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

ōna tikanga. This thesis has shown that deficit theorising and accusations of
tokenism are not a viable way to implement Tiriti-based curriculum. What does
work is having a passionate leader who works with the whole team of followers
who pursue an agreed-upon vision. Thus, through collegial support, individual
teachers take on ownership or responsibility for implementing Tiriti-based
curriculum. Action development is a way to accomplish this and clearly,
professional development is the cement that will enable action development to
occur.
7.2 Research Question, Goals and Outcomes Revisited
It will be recalled that the research question asked: 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? Three goals
were formulated to address that question and these were initially outlined in section
1.2 of chapter 1. They were:
1. To discover and report criteria concerning the effective implementation of Tiriti-based
components of Te Whāriki.
In the two decades prior to the writing of Te Whāriki, Aotearoa New
Zealand had become more responsive to Māori as government policies and
practices began to incorporate ways to honour obligations to Tiriti o Waitangi.
Education was no exception. Both before and after the publication of Te Whāriki,
the Ministry of Education documentation included ways for early childhood
teachers to incorporate a bicultural curriculum (Department of Education, 1988a;
Ministry of Education, 1998, 1999, 2004a). It was important, therefore, in this
thesis to consider definitions of bicultural, as understanding of this underpins Tiriti-
based pedagogy and discussion about this matter can be seen in chapter 2.
An important aspect of this understanding is the distinction between
bilingual and bicultural provision, remembering that, language and culture are
intertwined. Literature supported, both nationally and internationally, that notion
as I showed in chapter 2. What was evident from international literature was the
uniqueness of Te Whāriki. In particular, the premise that Tiriti-based curriculum
was for all children – not just those of Māori descent. This was a unique point of
difference because overseas strategies were shaped for indigenous peoples (Ball &
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