A SAMOAN Pedagogy of the Heart: ‘O auala a’oa’o e afua ma fa’atino mai le fatu

Pasifika student engagement and achievement remain an ongoing concern in Aotearoa New Zealand with inequitable outcomes a reality. This article opens with a short story about Amosa, a Samoan student, to highlight some of the ways inequitable outcomes can become a reality in educational contexts wher...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	New Zealand journal of educational studies Vol. 59; no. 1; pp. 31 - 47
Main Authors:	Taleni, Leali’ie’e Tufulasifa’atafatafa, Surtees, Nicola
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Singapore Springer Nature Singapore 01-06-2024
Subjects:	Education Pasifika cultural values Service A pedagogy of the heart Pasifika student engagement and achievement Reciprocity Love
Online Access:	Get full text
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Summary:	Pasifika student engagement and achievement remain an ongoing concern in Aotearoa New Zealand with inequitable outcomes a reality. This article opens with a short story about Amosa, a Samoan student, to highlight some of the ways inequitable outcomes can become a reality in educational contexts where curriculum content is disconnected from culture. We offer our introductory conceptualisation of a pedagogy of the heart situated in the field of Pasifika educational outcomes, as a possible response to such disconnection. Conceptualised as the practice of teaching both from and with the heart, a pedagogy of the heart is a culturally-based pedagogy and can be understood as a form of tautua or service. Underpinned by tautua and other key Pasifika values such as alofa (love) and osiosiga (reciprocity), we argue a pedagogy of the heart has the potential to lift Pasifika student engagement and achievement through utilising these values as a catalyst for learning. After addressing the pedagogy’s significance and how it might be implemented, we conclude with some reflective questions designed to encourage thinking about the pedagogy in philosophy and practice, while maintaining its adoption will increase opportunities for Pasifika students and their teachers’ to thrive.
ISSN:	0028-8276 2199-4714
DOI:	10.1007/s40841-024-00308-8