Field Research Samoan Communities

Overview

This 60-minute lesson is the 16th in a 21-lesson unit titled "Exploring Samoan Heritage" for Year 12 students in New Zealand. The lesson focuses on enabling students to conduct field research within local Samoan communities by preparing and refining surveys. This hands-on approach supports language learning through meaningful community engagement while aligning closely with the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh, particularly the Learning Languages learning area, emphasizing communication skills, cultural understanding, and planning research.

Learning Objectives (WALT: We Are Learning To)

WALT design and prepare effective survey questions for field research on local Samoan customs.
WALT understand ethical considerations and respectful engagement in community research.
WALT plan strategies for collecting language and cultural data through surveys.
WALT develop oral and written communication skills in both English and Samoan contexts.

These objectives strongly align with the New Zealand Curriculum’s Learning Languages area for Year 12, which focuses on communication, cultural awareness, and language use for authentic purposes. The lesson also reflects key competencies of using language, symbols, and texts, and participating and contributing in diverse contexts.

Curriculum Links

Learning Languages – Year 11–13: Communicating with confidence in an additional language; understanding varied worldviews; developing language for real-life contexts.
Key Competencies: Using language, symbols, and texts; Participating and contributing; Relating to others.
Principles & Values: Inclusive practice respecting cultural identities and language diversity.

Success Criteria

Students can create clear, respectful survey questions relevant to Samoan customs.
Students demonstrate understanding of cultural protocols while planning research.
Students show ability to work collaboratively in survey design and preparation.
Students can explain the purpose and method of their survey confidently.

Materials Required

Sample survey question sheets
Devices or paper for writing surveys
Copies of key Samoan cultural information for background
Projector or whiteboard for instructions and examples

Lesson Structure and Timing

Time	Activity	Description	Differentiation and Extension
0–10 min	Introduction and WALT briefing	Revisit previous knowledge about Samoan heritage. Introduce today’s focus on preparing surveys for field research. Discuss importance of respectful community engagement and ethical considerations in data collection.	Support: Provide sentence stems for oral explanations. Extension: Challenge advanced learners to consider ethical dilemmas.
10–25 min	Collaborative Survey Design	In pairs, students brainstorm and draft 5–7 survey questions designed to gather information about Samoan customs, language use, and community practices. Include both open and closed questions. Teacher circulates to support and model question formation in English and Samoan where appropriate.	Support: Provide examples of question types (e.g., yes/no, multiple choice, open-ended). Extension: Learners can create bilingual questions incorporating relevant Samoan phrases.
25–35 min	Survey Refinement and Peer Feedback	Pairs swap their survey drafts with another pair for feedback. Focus on clarity, cultural sensitivity, and language accuracy. Groups then refine their questions accordingly.	Support: Use checklists to guide feedback. Extension: Encourage learners to justify their question design choices referencing language features.
35–50 min	Role Play and Survey Practice	Pairs simulate conducting the survey by role-playing both interviewer and interviewee. They practice pronunciation, polite phrases, and protocols for respectful questioning.	Support: Provide scripts and polite expressions. Extension: Advanced learners pilot a mini-interview with multiple participants in the class.
50–60 min	Reflection and Preparation for Fieldwork	Class discussion reflecting on what they have learned about community research and language use. Outline next steps for actual field research in local Samoan communities. Set goals for their data collection visits.	Support: Provide sentence starters for reflection. Extension: Learners create a checklist of fieldwork ethics and cultural protocols.

Differentiation Strategies

Scaffold language with sentence starters, question templates, and bilingual vocabulary support.
Visual aids and graphic organisers for planning survey structure.
Pairing for peer support with varied language abilities.
Provide alternate roles in role play for different confidence levels.
Extra challenge for advanced students: design surveys that integrate quantitative and qualitative elements and justify their approach.

Extension Activities

Develop a short presentation summarising the purpose and design of their survey to share with local community contacts.
Create digital versions of the survey for online data collection, incorporating multimedia.
Research and add comparative questions about similar Polynesian customs in other communities.
Write a reflective journal entry predicting challenges they might face during field research and how to overcome them.

Assessment and Feedback

Formative assessment through observation during survey design and role play activities.
Peer feedback during survey refinement phase.
Teacher feedback on clarity, cultural appropriateness, and language features of survey questions.
Self-assessment checklist on survey preparation and understanding of cultural protocols.

Key Teaching Points

Emphasise respectful engagement and cultural protocols when conducting research in indigenous communities.
Model how to phrase survey questions clearly and respectfully in both English and Samoan.
Use this lesson as an opportunity to deepen students’ understanding of Samoan identity and customs through active inquiry.
Explicitly teach language structures useful for asking questions and conducting interviews.

This lesson harnesses authentic community interaction as a powerful context for language learning, fostering critical competencies and cultural awareness as outlined in the New Zealand Curriculum Refresh. It also builds practical skills in research methods and communication, preparing students for meaningful engagement both inside and outside the classroom.

If you want, I can provide detailed examples of survey questions, ethical guidelines for research in communities, or templates for peer feedback and reflection activities. Just let me know!

Teaching Instructions