Professional Development for Culturally Responsive and Relationship-Based Pedagogy

The work presented here is a large-scale evaluation of a theory-driven school reform project in New Zealand, which focuses on improving the educational achievement of M ? ori students in public secondary schools. The project's conceptual underpinnings are based on Kaupapa M ? ori research, culturally responsive teaching, student voice, and relationship-based pedagogy. Data were produced by a research team who conducted a three-year external evaluation of the project in 22 of the 33 schools implementing its professional development initiative.
The book shows the extent to which a well-conceptualized and culturally grounded program in culturally responsive pedagogy, supported by a well-conceptualized professional development program, can shift teacher practices and understandings. These shifts lead to a reduction in the achievement disparities of minoritized students, as well as support for the students as culturally located human beings.
While the professional development project in this book addresses M ? ori students' educational achievement, the study's findings and messages are applicable far beyond New Zealand, because the educational experiences of M ? ori people are common to many Indigenous and other minoritized peoples in countries around the world.