2. Faaaloalo i e matutua (respect for elders)
Faaaloalo i e matutua is perhaps the most common and well known of cultural factors
underpinning le tautala and it tends to influence other cultural factors mentioned in this
section. Respect for elders is a major cultural value within Faasamoa (Samoan culture) and
it tends to permeate every other aspect of Samoan society where young and old interact. So
in the school environment it is not surprising that this value affects the sociocultural
interactions of both teachers and pupils. As one teacher points out in the following quote, it
prevents pupils from answering back even if the pupil has a point to argue or even if the
teacher made an error: