Rate My Professor Paia Taani

Paia Taani serves as the Māori Studies Coordinator and Pūkenga Matua at Te Tumu, School of Māori, Pacific and Indigenous Studies within the University of Otago's Humanities Division. Affiliated with Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Whare, Te Whakatōhea, and Ngāti Uenukukōpako, her academic and teaching practices are deeply informed by her and her husband's experiences raising four bilingual tamariki. Taani holds a Master of Indigenous Studies from the University of Otago (2019), where her thesis, "Whakaritea te pārekereke: How prepared are teachers to teach te reo Māori speaking tamariki in mainstream primary schools?", explored teacher readiness in mainstream settings. Additional qualifications include a Bachelor of Arts, Graduate Diploma in Māori Studies (both from Otago), Diploma of Teaching (Early Childhood Education) from Auckland, Te Ara Reo Māori, and Te Pīnakitanga ki te Reo Kairangi from Te Wānanga o Aotearoa. As a PhD candidate at Otago, she investigates the intergenerational transmission of te reo Māori within her own whānau, supported by a University of Otago Research Grant (UORG) awarded in 2022 for the project "I ahatia taku reo Māori? Tracking intergenerational transmission of te reo Māori within whānau". Her accolades include the Te Tumu Kahurangi Prize for Māori Language (2012) and the University of Otago Teaching Excellence Award in the Kaupapa Māori Category, recognizing her as a caring, intentional, and innovative kaiako dedicated to tauira growth.

Taani's research specializations encompass te reo Māori and tikanga Māori, particularly in whānau and educational contexts. Notable publications feature the chapter "Kua tau tōku mauri: The balance between Māori language teacher cultural identity and wellbeing" co-authored with Karyn Paringatai (2025, in Language Teacher Identity and Wellbeing), "Whāia te iti kahurangi: A journey of pursuing aspirations for bilingual tamariki" (New Zealand Journal of Teachers' Work, 2023), and conference contributions such as "Whakaritea te pārekereke: Key factors for teacher preparedness to teach reo Māori speaking children in English-medium schools" (NZARE, 2023) and verbal presentations "Moanaruatia ngā muka tāngata" at MAI Hui-ā-Tau and International Indigenous Research Conference (2024). She teaches foundational and advanced te reo Māori courses including MAOR 111 Te Kākano 1, MAOR 112 Te Kākano 2, MAOR 213 Te Mana o te Reo, and MAOR 313 Te Hiringa Taketake, emphasizing revitalisation, education, and Māori pedagogies. Taani supervises Master of Indigenous Studies students, including Moana Kaio, Sharee Adam, and Neihana Matiu (with co-supervisor Kare Tipa), contributing to the development of emerging scholars in the field.