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Talanoa research methodology: a developing position on pacific research.
No full textThis paper contributes to the theorising on Pacific research approaches from a personal and Tongan perspective. At the same time, it suggests that the majority of the thinking and concepts discussed have similarities and common implications for most other Pacific communities in Aotearoa/New Zealand. In the paper, I discuss the underpinnings of what constitutes ‘normality’ in relation to research approaches. In order to theorise an appropriate approach to researching Pacific educational and social issues in Aotearoa, I discuss the influence Pacific indigenous values have on the way New Zealand Pacific peoples see their worlds
The challenges to disaster risk reduction education in the South Pacific
No full textThe Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 2014 (IPCC) report confirms its 1990 research that a 30-50cm sea level rise projected by 2050 will threaten low lying islands, and that a 1m rise by 2100 ‘would render some island countries uninhabitable’. This article addresses the challenges to disaster risk reduction education, how Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) can respond to these challenges, and share initiatives to address disaster education and ESD in the South Pacific
Kahokaho: ‘Ufi from the God/s; its future in the hands of people
No full textFor people like the Tonga, planting the seeds and harvesting signifies being in harmony with nature and the gods who regulate the process with sufficient rains at the right time and measured amounts of sunshine that helps the plants prosper, in a cycle of life that repeats itself from year to year. Failing rains show that the harmony between men and the gods has been disturbed, and people are often able to appease the gods and restore the harmony of nature. But now that nature seems to be off-balance all the time people are bewildered, and Adult Education has to find new roads to help them understand the changed conditions and cope with them. Timote Masima Vaioleti, chairman of the Indigenous Maori and Pacific Education Charitable Trust (IMPAECT) in New Zealand, describes the challenge
Epilogue.
No full textThe article presents an epilogue for the January 01, 2006 issue of the journal "Waikato Journal of Education.
Learning as spirituality and nurture - Pacific indigenous peoples' perspectives of lifelong learning
No full textThis paper discusses characteristics of an adult education practice for peoples in the Pacific. There is no one Pacific way as the Pacific population is diverse consisting of many cultures, languages, social structures and differing colonial experiences. For many Pacific peoples learning is holistic, is driven by cultural motivation, which is often for the benefit of their extended families(the collective)rather than personal gains or self-actualisation. Learning is constantly intervened by spiritual matters, the same being true for most aspects of Pacific peoples’ day-to-day lives. Therefore spirituality is integral to learning at all levels formal and informal
Talanoa, Manulua and Founga Ako: frameworks for using enduring Tongan educational ideas for Education in Aotearoa/New Zealand
No full textEducational achievement for Pacific students is a Government priority according to the Pacific Plan 2009- 2012 (Ministry of Education, 2009). For Tongan students though, Thaman (1988) highlights major differences in Pacific parents educational aims stating that for them, there is a focus on social and moral aspects of learning and the utilisation of learned capabilities for the common good, rather than a sole focus on individual advancement (pp. 236-237). Education for Tongan students then may need a different approach to recognise Thaman’s finding. This thesis advocates for the inclusion of Tongan educational concepts and values in teaching and learning in Aotearoa/New Zealand. This thesis also argues that in Aotearoa/New Zealand’s schools, Tongan students should be exposed to their own language, moral, social and spiritual concepts, important elements of their culture. The central proposition of this thesis is that Tongan students will achieve better and more meaningful educational outcomes in the country’s primary, secondary and tertiary institutions through improved self-esteem, stemming from an acknowledgement of their Tongan identity and the knowledge that their unique ways of learning are respected in Aotearoa/New Zealand’s education system. To provide a context for my argument, I begin with the journey that I undertook with the support of my fonua, which eventually led me to write this thesis. My approach to addressing the research question involved both an extensive review of the literature as well as numerous talanoa with groups and individuals in several countries. In order to gather the information I required, it was necessary to develop a method that respected the polity and culture of the Tongan people with whom I worked. The appropriate Tongan approach was one that employed the metaphor of the kakala (Thaman, 1993a, 1997a) as an integrating framework for what I term as Talanoa Research Methodology. The information gained and knowledge co-constructed from application of this methodology form the substance of the thesis. From using the Talanoa Research Methodology, information gathered and co-created from numerous talanoa, were used to create an ideal sense of being for a Tongan which is one who is a balanced spiritual social being who is at harmony with self, family, the environment and his/her God/s. This ideal context incorporates an ongoing fusion, negotiation and balancing of supernatural beliefs with the demands of contemporary living. This state is symbolically represented by the ancient motif of manulua. It is proposed that fostering this ideal cultural state in