"Whiriwhiria, kia ora ai te tamaiti": An exploration of matauranga Maori to support day-to-day learning in five primary schools in regional New Zealand

This study explores how a purposively selected sample of mainstream primary schools in regional New Zealand incorporate matauranga Maori (traditional Maori (Indigenous people of New Zealand) knowledge) into school life to support successful learning. Qualitative semi-structured interviews with five principals of low advantage schools with high Maori student populations identified six themes focused on creating a curriculum built around Te Ao Maori (Maori worldview). They were mainstream curriculum not fit for purpose for Maori learners, blending of matauranga Maori and western knowledge, matauranga Maori as learning and educational experiences, matauranga a-iwi (local Maori knowledge) and achievement fit for tamariki (children). Matauranga Maori is incorporated into these schools' environment to support learning, but the mainstream curriculum can be a challenge for schools wishing to promote Maori ways of being. Some schools, however, supported a He Awa Whiria (braided rivers) approach to education, the interweaving of both western practices and matauranga Maori.