This page is for our Te purenga ihomatua i te ao mātauranga | Decolonising Education research project. For a more general overview of research related to this theme, click here.
Tāia te wai (o te waka) kia pai ai te whakatere ki uta ki tai
Bail the water (of the canoe) so it may manoeuvre shoreward and seaward
Decolonising education is a strategic priority for NZCER. This research project sits under the umbrella of a wider set of activities that address this priority.
Why are we doing this research?
This project explores the meaning(s) of decolonisation in education, and the implications of decolonisation for every aspect of NZCER’s work and the work of the wider education sector. The explorations are evolving, iterative, and inclusive of insights generated in NZCER’s wider research and evaluation work.
What are our research questions?
- What does decolonising education mean?
- Why is it important to decolonise education?
- What practical steps can researchers and educators take to decolonise education?
- What system level changes support decolonising education?
The team
What are we doing?
This project began with some early work in exploring our (the team’s) own positionality and values in relation to decolonising education. This has helped us build a strong foundation for the project. We have:
- scanned and analysed relevant literature
- conducted a ‘Mediated Conversations’ workshop with NZCER’s research group about decolonising education where we shared our experiences of implementing decolonising methodologies in our projects
- written (and continue to write) papers about decolonising education
- brought together a collection of resources He Kohinga Rauemi developed by NZCER that support users to take a decolonising lens to their thinking.