What can we learn from alternative education in creating connectedness with Indigenous priority learners

Oct 15, 2026

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What can we learn from alternative education in creating connectedness with Indigenous priority learners? The study examines Māori adolescents’ perspectives on secondary schooling in New Zealand’s alternative-education settings, focusing on how connectedness influences self-efficacy. It addresses why Māori students are disproportionately referred to alternative education and identifies key factors behind the loss of connection, using a culturally responsive methodology. Findings highlight the relational practices that help students feel valued and rebuild trust in adults.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages18

Reading Time45 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Literature review - Alternative education

Study purpose and research question

Methodology and participants

Findings and implications

What can we learn from alternative education in creating connectedness with Indigenous priority learners? Katrina Lemon1 and Nigel Calder2 1 Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology, Tauranga, New Zealand 2 Te Kura Toi Tangata, University of Waikato, Tauranga, New Zealand email: [nigel.calder@waikato.ac. nz](nigel.calder@waikato.ac. nz) In New Zealand, limited research has been conducted in alternative-education learning environments and yet some of our most vulnerable students are referred to them by their secondary schools. Since 2000, alternative education has been available for students identified as being behaviourally challenging or are habitual truants. This paper reports on a study that examined the perspectives of Māori adolescents, their experiences of secondary schooling and the affect that these experiences had on their self-efficacy. Importantly, it undertook a culturally responsive methodology. The study gained insights into the reasons behind the disproportionately high number of Māori students being referred to alternative education, and the key elements influencing the loss of connection with their schooling experience. In considering implications for teacher practice, the study identified ways in which teachers can create “connectedness” and therefore improve selfefficacy for these students. Keywords: indigenous education, alternative education, professional development, teaching practice, culturally responsive, connectedness, relational practice Introduction There is a scarcity of research in New Zealand that has been conducted on the alternative-education learning environment and yet some of our most vulnerable students are referred to these environments by their secondary schools (Lemon, 2017) . Since the year 2000, alternative education has been an education option for students who are generally behaviourally challenging or habitual truants (Ministry of Education (MOE), 2016a). They have been identified as not engaging in formal learning (MOE, 2009) . Additionally, these and other reluctant learners usually have no, or very few, formal qualifications, with literacy and numeracy frequently identified as areas where they are no longer engaged (Calder & Campbell, 2016; MOE, 2009) . This paper reports on a study that examined the question: “In what ways do the perceptions of connectedness of Māori students in alternative education secondary schools affect their self-efficacy within the learning environment?”. The lead author is a Māori woman from Ngāi Te Rangi and Ngāpuhi iwi (tribe) . She is an Academic Advisor at Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology and has taught in both mainstream and alternative secondary school settings. She brings a depth of lived experiences and recognisable insights through her relational approach to the project and the lens that was applied to the data. She also acknowledged the importance of reflexivity throughout the research and the use of a cultural advisor to best ameliorate any unintended interpretations of the data. The co-author is Pākehā (New Zealander of European descent), and uses culturally responsive pedagogy in his practice. He has been invited to research in externally funded projects using Kaupapa Māori methodology. (Kaupapa Māori methodology preferences the legitimacy of Māori language, knowledge, and culture, and is explained further in the Methodology section.) While acknowledging the tensions with educational equity discourses inherent to the notion of alternative schools, both authors nevertheless saw the key focus of the research as the examination of insiders’perspectives about their experiences, as situated within an Aotearoa New Zealand socio-political discourse. The research study considered the perspectives of Māori adolescents and their experiences of secondary schooling at an alternative education centre (AEC) situated in a provincial city. More specifically, the study explored the perceptions of connectedness of Māori students in the alt

FAQs

What is the main research question about Māori students in alternative education?

The study asks how Māori students’ perceptions of connectedness in alternative education secondary schools affect their self-efficacy within the learning environment.

Why are Māori students referred to alternative education, according to the study?

The research investigates reasons behind the disproportionately high number of Māori student referrals and where students perceive the loss of connection in their schooling experience.

What do participants say about the alternative education centre’s impact on students?

Participants report that the centre is a place where students are valued, loved, understood, and cared for, leading students to regain a love for education, develop self-efficacy, and rebuild trust in adults.

Oct 15, 2026

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