Teacher experiences and perceptions related to developing a culturally and linguistically responsive emergent bilingual literacy program in Aotearoa New Zealand - A collaborative case study

Oct 15, 2026

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The article examines teachers’ perceptions and experiences in a collaborative case study adapting a literacy approach originally developed for an Aotearoa New Zealand English-medium setting. The adaptation responds to learners in a school with varying levels of bilingual education. Qualitative findings from two classroom teachers highlight that linguistically and culturally responsive emergent bilingual literacy development depends on Kaupapa Māori approaches, including ako, trust-building relationships, and teachers’ agentic implementation, strengthening connections among teachers, children, and families.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages16

Reading Time40 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Language decline and colonisation

Contemporary views of language as a resource

Bilingual education and immersion approaches

Teacher experiences and perceptions related to developing a culturally and linguistically responsive emergent bilingual literacy program in Aotearoa New Zealand: A collaborative case study Amanda Denston¹, Rachel Martin ¹, ², Mel Taite-Pitama³, Awhina Green³, Reece Gough³ and Gail Gillon⁴ 1 College of Education, Health, and Human Development, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand, and Better Start National Science Challenge, Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand 2 College of Education, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand, and Better Start National Science Challenge, Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand 3 Te kura o Tuahiwi, Canterbury 7691, New Zealand 4 Child Well-being Research Institute, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8140, New Zealand, and Better Start National Science Challenge, Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand In this article we discuss teachers’perceptions and experiences of a collaborative case study to adapt a literacy approach originally designed for an Aotearoa New Zealand English-medium context. The approach was adapted to meet the needs of learners in a school offering differing levels of bilingual education. Our collaboration included a facilitating researcher, supported by two researchers at a university (of Ngāi Tahu, Kati Mamoe, and Waitaha descent) and two classroom teachers of Māori descent from a small rural Māori community in Aotearoa New Zealand. We report findings from qualitative data collected from the two classroom teachers as part of the research process, analysed using a wānanga (safe spaces for sharing knowledge) approach. Findings suggested that developing a linguistically and culturally responsive literacy approach to foster emergent bilingual language development required Kaupapa Māori (by, with, and for Māori) approaches. These included ako (acknowledging the experiences and knowledge of the teacher and learner within shared learning experiences), the development of trust and quality relationships between the teachers and the facilitating researcher, and the ability of teachers to be agentic when implementing the approach. Teachers viewed responsiveness to culture and language as integral to developing an emergent bilingual literacy approach for children, which underpinned connections between teachers, children and families. Keywords: bilingual education, indigenous languages, teacher pedagogy, bilingual children, teacher perceptions Introduction Many languages are experiencing decline in their use (UNESCO, 2003) . For indigenous languages users, the likelihood of language loss, extinction or endangerment is significant because of the interaction between external (e.g., education, economics and culture) and internal forces (e.g., one’s own or community-based beliefs) that align social position, including advantages or disadvantages, with cultural values and beliefs (UNESCO, 2003). Thus, languages may be retained or discarded, depending upon the perceived worth of the language to aspects such as social mobility, economic wellbeing, and cultural discrimination or assimilation, which may be further reinforced by practices and policies that reiterate external forces. Language loss is closely related to the effects of colonisation (Hinton et al., 2018) . Colonisation practices have actively sought to develop citizen practices that reinforce monolingualism; that is, the notion that one language is the norm for any given nation (Seals et al., 2019) . Indigenous languages were viewed as problematic during colonisation. Policies were enacted to force a language shift that replaced indigenous languages with those considered to hold social privilege or status, including English (May, 2018; Skerrett, 2012). Early revitalisation practices related to

FAQs

What is the core focus of the collaborative case study?

The study explores teachers’ perceptions and experiences while adapting a literacy approach to support emergent bilingual learners in an Aotearoa New Zealand school with differing levels of bilingual education.

Why does the article connect emergent bilingual literacy to Kaupapa Māori approaches?

Findings indicate that culturally and linguistically responsive literacy development requires Kaupapa Māori principles, including ako, trust and quality relationships, and teachers’ agency when implementing the approach.

How does the article frame language loss and colonisation?

It links indigenous language loss to colonisation-driven practices that reinforce monolingual norms and promote language shift toward dominant languages such as English, often through education and policy.

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by Kurz