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

Nevertheless, as I discussed in chapter 3, I initiated a brainstorm on ways
to gain more knowledge which I later made into a chart. The following month I
suggested we use the chart as a checklist to review progress and determine future
strategies. Nothing further had been accomplished and at the time I did not notice
resistance to my solution of suggesting professional development as a solution to
their problem.
It was only in hindsight that I came to understand that I was still operating
from a deficit approach to address their problem. Furthermore, it was not
surprising nothing further had been accomplished because as teachers stated, they
did not have enough time for professional development. This was because four of
the six were involved in study programmes for qualifications in early childhood
(see Table 5.1). All these qualification programmes included Tiriti-based
components, which informed their current practice.
Later, when I interviewed the owners of Case Study One, they reported
that one of the bonuses of the research project had been the teachers‟
transformation in relationship to professional development, which they now
embraced. This was a positive or appreciative dimension. Again, in hindsight,
what had been missing was an affirmation of what teachers were already doing
well. Such affirmation is consistent with an appreciative inquiry model. Positive
perspectives, therefore, encourage further development whereas negative ones can
ensure that people remain defensive and positional. In 2008 two staff members
explained to me how professional development had become important and gave an
example of how the research encouraged them to continue to develop their
knowledge of Tiriti-based curriculum:
After that one year of research we also have attended a few workshops
and we thought Māori let‟s go for it. Me and T decided and then when
we went there it was meant for Māori medium schools. We had to live on
marae but it was a wonderful experience and that has given us a lot of
confidence…but if that research wouldn‟t have been there, perhaps we
wouldn‟t have gone for that workshop and that workshop has given us
really good confidence. Without this research, without the opportunity to
reflect in a group I‟m not sure if we would have capitalised on this
opportunity of attending workshop (Tr: D, 15/12/08).
Through the research, teachers felt successful with Tiriti-based curriculum
and they were able to build on this, which encouraged them to engage with
professional development. Thus, they were empowered to grow in confidence and
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