● Reflective entry 4: State the research question(s), and explain how the question(s) have been developed and how they relate to a Kaupapa Māori approach to knowledge gathering and community priorities (Macfarlane. K., Fepuleai. M. 2020)

 If we use seesaw as a reporting tool, how will it improve student achievement in reading for our culturally diverse learners in Room 12?

Our research question emerged from a commitment to work with our students' needs and their whanau. We work within a culturally diverse community and want to ensure that we are providing the best opportunities for reciprocal partnerships to develop between home and school.  We know from our first reflection—and experiences in the classroom— that many parents from minority and culturally diverse backgrounds find conventional methods of education reporting stressful and exclusive.  We want to remove this barrier by focusing on collaborative practices, which requires us to break down established methods of reporting that maintain power imbalances between the community and school. 

Within conventional western academic systems, knowledge and learning are methodologically positioned as hierarchical.  For example, the teacher holds the knowledge and imparts it to their learners.  Such methods treat knowledge as something that is owned and based in relationships of power, which are situated in having and not having.  Aotearoa scholar Linda Tuhiwai Smith argues that traditional western “research is not just a highly moral and civilised search for knowledge;  it is a set of very human activities that reproduces particular social relations of power” (2007, p.88).  Such framing does not allow for knowledge to be relational, embodied or derived from community oriented practices.  According to Hawaiian scholar Manulani Aluli Meyer, knowledge cannot be binary, nor absolute (2008).  This thinking aligns with the Kaupapa Māori approach to research which has informed our research question.

The Kaupapa Maori principal of Tino Rangatiratanga has informed the development of our research question.  We believe that conventional methods of reporting function to uphold western methodologies surrounding education and the production of knowledge. Currently the teacher imparts knowledge of the child’s ‘progress’ to the whanau twice a year. This method is not a reciprocal process, and creates a power imbalance between the school and the whanau.  Tino Rangatiratanga is the principle of self-determination, whereby whanau have “meaningful control over one’s own life and cultural well-being” (Katoa Ltd, n.d) . 

Conventional western academic systems are linear, with one person or group of people holding knowledge and therefore, power.  Seesaw is a non-linear platform, unlike traditional paper reports.    This platform, thereby, allows for whanau to determine how and when they look at student work, as well as initiating conversations with teachers.  It also provides a format where whanau can share experiences and learning that are valued, which in turn shares power.  Theorist Dr Vicki Hargraves states that power needs to be shared for optimal community and whanau engagement and it is important to let whanau choose how they participate.   Seesaw gives whanau this choice, while also upholding Tino Rangatiratanga principles. 

Using seesaw for live reporting will also uphold Toanga Tuku Iho.  The Kaupapa Taonga Tuku Iho validates Māori ways of knowing, doing and understanding.  Theorists Berryman, Lawrence & Lamont state that often when teachers are trying to respond to a child’s culture they fall into a trap of essentialism (2008).  Teachers will determine what the culture is or isn’t by picking objects from that culture that make the most sense to them, often resulting in forms of tokenism.  New methods need to be adopted to allow for teachers to develop and be part of cultural relationships with others instead of for them.  Through our research question we hope to develop methods of reporting that establish a space where students and their whanau can share aspects of their culture and language that are important to them, not just those that are selected by the school.  In doing so the children’s culture, language and worldview are valued, validated and made visible.  The dialogue between whanau and school moves from an academic, power based relationship which upholds western values of knowledge and knowing to a reciprocal relationship which acknowledges and gives space to diverse ways of knowing, doing and understanding.

Providing space for diverse ways of knowing, doing and understanding also allows for the kaupapa Māori principle of ako to be upheld.  In developing this research question we are trying to move away from linear educational structures where the teacher is the knowledge holder and imparter. The Maori Education strategy describes the concept of ako as ‘a teaching and learning concept where the educator is also learning from the student’ (2008, p.20).  Teaching and learning becomes a reciprocal relationship between teacher, student and whanau.  Seesaw’s live reporting function provides a space for ako while valuing whanau dynamics. 

