LET’S KŌRERO (TALK) MORE: PROMOTING WHĀNAU (NEW ZEALAND MĀORI FAMILY) ACHIEVEMENT

Back to Page Authors: Tia Neha, Christina Lorth, Hazel Potterton, Ruby Lindstrom, Maija McSweeney-Novak

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Keywords: indigenous psychology, New Zealand whānau, rangatahi, youth connectedness, home to school connectedness, developmental psychology, Māori families, Māori adolescents

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Abstract: In the present study, the primary aim is to examine whānau (New Zealand Indigenous Māori families) reminiscing conversations with their rangatahi (Māori adolescents) and whether these past experiences are a potential link to rangatahi identity and their educational outcomes. Given that no prior study has investigated whether or not whānau – rangatahi narratives inform their children's learning, it would be informative and beneficial to the whānau and wider research communities to examine these contexts. Therefore, we want to examine what it is about these conversations that may help rangatahi learning. Our first goal in the present research is to investigate whānau-rangatahi narratives and to identify whether these narratives link to their child's education. Next, a second goal is to extend prior research by investigating links between whānau-rangatahi conversations that relate to whānau knowledge. If whānau-rangatahi conversation aids towards rangatahi education, it is anticipated that they will also help to identify whānau knowledge. It is also anticipated that there may be a bidirectional effect which may reveal either home-school dissonance or home-school connectedness. The findings from this longitudinal study will be further discussed.

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