Triangulating Student, Teacher and Family Perceptions to Guide Theory-Based Reform for Engaging Indigenous Students

The racialized, historical legacy of colonization has resulted in intergenerational disparities for disproportionate numbers of Indigenous students across many parts of the globe. In Aotearoa New Zealand, several national school reform and policy initiatives have been undertaken to better improve the schooling system for our Indigenous, Māori learners. The development of walkthrough observations and surveys that ask students, their family members and teachers to ask critical questions is to explore perceptions of their learning experiences within the school reform. A set of tools, known as Rongohiate Hau, has been used to ensure both a more theory-based approach and identify changes over time. This paper presents quantitative and qualitative evidence from 25 secondary schools that indicate the importance of gathering and utilizing evidence such as this, if the “core” of education can be changed and more transformative reform pathways determined.