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

particularly relevant for Tiriti-based aspects of Te Whāriki, which provided little in
how teachers should put this into practice; in other words, was unclear about what
they should actually do – and this leaves them struggling with implementation, as
will be shown from the reports of previous researchers in this area.
2.4 Previous Tiriti-Based Early Childhood Research
Since the early childhood community made the decision to actively
honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi, though there have been very few research projects
investigating implementation of Tiriti-based curriculum. Despite the paucity of
material there were, however, some commonalities which indicated that early
childhood professionals were positive in their responses. They indicated that at the
very least a minimal level of te reo Māori should be achieved, and they affirmed
that involvement of whānau Māori to guide this process was valuable and
desirable. While acknowledging their commendable approach and enthusiasm it
should be underlined that the involvement of whānau Māori was in fact absolutely
pivotal both then and now.
Nevertheless, despite some of these positive learning outcomes,
approaches used in the research represented a problem-based perspective. That a
problem existed at all is surely implicit in the motivation for undertaking the
investigations completed by Cubey (1992), Burgess (2005), and Ritchie (2002b).
Their motives appear to be almost paternalistic although they were also well
meaning. Indeed, my own initial motivation could be similarly described, for
otherwise there would have been little incentive to carrying out this research.
In relating the context of their research, Ritchie and Rau (2008) note that:
“there is evidence that many centres fall short in the depth to which they are able to
deliver genuinely bicultural programmes” (p. 2). In fact, many of the conclusions
of research into implementation of Tiriti-based curriculum itemised what still
needed to be achieved, including issues about learning te reo Māori, a lack of time,
a shortage of resources, concerns about tokenism, and imposing upon Māori.
Indeed, as will be shown, findings from previous research into implementing Tiriti-
based curriculum are remarkably similar.
The first of the early childhood education Tiriti-based investigations was
undertaken by Cubey (1992) and preceded the draft of Te Whāriki (Ministry of
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