This article weaves together literature to theorise whatu – the traditional Māori practice of weaving used to make cloaks – as a toi Māori (Māori arts) pedagogy. In its simplest form, pedagogy can be understood as the deliberate processes by which knowledge, attitudes or skills are conveyed (Miller & Findlay, 1996), the systemised learning principles or ‘methods’ of teaching (Good & Merkel, 1973), or how and why we teach the way we do.
Internationally renowned scholars of pedagogy such as Piaget, Vygotsky, Brunner and Freire have shaped Western teaching pedagogy and, as such, the ways that we teach and learn. Theories and scholarship around pedagogy are broad and vast, and extend far beyond the interest of this study. Instead, this article is a kaupapa Māori literature review to explore broad notions of pedagogy, through a Māori arts lens, that intersect with Māori pedagogies (Hemara, 2000); those that are grounded in Māori language, aspirations, tikanga (customs) and values, to support our developing theorisation of whatu as Māori arts pedagogy. What might we learn about how and why we teach Māori arts practices by developing a Māori arts, or toi Māori, pedagogy?
Goldsmith, A., Smith, H., & Penetito, K. (2024). Toi Ako – Developing Māori Arts Pedagogy: A Kaupapa Māori Literature Review. Occasional and Discussion Paper 2/2024. ePress, Unitec.
https://doi.org/10.34074/ocds.111
Authors: Allana Goldsmith, Hinekura Smith and Kim Penetito
ISSN: 2324-3635
Published: 28.08.2024