The Te Kōtahitanga project sought to investigate how to improve the educational achievement of Māori students in mainstream secondary school classrooms, by talking with Māori students and other participants in their education. It was from these narratives that the rest of the Te Kōtahitanga project developed.
An Effective Teaching Profile was developed and forms the basis of a professional development intervention.
Three phases of the project have been completed. The first phase examined the experiences of year 9 and 10 Māori students in mainstream classrooms. Student narratives identified that the quality of relationships and interactions between the teachers and Māori students was a key factor to improving student achievement. The Effective Teaching Profile was developed from student narratives and from interviews with parents, principals and teachers. Phase two builds on the findings of the first report and is explored in more depth in the Phase 3 report.