2nd year doctoral studies at AUT University...

 It's back to the grindstone again going into my second year of Doctoral studies in Education with AUT North Shore campus. This year we've been encouraged to look at 4 hours per day (20 hour week) study programme whereby we read, think, write in any order but that it is done.

The first year was mainly looking at my topic and considering what that might look like and writing the Introductory chapter as well as the Literature Review but in starting my new job in teaching a Certificate in Indigenous Research paper, I realised that I was going about it the wrong way and that I really wanted to be looking at a topic that was a lot closer to home.

Some of the things that I had been speaking to my students about were the along the lines of: do the research that is meaningful to you and that only you can; be flexible - let the research lead the journey to leave a legacy; what is something that is precious and valuable to you that you want to look closely into depth about? and now I can answer those questions for myself.

So now in taking my own advice, I've decided to make a 180 degree turn about to now looking at the topic broad topic of the faaSamoa and what educational ideas/values to pass on to the next generation. The research question itself isn't tightly bound yet but I feel a sense of exhilaration in finding something that I passionately want to write about.

It has to do with some of the ancient knowledge in the faaSamoa that was passed down to me from my parents but isn't being passed onto the next generations due to the language not being passed on, the domination of the English language and paradigms that do not value Samoan values in this current age and yet the books that I'm writing are very much about a time and space that is almost lost in time, hence the reason for this doctoral study.

So for the next 3 days, I'm in an intensive study cohort where we talk about where each person is at as a professional doctoral studies community and are able to share, debate, discuss, consider, question, support etc. each other in the group. With mainly Pakeha, Europeans in the group but also Maori, Pasifika and a couple of other cultures represented.

It's definitely not for the faint hearted and with a couple more years to look forward to completion there's a lot of work to do. Let the games begin...