DoctorToni Torepe

Dr Toni Torepe's research focuses on strengthening Māori education, culturally responsive teaching and equity in initial teacher education. Her work is grounded in mātauranga Māori, Indigenous and kaupapa Māori research methodologies, and mana-enhancing practices that uphold the aspirations of Māori ākonga, whānau, hapū and iwi.

Her research expertise includes Indigenous research methodologies, with doctoral research examining the lived experiences of Māori academicsz within Western tertiary institutions. She is an international co-lead of the Trans-Tasman research project Indigenous Cultural Taxation in Higher Education: A Trans-Tasman Study of Māori and Aboriginal Academic Experiences, which investigateds the impacts of cultural labour, institutional inequalities, and Indigenous academic wellbeing across Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia.

In addition, Dr Torepe is a co-lead of an international research project in partnership with Te Rūnanga o Arowhenua, exploring whānau relationships with Aoraki, including diverse iwi perspectives on the cultural, spirtual, and relational implications of mountaineering on the maunga.

Her research interests include:

• Māori and Indigenous academic/teacher identity, cultural capability and success in compulsory and tertiary education contexts
• Partnerships with iwi, hapū, and Māori communities to strengthen equity and outcomes
• Kaupapa Māori research methodologies and Indigenous knowledge systems
• Bicultural and inclusive practice in Aotearoa New Zealand education settings
• Culturally responsive, relational and mana-enhancing pedagogies
• Māori student success, identity and wellbeing in schooling and education contexts

Dr Torepe's work contributes to national and international conversations on equity, representation, and transformative education practice in education, with a particular focus on Māori teacher and academic experiences within schooling and higher education contexts.