Kaiako perspectives on professional learning and development in structured literacy in Māori-medium settings: A case study

Abstract

This paper examines how kaiako (teachers) view professional learning and development training (PLD) in structured literacy (SL) in a Māori-medium immersion context. Through interviews with kaiako in a kura kaupapa Māori (Māori-medium educational setting) who teach students in Years 1-6, and images of the literacy environment to capture some of the literacy practices in classrooms, participants share their perspectives on their PLD training. The findings revealed some of the difficulties kaiako face, such as limited resources and working within a standardisded curriculum, whilst attempting to implement changes based on their PLD training. The findings highlight the need for support from all stakeholders (including policy makers and the school leadership team) to successfully implement SL in Māori-medium settings. The need for further resources in Māori-medium settings and the challenge of making changes to a standardised curriculum also emerged from the study. Finally, the findings indicate some of the potential benefits of PLD in SL for Māori-medium educators and ākonga (students), such as an understanding of how the brain learns to read, some of the key elements of reading success, and instructional principles for effective literacy instruction.