the classroom should be a central aim in education for Tongans. An integrated learning approach that can be used by both teachers and students, one that employs the Tongan educational concepts of ‘ofa, ‘ilo, poto, fatongia and fonua, is suggested to guide teaching and learning that could prepare them to a balanced and harmonious life where they culturally function fully in their own community. I call this integrated learning framework or pedagogy, Founga Ako. Founga Ako framework, along with Talanoa Research Methodology and Manulua gifted from ancestors, kaunga fau and kau nga fa’u represent the three completed kalala I am preparing to luva from this thesis. These are indicative of my ‘ofa and gratitude to my former teachers, family members, inspirational Pacific and other leaders who have nurtured me. The learnings for Tongan students will then be more holistic and aligned to their cultural ways and the aspirations of their communities
Climate change education in Tongan secondary schools
Get PDFChildren are among the most vulnerable groups to the adverse impacts of climate change. They can be psychologically disturbed and rendered powerless by the magnitude of its impacts. Tonga and its island groups are extremely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and these impacts affect the environment, the people and their livelihoods. Article 6 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) directs countries to consider education, training, and public awareness as integral responses to climate change. Climate change education empowers children to learn about how to minimise the impacts of climate change and learn to adapt and live sustainably in an environment already affected by climate change. In order to plan and design effective climate change education, it is crucial to determine students’ and teachers’ conceptions and misconceptions of climate change, their attitudes and motivations to act about climate change, and the climate change curricula in schools. This research then explored secondary school teachers’ and students’ awareness, knowledge, attitudes about climate change and their motivations to act upon it. This research also explored the place of climate change in the school curriculum in Tonga. This research also examined how talanoa as a form of interactive engagement and communication could help students to learn to understand and address climate change and its impacts.
Talanoa, which is a Pacific research methodology, was used in this research to inform and guide its data collection. This study adopted a mixed method approach, in which culturally appropriate methods such as talanoa fakataautaha (one-on-one talanoa) and talanoa fakatokolahi (group talanoa) and vakavakai’i (observation) were mixed with Western methods, including questionnaires and document analysis. Talatalanoa and tālanga were the two methods of talanoa used to conduct the talanoa fakataautaha and talanoa fakatokolahi. Data were collected in two phases. Phase One involved questionnaires and talanoa fakatokolahi with Class 10 teachers and students from two secondary schools in Tonga, and talanoa fakataautaha with officials from the Ministry of Education and Training (MET) and the Ministry of Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Climate Change and Communications (MEIDECC) in Tonga. The document analysis included documents such as the current school curriculum and syllabuses.
The findings indicated that students and teachers are aware of and worried about climate change, but they lacked a rich conceptualization of the issue and held misconceptions. Data indicated that both students and teachers in Tonga were unsure of causes of climate change but were aware of impacts. Students expressed concern, and a desire to learn more, about climate change. The findings also indicate that Tonga is lacking curriculum integration of climate change education. Teachers stated that climate change issues are not addressed by the syllabus effectively, and reported that they needed professional development to enhance their knowledge and understanding about climate change-related issues.
A climate change education intervention was then designed based on theoretical principles of climate change education, students’ and teachers’ perceptions, recommendations from Government officials and recommendations from literature. The climate change education intervention was trialled with one class and their teacher at a secondary school in Tonga. Talanoa was employed as a teaching and learning approach using ideas of talanoa fakatoka, talanoa felāfoaki, and talanoa kavekavehoko. Firstly, a professional development was conducted with the teacher through talanoa and was effective in using talanoa felāfoaki or co-construction to help improve the teacher’s knowledge about climate change. Secondly, the talanoa approach sought to build relationships within the classroom, recognise students’ experiences and understandings and give voice to their concerns.
The outcomes of the intervention indicated that climate change education could enhance and improve students’ and teachers’ knowledge about climate change-related issues, high student engagement, successful learning and a motivation to play a part in their own futures. Students and the teacher who implemented the climate change intervention recommended talanoa as an effective approach to teach and to learn about climate change in Tonga. The implementation of the three types of talanoa contributed to their successful learning of the topic. They helped to create an environment for learners to interact and communicate effectively. They also helped to explore learners’ existing knowledge about climate change, and areas that were needed to be addressed during the teaching and learning process. Students indicated that talanoa helped them to co-construct ideas and helped them learn more from their peers.
