Professor Macfarlane is the University’s first winner in the Kaupapa Māori category. The award recognised his contribution and commitment to the professional advancement of kaupapa Māori imperatives for pre-service and in-service teacher education.
He states that he attempts to adopt an approach to teaching and learning that is culturally-grounded, evidence-based, student-focused and committed to advancing awareness and understanding that can be translated into practice.
Educated in Rotorua and Auckland, Professor Macfarlane’s leadership in Māori traditions was fashioned and refined at secondary school where the emphasis was on te reo and tikanga Māori, scholarship, performing arts and sport. A period as head teacher of a school for students with profound behaviour difficulties focused Professor Macfarlane’s interest in educational and cultural psychology, which became the foundational disciplines of his university teaching and research.
He is also Kaihautū (Senior Māori Advisor) for the New Zealand Psychological Society.
"The greatest satisfaction I derive from tertiary teaching is the development of human potential, which must be highly valued and reflected in the content and context of teaching programmes," he says.
"While my teaching is primarily geared toward kaupapa Māori orientations, I strive to be inclusive of all cultures. The fine examples of excellence that my tipuna [ancestor], Makereti, provides are the qualities that I draw from to guide and inform my tertiary teaching practice."
Professor Macfarlane recalls and acknowledges the many key people who have inspired him and kept him motivated over the years. "A real sense of purpose and enjoyment was inspired through working in proximity to tertiary education leaders such as Fred Kana, Waiariki Grace, Tamati Reedy, Linda Tuhiwai, Ted Glynn, and others."
