Reflective Entry 4: State the Research Question(s) and link to Kaupapa Maori

on
 

Research Question and Kaupapa Maori


Research Topic

Use the concept of Agile Thinking to support innovative teaching and learning opportunities for learners with learning needs

As mentioned in my previous post, I am very passionate about the topic of Agile Thinking and how this can support our learners.  This topic is actually my part of my Sabbatical Project for 2021.  I initially wanted to explore how Agile Thinking can help teachers by more innovative when it comes to planning for students learning needs.  Since reading research by Parsons and MacCallum, Hayward and Peha, I have since moved towards this new knowledge benefiting our learners.

Research Question

How can Personal Kanban Boards support task completion for priority learners in Years 2 and 3?

Narrowing down the topic has been a difficult task.  This is just one aspect of the overall picture and with a chance to explore an aspect of Agile Thinking (or Lean Thinking), I can truly unpack what it means for the stakeholders - students and teachers within my context.  By focusing my attention on learners in Years 2 and 3, I can locate students within my context that would benefit from this type of learning and whom some are Maori students.

What are Kanban Boards

Stellman and Greene (2014, page 316) define Kanban as a practice “that give[s] you a way to stablise and improve your system”. In some way, it is a way of tracking progress, improving productivity towards a completed task.

Within this project, the stakeholders (our learners) will be using Kanban boards physically and through the use of technology for self-regulation and collaboration.
As I read more, I find aspects of Agile Thinking techniques that will aid myself as a researcher as well as implement and explore with the students.  I plan to explore what techniques I can employ to self-regulate, track and collaborate with my critical friend.

Kaupapa Maori

I had to dig deeper into my understanding of Kaupapa Maori research, relying on the website “Rangahau” to guide my understandings.    Being of European descent, I am unable to participate in this type of research and even though it talks about Maori research being conducted about Maori there are some key ideas that resonate for my participation as a researcher.  The outcomes are important in that ‘research is transformative emphasising the need to produce positive change, and not simply reproducing the same old same old status quo” (Rangahua, n.d).  This underpins what I am wanting for my topic - change and to challenge the ‘same ole’ way we do things.

There are eight principles underpinning Kaupapa Maori (Rangahua, n.d):
  1. Tino Rangatiratanga - The Principle of Self-determination.
  2. Taonga Tuku Iho - The Principle of Cultural Aspiration
  3. Ako Māori - The Principle of Culturally Preferred Pedagogy
  4. Kia piki ake i ngā raruraru o te kainga - The Principle of Socio-Economic Mediation
  5. Whānau -  The Principle of Extended Family Structure
  6. Kaupapa - The Principle of Collective Philosophy
  7. Te Tiriti o Waitangi - The Principle of the Treaty of Waitangi
  8. Ata - The Principle of Growing Respectful Relationships
These are the one specifically relevant to my research question:

  • Tino Rangatiratanga - The Principal of Self-determination: For learners to set goals and self regulate their learning and work towards achieving these goals

  • Ako Māori - The Principle of Culturally Preferred Pedagogy: agile thinking and how they link to the preferred pedagogical practices of Maori.  Being open to practices that I would expect to be relevant or culturally responsive

  • Whānau -  The Principle of Extended Family Structure: to spend time with the learner, focusing on their cultural needs and also to include the family/whānau in the research.  Get insights into what they want their child to learn

  • Ata - The Principle of Growing Respectful Relationships building relationships between the stakeholders - teachers, students and whānau

There is still lots to learn but an exciting journey is about to begin!
 
 


References
Hayward, S. (2018). The Agile Leader: How to Create an Agile Business in the Digital Age. Kogan Page Publishers.

Parsons D, MacCallum K. (2019) Agile Education, Lean Learning. In: Parsons D., MacCallum K. (eds) Agile and Lean Concepts for Teaching and Learning. Springer, Singapore.

Peha, S. (2011). Agile schools: How technology saves education (just not the way we thought it would). retrieved from https://www.infoq.com/articles/agile-schools-education/

Smith, L. T. (2015). Kaupapa māori research-some kaupapa māori principles.

Stellman, A., & Greene, J. (2014). Learning agile: Understanding scrum, XP, lean, and kanban. " O'Reilly Media, Inc.".






Comments

Post a Comment