The Ministry of Education (MOE) commissioned Gravitas Research and Strategy to undertake an evaluation of the component of the teacher professional development programme for Pacific Island teachers which supports the Arts in New Zealand Curriculum. The evaluation primarily examines how the programme, a series of workshops delivered to Pacific Island teachers within the Auckland region during 2001, assisted teachers to translate the curriculum document to classroom practice.
A limited research programme was undertaken within the evaluation. The programme included 2 in-depth interviews with the providers of the professional development programme and 2 focus groups with teachers who attended the programme. Other limitations to the evaluation included the need to conduct full focus groups (rather than smaller groups which would have allowed more in-depth understanding of individual participant outcomes), as well as only including those teachers who attended at least 3 of the 4 workshops held.