Teachers' perceptions of the epistemic interface between indigeneity and technology in the Cook Islands

Externally constructed change initiatives within Indigenous contexts, such as information communication technology (ICT) integration, require careful consideration before implementation. This study analyzed the intersection between Indigenous epistemology, culture based education, place based education and ICT integration. The purpose of this study was to examine how teachers within the Cook Islands made meaning of teaching with technology. In particular, this study investigated teachers’ perceptions of the role of technology to sustain, share, and connect with Indigenous Cook Islands language and culture and/or engage with the Western world. Within this qualitative study, analysis of interview data from 21 teachers on the islands of Rarotonga and Aitutaki yielded findings that represented a continuum. Findings showed that teachers’ Indigenous, hybrid, or Western epistemic stance mediated their perceptions of ICT. In addition, teachers’ beliefs about the purpose of education emerged in their perceptions. The range of findings indicated that teachers located within an Indigenous stance articulated tensions in power, knowledge systems, equity, sociopolitical and socioeconomic stance, as well as the intersection of culture and pedagogy within their perceptions of ICT. In contrast, as teachers were positioned closer to a Western epistemic stance, they progressively did not perceive these tensions. From an Indigenous perspective, teachers expressed the complexity of grounding students in a Cook Islands Maori identity in a system that supported change initiatives envisioned from foreign perspectives. This study offers an awareness and understanding of the complex issues and possibilities of ICT initiatives within the unique context of the Cook Islands.