This research contributes to an understanding of how climate change education, and use of talanoa could enhance students’ and teachers’ awareness of, knowledge and attitude about climate change, and their motivation to act upon climate change. In addition, this research indicates that climate change education could address and correct alternative conceptions that are commonly held among students and teachers in Tonga about climate change. The outcomes of this research could give urgency to the Tonga Ministry of Education and Training to re-consider the importance of including climate change education in the school curriculum and across various disciplines
Ko e Fungani Mo'onia 'o e Faiako Ma'a Tonga: Understanding the professional attitudes of the valued teachers of Tonga
Get PDFThe purpose of this study is to help provide empirically informed insights as to how the Tongan Government teachers’ positive attitudes could be developed and enhanced. In Tonga, the erosion of teacher attitudes, commitment, and professionalism has been recognised (Fua, Manu, Takapautolo, & Taufe’ulungaki, 2007; Matafahi & Fusitu’a, 2009; Taufe’ulungaki, 2012; 2013; Thaman, 1998). This study is an attempt to help address these issues. Within this context, this thesis advocates the need to have an in-depth, and more holistic understanding of Tongan teachers’ professional attitudes: what they are; how they are understood; and how they were formed and strengthened. These are considered initial steps towards informing professional attitudes enhancement activities for Tongan Government school teachers. The findings of this study are an original contribution on the subject of teacher professionalism in terms of teacher professional attitudes, professional attitude formation, and professional attitude strengthening.
This study has drawn support from various disciplines and theories, which include Evans’ Professionalism Model (2008; 2010; 2011; 2014), Bronfenbrenner’s General Ecological Model (1979; 1994; 1999), and Hermans and his colleagues’ Dialogical Self Theory (Hermans & Gieser, 2012; Hermans & Hermans-Konopka, 2010). These theories act as theoretical bridges and provide lenses for the exploration of Tongan teachers’ professional attitudes.
This study is both constructivist and constructionist in epistemology, with multiple theoretical perspectives, being interpretive, phenomenological, Pacific, and Tongan. A mixed methods research design complemented by a Kakala Mo’onia Pedagogical Positive Deviance methodological approaches were used to understand the Faiako Ma’a Tonga’s (valued teachers of Tonga) professional attitudes. A presurvey, survey and Talanoa Fungani Mo’onia were the major data collection instruments employed. This study relies mainly on a qualitative data collection to answer the research questions.
The main findings of the study revealed that the Faiako Ma’a Tonga understood that professional attitudes are life entities intricately linked to teachers’ hearts, they are values and beliefs; good and right behaviours teachers have. Also, professional attitudes have certain features including reflective, persistent, pervasive, transcendental, and positively influential.
These features signify professional attitudes are partly spiritual in nature. Professional attitude formation and professional attitude strengthening are processes that are context-related, framed by various complex and inter-related factors, centred around teacher selves, and in many cases mediated by individual(s) of certain professional calibre attitudinally. Typically, they are those who consistently dared to be different in positive ways, hence they possess strong, refined, elegant attitudinal qualities that invite attention, admiration, and imagination (Bronfenbrenner, 1999). Approaches yielding positive energy for teachers are typically what needed to strengthen teachers’ professional attitudes.
The concept of Mo’onia is central in this study, from which other original conceptual framework, models, and research method have been derived including the following: Mo’onia Attitude Conceptual Framework-A Tongan Perspective; Kakala Mo’onia Pedagogical Positive Deviance Research Model; Talanoa Fungani Mo’onia research method, Kupesi Lilo-‘o e- To’onga (KLOT) model, and Fale Ako ‘o e Mo’onia Professional Attitudes Enhancement Model. They are also original contributions of this thesis in terms of theory, research, and practice. Key implications of the study include suggestions for a society-wide approach to effective development and strengthening of teachers’ PA, and a strong moral value and belief-based education is critical if Tonga is to be successful in reclaiming and cultivation of teachers’ professionalism and professional attitudes
Report on UNESCO End of Decade Conference on Education for Sustainable Development
No full textEducation for Sustainable Development (ESD), now often referenced to Education for Global Citizenship has a new platform for implementation through the Global Action Plan and the Aichi Nagoya Declaration. The Global Action Plan provides a structure for States and Organizations to make commitments for ESD¹. The Aichi Nagoya Declaration expresses responsibility for the transformative task of ESD²
Inclusion of indigenous peoples in CONFINTEA VI and follow-up processes
No full textThis paper discusses key issues raised by indigenous peoples during CONFINTEA VI and proposes strategies to enable them to participate in ongoing processes. Indigenous peoples are not involved in the design, implementation and monitoring of adult education programmes, and this often results in a “one-size-fits-all” model. This article takes the position that indigenous people must have full and effective participation in all matters which concern them and that well-meaning policy statements are only as effective as the display of real effort to make them work. One example of an indigenous community taking initiative in order to free itself of overwhelming deficit positioning by mainstream educational and other systems is the Māori community of Aotearoa/New Zealand. The paper argues that through CONFINTEA VI, there is still space for the voice of indigenous peoples to be heard
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