Indigenous knowledge and cultural responsiveness in my practice

Making a difference

Russell Bishop believes that it is agentic teachers who are fully supported that make a difference. These teachers don't deficit theorise and don't draw on deficit theories as explanations for lack of achievement. They work collaboratively and cooperatively with others shift pedagogy and initiate change. These agentic teachers care and support Maori achievement. The pedagogy they use promotes interactions for Maori that provides feedback/feedforward. They ensure learners understand where they need to go. 

In reading Savage et al work "Culturally responsive pedagogies in the classroom: indigenous student experiences across the curriculum", the words “authentic caring” REALLY speak to me. Often it is not just knowing about a students academic data but so much more. Taking responsibility to shift ones own pedagogy shows a deeper caring relationship in trying to adapt to the way others culture may be influenced over your dominate culture. 

It is about knowing, a child has moved house and is having trouble settling, it is about knowing that a child lives with Nanny and Koro, it is about knowing what their family likes to do together and what they value….it is about knowing and caring. Making the school environment make sense to children and making it one they can thrive in is so important. Student–teacher relationships help improve student outcomes (Cornelius-White, 2007).

School Wide Activities

This is something at our school I believe is quite responsive to culture, we have a weekly Kapa Haka group which is attended by many Maori and non Maori students. The Whanau Roopu is a group of interested Maori parents who get together twice a term, along with a staff representative and discuss all things Maori at our school. This group is highly regarded and consults with the school closely. Our school also has a very large proportion of other cultures including Filipino, Pasifika and Indian. Each of these groups run to a much lesser degree. This is something that the school may be able to help with and improve cultural responsiveness to these other cultures. 

Planning and Assessment

This is something I believe our school is trying very hard to improve, tracking priority learners more closely and trying new teaching methods to improve achievement. I believe there is still room for improvement and possibly we need to look more closely at more culturally responsive planning and also ensuring children are aware of their next learning steps and what they are trying to achieve. We probably need to look at some research based case studies around successful achievement. 

Questions such as those from Te Toi Tupu's Pasifika: Participation, Engagement, Achievement" tool are highly likely to assist our school moving forward. A simple question we could ask ourselves is how our school curriculum reflects content from a variety of cultures and ethnic groups? 



Savage,C, Hindleb, R., Meyerc,L., Hyndsa,A., Penetitob, W. & Sleeterd, C.(2011) Culturally responsive pedagogies in the classroom: indigenous student experiences across the curriculum .Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 39(3), 183–198

Gay,G. (2002). Preparing for culturally responsive teaching. Journal of Teacher Education, 53(2),106-116.

Professor Russell Bishop talks about culturally responsive pedagogy.Source: Edtalks.(2012, September 23). A culturally responsive pedagogy of relations. [video file].Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/49992994