Source: University of Otago
Thursday 13 August 2020 3:03pm
Sustained excellence in tertiary teaching has earned Associate Professor Anne-Marie Jackson a national Tertiary Teaching Excellence award.
Associate Professor Anne-Marie Jackson
Associate Professor Jackson (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Whātua, Ngāti Kahu o Whangaroa), Māori Physical Education and Health, School of Physical Education, Sport and Exercise Sciences, was yesterday morning named as one of nine awardees by Ako Aotearoa.
Her award was one of five in the Kaupapa Māori category, which is the greatest number of Kaupapa Māori teachers to be recognised in any one year since the category was introduced in 2010.
The award meant a lot, she said. “It’s recognition for my own whānau that everything is possible. Also, fantastic recognition to all of those involved in our wider kaupapa of Te Koronga, at PE School over the years – our community members, our staff, students and grads.
“I hope it raises the profile of being a kaupapa Māori teacher. There are kaupapa Māori teachers around the motu who are doing great things too whether it’s in tertiary like us, or teaching night hui at the kitchen table with whānau, running their marae etc etc – all are important, and hopefully this award raises the profile of being a kaupapa Māori teacher, the awesome parts of it and the hugely challenging parts too.”
Associate Professor Jackson is a co-founder of Te Koronga: Graduate Research Excellence and Indigenous Science Research Theme, and she co-leads two other research programmes: Te Tiaki Mahinga Kai (customary fisheries) and Tangaroa Ara Rau (Māori Water Safety).
In 2016 she was awarded the University of Otago Student Association Supervisor of the Year, in 2017 she received the University of Otago Division of Sciences Māori/Pacific Content Innovation in Teaching Award and in 2019 received the Kaupapa Māori University of Otago Award for Excellence in Teaching.
Alongside her teaching, Associate Professor Jackson’s research has been recognised by the Royal Society Te Apārangi, with the presentation of the 2019 Te Kōpūnui Māori Research Award for community research forging new knowledge at the interface of mātauranga Māori and Physical Sciences.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Harlene Hayne says the award is a well-deserved recognition of Dr Jackson’s teaching accomplishments.
“Dr Jackson is a popular teacher and successful researcher and we are so proud of her. Her dedication in raising the profile of matauranga Māori in our Division of Sciences and further afield is a fantastic example of how to effect change from inside an organisation and her work in Māori postgraduate research excellence has rightly been recognised outside of the University of Otago.”
University of Otago Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic, Professor Pat Cragg, says the exemplary teaching skills of Dr Jackson are deservingly recognised with this award.
“This is the highest accolade a University teacher can receive and rightly affirms Dr Jackson’s dedication and passion for the craft. Her enthusiasm and skill has made, and continues to make, a very real difference to the students she teaches.”
Associate Professor Jackson says she loves working with students and being “just a small part” of their academic journey.
“I primarily teach physical education students, and teach very much from a Māori physical education and health perspective (Te Ao Māori/Māori worldview, Te Tiriti/Treaty and Kaupapa Māori in practice), so I love seeing students develop their own passion and enthusiasm about the theoretical content, and then how they become engaged to go out into the world and do something about it in a practical way too.”
She believes the key to her teaching success is understanding her own why.
“I’m hugely passionate about my research which is what I teach on. I just love it. And so I think this enthusiasm is part of the success maybe.”
Professor Chris Button, Dean of School of Physical Education, Sport and Exercise Science, was delighted by the win.
“Anne-Marie is an ex-student of the School herself, so it’s really special to see ‘one of our own’ recognised with this prestigious award. As a teacher Anne-Marie has incredible empathy with the students and the ways they like to learn. She uses the kaupapa māori approach to nurture their natural curiosity and this strength-based philosophy really helps our students to link knowledge to practice.”
For further information, contact:
Associate Professor Anne-Marie JacksonSchool of Physical Education, Sport and Exercise SciencesUniversity of OtagoEmail anne-marie.jackson@otago.ac.nz
