ABSTRACT
The overall aim of this research was to advance the place of Indigenous knowledge and practices in professional development provision with early childhood education teaching staff; including the practical skills for evolving the personal relationships at the crux of professional development of this kind. While the applications for Indigenous knowledge and practices represent an increasingly serious, genuine, challenge to traditional Western professional learning and development there is a marked dearth of knowledge and resources to support that end. Despite recent research asserting the lack of affects for children – particularly Indigenous children – from Western models of professional development.
Two tasks were completed: a review of relevant literature and empirical data collection of teacher outputs from an Indigenous knowledge and practices-centered professional development initiative named Pao Pao. It was concluded that Indigenous knowledge and practices have a unique place scaffolding the application of tools with which to open and activate the black boxes used to describe previously uncharted third spaces in the chain of influence between children and teachers; and teachers and professional development providers. Thus, transforming professional development provision from approaches prioritising parties external to collegial early childhood education whānau, into a means for teachers’ to make visible their increasing skills for creating positive affects with children – particularly mokopuna Māori.
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