ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines the role of culture in transfer as it relates to professional development in a Polynesian context. The Cook Islands has been a traditional society that embodies the Polynesian way' in which there are four key interactive elements that define such a society: kinship, status and respect, sharing and caring, and unity through consensus. Indeed improved teacher performance has been one of the goals of the Cook Islands Education Ministry, but improvement has not been ascertained, as valid impact data has not been collected. The education system has been very much influenced by New Zealand in terms of aid funding and educational personnel. The three-phased research project adopted a phenomenological case study approach and surveyed teachers, teacher educators and principals. Educational resources and facilities are limited, however there is a teachers' training college and a few other tertiary training institutions.
