Bilingual behaviour checklists: Initiating a student, teacher and parent partnership in behaviour management

Abstract

Three bilingual (Maori and English) behavioural checklists formed part of a project designed to facilitate student, teacher and whanau collaboration in overcoming behavioural difficulties experienced by Maori students, (Hei Awhina Matua). The checklists assessed rankings by 163 students, 21 teachers and 96 whanau members of (1) contexts in which problem behaviours occur, (2) specific problem behaviours and (3) specific most valued behaviours. Data were gathered in three schools: a mainstream intermediate school with a Maori medium syndicate of three classes, a rural Kura Kaupapa Maori (Maori-controlled total immersion school) and a bilingual contributing primary school. While the three schools differed markedly in location, size, and in the proportion of Maori students enrolled, the rankings of settings and behaviours by students, teachers and whanau in each school were highly similar. The paper discusses how these data contributed to the design and development of the Hei Awhina Matua video and training manual, and provided a first step towards a collaborative student teacher and parent partnership in the management of student behaviour.