Māori still face barriers to train in psychology

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2023-06-16 00:01

New Zealand

Photo by Alicia Christin Gerald on Unsplash

Māori training in psychology are in a constant struggle to exert tino rangatiratanga (self-determination) and ensure that the knowledge production and practices of psychology align with he tirohanga Māori (a Māori worldview). Researchers looked at the Māori-focussed content in 139 professional psychology training courses, and found that only one third included Māori-focussed content, and only four were specifically Māori-focussed. More work is needed in order to make psychology in Aotearoa more responsive and relevant, which could include more Māori-focussed undergraduate courses to attract and retain more Māori students into pursuing psychology, and employing Māori with expertise in mātauranga Māori (who do not necessarily have formal training in psychology) to contribute to programmes.

Media release

From: Pasifika Medical Association Group

Our study assessed the professional programme psychology courses that are required to be
completed at a satisfactory level prior to registration as a psychologist with the New Zealand
Psychologists Board. The descriptors and learning outcomes of each course were carefully analysed
to identify whether they adequately covered Māori content. Only four (2.9%) courses were
specifically Māori-focussed and one-third (36.0%) included Māori-focussed content. Our findings
raise questions regarding the existence of genuine institutional will to decolonise psychology and
bolster the responsiveness of psychology for Māori. There is little evidence of meaningful
integration of Māori psychology. Our research team, Working to End Racial Oppression (WERO), is
conducting further research to identify barriers to Māori participation in psychology.

Journal/
conference: New Zealand Medical Journal

Organisation/s: University of Waikato, University of Otago

Funder: The current research constitutes a larger WERO project (Systemic Racism in Health Education, Training, and Practice) that focusses on the three dimensions of racism in psychology in Aotearoa: its costs, systems and the potential responses that exist. This work was supported by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment Endeavour Research Programme, “Working to End Racial Oppression” (UOWX2002)

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