances in experience within both education and kaupapa waka settings to inform the journey in this thesis. My involvement within the resurgent movement of kaupapa waka and the experiences of six key kaupapa waka experts who I interviewed inform a discussion about the role of kaupapa waka in education. This thesis examines past and current research that unpacks the situation for Māori in mainstream education and Kaupapa Māori education initiatives as an alternative. It highlights statistics in mainstream settings that show disproportionate achievement levels between Māori and non-Māori students. Specific literature is examined that argues that there is a general lack of acceptance within science of mātauranga Māori within science. Māori science is a term that is beginning to be used to define mātauranga Māori in science. The traditional Māori worldview is explained as a way of interpreting the natural environment as a science. Kaupapa waka is couched within the traditional Māori worldview as an important topic that can be included in the New Zealand curriculum. The use of semi-structured interview techniques and autoethnography as the basis of the methods informs the narrative approach of sharing vignettes of experiences within kaupapa waka that inspire knowledge sharing for future generations. Highlighted within research findings in the discussion chapters are notions of whakapapa, whānaungatanga and connection. Transformational change within the New Zealand curriculum is shown as a key area that can make a difference for Māori experiences and outcomes in education. This can be enhanced by increasing participation in Te Reo Māori and the inclusion of more Māori histories and mātauranga Māori that pertain to a traditional way of viewing the world in the curriculum