Combatting bias in schools: A Kaupapa Māori study into students’ experiences of racism by Māori, with Māori, for the benefit of Māori

Teachers are increasingly tasked with acknowledging their racial biases and the resulting impacts on their students’ learning and wellbeing. However, anti-bias trainings are typically generalised learning experiences with little effect. Through focus groups with Māori students in Northland schools, this project will identify common incidents of racism. The initial project objective is to shine a light on Māori students’ experiences of racism in Aotearoa schools; longer-term, the study findings will inform the creation of a virtual reality intervention in which teachers embody students’ perspectives in order to surface and change teachers’ deep-seated racism. As such, this study seeks to address the following research questions:

1. In what ways do Māori students experience racism in Aotearoa schools?
2. How can these experiences inform the creation of a virtual reality intervention to combat teacher beliefs and behaviours?

By researching the experiences of Māori students by Māori researchers, using Māori methodologies, and for the benefit of Māori and all we seek to centre students’ experiences to ultimately improve schooling outcomes and experiences, both social and academic. Student voices can act as a lever for change by confronting teachers’ beliefs and behaviours.