In Aotearoa New Zealand there are several choices available for parents in the area of Early Childhood Education which include; kindergarten, care and education, playcentre – all mainstream options and Kohanga Reo - total immersion Māori Language option. The majority of Māori children attend mainstream services which are predominantly staffed by non-Māori who are responsible for implementing a bicultural environment as set out in the ‘Te Whariki’ guidelines.

I am currently one of two Māori staff members in a team of ???? teaching on the Diploma of Teaching (Early Childhood) at the Waikato Institute of Technology (Wintec) in Hamilton. The majority of students on the programme are non-Māori therefore emphasising the importance of exploring what support systems are need for the few Māori students enrolled on the programme to enhance their success.

This is the focus of my current research project, to identify what are the factors that influence the success of Māori students enrolled in the Diploma of Teaching Early Childhood programme. Narratives are being gathered from current and past students with the purpose of identifying common themes that influence / motivated their successful completion of the programme.

It is important to understand how the dominant ideology has influenced the learning environment of the Māori students and their ability to access cultural vehicles of sustenance in order to successfully participate in both worlds.