Pasifika students and learning to learn at university

Abstract

As a Samoan educator, I have frequently heard the claim that Pasifika students need to learn how to learn to succeed at university. As part of the He Vaka Moana Fellowship in 2018, I sought to explore this claim by conducting talanoa with 24 Pasifika students who had taken a Pacific Studies course at the University of Auckland. The talanoa focused on their thoughts about learning and learning processes inside and outside the university. This study demonstrates that Pasifika students know how to learn and frequently reflect on their learning processes. These findings are important for recognising that Pasifika students’ learning processes are not an issue, but that educators need to be more aware of how Pasifika students learn at university to successfully support Pasifika student achievement.