Aligning Hangarau Perspectives: Exploring Curriculum Coherence in Māori-medium Technology Education - Paper 4 - Academic analysis and recommendations

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by OmBimo

Aotearoa New Zealand Indigenous Māori-medium Technology curriculum coherence is examined through a Hangarau philosophical lens, focusing on three curriculum iterations since the 1990s. The study treats coherence as more than structure, integrating Indigenous knowledge systems, cultural values, and educational philosophies. Data come from Ministry of Education archival files and interviews with curriculum developers and curriculum experts. Document analysis and literature review are used to assess alignment across national, subject, school, and classroom levels, and to connect outcomes with teaching interpretation and support materials. Recommendations target improved alignment and learning.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages19

Reading Time48 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Curriculum design in Māori-medium vs English-medium contexts

The Changing Educational Landscape of Curriculum Design for Māori

Methodology and evidence sources

Findings and recommendations

Aligning Hangarau Perspectives: Exploring Curriculum Coherence in Māori-medium Technology Education Ruth Lemon, Waipapa Taumata Rau – University of Auckland, New Zealand Abstract This paper is the fourth in a series exploring the issue of curriculum coherence in the development and implementation of the three iterations of Māori-medium Technology curriculum from the 1990s to the present. For Indigenous schools, curriculum coherence is not just a structural design issue but also involves the place of their Indigenous knowledge systems, cultural values, and educational philosophies. This paper investigates the challenges and opportunities to develop a Māori-medium Technology curriculum based on an Indigenous philosophy of Hangarau. Data is drawn from Ministry of Education archival files and interviews with developers of curriculum and curriculum support materials. It utilises document analysis and interviews with curriculum experts (referred to as mātanga in this paper) . This study reviews literature around curriculum design in Aotearoa New Zealand, particularly metaanalyses, and reviews, in the context of curriculum coherence. Curriculum coherence affects student learning across various levels: national, subject, school/classroom, and systems. It examines how curriculum coherence relates to the challenge of alignment between curriculum and curriculum support materials for teachers implementing the Hangarau curriculum, and the challenges in teaching of interpreting the learning outcomes. The paper concludes with recommendations to align national curriculum design, content, and implementation for more effective support of developers, teachers, students, and communities in Indigenous language learning contexts, enhancing student learning outcomes. Keywords Hangarau, Māori-medium Technology, curriculum coherence, Indigenous Technology, Technology curriculum Introduction In Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) there are two nationally mandated curriculum frameworks, one for English language educational contexts, referred to as English-medium, and one for Māori language educational contexts, referred to as Māori-medium. Curriculum design for schooling in Aotearoa has evolved in response to a complex interplay of societal, technological, and educational influences, reflecting changing perspectives on teaching and learning and the evolving needs of students and communities. Similarly, curriculum design, both for Māori the Indigenous people of Aotearoa NZ and for other Indigenous groups globally has changed significantly over the decades, influenced by various factors including educational philosophies such as assimilation, globalisation, and changing societal needs. Much has been written about the impact of Eurocentric curriculum on Māori student experiences in English-medium education over the past 150 years (see Benton, 1979; May & Hill, 2018; McKenzie & Toia, 2022; Simon, 1992; Simon & Smith, 2001; Skerrett, 2019; Stewart & Tocker, 2021) . However, there is a paucity of literature examining the impact of Māori curriculum design on Māori-medium education in Aotearoa NZ. This is in part because Māori-medium education and curriculum development are relatively new fields (emerging in the 1980s) and there are few researchers working in these areas. Despite self-determination being one of the key ideologies underpinning Māori-medium education, because of its marginalised nature, it continues to be significantly impacted on by the ideologies underpinning the majority Eurocentric education system. This includes the needs of students in Māori-medium schooling still being determined by the needs of English-medium schooling (Toia, 2021; Trinick, 2015) . This paper examines how the Eurocentric ideologies of the state who control curriculum development in Aotearoa NZ has impacted on the coherence of the various iterations of Māorimedium curriculum development since the 1990s, with a particular focus on the Marautanga Hangarau [Māori-medi

FAQs

What does curriculum coherence mean in this paper?

Curriculum coherence refers to the logical and sequential connection between curriculum elements, ensuring alignment with overall educational goals and promoting meaningful learning experiences.

Which data sources does the study use?

The study draws on Ministry of Education archival files and interviews with curriculum developers and curriculum experts (mātanga), and it uses document analysis alongside a review of relevant literature.

What challenges does the paper focus on regarding curriculum implementation?

It examines alignment between the Hangarau curriculum and curriculum support materials for teachers, and the challenges involved in teaching how to interpret learning outcomes.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by OmBimo