Teacher-student relationships important

Media Release
29 March 2007

Teacher-student relationships important

PPTA believes that positive teacher-student relationships are an important component of student engagement in learning, PPTA president Robin Duff said today.

He was commenting on the release of phase three of the Te Kotahitanga research.

“Anything that provides lessons for us in terms of Maori achievement and the wider achievement of our young people is something that we should be looking at closely.

“The Te Kotahitanga view of effective teaching for Maori students reflects effective teaching for all students: caring about all students, treating them as individuals, and being professionally committed and responsible to bringing about change for all of them.”

However, Mr Duff said it was too early to conclude that the gains claimed by the Te Kotahitanga project were directly attributable to culturally responsive teaching.

“They could be a result of an intensive professional development programme that gives teachers more time and resources to focus on their relationships and interactions with all students and the strategies and planning they use to bring about change.”

Mr Duff said that PPTA would carry out a survey to explore teachers’ experiences of the Te Kotahitanga project as part of a wider review being conducted for PPTA by Massey University professor Roger Openshaw.

“It is fair to say that PPTA has received a mixed response from teachers in the 12 Te Kotahitanga schools.

“We believe that there needs to be a deeper exploration of some of the ideas that underpin Te Kotahitanga, and the effects of its methodology on students and teachers.

“Clearly teachers make a difference, and school based change is important, but it should not excuse the Government from addressing the social and economic factors that also impact on Maori student achievement.”

The PPTA research will be published later in 2007.

ENDS

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