E TĹ« TÄngata (ETT; MÄori for â€Stand Together’) is an initiative in Aotearoa New Zealand working to transform negative cultural attitudes and cultivate positive youth character through the development of 3 mindsets – You Have Value, We Succeed Together, and Others Matter. ETT is a response to a negative cultural phenomenon of criticism known as tall poppy syndrome, and an attempt to address Aotearoa’s growing mental health challenges and school disengagement. This project targets youth (ages 5-18), and youth stakeholders (teachers and school leaders).
In this 3-year project we will collaborate with teachers, school leaders, and students to facilitate effective implementation of ETT across primary and secondary schools through a series of workshops that target key areas of concern and provide the pedagogical framework that empowers new activities. In keeping with Aotearoa’s bicultural framework, the collaboration activities will include MÄori (indigenous New Zealanders) immersion schools (kura kaupapa).
We will also extend our current pilot research in primary schools with more robust longitudinal, mixed-methods research in new primary and secondary schools (a completely new research area). We will also conduct qualitative research that investigates how teachers and school leaders see the effect of ETT over time and will explore the role of student leaders in secondary schools as key facilitators of ETT.
This focus in schools is a direct response to a recent government report (ERO, 2024) on substantial behavioral problems that primary and secondary schools are facing. Beyond that, ETT hopes to shift long held social norms in Aotearoa away from criticism and social comparison towards inclusion and collaboration where everyone can flourish, have meaning and value, and discover the importance of treating others with that same intent.
