This research examines Samoan student experiences in two Homework Study Groups （HSGs） in Melbourne using a researcher-practitioner approach. It highlights that school teachers need to acknowledge students＇ preferre...This research examines Samoan student experiences in two Homework Study Groups （HSGs） in Melbourne using a researcher-practitioner approach. It highlights that school teachers need to acknowledge students＇ preferred learning methods, especially those of minority backgrounds like the Samoan participants in this investigation. A detailed exploration of the experiences of students in two HSGs finds that while students and their families place a high priority on learning, their cultural practices are not compatible with standard Western learning approaches. The HSGs provided a social space in which students could ask the teacher questions without fear of appearing foolish, in which they could apply themselves to study. It provided a physical study space away from the demands some Samoan families place on their young people, and it provided a cultural space in which the students could learn according to fa＇aSamoa （traditional values and beliefs）. This research makes a contribution to an understanding of the motivations of Melbourne-based Samoan students to learn, of what concerns them, and of impediments to their educational success. It also offers insight into the benefits that set up a specific space for students offers, when its specific intent is influencing the merging of Samoan and Western ideas to further learning.展开更多
文摘This research examines Samoan student experiences in two Homework Study Groups （HSGs） in Melbourne using a researcher-practitioner approach. It highlights that school teachers need to acknowledge students＇ preferred learning methods, especially those of minority backgrounds like the Samoan participants in this investigation. A detailed exploration of the experiences of students in two HSGs finds that while students and their families place a high priority on learning, their cultural practices are not compatible with standard Western learning approaches. The HSGs provided a social space in which students could ask the teacher questions without fear of appearing foolish, in which they could apply themselves to study. It provided a physical study space away from the demands some Samoan families place on their young people, and it provided a cultural space in which the students could learn according to fa＇aSamoa （traditional values and beliefs）. This research makes a contribution to an understanding of the motivations of Melbourne-based Samoan students to learn, of what concerns them, and of impediments to their educational success. It also offers insight into the benefits that set up a specific space for students offers, when its specific intent is influencing the merging of Samoan and Western ideas to further learning.
