Teaching and Learning in the Supervision of Indigenous Doctoral Students

Author(s):

Barbara Mary GrantElizabeth McKinleyKathie Irwin Sue Middleton

Conference:

ECER 2008

Network:

22. Research in Higher Education

Format:

Paper

Session Information

22 SES 08A, Supervision Practices in Higher Education

Paper Session

Time:

2008-09-12

08:30-10:00

Room:

B2 213

Chair:

Mari Karm

Contribution

Our research investigates theoretical, cultural and practical questions about the supervision of indigenous (Māori) doctoral students in post-colonial Aotearoa New Zealand. For some time and in various fora, Māori doctoral students have consistently reported significant concerns related to supervision, in particular struggles with supervisors over matters of epistemology and methodology. Responding to these concerns, as well as to a national imperative to increase the number of Māori doctoral graduates, we asked current and recently graduated students to talk about their experience of supervision. We particularly asked them to describe teaching and learning practices within that experience. This paper shares findings from interviews and focus groups with about 40 Māori doctoral students from several institutions and across a wide range of disciplines. It reports on a range of challenging issues that can arise in the supervision of indigenous students but also on some of the teaching and learning practices that are described as valuable to assisting the student successfully complete their doctoral programme.

Method

Our research team includes both Māori and Pākehā researchers. Our methodology is influenced by Linda Tuhiwai Smith’s (1999, p.120) principles for working with indigenous peoples. These include cultural values of respect for the people (aroha ki te tangata); face-to-face meetings (he kanohi kitea); being generous (manaaki ki te tangata); being cautious with conclusions (kia tupato); respecting the dignity of the person (te mana o te tangata); and knowledge sharing. Here we find ourselves positioned similarly to many of those we are interviewing, seeking to conform to what counts as “rigour” in academic/ scientific research conventions and also to be culturally relevant (Irwin, cited in Smith, 1999), in the hope that the project can “make a positive difference for the researched” (Smith, 1999, p.191). Using these insights we have critically analysed institutional policy documents pertaining to doctoral supervision, and qualitative data collected through focus groups and one-to-one interviews with 40 Māori doctoral students. Using these insights we have critically analysed institutional policy documents pertaining to doctoral supervision, and qualitative data collected through focus groups and one-to-one interviews with Māori doctoral students.

Expected Outcomes

There is a range of complex issues that emerges in the supervision of Māori students that must be attended to for the supervision to be successful. Some of these issues, however, are the result of the post-colonial context in which such supervision takes place and hence will require structural change over time. More immediately, there is much that can be learned about the teaching and learning practices that are the hallmarks of successful doctoral education experiences for Māori students.

References

Beck, J., & Young, M. F. D. (2005). The assault on the professions and the restructuring of academic and professional identities: A Bernsteinian analysis. British journal of sociology of education, 26(2), 183-197. Bernstein, B. (2000). Pedagogy, symbolic control and identity: Theory, research, critique. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman and Littlefield. Fitzgerald, T. (2005). Partnership, protection and participation: Challenges for research supervision in Aotearoa/New Zealand. In P. Green, (Ed), Supervising Postgraduate Research: Context and Processes, Theories and Practice. Melbourne: RMIT University Press. Henkel, M. (2005). Academic identity and autonomy in a changing policy environment. Higher education, 49, 155-176. Jones, A. (1999). The limits of cross-cultural dialogue: Pedagogy, desire, and absolution in the classroom. Educational Theory, 49(3), 299-316. Kidman, J. (2007). Supervising Māori doctoral candidates. In T. Evans & C. Denholm (Eds), Supervising Doctorates Downunder. Camberwell: ACER Press. McNaughton, S. (Nov 1992) Māori education in a university education department: processes of development. Paper presented at the Māori Education Symposium at the Second Joint AARE/NZARE Conference, Deaking University, Geelong, Australia. Middleton, S. (2007). The place of theory: Locating the New Zealand "Education" PhD experience. British journal of sociology of education, 28(1), 69-87. Middleton, S. (2001). Educating researchers: New Zealand Education PhDs 1948-1998, 'State of the Art' Monograph, No 7. Palmerston North: New Zealand Association for Research in Education. Ministry of Education (2003) The Māori Tertiary Education Framework: a Report by the Māori Tertiary Reference Group. Wellington, Ministry of Education. Ministry of Education (2006a) Māori in doctoral study (Fact Sheet). Wellington, Ministry of Education. (http://educationcounts.edcentre.govt.nz/publications/index.html) Ministry of Education (2006b) Māori in postgraduate study (Fact Sheet). Wellington, Ministry of Education. (http://educationcounts.edcentre.govt.nz/publications/index.html) Ministry of Education (2007) Māori participation in tertiary education 2005 (Fact Sheet). Wellington, Ministry of Education. (http://educationcounts.edcentre.govt.nz/publications/index.html) Pope, C. (2006). Kaupapa Māori research, supervision and uncertainty: What’s a Pākehā fella to do? Paper presented at the 7th International Interdisciplinary Conference on Advances in Qualitative Methods, Surfers Paradise, July 13-16 (15pp). Rangihau, J. (1977) Foreword: Learning and tapu. In King, Michael (ed) Te Ao Hurihuri, The World Moves On. New Zealand, Hicks Smith & Sons/Methuen N.Z. Ltd. Rewi, P. (2006). Te Ao o te Whaikorero: The world of Māori oratory. In M. Kiley & G. Mullins (Eds.) Quality in Postgraduate Research: Knowledge Creation in Testing Times. Canberra: CEDAM, ANU, p.157-166. Smith, L.T. (1999) Decolonizing methodologies: research and indigenous peoples. London, Zed Books. Tertiary Education Commission (2004) Strategy for the TEC: working with Māori 2004-2007. Wellington, Tertiary Education Commission. Tertiary Education Commission (2007a) Tertiary Education Strategy 2007-2012. Wellington, Tertiary Education Commission. Tertiary Education Commission (2007b) Performance-based research fund: evaluating research excellence for 2006 assessment. Wellington, Tertiary Education Commission. The University of Auckland (2006) University of Auckland Profile 2007-09. Auckland, University of Auckland.

Author Information

Barbara Mary Grant

The University of Auckland

Centre for Academic Development

Auckland

162

Elizabeth McKinley

The University of Auckland, New Zealand

Kathie Irwin

Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi, New Zealand

Sue Middleton

University of Waikato, New Zealand

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