Purpose: This article presents fieldwork perspectives and research reflexivity gained from the cross-national research team, with the aim of promoting better qualitative research practices in transnational research. It focuses on how the team incorporates diverse cultural perspectives and insider and outsider roles to enhance the research in the…

Higher education in Aotearoa New Zealand -- we have a problem. Maori and Pasifika academics are not given time to talk together about Maori and Pasifika student success. Often framed by 'the academy' from a deficit position, initiatives to address the 'problem' of Maori student and Pasifika student success is often ad hoc and disconnected, rarely…

In this paper we introduce the concept of contextual mitigating factors (CMFs) as an analytical tool for interrogating the contextual landscapes that situate one's research. While we understand that much work has been done on the importance of identifying context in research programs, we continue to stress the importance of developing contextually…

Early career academics are crucial to the long-term vitality of teaching and research, and to the future of universities. They are the next generation of teaching staff, of cuttingedge innovation and research leadership, and are a valuable resource to be nurtured and developed. There is a pressing challenge for universities to create an…

This article is a reflective endeavor on the "affective" dimensions of my fieldwork, which explores Asian migrant women's desires for educational success in the United States and South Korea. My encounter with affective and material forces pervasive in the field triggers "affective" reflexivity that supports my own struggle…

Jacoba Matapo, Associate Dean Pasifika in the Faculty of Education and Social Work, University of Auckland, opens this discussion by introducing herself by way of her pepha; which she says is integral to who she is. She defines this as her way of being, connecting, and knowing the world. She describes herself as a Samoan, New Zealand-born Pasifika…

Reflecting on one's positionality as a researcher is a critical element in qualitative studies. While there are various qualitative studies on the meaning of and the way positionality affects qualitative research practice, this research note examines the phenomenon as it applies to the author's doctoral study. Drawing from a collection of research…

One of the key tenets of critical literacy that I operate from is that it works to disrupt normalized social practices. In keeping with this tenet, I have crafted this paper in such a way that it somewhat disrupts the normalized format of academic writing by creating an audit trail comprised of artifacts that represent significant moments in my…

This article is a personal reflection about the acknowledgement of my "taken-for-granted frames of reference" (Mezirow, 2003, p. 59), which were replicating the hegemonic narrative I grew up surrounded by as a white, Mexican, Spanish-speaker; while hindering a more thorough understanding of the educational and linguistic topics that…

The author's introduction to the field of qualitative research in the EdD program began with analyzing the artistry of a practitioner researcher. Arriving in the space of an emerging artist practitioner researcher has been soulfully synchronistic and life affirming because of the magic the author has experienced in the convergence and alignment of…

Teacher research has been promoted as a context-relevant approach to improving children's learning experiences in early childhood settings. In this article, we focus on social-emotional learning (SEL), a crucial domain of the early childhood curriculum, to illustrate the role of teacher research in changing early childhood teachers' everyday…

Employers participate in mental health initiatives in a number of ways. Key amongst these is the provision of accessible places and events for employees to discuss mental health issues. Inspired by these conversations, we held a workshop for staff to encourage the discussion to develop more widely, facilitated by the first two authors of this…

Art educators have been promoting Community-Based Art Education (CBAE) in schools in order to enhance students' sense of socio-cultural identity and contextual learning about local art and culture. It cannot only bridge the gap between the students' daily lives and the communities and art, but can also enhance their inquiry, discovery and…

In this article, we present a framework for exploring participation in and social stratification of movement culture based on Pierre Bourdieu's concept logic of practice. The background to our approach is Lars-Magnus Engström's struggle to understand the impact of social stratification on participation in movement culture in a now nearly…

Using the Pacific metaphor of the vaka, va'a, waka [canoe] this review considers the journey of Pasifika early childhood education (ECE) in Aotearoa New Zealand over the past decade. The discussion covers three major areas within the Pasifika sector: the need to celebrate the strong heritage and resilience of Pacific early childhood educators and…