Siaosi was born and raised in the village of Fasito’otai, Samoa. In 1994, he was awarded a rugby scholarship to play at secondary school in New Zealand and has stayed ever since. He is married to Katie (a Kiwi-born Tongan), and they have two children aged 13 and 14.
Siaosi is a full-time student currently in his third year of PhD study at The University of Auckland (UOA) – Philosophy of Education. His research project is on senior Samoan students at secondary school, their parents, and their teachers – exploring key factors of their education. These factors include: students’ self-efficacy (self-belief); students’ aspirations; teachers’ expectations; parents’ expectations; and students’ achievement. The results from this project will hopefully address a number of gaps in the current literature, as well as contributing to the existing body of research on improving Pasifika student outcomes in secondary schools.
Furthermore, this project could provide a model to better understand how Samoan students, their teachers, and their parents can work effectively together to increase success and achievement in senior secondary school.
“In this season I believe that God has opened the door for me to study full time, and He has given me the grace and wisdom to finish this PhD for His purpose. I am excited to spend time at Vaughan park not only to study, write, and share my research, but more importantly, to seek God’s Will for the next season of my life”.
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