Mata Pasifika as Critique

This paper reflects on some issues arising from the supervision of Pasifika research and the interface between Pacific and non-Pacific forms of knowledge and understanding. Acknowledging that there is always a risk of appropriating Pasifika research (to neo-liberal or Marxist) formulae, the challenge for educators is to think through the implications of different ways of knowing, beyond the set pieces of higher education research, to making an impact on the educational experiences of participants in the research and educational processes, including the students, parents, teachers and researchers, by using the research to alter personal, institutional, and policy environments . This paper investigates a way of understanding ‘mata Pasifika’ in the higher education setting.