Mana atua refers to wellbeing, spirituality, and the sacred dimensions of human life. In learner-centred education, mana atua is about recognising that learner success is not only academic. It also depends on physical, mental, emotional, social, cultural, and spiritual wellbeing.
What is mana atua?
Mana atua means developing personal well-being
Can we dig a little deeper?
Words often have more than one meaning. In a literal sense, Mana Atua refers to spirituality, well-being, and the sacred power of God or the gods. In education, Mana Atua has come to refer to well-being.
The concept of well-being encompasses the physical, mental and emotional, social, and spiritual dimensions of health. This concept is recognised by the World Health Organisation.
A western worldview often seeks to keep spirituality out of the classroom. We may want to focus solely on things that we can see and observe. However, spirituality is seamlessly integrated into Māori ways of teaching and learning.
It’s often visible in things like a prayer to open the day or bless the food at meal time. Not everyone is comfortable with the idea of karakia (prayer) as part of learning and teaching, but it is a cultural preference for some learners.
How does mana atua describe a learner-centred teaching environment?
Mana Atua helps describe a learner-centred teaching environment because it’s clear that the learners’ personal well-being is important. This takes us beyond academic achievement. If appropriate, it allows us to tend to the wairua, or spiritual aspects of our learners.
Encouraging Mana Atua in the classroom can also be about any of the following:
- Allowing learners to express themselves creatively through other forms such as art or music.
- Giving space to talk about matters that are spiritually important to learners, for example, tikanga or practices around food and food hygiene.
- Engaging with the natural world or environment whenever possible for experiential outdoors learning.
- Giving time and space for celebrations of special times in learners lives, e.g. when a child is born or other important life milestones.
- Providing whakatuakī or proverbs to discuss and think about.
Developing personal well-being teaching in a way that is safe, both cultural and in other ways. It also means that your learners feel confident to manage and express themselves,
- What do you do to develop personal well-being in your learners?
- How comfortable are you with this idea of personal well-being connecting to the spiritual health of your learners?
How can you use mana atua to create learner success?
You can support mana atua by treating wellbeing as part of the learning environment, not an optional extra. This means creating safe spaces where learners can express themselves, connect with the natural world, talk about what matters to them, and bring cultural or spiritual dimensions of life into learning where appropriate.
If you are mapping related concepts, continue with Mana Tangata, Mana Ao Tūroa, Mana Reo, Mana Whenua, Te Ao Māori Concepts, Whanaungatanga, and the Cultural Intelligence in Education hub.
Related Cultural Capability Pathways
- Mana Tangata
- Mana Ao Tūroa
- What Is Mana Reo?
- Mana Whenua
- Te Ao Māori Concepts For Adult Literacy And Numeracy
- Whanaungatanga
- Cultural Intelligence in Education
- AI, Capability & Education Change
FAQ: Mana Atua In Education
What does mana atua mean?
Mana atua refers to wellbeing, spirituality, sacredness, and the dimensions of life that connect people to meaning, wairua, and holistic health.
What does mana atua mean in education?
In education, mana atua means recognising that learner success depends on more than academic achievement. It includes physical, mental, emotional, social, cultural, and spiritual wellbeing.
How does mana atua support learner-centred teaching?
Mana atua supports learner-centred teaching by reminding educators to create safe, respectful, and holistic learning environments where learners can bring more of themselves into the learning process.
Why does wellbeing matter for learner success?
Wellbeing matters because learners are more likely to participate, persist, and grow when they feel safe, respected, connected, and able to manage and express themselves.
How should educators approach spirituality in learning?
Educators should approach spirituality carefully, respectfully, and contextually. The goal is not to impose belief, but to recognise that wairua, karakia, tikanga, place, identity, and meaning may be important for some learners.
How is mana atua different from other mana concepts?
Mana atua focuses on wellbeing, spirituality, and sacred dimensions of life. Other mana concepts may focus more on people, language, place, contribution, environment, or exploration. Together they help describe a fuller learner-centred teaching environment.
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