High-achieving Māori students' perceptions of their best and worst teachers

Abstract

This qualitative study explored high-achieving Māori students’ perceptions of their best and worst secondary school teachers. Participants (N = 96) were Year 12 or 13 students at English-medium secondary schools in Aotearoa who had attained certificate endorsement at Level 1 or 2 in the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA). Findings showed that Māori students’ best teachers had high expectations for their achievement. They spent class time teaching students and discussing their learning, whereas students’ worst teachers had low expectations and restricted their access to high grades in NCEA. A key finding from this study was that although positive teacher–student relationships were important, they needed to be accompanied by effective teaching practices. A teacher who had a positive relationship with Māori students but did not teach them well was not considered their “best” teacher.