The Māori concept of whanau is rooted in ideas of whanaungatanga.  Accordingly, whanau is a very important aspect of our research question.  We acknowledge the role that whanau plays in creating positive outcomes for our students; our research question explores how we can enhance whanau relationships.  Conventionally only direct caregivers receive reports and invitations to teacher conferences; in contrast, a digital platform opens reporting up to a much wider whanau group.  It allows at least ten family members to view, share and comment on work, as well as communicate directly with the teacher.  Current forms of reporting privilege western ideas of what constitutes family - the extended family has a peripheral role in the upbringing of a child. Our research question challenges this thinking by acknowledging the collective role the whanau has for student educational outcomes. 

Aotearoa theorist Alison Jones suggests that “relations of ruling are perpetuated through a successful transmission and legitimation of the cultural values and perspectives of dominant classes in such places as schools”.  We are committed to creating a place of learning which challenges this hegemony.   Having our research question informed by the Kaupapa Maori principles of Tino Rangatiratanga, Ako and Whanau are the beginnings of this commitment.  We will continue to reflect and question our own cultural bias as we move through this process. According to Moewaka Barnes Kaupapa Māori research asks 'whose truth?'  This is a question we will continually ask ourselves. 

Barnes, H. M. (2000). Kaupapa maori: explaining the ordinary. Pacific Health Dialog, 7(1), 13-16.

Berryman, M., Lawrence, D., & Lamont, R. (2018). Cultural relationships for responsive pedagogy: A bicultural mana ōrite perspective. Set: Research Information for Teachers.

Hargraves, V (n.d) Seven Principals to Effectively Support Māori Students as Māori. Retrieved from https://theeducationhub.org.nz/seven-principles-to-effectively-support-maori-students-as-maori/

Jones, A. (1991). At school I’ve got a chance - Culture/Privilege: Pacific Islands and Pakeha girls at school. Dunmore Press.

Katoa Ltd (n.d) Kaupapa Māori Research. Website. Retrieved from http://www.katoa.net.nz/kaupapa-maori

Meyer, M. A. (2008). Indigenous and authentic: Hawaiian epistemology and the triangulation of meaning. Handbook of critical and Indigenous methodologies, 217-232.

Ministry of Education (n.d). Kahikatia - Managing for Success 2008-2012: Strategy Approach. Website. Retrieved from https://www.education.govt.nz/our-work/overall-strategies-and-policies/ka-hikitia-ka-hapaitia/ka-hikitia-history/ka-hikitia-managing-for-success-2008-2012/ka-hikitia-managing-for-success-2008-2012-strategy-approach/#accordion-9567

Smith, L. T. (2007). On tricky ground. The landscape of qualitative research, 1, 85-113.

● Reflective entry 3: Demonstrate a critical understanding of how indigenous knowledge and cultural responsiveness inform your practice and research topic (Macfarlane. K, Fepuleai. M. 2020)

When working in culturally diverse communities it is imperative that educators are connected to the people they serve. 

This is not always easy as each of us carry our own whakapapa, turangawaewae and tikanga dependent on our ethnicity, identity, language, values and beliefs.  Classroom teachers must have knowledge and understanding of how personal cultural capital, values and beliefs can impact the design of learning programmes.  It is important to ensure we have balanced, equitable and contextual content to meet the needs and connections of each of our students.  The way to ensure this is to engage meaningfully with whanau and the community.

Community engagement has been adopted by the United Nations as ‘a two way process by which the aspiration, concerns, needs and values of citizens and communities are incorporated at all levels and in all sectors…’(Smith, J.A. et.al. 2017).  If teachers have a conscious knowledge of their own cultural capital, then making connections with the whanau of the students in their classes will go some way to ensuring the content of their programme is designed to meet the aspirations, needs and values of the community they serve, not what they ‘think’ the community needs.  Be it  writing school policies or creating classroom programmes, research indicates that fundamental philosophies fostering parental and community involvement in not only the outcomes but also the process of education (Sutherland., Schwab. 2018) improve educational achievement and develop lifelong learners.  

