Ako Solutionz tumuaki Susan Ngawati Osborne and Te Ara Wakamana director Nigel Marshall.
Pūrākau, the rich stories of Māori origins, are a key tool in fostering positive communication and relationships within Te Ara Whakamana: Mana Enhancement, a tool designed by Ako Solutionz. Schools across the motu have adapted this framework, demonstrating the power of meaningful interactions and storytelling.
Masterton Primary School is using innovative frameworks to foster positive communication, relationships, and a strong sense of identity among its ākonga with a ‘mana wheel’ tool.
Central to this shift is Te Ara Whakamana: Mana Enhancement, rooted in Māori cultural principles, which helps schools nurture and enhance the mana (core value) of ākonga and kaimahi.
Tumuaki Gene Bartlett says Te Ara Whakamana has been crucial for advancing the school’s social and emotional literacy.
“We’ve been a Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) school for many years, but it lacks the cultural responsiveness we need. Te Ara Whakamana will be PB4L for our school.”
By integrating pūrākau, ākonga and kaimahi connect with and embrace the different sides of kaitiaki (guardians) to develop mutual understanding and meaningful interactions.
Deputy principal Jo Lennox says, “The mana wheel shows the duality of kaitiaki. They have their positive and negative sides, and we reward students for showing the positive traits. Gene developed the taiaha in the centre of the mana wheel to help students express their feelings.”
Tīhei Mauri Ora, ka nui te mihi miharo ki te whānau o te Kura Melville Primary.
We wish to extend a big thank you to the Tumuaki, Bronwyn Haitana, her Boards of Trustees, Kaiako/teachers and staff, ākonga/students and their whānau/families who attended the Te Ara Whakamana Whānau training day on Thursday the 17th of November.
Callum Sanders and I were both grateful for the preparation, the welcome, and the manaakitanga shown by all that made the day run smoothly and enabled korero/conversation to flow. Although the day was wet, whanau came out across two sessions and gave whole-heartedly to the kaupapa/process.
Over the two separate sessions, participants received an overview of the Te Ara Whakamana model and a break breakdown of each of the Atua narrative and the role each play within the model itself. Most importantly, a deeper understanding of why Melville Primary school is utilizing Te Ara Whakamana as a transformational tool to support positive outcomes in learning and relationships across their school community was explained.
To cap off the day, whānau participants were able to practice the model on one another. Opportunities to ask questions and be supported throughout the process was provided along with resources each participant could take home and reference throughout the sessions.
Having had the opportunity to walk alongside you all, we are confident that there are now whānau advocates for the kaupapa of Te Ara Whakamana, spreading the word among you all and generating excitement.
Kia kaha koutou ma. Mauri Ora. Pia Harre, Kaihuawaere / Facilitator
About us
Te Ara Whakamana is a tool designed by: Ako Solutionz Plans and Strategies for Positive Change.
When kura/schools set out on their Te Ara Whakamana journeys, passion, creativity, deep reflection, and innovations often occur. This has been the case at Oaklynn Special School in New Lynn, Auckland in their Rangatahi Unit.
Led by the Tumuaki, Louise Doyle and guided by Head Teachers, Donna and Jonathon, they worked collaboratively with several of the Rangatahi ākonga/young students to create an incredible peace of art representing the Te Ara Whakamana Atua and narrative and weaving in the whakapapa and region of their wonderful school, Oaklynn.
Using the mana/strengths of their Rangatahi, they have created an art piece that now graces the wall of an entrance into their school that sits about two meters in diameter. A stunning eye-catching piece that captures their mana/uniqueness, their āhua/character as a school and community, and the ara/journey they are taking together. You should all feel very proud of your creative efforts. Ngā mihi aroha ki a koutou kātoa. Mauri Ora.
Pia Harré, Ako Solutionz Kaihuawaere / Facilitator
About us
Te Ara Whakamana is a tool designed by: Ako Solutionz Plans and Strategies for Positive Change.
‘An opportunity for a fresh start’ By Nigel Marshall
When a person has behaved in ways that cause injury, discomfort, or disruption they often become ‘storied’. By this we mean that negative information is shared about that person that explains their behaviour as an integral part of who they are, rather than just talking about ‘what they have done’.
For example, a person becomes storied as aggressive, violent, or a bully etc rather than someone who has been aggressive, violent or has bullied.
