You are here:
Case study: Te Akau ki Papamoa School
School professional development focus
The development and refinement of a model of student and teacher appraisal was the focus of professional development activities at Te Akau ki Papamoa School. This involved developing:
- effective student and teacher goal setting and evaluation strategies
- teacher expertise in the utilisation of appraisals as a guide to daily curriculum delivery
- alternative forms of assessment
- teacher efficacy in terms of a broadened range of pedagogical and interactional approaches.
Background
Te Akau ki Papamoa and Greerton Village Schools were clustered together for the Te Kauhua Pilot, although each school travelled quite distinct professional development journeys. Because of these different approaches to the pilot, a separate case study overview has been written for each school.
Te Akau ki Papamoa is a decile three, full primary, state school with approximately 375 students, 29 percent Māori and 71 percent non-Māori. The roll fluctuates somewhat due to a number of transient families.
At the time of the pilot, Te Akau ki Papamoa School was just over three years old. It was established in Tauranga's rapidly growing urban area of the Papamoa coastal strip. The school is divided into four pods, each with four classrooms. Each pod has a mix of student year groupings and all classes are composite.
The full complement of teaching staff was involved in the project. This included approximately 18 teachers, two Māori and 16 non-Māori. There were minimal changes in teaching staff throughout the period of the pilot. Kaumatua and kuia became increasingly active in the school over the duration of the pilot, and a whānau whakaruruhau (voice of the people) group was established as a consequence of the Te Kauhua initiative.
The school principal assumed an active leadership role throughout the pilot and the board of trustees was supportive of the project. Two co-facilitators coordinated the project, one was an experienced teacher and the other an educational consultant with a teaching background. The consultant served in a staff professional development facilitation and oversight role.
Intended outcomes
The initial intended outcomes of the Te Kauhua initiative at Te Akau ki Papamoa School were:
- enhanced literacy outcomes for Māori students
- the development of kapa haka, waiata, and te reo Māori as tools to aid Māori student achievement.
As participants' understanding of the purpose of Te Kauhua developed, the focus of the pilot shifted and an additional strand was added to the intended outcomes. This additional strand involved a specific emphasis on developing and refining the student and teacher appraisal system, underpinning all teaching and learning activities at the school.
The professional development initiatives at Te Akau ki Papamoa School were supported by an action research cycle. The context utilised for implementing the action research cycle was student and staff appraisal. Teachers were supported to become researchers in, and reflective of, their practice through the:
- identification of an issue/problem
- identification of strategies to address the issue
- implementation of the strategies
- reflection and evaluation of the effectivity of the strategies
- modification of the issue, concern, or strategy as appropriate.
A number of data collection methods were used to evidence shifts in teacher and/or student behaviour, attitudes, and achievement. The primary data sources included:
- staff journals
- interviews
- questionnaires to parents, students and teachers
- participant observations and document collection and analysis – specifically student appraisals.
The Te Kauhua journey at Te Akau ki Papamoa School centred upon the exploration of a variety of approaches to professional development, with a focus on raising teacher capacity and subsequently, enhanced outcomes for Māori students, within the context of student appraisals.
The student appraisal model is based on a 30-minute tripartite conference involving student, parent, and teacher, held on a 10-weekly cyclical basis (four appraisals per student per annum).
Students, in collaboration with their teacher and parents, set specific goals for a 10-week period. The teacher selects goals, the student selects one goal, and the parents select one goal. The teacher-selected goals are related to the national curriculum and the student's academic growth and development. A numeracy and literacy goal is always included.
Appraisal is a holistic package that includes reflection, assessment, curriculum delivery, reporting, and evaluation. It involves constructive feedback, including celebration of goal achievement, and provides opportunity for reflective dialogue with students, parents, and teachers, in addition to motivation and impetus for future teaching and learning activities.
Appraisal provides the opportunity to engage parents as active participants in their child's educative journey. Furthermore, appraisal affords multiple opportunities for empowering all members of the school learning community towards fulfilling the school mission statement "Leading me to lead my learning". Consequently, all students, teachers, co-principals, and the principal at Te Akau ki Papamoa School model the 10-weekly appraisal and goal-setting cycle.
