I am so thankful for GWNZ for supporting me in my quest to bring voice to the experiences of young Māmā in the primary education system. I am an experienced primary school teacher and a Mum to three girls. I am also currently completing my EdD, Education Doctorate (a professional doctorate). I made the hard decision to leave full time teaching last year to concentrate on completing my EdD. Receiving this scholarship means I will be able to spend more time on my research as I am now at a critical point where I am in the middle of data collection. I want to be able to immerse myself in the lived experiences of the young Māmā so I can move on to the analysis and writing up stages.
I am still struck by the how young single mothers remain stigmatised in New Zealand in 2025. A review of the literature from the year 2000 called for more teen parent units to be opened and just how vital a connection they play in the lives of the young Māmā and their tamariki. This led me to reflect on my own interactions with parents of children I have taught and the question: is it helpful for a teacher/school to know if you are ‘doing it alone’, as one of my participants puts it. Is there extra support available? Does it make a difference to the child? Through further research I found that there is very little literature on young Māmā, education or otherwise.
My research focusses on young single Māmā’s experiences withing the primary school system. I want to know if there are any barriers in access to education; young Māmā’s affective experiences from interactions and encounters in the education system and the strategies and tactics that are used to navigate daily life. This group is at an interesting intersection or groups, they are young parents, some are trying to complete education themselves (as students), money is tight (poverty), housing is an issue (transient), and they are WOMEN. I want to know what is working well for them, what isn’t and what could be better.
I feel very privileged to be able to undertake my EdD and it makes me more aware and appreciative the struggles of my sisters who have walked before me. Some people may think organisations like GWNZ are not needed in today’s world or even in New Zealand, but they are, and they play a vital role in getting research that would otherwise be silenced.