Hiria McRae

Hiria McRae is a Senior Lecturer and Associate Dean of Teacher Education at the School of Education, Victoria University of Wellington. With a PhD in Education from the same institution and a BA in Māori from the University of Waikato, she brings extensive expertise in Māori education, science education, and culturally responsive teaching practices. Her leadership role as Associate Dean positions her at the forefront of teacher education development in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Dr. McRae's research interests focus on Māori medium education, Māori student success in science education, place-based education, and education for sustainability. Her work emphasizes culturally sustaining practices that honor and integrate Mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) and Te Reo Māori (Māori language) within educational contexts. She has developed frameworks for culturally sustaining teacher practice that address accommodation, reformation, transformation, and representation dimensions.

Her recent publications demonstrate a clear trajectory toward integrating indigenous knowledge systems with contemporary educational challenges, particularly in sustainability and digital learning environments. Across her 15 most recent publications, common themes include culturally responsive pedagogy, indigenous knowledge systems, educational policy implementation, and strategies for improving Māori student success. Her research increasingly addresses climate change adaptation through indigenous frameworks and explores innovative approaches to connecting traditional knowledge with modern educational technologies.

Dr. McRae actively supervises doctoral students working on projects related to Māori education, place-based learning, and the Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility program. Her current research projects include developing an iwi strategy for Ngāti Whakaue, researching difficult histories with diverse Māori communities (as part of a Marsden-funded project), and exploring culturally responsive initial teacher education.