University researchers guide that lifts Māori students’ performance recognised with innovation medal

Professor Angus Hikairo Macfarlane (front), Dr Matiu Tai Rātima, Dr Te Hurinui Karaka-Clarke and Jennifer Smith. Photo / Supplied.

The University of Canterbury Council has awarded its innovation medal to education researchers helping teachers with tikanga and cultural skills.

The group, Te Kāhui A Te Rūrangahau, created a user-friendly guide for teachers to use called the Hikairo Schema Book Series, with the goal of fostering cultural responsiveness and inclusive teaching methods.

The medal recognises the way the group – made up of Professor Angus Hikairo Macfarlane (Ngāti Rangiwewehi, Ngāti Whakaue), Dr Matiu Tai Rātima (Te Whakatōhea, Ngāti Pūkeko), Dr Te Hurinui Karaka-Clarke (Te Arawa, Ngāi Tahu), and Jennifer Smith (Ngāti Whātua, Ngāpuhi) – has shared knowledge and ideas with the wider community and achieved positive results.

Macfarlane believes it is the first time there has been a Māori winner of the UC Innovation Medal.

“Māori have always been innovative, and they’ve had to be since the beginning of time with their navigational skills, study of the stars, seas, and forests – so innovation is not a foreign concept or something that’s new for Māori.

“Creating this suite of resources is a project that’s rich in terms of mātauranga Māori and it’s a classic example of culture growing out of the past but functioning in the present and bringing tangible benefits for tamariki, whānau, and kaiako.”

Professor Angus Hikairo Macfarlane. Photo / Supplied

Rātima said the kaupapa of helping teachers have the right tools was important.

“In a matter of minutes, hours or days of preparation they can begin to be engaging and working on developing their practice and become better teachers for all of their tamariki but especially their Māori tamariki.”

Rātima said that what was missing was the knowledge and respect of who Māori were and as teachers started to integrate key aspects of Māori into everyday teaching, all tamariki would benefit.

He said that when a five-year fully funded ministry study involving hundreds of schools collating a vast amount of data was done, it showed that, when these Māori principles were implemented in schools in a sustained way, numeracy and literacy in the school rose for all students - but particularly for Māori students.

“So we know that it works. What we haven’t had is the commitment to carrying on that.”