Abstract
The use of te reo Māori (the Māori language), the Indigenous language of Aotearoa New Zealand, has experienced shifts in usage and status. Recent appreciation for the importance of te reo Māori and an interest in the protection and revitalisation of the endangered Indigenous language has emerged. However, doubt remains about its vitality. Limited research exists quantifying te reo Māori use in English-medium (predominantly English-speaking) early childhood education (ECE) in Aotearoa. The current thesis provides a snapshot of te reo Māori use in ECEs and examines the effects of an oral language intervention, ENRICH (Enhancing RICH interactions; in both English and te reo Māori), which targets increased use of te reo Māori through bilingual books and resources. The thesis includes three empirical studies. Both Studies 1 and 2 draw on naturalistic observations from 24 ECE centres across Aotearoa to examine how te reo Māori is currently used in everyday interactions and how it changes over time with targeted oral language support. Study 3 uses parent- and teacher-report data, alongside teacher self-assessment data, from 134 centres, including 1,481 children and their parents and educators, to explore broader patterns of te reo Māori use across ECE settings in Aotearoa, before and after the ENRICH professional development programme. Studies 2 and 3 showed no significant differences in te reo Māori use between the ENRICH and Active Control conditions. Across all three studies, te reo Māori use among both children and educators remained low, with routine-specific differences identified within ECE settings that highlighted areas for targeted professional development. Collectively, these results provide insight into the use of te reo Māori and highlight opportunities for growth. The thesis concludes with practical recommendations to support te reo Māori revitalisation, alongside a collection of new bilingual resources for kaiako and whānau.