The COMPASS project is part of NZCER’s Te Pae Tawhiti Government Grant programme of research. It is also aligned to the broad goals and aspirations of NZCER, in that its overarching purpose is to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the notion of Whakatere Tōmua—Wayfinding. The COMPASS project has examined the ways kaiako, ākonga, and whānau navigate educational experiences and contexts.
Using quantitative and qualitative data, the report focuses on examining the social-psychological conditions for school success from the perspectives of Māori and Pasifika students (n = 5,843), Pasifika whānau members (n = 362), and Māori kaiako (n = 311) from 102 schools across Aotearoa New Zealand.
Through four studies, the COMPASS project identified critical factors that serve as important punga (anchors) in the educational journeys of ākonga:
- strong and positive motivational beliefs about learning, as well as participation in learning experiences that are culturally embracing, aspirational, and future-oriented
- having strong and positive networks of support and role models, both in and out of school, who enable and embody success for ākonga
- home–school partnerships that are built on mutual care, respect, and a collective vision for ākonga and their communities
- school-wide conditions and teaching practices that are strength-based, ambitious, and contextually unique to the needs of Māori and Pasifika ākonga.