Researchers at John Hopkins University worked in partnership with over 1000 schools and communities to develop a framework for partnership between school, families and communities. The framework focuses on six types of involvement; learning at home, parenting, decision making, communicating, volunteering and collaborating with the community (Epstein et al., 2004)

TYPE 1 PARENTING	TYPE 2 COMMUNICATING	TYPE 3 VOLUNTEERING	TYPE 4 LEARNING AT HOME	TYPE 5 DECISIONS MAKING	TYPE 6 COLLABORATING WITH THE COMMUNITY
Help all families establish a home environment to support all students.	Design effective forms of school-to-home and home-to-school communication about school programmes and their children’s progress	Recruit and organise parent help and support	Provide information and ideas to families about how to help students with homework and other curriculum related activities, decisions and planning	Include parents in school decisions developing parent leaders and representatives	Identify and integrate resources and services from the community to strengthen school programs, family practices and students learning and development.

Figure1:Six Types of Involvement (2004)

Focusing on each of the six involvement types from the framework, the use of digital technologies provides affordances for parent and whanau involvement that brings parents into the classroom without them being physically present.  This means that through the use of social media, school based apps and digital communications such as email and Google Apps, schools can connect with whanau providing a window to student learning, a means for immediate feedback, a tool for translating messages into home languages and a platform for keeping parents informed of their child’s progress.  Using this framework as part of a school annual plan provides a lens for making school/whanau/community engagement part of the strategic planning process for the year ahead.  

While the involvement framework adds clarity and sound intention in how parents/whanau and community can be included in school strategic planning, the aspect of cultural responsiveness and indigenous knowledge is in no way reflected.  The most effective way to enact a framework such as the John Hopkins framework above would be to give it context.  

Russel Bishop’s Effective Teaching Profile is a framework for teachers of indigenous and minoritorized students.  This framework consists of six elements which were actioned through the Te Kotahitanga Professional Development programme (Bishop., Berryman. 2009).  

Manaakitanga	Mana Motuhake	Nga whakapiringatanga	Wananga	Ako	Kotahitanga
teachers care for their students as culturally located human beings above all else.	teachers care for the performance of their students.	teachers are able to create a secure, well-managed learning environment.	teachers are able to engage in effective teaching interactions with Māori students as Māori.	teachers can use strategies that promote effective teaching interactions and relationships with their learners.	teachers promote, monitor and reflect on outcomes that in turn lead to improvements in educational achievement for Māori students.

Figure 2. Effective Teaching Framework (2009)

Bishop's model was developed through research into raising Maori student achievement.  Data was gathered through student voice by a team of researchers from Waikato University.  Key findings in this data were the need for educationalists to reject deficit theorising in Maori achievement and the importance of quality relationships and interactions between teachers and students on raising educational achievement.  

Being conscious of the diverse nature of the school community, it is important that whanau not feel in any way marginalised from involvement in student learning.  Research has revealed that parents of minority or culturally diverse students often feel conventional avenues for involvement are closed due to a mono-cultural approach to home/school interactions (Delgado-Gaitan. 1991).  

Both of these frameworks strongly influence our implementation in using Seesaw as a ‘live reporting’ tool for parents and whanau in the Nga Iwi School (NIS) community.  While NIS is 80% Pasifika and 20% Maori, the indicators in Bishop’s model benefit all ethnic groups and are helpful to our interactions and communications not just with students but with whanau as well.  Using these effective strategies in sharing students' learning and progress with families reflects a sound degree of cultural responsiveness and indigenous knowledge of Tangata Whenua and Pasifika people. We will use these same strategies when encouraging involvement of parents/whanau in student learning experiences at NIS.   

Delgado-Gaitan, C. (1991). Involving parents in the schools: A process of empowerment. American journal of Education, 100(1), 20-46.

