Whakatupua te rito: Improving the experiences of postgraduate tauira Māori within vocational education

Abstract

WHY THIS STUDY? Māori students generally do not attain the same levels of tertiary success as Pākehā New Zealanders across all levels of higher education including postgraduate study (Richardson, 2018).

Chauvel and Rean (2012) in their assessment of this scholarship maintain, however, that the prevailing focus of the literature is on school to university transitions with a particular focus on the university environment. As they suggest “there is little information available in recent literature about the contribution of TEOs (tertiary education organisations) to the advancement of Māori research and knowledge as well as approaches that have worked well to successfully engage learners at higher levels of study” (p. 71-72)

• The importance of the next generation of Māori researchers/practitioners • Significant change in vocational education in Aotearoa where VE is being reimagined • The voices of postgraduate tauira Māori need to be included • Our own experience working alongside tauria Māoru at PG level

Key insight: Kaupapa Māori expertise and ‘Postgraduate students as experts’