Advances in Applied Sociology, 2024, 14, 227-246 https://www.scirp.org/journal/aasoci ISSN Online: 2165-4336 ISSN Print: 2165-4328 DOI: 10.4236/aasoci.2024.145016 May 21, 2024 227 Advances in Applied Sociology Triangulating Student, Teacher and Family Perceptions to Guide Theory-Based Reform for Engaging Indigenous Students Mere Berryman, Margaret Egan, Jay Haydon-Howard, Elizabeth Eley Division of Education, Waikato University, Tauranga, New Zealand Abstract The racialized, historical legacy of colonization has resulted in intergenera- tional disparities for disproportionate numbers of Indigenous students across many parts of the globe. In Aotearoa New Zealand, several national school reform and policy initiatives have been undertaken to better improve the schooling system for our Indigenous, Māori learners. The development of walkthrough observations and surveys that ask students, their family members and teachers to ask critical questions is to explore perceptions of their learn- ing experiences within the school reform. A set of tools, known as Rongohiate Hau, has been used to ensure both a more theory-based approach and identify changes over time. This paper presents quantitative and qualitative evidence from 25 secondary schools that indicate the importance of gathering and uti- lizing evidence such as this, if the “core” of education can be changed and more transformative reform pathways determined. Keywords Theory Based Reform, Indigenous Led Equity, Shared Humanity 1. Introduction We position this paper within the ongoing disparities faced by Indigenous peoples globally and in Aotearoa New Zealand in particular. We contend that the assimila- tion practices embedded within the colonial education responses must be better understood, disrupted, and reformed. We then consider the historical and inter- national significance of theory-based reform and culturally responsive pedagogy as more effective responses to the disparities experienced by Māori and other mar- How to cite this paper: Berryman, M., Egan, M., Haydon-Howard, J., & Eley, E. (2024). Triangulating Student, Teacher and Family Perceptions to Guide Theory-Based Reform for Engaging Indigenous Students. Advances in Applied Sociology, 14, 227-246. https://doi.org/10.4236/aasoci.2024.145016 Received: April 18, 2024 Accepted: May 18, 2024 Published: May 21, 2024 Copyright © 2024 by author(s) and Scientific Research Publishing Inc. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution International License (CC BY 4.0). http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Open Access