Crafting Belonging: Exploring the Role of Steiner Handcrafts and Mahi Raranga in Connecting Children to Culture and Place

Abstract

This thesis examines how craft education— specifically, Steiner handwork and mahi raranga— can cultivate a connection to culture and place which fosters a sense of belonging. Semi-structured interviews with two tohunga raranga and three experienced Steiner handwork teachers were conducted. This research conceptualises making as a culturally situated, embodied activity that mediates individual development, is a transmission of cultural knowledge and fosters belonging with a learning group and broader communities. Four theoretical lenses: Experiential Learning, Cultural-Historical Activity Theory, Embodied Cognition and Māori pedagogical principles inform the theoretical foundation upon which I examine the effect craft education has on the learner in terms of their engagement in the task, and outcomes seen in their well-being and engagement with other areas of learning.

Identified gaps that this study intended to address were the lack of peer-reviewed literature in the realm of mahi raranga and Steiner craft education within a New Zealand context in relation to their impact on a child’s developing sense of belonging and self-efficacy. Avenues for further research were discussed in the final chapter, such as, quantitative, longitudinal studies mapping the correlation between ongoing handcraft instruction and its effect on academic achievement and overall well-being.

Key findings outlined in Chapter Four are based on five participants’ observations of their students’ academic and social development, as influenced through the craft making process. Elements such as natural materials, progression of tools, and embedded tikanga or ritual were seen to have an effect on the students’ will, or capacity to focus on a task at hand and see it through to completion. Participants noted that craft lessons helped to foster kaitiakitanga (environmental stewardship) and a connection to the classroom group and wider community. Participants reported these factors to have contributed to students’ developing sense of belonging, as well as improving their manual dexterity, mindfulness, resilience, positive self-concept and confidence to contribute to their communities. These findings illustrated the many factors that contribute to a sense of belonging which positively impacts a child. This work is intended to contribute to the ongoing discourse among educators, policy makers and craftspeople about the relevance of hands-on, practical, creative learning experiences within the New Zealand child’s education.