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Mate Ma'a Tonga: An Insider Lens on Pasifika Secondary Schooling in Auckland

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Dissertation(641.52 KB)

Date

2025

Authors

Supervisor

Ualesi, Yvonne
Stewart, Georgina

Item type

Dissertation

Degree name

Master of Education

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Publisher

Auckland University of Technology

Abstract

There’s more to being a Pasifika secondary school learner in Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand, than just being part of the statistics and graphs. There’s something unique about who Pasifika students are as learners, and the values they bring into the classroom. As part of Pasifika history in Aotearoa New Zealand, Pasifika students have been in Auckland secondary schools for more than 50 years, and in that time their journeys have been researched and documented by many academics and social researchers. But many of these reports focus on the negative aspects and failures of Pasifika learners. It is important that schools, teachers and policy writers are continuing to re-examine, discuss and deliver strategies and methods that suit the way Pasifika students behave and interact in the classroom environment. This research draws on Pasifika education research and policy literature alongside personal narratives and autoethnography to examine the experiences and achievements of Pasifika secondary students from my unique insider perspective as a Tongan teacher and school leader. The ongoing challenge of Pasifika students experiencing lower academic success is my motivation to undertake this research to find the underlying reasons. One important finding is that there is a lack of empirical and statistical research producing robust and quantitative data about the experiences and achievements of Pasifika secondary students. Despite the extensive body of literature on Pasifika education, most of the findings, theories and policies being suggested are developed primarily based on assumptions and opinions. There is reliable evidence to show that Pasifika families in Auckland are concentrated in the lowest socioeconomic bands, yet these wealth gaps are ignored in favour of holding schools responsible for student achievement. My research reveals that secondary schools tend to delegate the achievement of their Pasifika students to the few Pasifika teachers and school leaders on their staff. Pasifika education policy continues to rely on cultural responsiveness, while teacher expectations of Pasifika learners continue to be influenced by deficit thinking. Under these conditions, it is no surprise that Pasifika secondary students continue to experience underachievement.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10292/19542

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Masters Dissertations