Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga has contracted Rangahau Mātauranga o Aotearoa (NZCER) to establish Te Tīrewa Mātai—a new kaupapa Māori study developed with Māori, in partnership with NZCER and the Ministry. The focus is to understand, celebrate, and support the progress, achievement, and success of mokopuna learning through te reo Māori, while using evidence to inform decision-making and provide targeted support.
Te Tīrewa Mātai is for kura where at least 51% of teaching and learning happens through te reo Māori (Māori Language Learning Levels 1 and/or 2). Findings will help kura, kaiako, whānau, hapū, iwi, and Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga better support mokopuna in their learning journeys.
Please complete the form linked here if you would like to know more about:
- What Te Tīrewa Mātai is and how it will benefit mokopuna Māori
- How my kura can get involved with Te Tīrewa Mātai
- Te Tīrewa Mātai job opportunities (e.g., researcher roles, kaiaromatawai roles – for visiting kura)
- Te Tīrewa Mātai wānanga (e.g., locations, dates, and kaupapa)
Frequently asked pātai
What does kura involvement look like?
Kura involvement in Te Tīrewa Mātai will include a kura visit in Wāhanga 3 or Wāhanga 4. Two Te Tīrewa Mātai kairangahau will come to the kura for up to three days. During the visit, kairangahau will:
- work with mokopuna from Tau 3, 6, and/or 8 on a range of ngohe haumako (aromatawai tasks)
- have whakawhiti kōrero and/or wānanga with tūmuaki/kaiārahi kura, kaiako who work with the participating tau groups, and the whānau of the mokopuna who take part.
We expect that around 6-12 mokopuna from each participating tau group may be involved. The final number of mokopuna and the way they are grouped will be confirmed with each kura once the ngohe are finalised.
Before the visit, we will work with the tumuaki/kaiārahi kura and/or main kura contact person to identify mokopuna who may be invited to take part, share information and consent forms with whānau, and confirm the kura wātaka.
There may also be opportunities for kura to:
- Contribute whakaaro to the ongoing development of Te Tīrewa Mātai
- Review the draft report before it is shared with Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga
- share what information would be useful to have returned in future, and how they would like information to be interpreted and shared as Te Tīrewa Mātai develops.
Te Tīrewa Mātai will continue beyond 2026. Kura will have the option of staying involved for up to six years, if they wish.
What will mokopuna do?
Te Tīrewa Mātai will involve mokopuna in Tau 3, 6, and 8. During the kura vist, mokopuna will take part in a range of ngohe haumako or ngohe aromatawai. In 2026, these ngohe will focus on Te Reo Rangatira, particularly Pānui, and Pāngarau. The ngohe may include:
- whakawhiti kōrero
- mahi ā-rōpū
- hands-on and interactive activities
- written responses
- One-to-one kōrero with a kairangahau
Mokopuna will work with trained kairangahau who are fluent in te reo Māori and experienced in kura reo Māori settings. All kaikōkiri who work directly with mokopuna will be police vetted before fieldwork. This may include registered kaiako and/or accredited professional learning and development (PLD) providers from the wider kura hapori.
Mokopuna ngohe sessions will be video recorded using Te Tīrewa Mātai project iPhones and microphones. These recordings will help kairangahau accurately capture mokopuna kōrero, responses, and the ways mokopuna engage with the ngohe.
Video recordings will be included in the consent process. Whānau and mokopuna will receive clear information before deciding whether they agree to participation and recording.
How will mokopuna be selected?
Te Tīrewa Mātai focuses on mokopuna in Tau 3, 6, and 8. The tumuaki/kaiārahi kura and/or main kura contact person will be asked to help identify up to 10 mokopuna from each of the relevant tau groups who may be invited to take part.
Te Tīrewa Mātai is designed to include mokopuna from a range of learning strengths, reo Māori journeys, confidence levels and achievement levels. This means kura should not only select mokopuna who are already achieving strongly.
Kura will also be asked to consider whether participation is appropriate for each mokopuna. In some situations, it may not be right for a mokopuna to take part if the kura and/or whānau think participation could negatively affect their hauora, confidence or sense of safety.
Mokopuna who are likely to be absent during the data collection period, or who have left the kura, will not be selected. We expect that around 6–10 mokopuna from each participating tau group may be involved. The final number will depend on the context of each kura and will be confirmed once the ngohe and kura wātaka are finalised. Mokopuna participation will depend on whānau consent and mokopuna whakaae.
How will consent work?
Kura consent is the first step. This means the kura agrees to be part of Te Tīrewa Mātai at a kura level. If the kura agrees to take part, separate information and consent processes will then be provided for:
- Mokopuna and their whānau
- Whānau who may take part in a whakawhiti kōrero or wānanga
- Kaiako
- tumuaki/kaiārahi kura.
Participation is voluntary. Mokopuna, whānau, kaiako, tumuaki/kaiārahi kura, and kura can choose whether or not they wish to take part. They may also change their minds in accordance with the information provided in the consent forms.
The Tīrewa Mātai team will provide the information sheets, consent forms, and any wording needed for sharing the kaupapa with whānau.
What support will be needed from the kura?
