4. Main professional development focus Two areas of professional development have been most commonly engaged in recently by TEOs to enhance responsiveness to both and Pasifika learners: Māori Enhancing engagement with and Pasifika learners, families and Māori communities. Understanding culture and cultural concepts. Supporting teacher self-reflection and self-assessment has also been a common focus. and teacher educators now almost universally recognise “staff developers that reflection on practice is a critical element in professional learning and (Prebble et al., 2004, p.32) development.” These areas align with key broad inter-related categories of professional development that TEOs most commonly identified as of most importance to enhancing responsiveness to both and Pasifika learners. Māori Figure 2: Most important areas of professional development for and Pasifika Māori Most important Understanding Teaching Attitudes, culturally and Pacific approaches, assumptions, Māori specific PD cultures and practices and awareness and cultural context pedagogy proven about to work well for and Pacific Māori and for cultures and Māori Pasifika learners and own culture and values Most important ‘non-culturally’ Capability in numeracy, literacy and assessment specific PD Predominantly, these areas of professional development center on developing a core or foundational understanding of and Pasifika cultures and cultural context, Māori strong teaching approaches to effectively engage and Pasifika learners and Māori their families, and professional development to facilitate own understanding teachers’
4. Main professional development focus Two areas of professional development have been most commonly engaged in recently by TEOs to enhance responsiveness to both Māori and Pasifika learners: Enhancing engagement with Māori and Pasifika learners, families and communities. Understanding culture and cultural concepts. Supporting teacher self-reflection and self-assessment has also been a common focus. “staff developers and teacher educators now almost universally recognise that reflection on practice is a critical element in professional learning and development.” (Prebble et al., 2004, p.32) These areas align with key broad inter-related categories of professional development that TEOs most commonly identified as of most importance to enhancing responsiveness to both Māori and Pasifika learners. Figure 2: Most important areas of professional development for Māori and Pasifika Most important culturally specific PD Understanding Māori and Pacific cultures and cultural context Teaching approaches, practices and pedagogy proven to work well for Māori and for Pasifika Attitudes, assumptions, and about Māori and Pacific cultures and learners and own culture and values Most important ‘non-culturally’ specific PD Capability in numeracy, literacy and assessment Predominantly, these areas of professional development center on developing a core or foundational understanding of Māori and Pasifika cultures and cultural context, strong teaching approaches to effectively engage Māori and Pasifika learners and their families, and professional development to facilitate teachers’ own understanding awareness
Professional-development-practices-and-needs-to-enhance-responsiveness-to-Maori-and-Pasifika-learners-in-tertiary-settings.docx