Two year project, 2007-2008
Jeanette Clarkin-Phillips, lecturer from the Early Years Research Unit at The University of Waikato’s Wilf Malcolm Institute of Educational Research.
  

Project aim

To investigate the teaching and learning at Taitoko Kindergarten in the light of the impact of the development of a Whānau Tangata centre.

  
Project plan

Through action research the team will address the teachers’ questions associated with teaching and learning as they implement changes in response to establishing a Whāänau Tangata centre at the kindergarten as part of a Parent Support and Develpoment Contract.
Such questions as:

• Is the Whānau Tangata centre strengthening our relationship with the community and providing new learning opportunities for children, parents and whānau?
• How might we strengthen the documentation of the ‘parent and whānau’ voice in children’s learning through involvement in the Whānau Tangata Centre?
• Through semi-structured interviews with parents by parents, journals of initiatives, trialling different ways of documenting children’s, parent’s and whānau voices and the tracking of some case study portfolio’s data will be gathered to evaluate and collaboratively critique and reflect on practice.
    

Partnerships involved

• Teaching team
• Parents and whānau of Taitoko Kindergarten, Levin
• General Manager and a Senior Teacher of the Wellington Region Free Kindergarten Association
• The researchers, Jeanette Clarkin-Phillips and Prof Margaret Carr.
    

Expected outcomes

• Children’s learning will be strengthened through parent/whänau involvement.
• Teachers will have a range of strategies for strengthening relationships with the community to provide enhanced learning opportunities for children.
• Other centres involved in Parent Support and Development projects may be able to use this model to adapt to their local contexts.
  

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