Growing Pacific success in health and science education
By Georgia Parslow and Adrian Field
Since our inception we’ve had the privilege of working with the Pasifika Medical Association (PMA) and their associated organisations to generate useful research and insights in the Pacific health space. PMA is a forum of Pacific medical and healthcare professionals, spearheading Pacific health and wellbeing policy, leadership, advocacy and workforce development across New Zealand and the Pacific.
Our recent work with PMA explored learning from their STEM Leadership Programme – an innovative health science academy operating in two Auckland schools, aimed at growing the number of Pacific students who are equipped with a strong foundation in STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and maths), and pursuing STEM at tertiary level study.
The academy recognised the clear and growing need for Pacific healthcare professionals, and works with two Auckland schools to set in place appropriate teaching, science offerings, mentorship and career guidance counselling to support science career pathways.
We undertook a case study review of the career trajectories of six programme alumni from Otahuhu College, and explored how the Academy had fostered their success. We also spoke to PMA CEO Debbie Sorensen, and Ōtāhuhu College Principal Neil Watson about their reflections on the evolution and achievements of the programme now in its 13th year of implementation.
The trends in academic achievement at Ōtāhuhu College make clear the academy’s influence:
Level 3 NCEA students have achieved rates above those of national benchmarks for Pacific students and all ethnicities in 2014, 2016 and 2017 data.
The number of students taking science subjects such as biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics at NCEA level 3 at Ōtāhuhu College has grown by over 400% since 2010.
The total number of students participating in the sciences at Otahuhu College has more than tripled since the programme expanded to STEM, engaging students in science at Ōtāhuhu College across all year 9-13 groups.
We found the Academy is supporting Pacific students’ success in STEM by:
Responding to economic barriers: Understanding students' family contexts, providing pastoral care outside of the classroom and navigating students toward tertiary scholarships.
Enabling success in secondary and tertiary education pathways: Providing access to high-quality science teaching and facilities alongside a culture of high academic expectations.
Inspiring students to harness their Pacific identity and inherent knowledge: Embracing Pacific values as soft skill ‘superpowers’ that add value in healthcare settings.
Fostering interest and participation in the sciences early in students' schooling life: Preparing students as early as year 9 with a solid foundation and interest in the sciences.
Our case study report is published on the PMA website, which can be accessed here.
Our grateful thanks to PMA Group for commissioning this research.
