Hāpaia te ako – Nurturing the learning journey: A support system for tertiary staff – Sonia Winikerei

Sonia Winikerei is of Rongomaiwahine Iwi and has 15 years teaching experience, also 10 years as a social worker. She is a Regional Engagement Facilitator at Toi Ohomai, and is currently completing a  Masters of Māori and Indigenous Leadership (MMIL) at the University of Canterbury with Hāpaia te ako as the research focus.

Hāpaia te ako is a peer-mentoring programme designed to build cultural capability among Toi Ohomai’s Learning Support and Engagement staff. It focuses on three goals: increasing staff understanding of mātauranga Māori, normalising its use within support spaces, and aligning services with the needs of ākonga Māori.

The pilot was trialled in Semester Two 2024, with 12 participants – six mentors and six mentees, and was evaluated using dyadic self-reporting and inductive methods. Hāpaia te ako offers insights into how departments can grow cultural capability to better support Māori learners.

Sonia presented a research overview and update at the Toi Ohomai 2024 Manawa Reka symposium, and is nearing completion of her final research report.

Research output:

Winikerei., S. (2024, September 19). Hāpaia te ako – Nurturing the learning journey: A support system for tertiary staff [Symposium presentation]. Te Manawa Reka Curiosity Research Symposium, Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology, Rotorua, New Zealand.