This can have serious implications when we are seeking to help a person make positive changes.
Instead of looking for the cause of the behaviour in its context, we may be locating the cause of the behaviour in the essence of that person and often in their culture. This story is more likely to be seen as reflecting a fixed determined state that is resistant to change.
Not only can this negative story or view be held by those working with a akonga, e.g. teaching staff, other akonga, whānau etc, it may become internalised and held to be true by the akonga themselves.
If the akonga also believes that their actions are a result of their ‘fixed’ nature and/or culture, their belief and motivation for positive change will also be weakened.
While it is a familiar and all-too human response to generalise and categorise behaviour it is often a major barrier to making positive change.
By focussing on an akonga’s strengths, positive beliefs and values, and structuring opportunities for the akonga to apply those skills, strengths, beliefs, and values in ways that are of assistance to others and reflect well on themselves, we create the potential for a new, mana enhancing, positive story to emerge for the akonga themselves, staff, classmates and whānau.
This new story needs plenty of opportunity to be practiced and must be shared with all those who have previously been privy to the negative storying until the new story becomes the defining description.
This is an example of ‘co-regulation’ where the locus of responsibility for behaviour and self-regulation shifts from resting solely on the individual, to being the shared responsibility of the individual and those of us in that person’s community.
For the Re-storying Guide Template, visit the Te Ara Whakamana Community of Practice here: TAW Downloadable Resources
About us
Te Ara Whakamana is a tool designed by: Ako Solutionz Plans and Strategies for Positive Change.
AATEA Solutions presents this report on the evaluation of Te Ara Whakamana – Mana Enhancement Programme (Te Ara Whakamana) developed and delivered by Ako Solutionz (the developers). In December 2019, this evaluation was commissioned by the Ministry of Education (the Ministry). This was subsequent to earlier agreements and discussions between the Ministry, AATEA Solutions (the evaluators), and the developers that an appropriate evaluative methodology be developed to underpin this evaluation. The evaluation included the development of a methodology plan, kaupapa Māori research scan, evaluation methodology and evaluation of Te Ara Whakamana in schools. These activities were undertaken from December 2019 to October 2020.
Author(s): Kiwa Hammond, AATEA Solutions Ltd. Report for the Ministry of Education
Date Published: July 2021
Executive Summary
Background
The evaluation of Te Ara Whakamana was commissioned by the Ministry following a pilot evaluation conducted in 2017.1 The Ministry noted significant uptake of the model with 23 schools fully trained (whole staff), 13 schools partially trained (some staff), and Resource Teachers: Learning and Behaviour (RTLB) clusters and individuals have received training in Te Ara Whakamana.2 The Ministry also observed that ‘support for schools and RTLB clusters seeking to make informed decisions around the implementation of the model rests on the availability of a robust, independently commissioned evaluation’.3 This report seeks to fulfil that objective.
The report from the pilot evaluation advised the Ministry on the overall effectiveness of Te Ara Whakamana and included investigation of the potential for behaviour change and improved achievement for students with behavioural issues, improved teacher pedagogical practice with respect to managing behavioural issues, and teacher confidence in managing behaviour. The programme was ‘achieving overall effectiveness as a kaupapa Māori behaviour management programme which enhances tamariki Māori, improves student achievement, improves pedagogical practice, and builds teacher confidence’.4
Methodology
This evaluation used predominantly qualitative research methods with some quantitative data analysis provided by the Ministry. The Ministry, the evaluators, and the developers recognised that there were several complexities to developing an appropriate evaluative methodology, including:
Aligning the evaluation with Government priorities and the confirmed outcomes of the Child and Youth Wellbeing Strategy (released 29 August 2019).
The need for quality of evaluations undertaken and adhering to established Ministry guidelines, as outlined through the Ministry of Education Evaluation Hub.
A need to ensure the availability of school data pertinent to the evaluation could be drawn from a timeframe aligned with the school year.5
Reconciling the above with kaupapa Māori methodologies.
Developing Theory
Te Hōkai Rangi – Te Hōkai Nuku is the kaupapa Māori methodology created to underpin this evaluation. The methodology is informed by in-depth understanding of Māori worldviews and philosophies and the practical application of indigenous frameworks. The key evaluation questions were developed through a series of discussions between the evaluators, the Ministry, and the developers. The overarching evaluative question was:
To what extent does Te Ara Whakamana increase schools’ and the education system’s ability to enhance wellbeing for students, teachers, schools, and whānau and communities?
