New Zealand's higher education sector is taking decisive steps to tackle persistent underrepresentation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields, particularly among Māori, Pacific, and female students. At the forefront is the University of Auckland (UoA), which has developed innovative digital tools through its Te Pae Tawhiti project to guide secondary school students toward STEM success and university pathways.
The Te Pae Tawhiti initiative, launched in 2023 and wrapping up key phases in 2025, centers on understanding and dismantling barriers in school assessment systems, subject choices, and career envisioning. By partnering with schools, whānau (extended families), and communities, researchers have created resources that empower underrepresented groups to navigate the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) framework and envision thriving in STEM careers.
Understanding the STEM Equity Gap
Māori and Pacific peoples, who are projected to comprise 40 percent of New Zealand's workforce under 40 by 2041, currently make up only about 8 percent of tertiary STEM enrolments. This stark disparity contributes to ongoing skills shortages in data-driven industries crucial for the nation's innovation economy. Female students, while showing strong interest—around 40 percent aspire to STEM careers—often hesitate without clear visions of themselves in those roles, influenced by structural hurdles in subject pathways and recognition of achievements.
These inequities begin in secondary education, where subject selection and assessment practices can inadvertently limit access. UoA's research highlights how interconnected STEM subjects, future study options, and career prospects drive choices, yet many students from targeted groups lack the tools to connect these dots effectively.
Te Pae Tawhiti: A Collaborative Research Effort
Te Pae Tawhiti, meaning 'distant horizon' in te reo Māori, embodies a forward-looking approach. Led by Associate Professor Mei Kuin Lai from UoA's Faculty of Education and Social Work, alongside Dr. Jacinta Oldehaver from the Faculty of Engineering, the project applied the Learning Schools Model. This evidence-based framework involves schools in identifying STEM participation enablers and barriers, then co-designing interventions.
From 2023 to 2025, the team engaged diverse stakeholders through surveys, focus groups, and iterative prototyping. Collaborators included Dr. Hana Turner-Adams, Dr. Shengnan Wang, and experts from Auckland University of Technology (AUT), ensuring culturally responsive outcomes. Philanthropic funding from the Faculty of Engineering and Design's networks amplified the effort's reach.
The Taeao App: A Personalized STEM Navigator
🌅 At the heart of the project is the Taeao app—Sāmoan for 'new dawn'—a free cross-platform tool (mobile and web) co-developed by Dr. Oldehaver and four final-year Computer Science students: Jasleen Kaur, Lara Remo, Krishna Viswanathan, and Zac Iloka. Built over a year, it acts as a 'Google Maps' for NCEA and STEM journeys.
Key features include a live NCEA Rank Score calculator, 'Map My Aspirations' quiz to align interests with careers, scholarship database, progress tracker, and a dedicated Parent Hub for whānau involvement. Students can explore STEM pathways, linking subjects to university programs and jobs, with adaptability to future assessment changes.
Currently in testing with Years 9–13 Māori and Pacific students, educators, and families, Taeao emphasizes cultural relevance, such as parent-friendly interfaces and milestone signposts like credits and support services. Early feedback praises its empowerment of informed decisions, potentially transforming secondary-to-tertiary transitions.
STEM Dashboard: Empowering Schools with Data
Complementing the app, the STEM Dashboard is a user-friendly analytics tool for schools. It tracks STEM achievement trends over time, revealing patterns in participation and success. Educators can pinpoint strengths, like rising engagement in biology among Pacific girls, or gaps, such as calculus access for Māori boys, to inform targeted planning.
Designed for scalability, the dashboard integrates with existing school systems, fostering data-driven equity strategies without overwhelming staff. By highlighting systemic issues over individual blame, it promotes collective responsibility for diversifying the STEM pipeline.
Photo by Haithem Ferdi on Unsplash
Insights from UoA's Research Findings
The project's empirical insights reveal that equity hinges on clear subject-career connections. Young women thrive when they can picture themselves in STEM roles, while Māori and Pacific students benefit from culturally anchored support. Structural reforms in assessments—reducing silos between subjects—emerged as pivotal.
Quotes from leaders underscore impact: "This research shifts the system," says A/Prof Lai. Dean of Engineering Professor Richard Clarke adds, "It addresses barriers, not deficits, strengthening the pipeline culturally and future-focused." These findings align with national data showing slight UE attainment gains for Māori and Pacific in 2025, yet underscoring the need for sustained intervention.
UoA's Broader Commitment to Equity
Beyond Te Pae Tawhiti, UoA supports initiatives like the Tuākana peer mentoring program, aiding first-year Māori and Pacific in STEM. The recent Gender Equity Strategy and narrowed pay gap report signal institutional priority. Scholarships such as Toloa Tertiary for Pacific STEM students and GCSB Women in STEM further bolster access.UoA's gender equity plan integrates leadership development for women.
Waipapa Taumata Rau's Pacific Strategy, Ala o le Moana (2025-2030), enhances research and entrepreneurship for Pasifika success across disciplines.
National Landscape: Initiatives Across NZ Universities
UoA's tools complement nationwide efforts. Universities New Zealand advocates for Māori success, noting 70 percent of recent Māori graduates are female, yet STEM lags. AUT's partnerships, like with Electric Kiwi for women in tech, and Victoria University of Wellington's equity programs echo this.
Government-backed Toloa Scholarships fund Pacific STEM tertiary study up to $10,000. NZQA's Equity in STEM Symposium (2021, ongoing influence) and Ako Aotearoa's 2025 outputs on Pasifika tech equity advance the agenda. Despite progress—NCEA Level 3 attainment up for Māori/Pacific in 2025—representation remains low at 8 percent in university STEM.
Challenges and Stakeholder Perspectives
Barriers persist: institutional habits slow Pacific women, racism and tokenism affect Māori/Pasifika scientists, and envisioning challenges deter females. Stakeholders, from whānau to employers, call for trust-building and shared responsibility.UoA's project page emphasizes co-design's role.
Industry leaders highlight skills shortages; educators stress cultural responsiveness. Solutions demand multi-level action: schools adapting pathways, unis expanding mentoring, government funding tools rollout.
- Cultural relevance in tech tools
- Whānau engagement
- Assessment reforms
- Mentoring scalability
Future Outlook and National Rollout
Taeao and the dashboard eye nationwide deployment, future-proofed for changes. UoA plans iterative enhancements via user testing, aiming for a STEM system where Māori, Pacific, and women see viable paths. Projections: diversified workforce meeting 2041 demographics.
Higher ed's role amplifies: unis as pipeline builders via outreach, scholarships, inclusive curricula. Success metrics include rising STEM enrolments, graduation parity, and industry placement.
Photo by Denny Müller on Unsplash
Implications for New Zealand Higher Education
For NZ universities, Te Pae Tawhiti models scalable equity: evidence-led, collaborative, tech-enabled. Amid funding squeezes and reforms, such initiatives position unis as equity leaders, attracting diverse talent and funding. Explore opportunities in higher ed jobs or NZ academic positions.
By fostering inclusive STEM, NZ builds economic resilience, innovation, and social cohesion—ensuring all students reach their distant horizons.
