Hui Rangahau Graham Nuthall Research Symposium 2026

The Hui Rangahau Graham Nuthall Research Symposium and Annual Lecture Series is the Faculty of Education’s flagship event, celebrating the life and legacy of Professor Graham Nuthall, one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most influential classroom researchers. 

For decades, Professor Graham Nuthall’s research transformed understanding of how students learn, inspiring educators around the world. This annual event builds on that work, bringing together researchers, teachers, alumni, and education leaders to share practical insights and explore the latest in evidence-based education. 

The symposium includes refreshments, pop-up research presentations, doctoral research posters, and the Graham Nuthall Lecture, offering an opportunity to connect with current education research and the people behind it.

About the Graham Nuthall Lecture speakers

Dr Hana O’Regan | Kāi Tahu, Pākehā | ONZM

Hana is the Kaihautū – Chief Executive at Awarua Whānau Services and brings over 30 years of expertise working with her people and many organisations to advocate for and lead indigenous language revitalisation and education responses to inequities that Māori and other groups experience. Her mahi on The Waitangi Tribunal and other inquiries means she deeply understands the impact of embedded and enduring system inequities on the lives of New Zealanders.

Associate Professor Frauke Meyer

Frauke is an Associate Professor at the University of Auckland whose research focuses on educational leadership, school improvement, and equity in student outcomes. She works closely with schools and leaders, with a particular focus on how strategic leadership can improve learning conditions and support equitable student achievement. She brings a strong evidence-based perspective to conversations about educational change, leadership development, and equity-oriented reform. Her work has been published and presented internationally.

Presentation

Despite various initiatives aimed at addressing racism and bias within the Aotearoa New Zealand education system, intergenerational prejudice against Māori learners remains endemic, resulting in persistent inequitable outcomes. In this Graham Nuthall Lecture, Dr Hana O’Regan examines how enduring structures of coloniality continue to shape educational experiences in Aotearoa New Zealand, influencing teacher bias, classroom interactions, and outcomes for Māori learners. Their presentation foregrounds the need for educators to critically engage with their own biases and the systems that create and sustain these in order to create more equitable and culturally sustaining practice. 

Dr Hana O’Regan and AP Frauke Meyer will present on the Hāpaitia te Ngākau Aroha - Elevate Empathy project, an anti-bias training for teachers designed to act as a "circuit-breaker". The training introduces teachers to coloniality, research on teacher expectations, and high teacher expectation practices. It further utilises a Virtual Reality (VR) scenario to immerse educators in the perspective of a Māori student over the course of a school day. By enabling teachers to “walk in the shoes” of a Māori student, the scenario makes visible the often subtle, cumulative effects of bias in everyday interactions. The VR scenario aims to foster perspective-taking and increase empathy. The training aims to challenge deficit thinking and support shifts in teacher awareness and practice. By weaving together critical scholarship and immersive technological innovation, The Hāpaitia te Ngākau Aroha - Elevate Empathy project team hope to demonstrate how confronting coloniality alongside engaging in perspective-taking can open new pathways toward more just and culturally responsive teaching.

Why attend?

• Gain fresh, practical ideas you can use in your teaching, research, or policy work.
• Hear from Dr Hana O’Regan and Associate Professor Frauke Meyer on the Hāpaitia te Ngākau Aroha - Elevate Empathy project.
• Explore inspiring pop-up presentations and doctoral research posters.
• Connect with educators, researchers, and alumni.
• Join the conversation on the future of education in Aotearoa and beyond.

Further information and registration details will be shared soon.