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

ecause the fieldwork needs to be the work of the researcher, it may, therefore, not
be fully collaborative. What was important for relationships was that the co-
researchers also gained from their collaboration in the project.
Furthermore, Goldstein (2000) notes that in entering the classrooms of
teachers, researchers can potentially exploit those teachers with whom they wish to
collaborate. For this study, impositions of time and effort were inevitably
involved, especially when data gathering included keeping journals and narratives
of centre interactions. Whereas I was focused on the research, the teachers‟
priorities were grounded in the provision of education and the provision of care for
those children who were participating in activities at their centres. Goldstein
(2000) may have a somewhat jaundiced view of collaboration, but it was an
important consideration which I needed to address.
In my endeavour to achieve my research agenda I needed to do my utmost
to avoid becoming an encumbrance. One way for me to alleviate this potentially
difficult situation was for Tiriti-based pedagogy to be the focus of curriculum
planning during the time of the research, which enabled research meetings to be
part of centre curriculum planning sessions. Although this did add some additional
time to their traditional meetings, participants were able to incorporate the research
as part of their centre business. In addition, I contributed to the centre by assisting
with clean-up time, provided texts and information relevant to Tiriti-based
programmes, brought recycled materials for the collage area and provided food for
meetings. In this way I attempted to build reciprocal relationships with the
teachers. Harrison, MacGibbon and Morton (2001, p. 324) describe reciprocity as
“the give and take of social interactions” (p. 324), and this was important to me as I
did not want the relationship with the participants to be one of them giving and me
taking.
Collaboration is built on trusting relationships. I was mindful during
interactions to build trust which was achieved in part by open communication and
reciprocity with participants (Arhar, Holly, & Kasten, 2001). One way I achieved
this in the early stages of the research was being open to answer questions and
inviting discussion at information meetings, for each case study centre, about any
concerns there may have been. The information sessions were attended by all the
potential participants (except as noted earlier, for S in Case Study One who joined
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