The Principles

The Strands

The Te Whāriki approach is informed by multiple pedagogies including the bioecological model, the sociocultural model,  Pasifiki, and Kaupapa Māori theory.

Kaupapa Māori developed as a theory in the 1980s. It was a response to the impact of colonisation on Māori and involved repositioning and centralising Māori as the main focus of Māori actions and positionings.

"the core of Kaupapa Māori is the catch-cry: ‘to be Māori is the norm’. As an analytical approach Kaupapa Māori is about thinking critically, including developing a critique of Pākehā (non-Māori) constructions and definitions of Māori and affirming the importance of Māori self-definitions and self-evaluations." 

Kaupapa Māori theory is drawn from Māori ways of knowing and being and assumes the normalcy of Māori knowledge, language and culture. including Māori children’s whakapapa connections to all things Māori, Māori cosmologies, Māori histories, Māori ways of being and doing, and Māori thinking—these are all tied up in the world views reflected in the language. 

Within the Māori frameworks are centered on the interconnections, ancestral knowledge, spirituality, and holistic view of wellbeing, while also emphasizing the relationship between individuals, communities, and the natural world. 

The Kaupapa Māori theory gives a voice to the Māori aspirations and expresses the ways these aspirations, ideas and learning practices can be situated and organized. This theory emphasizes practices that enable Māori to achieve educational success within the context of their culture. and language.

Kaupapa Māori theory is situated within the land, culture, history and people of Aotearoa New Zealand, constituting a distinctive, contextualised theoretical framework driven by whānau, hapū and iwi understandings. 

Te Whāriki utilises a ​​Mana learning and development framing, aimed at supporting all mokopuna to become competent and confident learners. It stresses holistic learning, highlighting several key affirmations related to mana, including:

• Mana atua: Children understand their own mana atuatanga—uniqueness and spiritual connectedness (Ministry of Education, p. 26).

• Mana whenua: Children’s relationship to Papatūānuku is based on whakapapa, respect, and aroha (Ministry of Education, p. 31).

• Mana tangata: Children have a strong sense of themselves as a link between the past, present, and future (Ministry of Education, p. 36).

• Mana reo: Through te reo Māori, children’s identity, belonging, and wellbeing are enhanced (Ministry of Education, p. 41).

• Mana aotūroa: Children see themselves as explorers, able to connect with and care for their own and wider worlds (Ministry of Education, p. 46).

How is Kuappa Maori Theory applied? 

Pacific values vary from island to island, and it is important to understand the differences between, and within, cultural groups. Each island has unique traditions, customs, languages, and identity. Values such as respect, service, leadership, family, belonging, and relationships are important within Pacific cultures. The values that Pacific learners hold will also be informed by living and working in New Zealand. As with any group, there may be just as many similarities as differences across the learners you see every day. When you understand the values of Pacific peoples, you are in a better position to respond and acknowledge their differences. Your learners and their families bring values that are important and matter to them. This includes cultural behaviour, ideals, standards, and morals

Pasifika approaches that have influenced ECE in New Zealand draw on different ethnic-specific ways of knowing and being, for example, kopu tangata (Cook Islands), falalalaga (Samoan), fale hanga (Tongan), and inati (Tokelau). 

These approaches have respect and reciprocity at their core. This approach sees them as crucial for learning and holds them to the highest value. In this approach the notion of multiple relationships between people, across time, places, and ideologies and the ability to navigate between familiar and unfamiliar worlds and world views, even outside the pasifiki culture is foundational. In this approach there is also value in metaphors, and models which can provide the authentic means of being connected to the familiar and unfamiliar. 

In the Pasifika view children are treasures and the hope for the future. The responsibility for their care is shared by all members of the ‘aiga (extended family). 

Below there will be links to a series of four videos showing kaiako from a range of ECE services across the motu (country). The kaiako share how they support, empower, and nurture Pacific tamaiti and their āiga in their identity, language, culture, and wellbeing across the four interconnected Pacific arts areas.  In this resource we look to the gagana Samoa word for the arts, fa’atufugaga. Pacific arts in this context are laufatu o fa’atufugaga. Laufatu o fa'atufugaga is presented in four areas through authentic cultural practices and rituals. The videos showcase examples of Pacific art forms and demonstrate how they are embedded into everyday life experiences, and how they are interconnected and woven together through combinations of storytelling, oral performance, dance, music, movement, pattern making, and the creation of artefacts such as ula or tapa.

• Laufatu o tala ma fagogo (storytelling and legends)

• Laufatu o pese ma siva (songs and dance)

• Laufatu o mamanu (printmaking)

• Laufatu o le lalaga (weaving)

Framing the examples of Pacific art in all of its forms are the three Turu (principles) of Tapasā (Ministry of Education, 2018).

The principles are:

• Turu 1 – identities, languages, and cultures

• Turu 2 – collaborative and respectful relationships and professional behaviours

• Turu 3 – effective pedagogies for Pacific learners.

The overarching Turu encompass all of the Pacific Islands nations.

Why Pacific arts matter

The arts are a way for tamaiti to connect with identities, languages, and cultures and the ways that cultural heritage is passed on through the generations. Connections to identities, languages, and cultures give a strong sense of wellbeing and belonging, which empowers tamaiti to engage in learning and feel confident to express their own ideas and share their knowledge. When tamariki wellbeing and sense of belonging are strong, they are better able to engage in effective and meaningful learning. Te Whāriki (p. 26) states that “for Pasifika children, wellbeing is a multifaceted concept that encompasses the child, parent, āiga and wider relationships. It is important that kaiako are sensitive to the different ways that the diverse families represented in their setting may understand and seek to promote wellbeing.”

As a powerful form of communication and cultural expression, the arts have the potential to contribute to learning and wellbeing in many ways. It is important that kaiako can recognise and plan for opportunities that support Pacific tamaiti to engage in Pacific art forms and plan for effective learning outcomes throughout all the strands of Te Whāriki.

Successful learning outcomes are assured when kaiako in early learning services are inclusive and ensure that they engage āiga. This is further supported when learners know that their cultural knowledge will be nurtured, valued and sustained.

“Teachers need to understand that Pacific learners inhabit different realities, learn, and engage in multiple ways and come into early learning settings … with unique skills and talents and knowledge”. (Tapasā, Ministry of Education, 2019, p. 9)

In a Pacific worldview, the arts are undertaken with a specific purpose. This could be weaving a basket to carry something, creating patterns and prints for a tapa to be used for a ceremonial occasion, or performing a traditional dance where cultural knowledge is shared through the story told within the dance routine.

These art processes and practices all provide Pacific peoples with ways to feel deeply and spiritually connected to their ancestors and their own histories. Through art experiences like these, children in our early learning services can feel a deep sense of belonging and connectedness.

"An example of Bronfenbrenner’s theory in action can be seen in the ways kaiako in New Zealand respond to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCROC). Kaiako (teachers) work to uphold and protect children’s rights, interests, and points of view from the earliest ages. They recognize children as citizens and preserve their dignity while building their mana and supporting them to build the mana of others." (Te Whariki)