Reviewing flexible learning spaces for Māori-medium education

Abstract

In Aotearoa New Zealand, schooling is experiencing a “spatial turn” (Benade, 2019), as more large and open classroom spaces, often called flexible learning spaces (FLSs), are built by the Ministry of Education. At the same time, there has been a momentous “right-shift” (Higgins et al., 2014) towards learning Māori language and culture. The second official acknowledgement and celebration of Matariki this year, including a public holiday, is indicative of the groundswell of interest in the Māori world. These two important educational shifts are being explored in the research project entitled “A Māori Modern Learning Environment.