This question was contextualised with the following lines of enquiry:
What conditions enable Te Ara Whakamana to be implemented successfully?
How effective is Te Ara Whakamana as a teaching and learning tool? How has it enhanced teacher praxis and relationships?
How does Te Ara Whakamana integrate with other school and Ministry interventions within the school?
A Māori worldview-based Theory of Change was also developed for this evaluation. The Te Ara Whakamana: Theory of Change draws from the Te Hōkai Rangi – Te Hōkai Nuku methodology, previous research conducted by the evaluators and initial observations of Te Ara Whakamana implementation in schools. The elements and progressions acknowledge the widelyrecognised Poutama — a multi-levelled pathway to enlightenment, self-realisation, and levels of achievement sought and attained.6
The Theory of Change advanced into Poutama: Praxis of Change. The Poutama demonstrates three key elements that progress change and set conditions of success for Te Ara Whakamana.
Evaluation Participants
Initially, a non-random sample of five schools agreed to participate in the evaluation. These schools were representative of the wider network of Te Ara Whakamana schools. Due to circumstances beyond the control of the evaluators, and impacts of Covid-19 restrictions, two schools withdrew from the evaluation. To address this, two more principals (School 4 and 5) were engaged with the evaluation, though in-depth focus groups were not conducted due to time constraints and Covid-19 restrictions.
The participants were either full primary schools or contributing schools. The evaluation did not include secondary schools or kura kaupapa. The demographic descriptions of schools are shown in Table 1.
School
Roll
Māori
Pacific
Pākehā
Indian
Chinese
School Type
1
140
84%
–
9%
–
–
Years 1 to 6
2
314
74%
19%
7%
–
–
Years 1 to 8
3
781
10%
13%
28%
24%
9%
Years 1 to 6
4
72
48%
–
20%
–
–
Years 1 to 8
5
43
72%
23%
5%
–
–
Years 1 to 6
Note:Source: Education Review Office.
The evaluation involved in-depth focus groups and interviews with principals, teachers, students, Boards of Trustees, whānau at participating schools, and discussions with training workshop participants. In total, the evaluation team conducted 16 focus groups, six interviews, and nine pre-meetings. Only two in-person interview/focus groups were permitted due to Covid-19. The remaining interviews and focus groups were conducted online.
The evaluation activities also included:
Attendance, observation, and analysis of presentations and workshops at two 1-day Te Ara Whakamana UnConferences in March 2019 and March 2020.
Observations of four 1-day Te Ara Whakamana training sessions at Communities of Learning (CoL) meetings and customised events at various schools.
These sources combined have laid the foundation of the evaluation methodology, the development of a culturally appropriate theory of change, and compilation, analysis, and articulation of the data gathered. Other relevant research and literature specifically about Te Ara Whakamana, and Māori Wellbeing, was sourced, and this is referred to in the body of evidence presented in this report.7
Quantitative Data
The Ministry was asked to provide an analysis of trends emerging from schools that have engaged with Te Ara Whakamana. This information summarised data on school outcomes for primary schools participating in Te Ara Whakamana, in comparison to similar non-participating primary schools. The information was based primarily on the only measurements available at that time, that is, data provided by schools themselves regarding recorded incidents, stand-downs, suspensions, exclusions, attendance, and teacher turnover.
The Ministry’s analysis recognised that such measurements are inadequate for truly measuring the impact of Te Ara Whakamana but it is still necessary to understand the current baseline data available to identify emerging trends and measure the impact of Te Ara Whakamana. On review of the analysis of trends provided, the evaluators determined that this information added limited value to the overall evaluation.
However, this did highlight the importance and need for the design of quantitative and qualitative tools to measure the impact of Te Ara Whakamana on specific indicators of success like:
Student engagement and achievement.
Whānau engagement, and
Teacher and school effectiveness.
Summary of Findings
A thematic content analysis, informed by grounded theory, was undertaken to analyse the data. This method of analysis was used to identify themes, categories, and examples from the data to inform the findings. Four key themes emerged about the influence and effectiveness of Te Ara Whakamana on:
Wellbeing.
Cultural capability.
Education pedagogy.
Change and Transformation.
