The Tapatoru Ako Professional Practice Award and Its Transformative Impact
Kia ora and welcome back to our insightful series on Ako Aotearoa’s Tapatoru Programme. You can find the earlier posts here:
- Part 1: A Closer Look at Ako Aotearoa’s Tapatoru Programme: Bringing Cultural Values to the Classroom
- Part 2: Tapatoru’s Fresh Take on Professional Learning: Shaping the Future of Education
- Part 3: Tapatoru Ako Professional Practice: Empowering Tertiary Education with Ako Aotearoa’s Innovative Programme
- Part 4: Celebrating the Impact of Tapatoru in Tertiary Education in 2023: Insights & Achievements
In Part 5, we delve into the Tapatoru Ako Professional Practice Award, a cornerstone of Ako Aotearoa’s commitment to advancing New Zealand’s tertiary education. This chapter explores the award’s impact on participants, highlighting its role in enriching teaching practices and embedding core values of Whanaungatanga, Manaakitanga, Wairuatanga, and Aroha in our educational ethos.
Diverse Motivations and Broad Impact
The award has attracted educators from diverse backgrounds in 2023, including Te Mahi Ako, Whitecliffe College, and Skills4Work, reflecting its wide appeal and relevance. Participants were driven by a desire to enhance their professional values, improve their teaching practices, and gain well-deserved recognition. This alignment with their professional aspirations is a testament to the Programme’s resonance with educators’ needs.
Symbol of Competency and Effective Practice
Achieving the Tapatoru Award has become a symbol of teaching competency and a badge of honour for effective practice. Recognised for their commitment to foundational values, awardees have experienced significant changes in their teaching methods, focusing more keenly on individual learner needs and incorporating cultural values more deeply into their practice.
Value-Driven Teaching Transformations
The Programme’s core values have been pivotal in reshaping teaching approaches. An impressive 72.73% of educators reported that these values influenced them to pay greater attention to individual learner needs, fostering enhanced leadership, resilience, and well-being in their learning environments.
Growth Amidst Challenges
Participants noted enhanced integration of Tikanga Maori and a heightened focus on individual learner needs as key changes in their practice. Despite challenges in articulating these new practices, the evolving nature of the Programme has been both a journey and a triumph.
Valuing Tapatoru’s Influence
The engagement in the Tapatoru process was highly valued for its profound impact on professional practice and future planning. There was a notable emphasis on integrating Māori and Pacific cultural elements into teaching, with many considering the Programme’s certificate extremely valuable.
Feedback and Future Directions
Constructive feedback from participants included suggestions for broader instructor involvement. Coupled with their plans for continued professional development, particularly focusing on Maori and Pasifika, these insights underscore the Programme’s influential role in shaping future educational strategies.
Forward Together
The “Tapatoru Āko Professional Practice Award Evaluation” has highlighted the award’s vital role in enriching teaching practices and advancing professional development in New Zealand. As we advocate for its recognition and expansion, we call upon key stakeholders to continue supporting this transformative initiative, ensuring a culturally responsive and learner-focused educational environment in Aotearoa.
Find Out More
Tapatoru’s home is here at Ako Aotearoa but you can also access all of the currently available teacher education content online via Pathways Awarua.
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