What is whanaungatanga?
Whanaungatanga is the Maori concept of relationship, connection, belonging, and shared responsibility. In education, whanaungatanga means intentionally building relationships so learners feel known, respected, connected, and able to participate. It is a foundation for learner success because trust and belonging shape how people engage, ask questions, take risks, and persist in learning.
Why whanaungatanga matters for educators
Whanaungatanga is not an icebreaker or a one-off activity. It is an ongoing practice of relationship-building. For educators, it shapes how learning starts, how trust develops, how expectations are negotiated, and how learners experience belonging in a group.
Updated Post on Whanaungatanga
I also have a more recent and updated post on whanaungatanga here.
What is whanaungatanga?
Whanaungatanga is the Māori concept of building and nurturing relationships, emphasizing a sense of family and belonging.
You will struggle to create any kind of learner-centred teaching environment – whether online or in real life without it. Check out the video below with myself and Dr Mei Winitana discussing whanaungatanga.
Short video with Mei and Graeme
Family connection
Here’s the first thing you need to know. If you only remember one thing, remember this:
- Whanaungatanga refers to a sense of being like a whanau, of family connection.
Whanaungatanga is about family connection and a sense of belonging. It emphasises the idea that individuals are interconnected like members of a family (whanau).
In adult education, it means creating a learning environment that fosters trust, support, and a sense of community.
Educators can promote whanaungatanga by encouraging sharing, facilitating collaboration, organising community activities, and embracing cultural diversity. By nurturing these family-like connections, learners can develop a strong sense of identity, belonging, and motivation to succeed.
Relationship
Whanaungatanga is about building relationships and creating a sense of belonging. It recognises the importance of connections and the idea of “family” in various contexts, including the classroom or workplace.
It involves fostering a supportive and inclusive environment where learners feel valued and connected to others. By promoting positive relationships and embracing diversity, whanaungatanga contributes to a thriving learning community.
Expectations
Whanaungatanga encompasses relationships and expectations that extend beyond biological family ties. It emphasises the importance of forming connections and fostering a sense of community.
In the context of education, whanaungatanga involves creating a supportive and inclusive learning environment where learners and educators develop meaningful relationships based on mutual respect and understanding.
These relationships are characterised by certain expectations. It is about acknowledging and valuing each person’s unique strengths, contributions, and cultural backgrounds. It involves recognising the collective responsibility to support and uplift one another in achieving shared goals.
Whanaungatanga encourages learners to actively participate, collaborate, and contribute to the learning community. It promotes a sense of belonging and encourages individuals to embrace their cultural identities while fostering an environment of inclusivity and support.
Whakawhanaungatanga – Getting to know each other
Sometimes in education settings, we use the word to talk about a process of getting to know each other. This is called whakawhanaungatanga.
Whanaungatanga describes the ‘glue’ that holds people together in any whānau relationships.
In tough times, it’s the relationship-glue of whanaungatanga that causes the whānau to gather round, provide support, and put the needs of the group before the needs of individuals.
Sometimes, it’s more obvious when that relationship glue is NOT there. You’ve probably had the experience of walking into a classroom, work, relationship or family situation and just KNOWING that something wasn’t right.
If you could tell that “something” was missing in a situation like this then perhaps you already know what whanaungatanga is. And perhaps you just didn’t have the right word to describe it.
Well, now you do.
How does whanaungatanga help create a learner-centred teaching environment?
This is a good question. Here’s the answer:
- You can’t have a learner-centred teaching environment without good relationships.
This applies to your relationships with your learners as well as their relationships with each other.
In a learner-centred teaching environment, people feeling connected and identify with the group. They stick together. Shared expectations mean that they celebrate diverse abilities and individual excellence.
We should foster whanaungatanga in our teaching
As educators, we should foster whanaungatanga in our teaching environments. This means communicating a belief in the capacity of all as learners and achievers.
We should look for opportunities to use learners’ life experiences as the foundation for future learning.
Getting to know your learners takes time and many interactions. The more you can interact with your learners, the more they will see that you are genuine in your desire to help them succeed.
Of course, this has a wider application beyond the classroom as well. You need to foster whanaungatanga in all aspects of your life. This includes everywhere where you have relationships including at home, at school, at work, at church, in your sports activities, clubs and pass times.
FAQ: Whanaungatanga in education
What does whanaungatanga mean?
Whanaungatanga refers to relationship, connection, belonging, and a sense of shared responsibility. It is often connected to the process of building and maintaining relationships.
Why is whanaungatanga important in education?
Whanaungatanga matters because learners are more likely to participate, ask questions, and persist when they feel known, respected, and connected to the learning environment.
How can teachers practise whanaungatanga?
Teachers can practise whanaungatanga by learning about learners, creating time for connection, using collaborative activities, acknowledging identity and context, and maintaining respectful relationships over time.
What is whakawhanaungatanga?
Whakawhanaungatanga is the process of establishing relationships and making connections. In education, it often refers to the early and ongoing work of getting to know learners and building trust.
Related Māori education concepts
This post is part of the wider Cultural Intelligence in Education collection. The aim is to connect practical teaching ideas with Māori and Pacific concepts for learner-centred education, cultural safety, and capability development.
Kia ora! Hey, I'd love to know what you think.