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

e learnt like a curriculum subject” (J. Burgess, 2005, p. 56). Some teachers
included te reo Māori only because children enjoyed second language learning.
The third group held “neutral or negative opinions” (J. Burgess, 2005, p. 73) of
Māori culture and were more concerned to support a New Zealand focus. Burgess‟
continuum thus spanned the strongly affirmative through to being quite negative
and hence the middle group can be thought of as sitting between appreciative and
deficit approaches. As Bishop and Glynn (2000) have noted, negative attitudes can
influence action: “If the imagery we hold of Māori children (or indeed of any
children), or of interaction patterns, is one of deficits, then our principles and
practices will reflect this, and we will perpetuate the educational crisis for Māori
children” (Bishop & Glynn, 2000, p. 7).
But this is not the whole story, as in order to effectively implement Tiriti-
based curriculum there must be, according to Cubey, sufficient resources, time and
funding to ensure progress. Hansen (personal communication) elaborates that in
order to continuously improve an organisation, the following needed to be all in
place: vision, skills, incentive, resources, and an action plan.
That notwithstanding, early childhood professionals in Cubey‟s study
were also concerned about imposing on already overloaded Māori families. A
similar unease was expressed by participants in the research by Ritchie and Rau
(2006b). Self-reflection, the embracing of change, and humility were important for
non-Māori to bring to their Tiriti-based journeys (Ritchie & Rau, 2006a), because
they are the group for whom change must occur. It is the capacity, therefore, for
educators to change that is important. As Bishop (2008) stated “teacher
effectiveness stands out as the most easily alterable from within the school system”
(p. 49).
With respect to this thesis, that statement provides the impetus for seeking
to transform early childhood educators. As has already been argued, teacher
transformation in the area of Tiriti-based development needs to move forward by
enhancing what is already working – and that means using the appreciative inquiry
model as far as is practicably possible.
Ritchie (2002b) also concurs that “when teachers make a commitment to
bicultural development, the most effective strategy is to identify things that can be
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