DOI
10.1108/14676371011077577

Summary
This paper is concerned with the enhancement of teaching competencies in working towards peace and sustainable development and the importance of “non-Western” values, beliefs and culture in implementing global education initiatives such as Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). The study aims to enhance the target audience in developing better application of learning experiences for Pacific students – culturally inclusive. Thaman begins the article by discussing the variety of Pacific values and beliefs. Here, she draws from her recent research and analysis of Pacific indigenous educational ideas as well as her personal cultural experience of being a Tongan citizen. Thaman uses examples of Tongan language: the equivalent of an educated person – Poto – someone who knows what to and does it well. Poto is achived through ‘ilo which is the appropriate combination of knowledge, understanding and values – all of which is acquired through ako or learning. Thaman then discusses Relationships: a core Pacific value. Here, she describes the cultural emphasis and significance of relationships. She states that “Learning abouts ones relationships and associated responsibilities and obligations constitute a major part of the curriculum of indigenous education”. The author makes reference to UNESCO and the University of South Pacific (USP) as they recognise what Little (1995)’s termed the “cultural gap”. This is acknowledged as a situation in which expectations from schools often clash with the expectations of the home cultures for the majority of students and teachers.

Thaman goes on to discuss Relationships and the educated person and Moral and epistemological dilemmas. Then she discusses The teacher education curriculum. In this section, she makes reference to a 1997 survey from a collaboration of the Pacific Association of Teacher Educators and the UNESCO chair. The findings showed that less than 20 percent of college staff reported contextualising their teaching content and only 10 percent reported deriving course content from Pacific values. Thaman then draws attention to the need to develop cultural competence in teachers as well a deeper understanding of Pacific cultures. The professional development of teachers was tackled through Teacher Education Modules (TEM) which started in 1998 and continues today. A Pacific education symposium was held in Fiji 3 years later as a result of the TEM. Here, they agreed on two causal factors – 1. Absence of a vision about what education can do for the regions, and the lack of ownership by the Pacific people for their education systems due to following western ideologies.

Relevance for Complex Systems Knowledge
This study is relevant to the sustainable development and community development topic. It offers insight into the need for enhancing sustainable development teaching initiatives such as ESD to incorporate the values and beliefs of Pacific cultural teachings. The paper widens the lens of sustainable development to better incorporate “non-Western” teachings. This promotes the encapsulation of a bigger world system towards developing a more sustainable global community.

The paper however does not follow a methodological approach to its analysis but is rather structured as an essay/discussion.

Point of Strength
The study is essentially structured as a commentary from a combination of Thaman’s past research and other pieces of literature related to the topic. It presents the case for integrating Pacific values and beliefs into ESD teachings and other similar initiatives. 

The paper would be somewhat useful as a reference point for replicating another culturally specific study, however, it is deep rooted in Pacific culture and does not follow a methodical process of analysis.