A Case Study of how the Vā Shapes School Leadership Strategies to Enhance Selected Pasefika Learner Outcomes
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Asafo, Atua
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Youngs, Howard
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Auckland University of Technology
Abstract
This research is a single site case study about how a Board of Trustees (BoT) and Senior Leadership Team (SLT) draw upon, understand, experience and enact the concept of the vā to inform leadership strategies that improve Pasefika learner outcomes. It explores the concept of vā, the sacred, relational space between people and the importance of relationships in promoting equitable outcomes for Pasefika learners.
As a Pasefika educator and educational leader born to migrant Samoan parents, my work is driven by a fundamental belief that education should empower learners to fulfil their potential, yet I remain deeply concerned by the persistent labelling of our Pasefika learners through deficit-based terms like ‘tail of achievement’, ‘priority learners’ or ‘at risk’. The study utilises the Pasefika research frameworks of Talanoa (meaningful relational conversation), Teu le vā (the act of tidying and nurturing the relational space), and Fa’afaletui (the weaving together of diverse perspectives). Talanoa sessions took place with nine participants from across the BoT and SLT. The resultant narratives revealed shared experiences of teu le vā within the BoT and SLT space; and how it was observed and understood in the school especially with teachers and their interactions with learners.
The findings revealed three main themes:
● Relational vā: relationships within the school are based on a foundation of faith and mirror a familial structure where family like relationships create a sense of belonging.
● Leadership as teu le vā: leadership is expressed through active stewardship of the va and having high levels of relational trust with members of the leadership.
● Cultural capital: The BoT and SLT advocate for acknowledgement of culture, language and identity that the learner brings to the classroom as a pathway to engaging them as learners.
At the core of this study, the vā is recognised as an active and sacred catalyst rather than an empty space. It is rooted in alofa (love), fa’aaloalo (respect) and tautua (service) because of the active stewardship from the BoT and SLT. This research carries significant implications for educational practice by challenging school leaders to dismantle systemic biases and to lead from the heart to enhance Pasefika learner outcomes.