Epstein, J. L., & Salinas, K. C. (2004). Partnering with families and communities. Educational leadership, 61(8), 12-19.

Bishop, R., & Berryman, M. (2009). The Te Kotahitanga effective teaching profile. Set: Research information for teachers, 2(2), 27-33.

Smith, J. A., Larkin, S., Yibarbuk, D., & Guenther, J. (2017). What do we know about community engagement in Indigenous education contexts and how might this impact on pathways into higher education?. In Indigenous pathways, transitions and participation in higher education (pp. 31-44). Springer, Singapore.

Sutherland, D., & Schwab, R. (2018). Building Indigenous learning communities. Canberra, ACT: Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research (CAEPR), The Australian National University.

●Reflective entry 2: Discuss how the research topic addresses the context of different audiences (Macfarlane. K, Fepuleai. M. 2020)

 Introducing live reporting through digital platforms will have a wide ranging impact on a number of audiences including students, their whanau and teachers.  In this reflective entry we look at the impact this area of research will have on our audiences. 

Studies have shown that having an authentic audience is a powerful motivation for students (Wright, 2010). We believe that the students will value the ability to have their whanau as an authentic audience.  We have both experienced  the impact that having a direct link to whanau has had on the students' engagement.  As an example, Kirsty had a particularly disruptive student in her classroom.  Much of the communication Kirsty had been having with the student’s whanau revolved around her behaviour in class, and Kirsty had previously struggled to meet with the caregivers.  The digital platform allowed this student, her whanau, and Kirsty to engage in a more positive form of dialogue that was based around her learning.  This in turn had an impact on both her behaviour and her engagement in her work.  It also strengthened relationships between Kirsty and the student’s whanau.  

A second group to consider is our colleagues.  We both come from schools where digital technologies were embedded in our practice.  Our current school is at the beginning of it’s journey into incorporating digital technologies into classroom practice.  For many of our colleagues the transition to digital learning has been challenging and a move to direct reporting on digital platforms represents a big change, which can bring with it fear.  According to theorists Labbas and Abir (2013), when teachers fear change it becomes difficult for them to move away from traditional methods of teaching.  It is important that we encourage and support them towards this digital change as the Ministry of Education requires that all schools and kura be teaching new digital technologies content from 2020 (Te Kete Ipurangi, n.d). 

Aside from the fear that comes with a change towards direct reporting, many colleagues would value the increased engagement of whanau in their child’s learning.  We have both had conversations with our colleagues whereby they state their disappointment at the turnout for parent-teacher conferences.  As educators we all recognised the importance of the relationship between home and school.  Although we are striving for parent engagement, we are using methods that exclude our diverse communities for a variety of reasons.  Having a platform that provides for regular communication and collaboration between whanau and school would benefit an entire community.  Whanau are also calling for this, with the recent Action Plan for Pacific Education (2020) calling for schools and communities to become engaged in reciprocal, learning centred relationships.

‘We need to build and maintain positive, reciprocal and collaborative relationships with all stakeholders’ (Pacific Action Plan, 2020, p.19)

We believe the whanau would also value the regular contact with students and teachers that direct reporting through a digital platform would allow.  The current model of reporting is restrictive to culturally diverse families, many of whom struggle to connect with school while managing whanau, work and other commitments.  The attendance at parent teacher interviews is low due to these limitations.  Having a direct link to families through digital platforms allows for a continued dialogue throughout the year which would help create a reciprocal relationship between school, whanau and community.  This relationship would improve educational outcomes for our students. ‘Communicating clear, dependable information about progress and achievement provides a basis for building a strong partnership between the child, the teacher, and the child’s parents, family, and whānau to support learning and improve student outcomes’ (Te Kete Ipurangi, n.d).

Currently we know that our reporting is not engaging the wider school community as well as it should.  We hope to achieve more favourable outcomes as outlined above through the use of digital platforms however we would need to consider how we can support the community through this change.  There may be some barriers to whanau accessing live reporting.  This could include limited access to digital devices and internet, competence using digital devices and language barriers. In addition some families will prefer the more traditional style of reporting that they are familiar with.  We will need to ask ourselves how we are ensuring that all whanau are able to access the data.  Have we made it accessible to all whanau?

