Abstract
Supporting positive early childhood development is important for both short and long-term outcomes. This paper is the second of two papers examining the measurement of four Māori constructs underpinning positive child behaviours – tuakiri (secure local Māori identity); whānauranga (acting as a member of a whānau); manawaroa (persisting despite difficulty); and piripono (having integrity, commitment and responsibility). Here, we describe changes in measures of these constructs over a 10 month period. Whānau (families) and kaitiaki (teachers) completed questionnaires and video observations were made of 28 Māori children aged 0-5 years. Growth curve analysis revealed significant positive change in each construct across five timepoints, even controlling for age differences. These findings provide proof-of-concept that our novel measures of the four constructs are sensitive to change in positive child behaviours among preschool Māori children.