He Reo for Our Future: Te Reo Māori and Teacher Identities, Attitudes, and Micro-Policies in Mainstream New Zealand Schools

Abstract

The present study investigates the connections between macro-language policies, access to resources, classroom micro-policies, and teacher identities of three Pākehā (‘New Zealand European’) primary school teachers at three New Zealand schools. As New Zealand educators are increasingly expected to incorporate te reo into the classroom, this article explores the challenges that they face in achieving this goal, including those related to their sociolinguistic identities and micro-policies in the classroom. Our findings show that the teachers’ attitudes and personal identity connections with New Zealand English and te reo Māori heavily impacted their classroom language practices. This article concludes that teachers’ micro-policies and practices are reflective of their own beliefs, capabilites, internal and external support, and personal embodied experiences. These factors combined impact the presence of te reo Māori in the modern New Zealand English classroom and the ability for co-construction of identity in the teaching-learning space.

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