If the kura agrees to take part, we will work closely with the tumuaki/kaiārahi kura and/or main kura contact person to plan the visit. We will ask the kura to support us by:
- Confirming the best week for the kura visit during Wāhanga 3, between weeks 8 and 10, and Wāhanga 4, between weeks 1 – 2.
- Helping us identify mokopuna from each participating tau group who may be invited to take part
- Sharing mokopuna information sheets and consent forms with whānau
- Helping follow up whānau consent forms before the kura visit
- Sharing information sheets and consent forms with whānau who may wish to take part in a whakawhiri kōrero or wānanga
- Helping organise suitable times for kaiako whakawhiti kōrero
- Helping organise a time for the tumuaki/kaiārahi kura whakawhiti kōrero
- Confirming suitable spaces for mokopuna ngohe and whakawhiti kōrero
- Helping us fit the visit around the usual kura timetable and what is workable for the kura
We expect that around 6-10 mokopuna from each participating tau group may be involved. The final numbers will be agreed with each kura once the ngohe are finalised.
What will tumuaki / kaiārahi kura and kaiako do?
To help Te Tīrewa Mātai build a fuller picture of mokopuna learning, tūmuaki/kaiārahi kura and kaiako will be invited to:
- take part in a whakawhiti kōrero for up to an hour
- complete a short rārangi uiui (questionnaire), which is expected to take approximately 5-7 minutes. This is still to be confirmed.
The tumuaki/kaiārahi kura and/or main kura contact person will also be asked to support the planning of the kura visit. This will include helping to:
- identify mokopuna who may be invited to take part
- support the whānau and mokopuna consent process
- share information with whānau
- organise kaiako and whānau whakawhiti kōrero
- Confirm suitable times and spaces for the kura visit
The whakawhiti kōrero will focus on the kura context, mokopuna learning, Te Marautanga o Aotearoa, and the kinds of success valued by kura, kaiako, whānau, hapū, and iwi.
Kaiako who work with mokopuna in tau 3, 6, and/or 8 will also be asked to share their overall professional judgements about mokopuna learning in Tuhituhi.
Tumuaki/kaiārahi kura and kaiako may also be invited to share whakaaro about the ongoing development of Te Tīrewa Mātai, including how information should be interpreted and shared in future.
What will whānau do?
Whānau of participating mokopuna will be invited to take part in a whakawhiti kōrero or wānanga with Te Tīrewa Mātai kairangahau. This will be an opportunity for whānau to share their aspirations for mokopuna, their whakaaro about mokopuna learning through te reo Māori, and what success looks like for their mokopuna.
Whānau may also be invited to share whakaaro about how Te Tīrewa Mātai can support mokopuna, whānau, hapū, iwi and kura reo Māori in the future.
What space will be needed during the kura visit?
During the visit, we will need access to a dedicated space where kairangahau can work with individual mokopuna and small groups. The final number of mokopuna in each group will be confirmed with the kura once the ngohe and wātaka are finalised. Ideally, this space will:
- Be quiet enough for kōrero and recording
- Be suitable for small-group and hands-on activities
- Have enough room for mokopuna and two kairangahau
- Have access to at least 2 power outlets
We will work with each kura to fit around the spaces available and the usual rhythm of the kura day.
How will information be cared for and returned?
Te Tīrewa Mātai is grounded in Māori data sovereignty, Te Mana Raraunga and kaupapa Māori ethics. This means we recognise that:
- Māori have the right to make decisions about Māori data
- the gathering, analysis, use and reporting of data must serve the interests and aspirations of Māori communities
- decisions about Māori data must be made with Māori.
These principles will guide how information is gathered, recorded, stored, analysed, accessed, shared and reported. Participating kura will not receive individual mokopuna results, raw data, recordings or transcripts.
Kura will be invited to review the draft report before it is shared with Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga. This will give kura an opportunity to provide feedback on accuracy, context, interpretation and confidentiality.
As Te Tīrewa Mātai develops, we will also ask kura what information would be useful to have returned in future, how they would like to receive it, and how they would like to be involved in making sense of findings.
Kura will not be named in reports to Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga. Mokopuna, whānau, kaiako, tumuaki and kaiārahi kura will not be named.
How will kura benefit?
By taking part in Te Tīrewa Mātai, your kura will have the opportunity to:
- contribute to the development of a new kaupapa Māori national monitoring study
- contribute to knowledge that helps whānau, hapū, iwi, kura and the wider reo Māori education hapori better understand what supports mokopuna to flourish through te reo Māori
- review the draft report before it is shared with Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga
- share whakaaro about what information would be useful to have returned in future, and how kura would like that information to be interpreted and shared
- help strengthen aromatawai and mana raraunga practices for kura reo Māori.
What will kura receive?
Kura will receive funding for Teacher Release Days (TRDs) in acknowledgement of the time that mokopuna, whānau, kaiako and tumuaki/kaiārahi kura spend contributing to this kaupapa.
Participating kura will also receive two recent NZCER publications. Kura will be invited to review the draft report before it is shared with Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga.
Who can kura contact if they have pātai?
Kura can contact the Te Tīrewa Mātai at tetirewamatai@nzcer.org.nz if they have pātai about the kaupapa or what taking part would involve.