Senses of hauora and wellbeing in early childhood initial teacher education: Report of phase one data

Abstract

Auckland University of Technology, Unitec Institute of Technology, The University of Auckland, and Open Polytechnic have joined together to research early childhood student teacher hauora and wellbeing. The project is underpinned by a dedication to treasure and nurture early childhood student teachers during their studies and throughout their journey as teachers and leaders. This research aims to contribute provocations for the design of early childhood teacher education programmes.

We are collectively concerned with better understanding the ways in which student teachers navigate their studies, how the navigated journey contributes to professional learning, identity and experience, and how these factors impact on the hauora and wellbeing of student teachers. We recognise that the study of teaching contributes to each student teacher’s personal and professional understanding of hauora and wellbeing through a complex whole of direct and indirect experiences. This understanding is similarly holistic, including cognitive, affective, and embodied learning.

The study involves multiple phases, beginning with a first phase gathering student teacher views on hauora and wellbeing in their study. This first phase began in October 2020, at which time the nation was in Level One of its pandemic response.

In phase one, student teachers were invited to respond to an online anonymous questionnaire. The survey was completed by 101 participants. A link was provided for participants to share contact details if they were interested in being involved in subsequent phases. The primary purpose of phase one was to provide themes for the development of later phases. The data was analysed through the development of student teacher cases, analysis of themes, and poetic inquiry – the latter of which introduces this Executive Summary as A student teacher’s promise.