Peer-reviewed research2017–2026 update
He tohu o te wā – Hangarau pūtaiao / Signs of our times – Fusing technology with environmental sciences
Workshops with wharekura students trialled a Cultural Monitoring plan in ecosystem learning. They proved worthwhile, but understanding core ecological language in te reo Māori was a major challenge.
What's new
The abstract, written in te reo Māori, notes that rangatahi have become disconnected from the natural world of their ancestors as urban living grows. In 2018 the authors ran eight workshops with students aged 13 to 17 from two wharekura to trial the implementation of a Cultural Monitoring plan. Including Cultural Monitoring in the ecosystem workshops was beneficial. A significant challenge was understanding the core of ecological language in te reo.
Why it matters in Aotearoa
The study is directly relevant to kura and wharekura that want to reconnect rangatahi with te taiao through cultural monitoring. It highlights the need to support ecological vocabulary in te reo Māori.
Putting it into practice
When running cultural monitoring or ecology fieldwork in Māori-medium settings, build in explicit teaching of te reo hauropi (ecological vocabulary) before and during the work.
How strong is the evidence
This is a short report of eight workshops with students from two wharekura. The abstract gives few details of method or outcomes.
What to read
The full article, for details of the workshops and the Cultural Monitoring plan.