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

As I was interested in discovering inside information that might not
otherwise be obtainable or visible to the researcher (Morrison, 2002), I asked all
the participants in each case study to keep a journal of how they implemented their
Tiriti-based curriculum and their reflections on these. In other words, “diarists are
invited to write what they do and/or think” (Morrison, 2002, p. 218).
All journals were handwritten and were then typed up in a format suitable
for transporting into NVivo. The need for journals to be transcribed was one of the
disadvantages that was noted by Creswell (2003). We discussed approaches to
reflection, such as those of Schön (1987) and Smyth (1989) with whom teachers
were familiar from their studies. Subsequently, all the participants in the three case
studies wrote entries into their journals approximately monthly during the time of
the research in their centre.
In addition to the participants keeping diaries, researcher diaries are
suggested in most texts I perused on research, for “documenting the development
of perceptions and insights” (Altrichter & Holly, 2005, p. 25). In action research
the diary “may be seen as an important tool for reflection and as a vehicle for the
provocation of personal and professional change” (Morrison, 2002, p. 216).
Research diaries can be memos, interpretations and reflections, and include data
from “observation, interviews and informal conversations” (Altrichter & Holly,
2005, p. 24). In addition, information about how data were collected and
“reflections on research methods; ideas and plans for subsequent research steps”
(Altrichter & Holly, 2005, p. 24) can be incorporated. From the outset of the
research I kept a research journal in which I recorded notes and reflections on the
research.
As well as diaries, various early childhood centre documents such as
policy and philosophy statements and newsletters were perused; the other form of
documentary analysis comprised bicultural texts such as Te Whāriki (Ministry of
Education, 1996), Quality in Action (Ministry of Education, 1998) and Bicultural
Assessment / He Aromatawai Ahurea Rua (Ministry of Education, 2004a) and
reports from Education Review Office (ERO) website in relation to each centre.
Finally there was documentation which came from transcripts and notes
from case study research meetings. Each research meeting in the action research
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