Learning about the awa: My reflective journey of admission into a doctoral programme at Auckland University of Technology
Abstract
Supporting new Māori doctoral students on their academic journey as they begin requires them to adapt quickly and steadily to the universities structures and systems. Contemplating and thinking to take on doctoral studies entails a huge mind shift from worker to student, and also has to be taking onboard with your whānau (extended family) and the greater hapori (community). To successfully navigate the awa (river) involves meeting minimum entry requirements of a doctoral programme and then submitting a PGR2 proposal on a topic which you will be acquainted with. This paper aims to explore the awa, a metaphorical analogy of navigating and engaging in higher education as a mature student[1] based on their lived experiences as a Māori doctoral student when entering into a doctoral programme at Auckland University of Technology (AUT) and the details of their keys to success, and preparation needed to successfully complete the PGR2 pathway.
[1] Mature students can be considered to have careers, family commitments, significant life experiences, and are likely to hold down long-term debt like a mortgage (Howard & Davies, 2013). They tend to be over the age of 25 years old (Boston, 2017).
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References
Abraham, H. (2022). The dual journey of navigating the ‘awa of higher education’ by a Māori doctoral candidate at Auckland University of Technology [Unpublished manuscript]. Te Ipukarea Research Institute, Auckland University of Technology.
Abraham, H. (2021). Iti noa ana, he pito mata: A critical analysis of educational success through a Māori lens and two case studies of whānau within Ngāti Awa and Ngāti Tūwharetoa (Doctoral thesis, Auckland University of Technology). http://hdl.handle.net/10292/14445
Abraham-O’leary, H. (2015). Leading learning for Māori students: The challenges of leadership for teaching principals in small rural primary schools [Master’s thesis, Unitec Institute of Technology]. Unitec Research Bank. https://hdl.handle.net/10652/3260
Auckland University of Technology. (n.d.-a). Doctor of Philosophy. https://www.aut.ac.nz/courses/doctor-of-philosophy
Auckland University of Technology. (n.d.-b). Form PGR2 – admission to a doctoral programme. https://student.aut.ac.nz/postgraduate-research/pg-forms-policies-and-processes/postgraduate-forms
Boston, N. (2017). The experiences of mature age students transitioning to higher education (Master’s thesis, Auckland University of Technology). http://hdl.handle.net/10292/11016
Howard, C., & Davies, P. (2013). Attracting mature students into higher education: The impact of approaches to learning and social identity. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 37(6), 769-785. https://doi-org.ezproxy.aut.ac.nz/10.1080/0309877X.2012.684038
Pihama, L., Morgan, J., Smith, L. Tiakiwai, S. J., & Pihama, J. (2019). MAI Te Kupenga: Supporting Māori and Indigenous doctoral scholars within higher education. AlterNative: An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples, 15(1), 52-61. https://doi.org/10.1177/1177180119828065
Copyright (c) 2022 Hazel Abraham
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