The role and place of Māori people as the indigenous people of this land has influenced the culturally centred development of evaluation in Aotearoa New Zealand. Within this article the cultural value of whanaungatanga is presented as a source of tension in “By Māori for Māori” externally evaluated health and ...

Reflective practice is recognised as one of the four core competency domains for evaluators in Aotearoa New Zealand. This paper presents what happens when two theoretical positions or evaluation approaches are juxtaposed to reflect on evaluation practice. Taking a recently completed theory-based, utilisation-focused evaluation of a youth resilience programme piloted ...

The interpretation and practice of kaupapa Māori evaluation (KME) take many forms, each involving its own set of considerations, challenges and outcomes.  This paper explores the complexities involved in a collaborative journey through an evaluation project where KME was a guiding principle, highlighting its successes and challenges. The evaluation aimed ...

A tribute to Professor Anne B. Smith,  a lifelong advocate for children who was at the forefront of the children's rights movement for several decades.

Helen May's author profile

In 2015/16 Action for Children and Youth Aotearoa (ACYA) prepared, produced and presented New Zealand’s fifth civil society, non-government organisations’ Alternative Report to the UN Committee on the Rights of
the Child on how well Aotearoa New Zealand complies with its obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of ...

As a non-participant observer of a Teaching and Learning Research Initiative (TLRI) on children’s storytelling. The lead author explored children’s understanding of research involving them, including their rights to consent, assent and dissent to participate. This case study of Timmy’s participation in research shows how Timmy’s researcher sought and affirmed ...

This article explores the way in which an early childhood community was able to support the active participation of a disabled child. The Huakina Mai model provides a framework that conceptualises the participation of all members in terms of being active, ecological, pedagogical, equitable and inclusive in nature.

This article argues that neoliberal ideology, through policy and governance of children in early childhood settings, has a very strong influence on children in Aotearoa New Zealand. It affects the way they grow up, play, learn, and perform their resistance and agency in the places and space of their education ...

Conversation analysis (CA) can be a useful tool for research when investigating toddlers’ social interactions, because it can showcase their capabilities and agency through in-depth analysis of their verbal and non-verbal actions. This article argues that by using CA to analyse the details of toddler conversations within the peer group ...