Exploring the experiences of Māori Wāhine in a STEM project-based secondary classroom: A relational and intersectional perspective
type: CreativeWork
description: Using phenomenology, an intersectional lens, and the principles of Kaupapa Māori research, this study investigates how young Māori (Indigenous) wāhine (women) ākonga (students) experience interdisciplinary project-based STEM education. Historical educational policies in Aotearoa New Zealand required Māori to assimilate into a Pākehā (European) school system, contributing to persistent academic underperformance, particularly in science. Māori have been more likely to leave school early, and those who remain often opt out of science subjects, especially Māori wāhine. International literature suggests that transdisciplinary STEM education grounded in social justice and equity can improve engagement and outcomes for underrepresented learners. The study was guided by two questions: (1) how Māori wāhine experienced the STEM programme, and (2) what their challenges were to succeed in STEM. In 2016, while teaching at a low-decile (socioeconomic disadvantaged), urban, co-educational English-medium high school, I trialled an integrated, interdisciplinary project-based STEM class that incorporated meaningful phenomena and culturally responsive pedagogy. The class’s success led to STEM becoming a core component of a broader school initiative. In 2018, the seven Māori wāhine ākonga enrolled in the Year 11 (age 15–16) STEM class were invited to become “Story Sharers” and reflect on their experiences. As a teacher-researcher (insider), I used reflexive practices and clear role delineation to leverage contextual knowledge while minimising bias. Narrative data were collected over two years (2018–2019) through six semi-structured discussion groups and one individual interview. Quantitative data included tracking attendance records, retention, and academic achievement. Findings indicate that the Story Sharers valued co-constructed topics and tasks, a supportive whānau (family/community) class format, and authentic project work undertaken over extended learning periods. They consistent…
abstract: Using phenomenology, an intersectional lens, and the principles of Kaupapa Māori research, this study investigates how young Māori (Indigenous) wāhine (women) ākonga (students) experience interdisciplinary project-based STEM education. Historical educational policies in Aotearoa New Zealand required Māori to assimilate into a Pākehā (European) school system, contributing to persistent academic underperformance, particularly in science. Māori have been more likely to leave school early, and those who remain often opt out of science subjects, especially Māori wāhine. International literature suggests that transdisciplinary STEM education grounded in social justice and equity can improve engagement and outcomes for underrepresented learners. The study was guided by two questions: (1) how Māori wāhine experienced the STEM programme, and (2) what their challenges were to succeed in STEM. In 2016, while teaching at a low-decile (socioeconomic disadvantaged), urban, co-educational English-medium high school, I trialled an integrated, interdisciplinary project-based STEM class that incorporated meaningful phenomena and culturally responsive pedagogy. The class’s success led to STEM becoming a core component of a broader school initiative. In 2018, the seven Māori wāhine ākonga enrolled in the Year 11 (age 15–16) STEM class were invited to become “Story Sharers” and reflect on their experiences. As a teacher-researcher (insider), I used reflexive practices and clear role delineation to leverage contextual knowledge while minimising bias. Narrative data were collected over two years (2018–2019) through six semi-structured discussion groups and one individual interview. Quantitative data included tracking attendance records, retention, and academic achievement. Findings indicate that the Story Sharers valued co-constructed topics and tasks, a supportive whānau (family/community) class format, and authentic project work undertaken over extended learning periods. They consistent…
author: Cheryl, Mitchell
license: https://researchcommons.waikato.ac.nz/bitstreams/6dab4101-e367-4002-a637-b7a48deb1568/download
date published: 2025-10-17
date modified: 2026-07-24T05:57:18Z
provider: University Waikato
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: The University of Waikato