Professor Graham Nuthall's Legacy

Honouring a Legacy of Transformative Classroom Research

The Hui Rangahau Graham Nuthall Research Symposium celebrates the enduring legacy of Professor Graham Nuthall, a distinguished academic from the University of Canterbury and a pioneering classroom researcher. His internationally recognised work made significant contributions to educational equity and learning research.

The Faculty of Education’s annual flagship event honours Professor Nuthall’s extraordinary impact and legacy as one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most influential classroom researchers. Building on this legacy, the symposium brings together researchers, teachers, alumni, and education leaders to share practical insights and explore the latest advances in evidence-based education.

Professor Emeritus Graham Nuthall (1935-2004)

Graham Nuthall is credited with the longest series of studies of teaching and learning in the classroom that has ever been carried out and it has been recognised by the educational research community.

A pioneer in his field, his research focused on the intimate relationship among students and the teachers within the classroom, resulting in a deeper understanding of the significant and often very subtle classroom interactions which influence learning.

After completing his PhD at the University of Illinois he returned to UC and was made a professor at the age of 37. His work was published in many international journals including the Harvard Educational Review.

He won many awards including the New Zealand Science and Technology Medal from the Royal Society. In 2003 he was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to education.

"My vision is that we will be able to produce a deep understanding of how pupils experience classroom activities and how their minds are shaped by those experiences. This deep understanding will provide teachers with the basis on which they can plan effective learning activities that will match the needs and interests of their pupils. It will provide them with the understanding they need to monitor, on a moment-by-moment basis, what their pupils are learning or not learning, understanding or misunderstanding."

Professor Emeritus Graham Nuthall