As well as being accountable to whanau, students and colleagues we must also consider the Ministry of Education as a stakeholder in this research.   The National Administration Guideline 2 requires that schools report to students and their parents on progress and achievement of individual students:

1. in plain language, in writing, and at least twice a year; and

2. across The National Curriculum, as expressed in The New Zealand Curriculum 2007 or Te Marautanga o Aotearoa, including in mathematics and literacy, and/or te reo matatini and pāngarau;  (Ministry of Education, n.d)

Using a digital platform to share students' learning progress will allow us to develop some of the key principles of effective reporting as outlined by the Ministry of Education (Te Kete Ipurangi, n.d).  Two of these principals, ako and technologies, would be enhanced by our use of a live reporting platform. Ako requires that information sharing is reciprocal whereby parents, teachers and students are all involved in the reporting process.  Technology allows this to happen, as it opens up reciprocal information sharing and engages networks to support children’s learning while also making  the indicators of a child’s learning more visible (Te Kete Ipurangi, n.d). 

We must consider all our audiences alongside our own views when undertaking this research project.  

Labbas, R., & Shaban, A. E. (2013). Teacher development in the digital age. Teaching English with technology, 13(3), 53-64

Ministry of Education (2020) Action plan for Pacific Education 2020-2030. Ministry of Education.

Ministry of Education (n.d) The National Administration Guidelines. Website. Retrieved from https://www.education.govt.nz/our-work/legislation/nags/

Te Kete Ipurangi. (n.d).  Why Report to Parents and Whanau.   Website.  

Retrieved from: https://assessment.tki.org.nz/Reporting-to-parents-whanau/Why-report-to-parents-and-whanau

Te Kete Ipurangi. (n.d).  Framework for Effective Information Sharing.   Website.  

Retrieved from:  https://assessment.tki.org.nz/Reporting-to-parents-whanau/Principles-of-effective-reporting/Framework-for-effective-information-sharing

Te Kete Ipurangi. (n.d).  Digital Technologies and the National Curriculum.   Website.  Retrieved from: https://elearning.tki.org.nz/Teaching/Curriculum-learning-areas/Digital-Technologies-in-the-curriculum 

Wright, N. (2010). e-Learning and implications for New Zealand schools: A literature review. Ministry of    Education

REFLECTIVE ENTRY 1: RESEARCH TOPIC - Parent/Whanau engagement in children's learning. (Macfarlane. K., Fepuleai. M. 2020)

The vision of the NZC is for our system to develop students who are confident, connected, actively involved lifelong learners (T.K.I. n.d).  The reimagining of our New Zealand Curriculum (NZC) and the affordances it allows has seen schools develop their own local curriculum, giving communities the opportunity to engage local resources and provide a more community-specific approach to teaching and learning.   Having a strong, locally-based curriculum allows students to be successful in learning within their own contexts and also provides windows for whanau to be authentically connected.  Within our context of education, our local curriculum has a particular lens over future-focused learning.  We are posing the question “What skills will our tamariki need to ensure they meet the vision of the NZC?”  As a community, we are placing a lens over digital competencies and capabilities and looking at avenues to engage our whanau in student learning.

Throughout decades of education, the vehicle for informing whanau of learning has been ‘reporting to parents’.  The system is as standardised as the testing tools and commercial report formats used across the globe (Hall, K. et.al 2008).  Parents and caregivers participate in parent interviews and receive statutory written reports outlining how their child is progressing at school - usually focussing on test scores where accountability and compliance are the key drivers (T.K.I. n.d).  Research suggests that in most countries reports focus on students' success and failure through examination.  There is very limited reporting on students' social development and interpersonal skills (Cuttance, P., et.al. 2000).  In times past, often a report outlined student’s behaviours, the comments of which were highly subjective and heavily based on the relationship between student and teacher.  Both of us (authors) can testify to reports that were purely subjective and visibly biased both for and against our progress and character.   In addition to parent interviews and reports, schools endeavour to host school events showcasing talents be it sporting, the arts, or academic achievement.  These showcases include inter-school sports events, school productions, art shows, and awards nights and more often than not are the ‘outcomes’ of hard work put in by selective students who are often the exellerant representatives in their cohorts.

