Pō‘aiapuni O Ka‘aihonua: Using Voices of the Past to Inform the Present and Future

Abstract

Formal education—four walled classrooms with a single teacher and multiple children in a school setting—did not exist in traditional Hawai‘i. Traditional Hawaiian learning resembled contemporary vocational schools or specialized institutions of higher learning. Within these structures, Hawaiians became strongly rooted in cultural and familial values through a support system that provided a firm foundation for their total well-being. Unfortunately, Western influences altered Hawaiian traditional ways of knowing, doing, and being, and the impact, predominantly negative, is prevalent and can be observed in Hawaiian communities, homes, and schools. My homeland, my beloved Waiʻanae, was traditionally prized for its abundant resources and industrious people, and many traveled great distances to obtain goods from this land of plenty. In contrast, our coastline today is plagued by drug addiction, health issues, homelessness, and low performing schools. This cannot and will not continue to be our refrain. In an attempt to reestablish and modernize the traditional Hawaiian nature of learning, I redesigned a culture-based agriculture program at Wai‘anae High School in 2006. The purpose of this study was to develop a greater understanding of effective pedagogical and instructional practices that positively impacted student learning and growth for agriculture students at Waiʻanae High School throughout and beyond high school. The findings of this study suggest that effective pedagogical and instructional practices include a) fostering supportive relationships, rigor, and relevance through contextualized learning, and; b) empowering learners through safe learning environments, Hawaiian culture-based inquiry, and internship/mentorship opportunities. Key to this study are the voices of former students who informed this research.