Meiklejohn-Whiu, SelenaJesson, Rebecca Ngaire2026-06-092026-06-092026-04-28English Teaching: Practice & Critique, ISSN: 2059-5727 (Print); 1175-8708 (Online), Emerald, 1-17. doi: 10.1108/ETPC-08-2025-01972059-57271175-8708http://hdl.handle.net/10292/21353Purpose – This study aims to explore how digital learning design can create relational spaces for Moana students to share knowledge and express identity through (counter) storytelling. The authors report on how a Moana-centred website was used to support students’ digital composition of multimodal stories. Design/methodology/approach – Using a design-based research approach, qualitative data were gathered across three phases. Students’ insights informed the design and functionality of the website. Their engagement with the site and reflections inform our understanding of their developing educational identities. Findings – Findings highlighted how culturally responsive digital environments with embedded relational principles support identity exploration and meaningful engagement for Moana students. Practical implications – This research contributes to the understanding of how digital learning spaces can be designed to support the educational identity development of students. Originality/value – It demonstrates the application of culturally relevant digital spaces to foster meaningful educational experiences and offer practical insights for educators and designers aiming to create inclusive learning opportunities.© Selena Meiklejohn-Whiu and Rebecca Ngaire Jesson. Published by Emerald Publishing Limited. This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) licence. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this licence may be seen at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/47 Language, Communication and Culture4703 Language StudiesWorkforce Diversity and Outreach7.1 Individual care needsGeneric health relevance1302 Curriculum and Pedagogy2003 Language StudiesDigital storytellingCounter storytellingEducational identitiesDigital artefactsMultimodalDesign-based researchJournal ArticleOpenAccess10.1108/ETPC-08-2025-0197