Wellbeing
Te Ara Whakamana positively impacts on four significant areas covered by the Wellbeing theme, in categories of emotional regulator, social regulator, relationship tool, and wellbeing model. Te Ara Whakamana supports students, teachers, schools, and whānau and communities to:
Develop understanding and language to communicate about themselves and their emotions which supports emotional regulation.
Establish meaningful relationships that enhance effective teaching philosophies and practices to improve educational outcomes.
Create a school environment that encourages student and whānau engagement and whole school community partnership in education and learning.
Develop a whole school wellbeing framework extending beyond a behavioural model that is culturally responsive and inclusive of the whole school community
Cultural Capability
Te Ara Whakamana has a significant positive cultural impact on whole school communities. The Cultural Capability theme includes categories of Māori wellbeing model and effective relationships. Te Ara Whakamana supports students, teachers, schools, and whānau and communities to:
Increase in knowledge, understanding and application of Māori knowledge, concepts, frameworks and theory to enhance teaching and learning.
Create a strong cultural context for all teaching and learning that is strengths based.
Enhance a schools’ cultural capability and responsiveness, and increase the use of te reo Māori, tikanga Māori and Māori knowledge in teaching and learning.
Engage with whānau, hapū and iwi and wider community to build positive relationships that support teaching and learning.
Education Pedagogy
Te Ara Whakamana has a significant positive impact on Education Pedagogy. The Education Pedagogy theme includes categories of learning tool, teaching practice, student empowerment, and transition. Te Ara Whakamana supports students, teachers, schools, and whānau and communities to:
Develop a whole school approach to improve wellbeing, teaching, learning and achievement.
Develop student-centred, personal, strength-based approaches to teaching and learning across the curriculum.
Encourage student self-efficacy and student empowerment in decision making about their learning.
Support student transition on three levels: transitional plan of learning, transition between classes and schools, and the transition from children to young learners.
Change and Transformation
Te Ara Whakamana can lead to positive change and transformation. The Change and Transformation theme, in categories of professional learning and development, funding and resources, and key conditions for success. Te Ara Whakamana supports teachers, schools, and whānau and communities to:
Engage in professional learning and development to build confidence and competence in implementing and localising Te Ara Whakamana in their schools.
Reflect on and challenge assumptions, attitudes and teaching practices that are not contributing to student wellbeing and positive educational achievement.
Recognize the potential role of Te Ara Whakamana in catalyzing transformational culture change and that financial investment is critical.
Establish and engage in wider Te Ara Whakamana networks of support across schools, including early education providers, education services, social services, health services and the wider community.
Recommendations
The recommendations are presented as opportunities for the Ministry to consider increased investment in Te Ara Whakamana to support:
Aotearoa New Zealand culturally responsive education.
Professional learning and development.
Resource development and on-going support.
Evidencing the positive impact and outcomes for all students.
Investing in Te Ara Whakamana and supporting its implementation in schools will support Aotearoa New Zealand culturally responsive education.
Investing in Professional Learning and Development will enable greater access and support for all teachers and schools in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Investing in resource development and on-going support will increase the effectiveness and impact of Te Ara Whakamana which will lead to improved outcomes for all students.
Investing in the design of quantitative and qualitative tools for measuring the impact of Te Ara Whakamana will support schools to gather data and report to the Ministry on programme effectiveness.
Footnotes:
AATEA Solutions (2017) Mana Enhancement Programme Evaluation: Final Report. Prepared for and submitted to the Ministry of Education. Please note that in the report named here Te Ara Whakamana was referred to as the ‘Mana Enhancement Programme’ or ‘MEP’. Since then, there has been a noted increase in the use of the name ‘Te Ara Whakamana’ regarding this model and so for the purposes of this report the authors have chosen to use that name in its entirety when referring to it.
Ministry in Education Services Statement of Work MOE06064_A.
Ibid.
AATEA/Hammond, 2017, p29; also, as cited by the Ministry in Education Services Statement of Work MOE06064_A.
Ibid.
AATEA/Hammond, 2017.
Lovelock, M., (2020) Te Ara Whakamana: Mana Enhancement Framework in the mahi (work) of New Zealand Psychologists’. A thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand; also Smith, Tākirirangi author., Tinirau, Rāwiri, 1980- editor., Smith, Cherryl (Editor), editor. Whanganui, Aotearoa New Zealand: Te Atawhai o te Ao, [2019].
