Abstract
Intercultural understanding is required for effective intercultural education. The education of Pasifika students (those with cultural and/or family ties to Pacific Islands) living in Aotearoa New Zealand is a negative case in point. Research has linked Pasifika educational achievement to the quality of relationships between teachers and Pasifika students, but has generally stopped short of framing the discussion through Pasifika concepts. This article explores the concept of va (relationship/relatedness) for its potential in telling a relational story in Pasifika conceptual language. It provides grounds for a more nuanced discussion of relationships in Pasifika education by addressing the breadth and transformational power of the application of va. If Pasifika educational research seeks to represent the world as Pasifika students experience it, an awareness of va has its place both in the classroom and in the New Zealand education system as a whole. Appreciating va can make a contribution to intercultural education through deeper intercultural understanding.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: AlterNative: An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
