The Art and Design of Belonging: Lessons in Bicultural Teacher Education in Aotearoa, New Zealand

Abstract

In Aotearoa New Zealand (Aotearoa), bicultural education has reinforced the privilege of settler colonial knowledge with te reo Māori, the language of Indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand, used as decorative labels to create a bicultural étagère. Similarly, for inclusive education ableist notions of personhood have maintained approaches that attempt to assimilate the person into the educational hood. In this chapter, research findings from a doctoral case study highlight the intersecting nature of ableism and racism in the foundations of the Aotearoa education system. The author argues that Indigenous knowledge and customs in a bicultural Initial Teacher Education (ITE) program that prepares early childhood educators promote positive constructions of inclusion. Using the tenets of DisCrit and the Alaskan Cultural Standards as tools of analysis, key bicultural practices that support inclusion are identified and discussed. In addition, the inclusive opportunities and the fragility of meaningful intentions are highlighted.

Citation

Dayman, T. (2023), "The Art and Design of Belonging: Lessons in Bicultural Teacher Education in Aotearoa, New Zealand", Craig, C.J., Mena, J. and Kane, R.G. (Ed.) Approaches to Teaching and Teacher Education (Advances in Research on Teaching, Vol. 43), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 173-187. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1479-368720230000043018