ABSTRACT. For many years conventional educational psychology has not served Indigenous students well. What was once considered fair and just may no longer be deemed appropriate. Recent developments continue to reshape educational psychology in Aotearoa New Zealand, and while much can be applauded, concerns still linger. As an evolving society, we must continually reflect on past events, take stock of present realities, and refine future parameters. This paper briefly explores the disparities that exist for Maori students and their whanau (family). It is argued that these disparities are more likely to be responded to when educational professionals engage willingly in cultural encounters (both scholarly and pragmatically); encounters that serve to enhance one’s knowledge of culturally relevant nuances, discourses and approaches. It is contended that educational psychology will be enriched when conventional and cultural streams converge. Culturally-informed frameworks are introduced so as to propound an approach that reflects a bicultural-multicultural trajectory. pp. 66–81

Keywords: education; psychology; culture; indigenous; Maori students; Aotearoa; New Zealand