Information Sharing Actions - Template from TKI

A study into parent-involvement activities in California schools found that conventional methods for involving parents in school activities are closed to parents of children from diverse backgrounds.  It found that often specific cultural knowledge was required to participate effectively (Delgado-Gaitan. 1991).  For parents of students from diverse or minority backgrounds being involved in the reporting process is often degrading and stressful.  Reports are often difficult to interpret and parents are left disadvantaged in their understanding of the progress their children make (1991).  Report formats and purposes are also delivered through a dominant cultural lens, showing little value or connection to those of minority cultures.   Research states that parental involvement in children’s education has a positive influence on achievement (Fan, X., et.al. 2001).  Indeed New Zealand’s Ministry of Education (MoE) sees parents and whanau as key stakeholders in education, who play a meaningful role in supporting children’s learning at and beyond school (T.K.I., n.d).  While the importance of whanau involvement is recognised as a key to raising student achievement, how can this be done in an age where there are generally two breadwinners in the family and their hours of work dominate the school day?  How can we ensure whanau engagement in children’s learning, from our culturally diverse community?

In 2016 an NZCER survey seeking parents and whanau perspectives on schooling indicated that many viewed

their children using digital devices in their learning as important but that only 46% think that it is something they

should access every day (Bonne, L. Stevens, E. 2017).  Only 30% had access to online information about their

child’s learning (2017).  After the COVID lockdowns of 2020, Nga Iwi School conducted its own survey regarding

student learning and access to digital devices.  It was noted through this survey that 73% of students accessed online

learning facilitated by classroom teachers and 90% of those surveyed had help in their learning from parents and

whanau at home.  We also noted that upwards of 90% of whanau have online access be it through a laptop, desktop

computers, tablets or phones.  Post whanau conferences, we surveyed parents regarding accessing students learning

online through an app.  Ninety-two percent liked the app idea with 66% indicating their interest in attending

workshops relating to the app.  Interestingly 70% wanted a move to online reporting while 30% preferred the

twice-yearly reporting system.  

 

As a school that serves a diverse community and based on our research and survey findings, we believe that online

access to learning and reporting will benefit our students' outcomes and increase whanau engagement. This will

require a culturally sustainable approach to ensure equality and equity across our school community.  

Bonne, L., Stevens, E. (2017). Parent and whānau perspectives on their child’s schooling Findings from the NZCER national survey of primary and intermediate schools 2016.  New Zealand Council for Educational Research. P O Box 3237 Wellington New Zealand.

Retrieved from: https://www.nzcer.org.nz/system/files/National-Survey-Parent-Whanau.pdf

Cuttance, P., & Stokes, S. A. (2000). Reporting on student and school achievement. Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs.

Delgado-Gaitan, C. (1991). Involving parents in the schools: A process of empowerment. American journal of Education, 100(1), 20-46.

Fan, X., & Chen, M. (2001). Parental involvement and students' academic achievement: A meta-analysis. Educational psychology review, 13(1), 1-22.

Hall, K., Conway, P. F., Rath, A., Murphy, R., & McKeon, J. (2008). Reporting to parents in primary school: communication, meaning and learning.

Te Kete Ipurangi. (n.d).  Why Report to Parents and Whanau.   Website.  

Retrieved from: https://assessment.tki.org.nz/Reporting-to-parents-whanau/Why-report-to-parents-and-whanau

Te Kete Ipurangi. (n.d).  Developing and reviewing information sharing processes.   Website.  

Retrieved from: https://assessment.tki.org.nz/Reporting-to-parents-whanau/Developing-and-reviewing-processes