Oceania oralities research and sustainable education: Exploring layersof engagement

Abstract

Oralities research has a central place in supporting sustainable education in the Oceania region because this form of research has the potential to reveal what education does and could mean to communities at the local level. In this way, oralities research can assist any interventions to key into, and make sense from, local ontological positions. The Oceania Oralities Framework (OOF) (Sanga & Reynolds, 2023) is an analytical tool that supports links between Oceania oralities and research. It has provided a ground for theorising Oralities research, supported research design, and has shaped analytical scope in data treatment. This article extends the reach of the framework by drawing from a tok stori session held at the OCIES 2023 Conference at the National University of Sāmoa, Apia. In the article, we approach the OOF in a way that points to some of the layers in the potential contribution of the OOF to oralities research. These focus on holism, framework elements, cultural principles, and oralities as performance.  This approach adds to the value of the framework to support appreciation of Oceania oralities across the region and provides pointers to how oralities research can support sustainable education. Formal education can be adjusted to fit the needs and perspectives of Indigenous groups and minorities only when their voices can be heard in their own terms.