In working towards enhanced outcomes for Māori students, the professional development model which evolved at Te Akau ki Papamoa School focused upon building teachers' capacity, in terms of strengthening the development of student-teacher–home interactions and culturally inclusive classroom practices.
Research case studies were used as theoretical apparatus to assist teachers develop increasingly finely honed skills in reflection and critique, which resulted in the development of a repertoire of inclusive strategies for working with Māori students.
These case studies also highlighted the critical importance of relationship building, curricular co-construction, and discursive classroom pedagogy in any endeavour toward enhanced achievement outcomes for Māori students.
The use of school-wide professional readings and teacher reflective journals to record personal action research journeys supported the growth of a critically reflective culture in the school community.
Key results
The data indicate positive outcomes for Māori students from the Te Kauhua Pilot at Te Akau ki Papamoa School including:
- The use of appraisals as a guide for curriculum delivery and the integration of goals into the teaching and learning programme, as well as an evaluation tool.
- Goals set at appraisals increasingly guiding student learning activities, thereby enabling students to "lead their own learning" and articulate their knowledge and skill development.
- Appraisal conferences becoming increasingly student led, versus teacher directed.
- Appraisal conferences focusing upon a celebration of student academic achievement and growth rather than behavioural issues.
- Significant evidence of teachers' enhanced understanding of educational theory and associated innovative teaching and learning strategies.
- The development of alternative forms of assessment which more appropriately reflect the learning and teaching environment at the school.
- Full school community involvement in the Te Kauhua initiative ensuring sustainability of the professional development programme.
- Te Kauhua goals embedded in school practices, for example, teachers' position descriptions and appraisal documentation.
- School-wide policies and management enabling and supportive of the goals of Te Kauhua.
- Enhanced home–school relationships resulting in increased Māori parent/whānaui participation in school activities, home set appraisal goals increasingly supportive of school achievement, and a Māori representative co-opted onto the board of trustees.
- Increased Māori parent/whānau /community involvement in school life, evidenced in 90 percent plus attendance of Māori parents/caregivers at appraisals; 75 percent of Hei Awhiawhi Tamariki ki te Panui Pukapuka (HPP) and Pause Prompt Praise (PPP) tutors being Māori parents/caregivers; kaumatua and kuia active participation in school life; increased numbers of Māori parents attending parent professional development initiatives and the establishment of a whānaui whakaruruhau group.
Lessons for ongoing practice
There are clear implications for teachers and school communities from this pilot research.
Firstly, the success of any initiative to enhance Māori student achievement rests upon the unqualified active support and participation of the principal as a leader. Support from the management team, board of trustees, teaching staff, and Māori whānau and community is equally necessary.
Secondly, enabling structures and processes are pivotal to any meaningful and sustainable change. For example, a bi-cultural team of facilitators/consultants is paramount to ensure that Māori aspirations for Māori are met, within a culturally inclusive mode of operation and a teacher release budget allocation. These are the key success factors in this kind of initiative.
Thirdly, staff receptivity and commitment to continual improvement through exploratory, innovative, and challenging pedagogical approaches, is fundamental to the growth of a culture of critically reflective practitioners. The findings suggest that Māori students will achieve when teachers are supported, through professional development, to be critically reflective in and on their practice.
Finally, the ongoing collection of data that evidences shifts in student achievement is critical to the credibility of such an initiative at school, community, and national level.
Conclusion
The Te Kauhua Pilot afforded Te Akau ki Papamoa School the opportunity for teachers to identify within their own practice barriers to student participation, learning, and achievement. It was also influential in bridging the gap between theory and practice and in so doing, facilitated enhanced outcomes for Māori students.
This case study focused on teacher and student experiences and offers an example of an effective and inclusive pedagogical approach to professional development, which enhanced Māori student achievement.
The ongoing challenges at Te Akau ki Papamoa School are strengthening community consultation and the consistent collection of data to evidence progress in terms of enhanced outcomes for Māori students.