supporting tiriti-based curriculum delivery in mainstream early ...

Abstract
Te Whāriki, the national early childhood curriculum, was devised to
provide opportunities for all children to develop knowledge and understanding of
the cultural heritage of Tiriti o Waitangi partners (Ministry of Education, 1996). Te
Whāriki was constructed from a socio-cultural theoretical perspective. Although
Te Whāriki has a highly innovative framework, implementation continues to be
challenging for teachers (Broström, 2003; Clark, 2005; Cullen, 1996; Nuttall,
2003a; Scrivens, 2005). This is because Te Whāriki is more of a philosophy than a
curriculum (Clark, 2005) which means teachers could be seen to operate from
within a vacuum (Broström, 2003). This study, therefore, seeks to understand the
strategies early childhood teachers developed in order to implement the Tiriti-based
(bicultural) aspects of Te Whāriki within their centres.
The research question of this thesis, therefore, is: To what extent, and in
what manner, have early childhood teachers been able to implement Tiriti-based
curriculum as outlined by the Ministry of Education in Te Whāriki? The
theoretical framework used to address this question encompasses appreciative
inquiry, and the thesis challenges prevailing deficit theorising of indigenous
knowledge.
The study employed the methodological approach of case studies in early
childhood education centres. The first two case study centres applied action
research. However, in the third case study centre an appreciative inquiry approach
was used. By applying appreciative inquiry as a methodology (rather than as
theoretical framework) the researcher was better able to understand how early
childhood teachers built upon existing knowledge and strength-based experiences
to implement Tiriti-based curriculum. Data were gathered by administering an
anonymous questionnaire, conducting observations of staff and their environments,
facilitating a focus group, and a number of interviews with teachers and managers
of the case study centres.
A key finding was that growing teachers‟ strengths provided an effective
way of implementing Tiriti-based curriculum. The whole team working together
was also found to be important, and having a leader committed to Tiriti-based
pedagogy was a crucial element. If Tiriti-based curriculum is to be sustained,
xi