Tiffany Williams wins NZARE Rae Munro Award 2024

28 November 2024

We are excited to announce that Tiffany Williams, a Lecturer Kaiako here at Te Rito Maioha, has received the Rae Munro Award from the New Zealand Association for Research in Education (NZARE). This award recognises her outstanding Master’s thesis “Border Crossing: Supporting factors of collaboration across sectors in one Kāhui Ako/Community of Learning.”

Tiffany’s research journey began with her curiosity for cross-sector collaboration and how to bridge learning communities within Kāhui Ako. In her former role as an Across-sector leader, she observed potential to strengthen partnerships and transform collaborative practices. Her research led to an in-depth analysis of communities of practice, which she found to be effective in fostering collaboration. Her thesis not only explores these strategies but also provides language for describing practical leadership approaches in a collaborative environment.

Her research process was supported by many, particularly her supervisor, Dr. Debbie Ryder, and a steadfast group of fellow students who met every fortnight for one and a half years.

“It kept me motivated; I couldn’t have done it without them. It can be lonely writing a thesis, but it wasn’t for me because of the incredible support I had. It was challenging, but it was exciting,” she shares.

She also acknowledges the invaluable support of Te Rito Maioha, including writing retreats, thesis ‘coffee groups’, and other key resources.

This is the first time a Master’s student of Te Rito Maioha has won the award, a milestone Tiffany describes as a proud moment for both herself and the organisation. She feels this spotlight highlights the organisation’s innovative contributions within the education sector.

Reflecting on the achievement, Tiffany notes, “For many Master’s students, simply having one’s research seen and read is an achievement, so this award has really been the icing on the cake.”

Looking ahead, she is eager to continue her research journey, currently focusing on a self-study of convening across communities of practice – work she hopes will provide valuable insights for the quickly evolving field of satellite teaching. She also has her sights set on pursuing a doctorate one day and looks forward to the possibility of doing so through Te Rito Maioha when it becomes available.

The Rae Munro Award honours the outstanding contribution of the late Dr Raeside Munro to educational research and teaching practice. It is awarded annually for an excellent Masters-level thesis by a member of NZARE in an area which has implications for teacher education or classroom practice.

Williams, T. (2024). Border Crossing: Supporting factors of collaboration across sectors in one Kāhui Ako/Community of Learning. Teachers’ Work, 21(1), 75-90. https://doi.org/10.24135/teacherswork.v21i1.620