Rate My Professor Sophie Nock

Sophie Nock is a Professor in Te Pua Wānanga ki te Ao, Faculty of Māori and Indigenous Studies at the University of Waikato. Of Ngāti Kūri descent, she earned a BA (Hons), MA, Postgraduate Diploma in Māori and Pacific Development, PhD from the University of Waikato completed between 2007 and 2014, and RSA/Cambridge CELTA certification. Her academic career at the University of Waikato began around 2005 as a senior lecturer in the Department of Māori Language within the School of Māori and Pacific Development, advancing to associate professor and achieving promotion to full professor in December 2024. Recognized for her teaching excellence, she received the 2012 Ako Aotearoa Southern Regional Award for Sustained Excellence in Tertiary Teaching in the Kaupapa Māori category. Her teaching philosophy emphasizes a community-based learning environment grounded in Kaupapa Māori principles, where students are encouraged, challenged, and inspired to view each discovery in te reo Māori as a koha or gift. Students praise her as a role model who ignites passion for the Māori language, fostering deep appreciation and practical skills through immersion programs and curriculum-aligned lessons.

Professor Nock's Kaupapa Māori-driven research is interdisciplinary, integrating te reo Māori revitalization with health, wellbeing, and cultural contexts. Her specializations include Māori language pedagogy, communicative language teaching synergies, curriculum and textbook design for te reo Māori from Years 1-13, and tertiary immersion programs. Key publications encompass "Kei tua o te awe māpara/Beyond the mask: Māori language teaching in English-medium secondary schools in New Zealand" (2021), "Participant responses to a tertiary-level Māori language immersion programme: Reporting on a questionnaire-based survey" (2010), "Exploring synergies between Māori pedagogy and communicative language teaching" (2009), and "Using the curriculum guidelines for the teaching and learning of te reo Māori in Years 1–13 of New Zealand schools to create lessons for young learners" (2009). Extending to kaumātua health, her collaborative work includes codesigning culture-centered age-friendly communities (2022), Kaumātua Mana Motuhake peer support interventions for later-life transitions (2020), and intergenerational models like He Huarahi Tautoko (2025). She has secured Health Research Council funding, such as $123,600 over 36 months for projects enhancing Māori elders' wellbeing and cultural revitalization through language learning. Her contributions influence policy, community programs, and academic discourse on indigenous language regeneration and holistic health outcomes.