Tēnā koutou katoa.
Ko Tui Summers tōku ingoa. 
Kei Ōtautahi ahau e noho ana.
Nō reira, tēnā koutou katoa.

Dr Tui Summers

Academic Quality Leader | Kaiwhakahaere Tuawhiti Ngaio

Biography

Role

Tui oversees academic quality across the organisation. In this role, she works closely with people across all areas of the organization including the academic leaders, the regional education leaders and the national office staff.

Education background

During more than 25 years in early childhood education and teacher education, Tui’s roles have included lecturer, policy and evaluation roles, director of education and academic leader. She has taught a range of topics including child development, transition to school, inclusive education, and curriculum. As director and academic leader she understands the tertiary sector and its relationship with government agencies such as NZQA and the NZ Teaching Council. She joined Te Rito Maioha in 2015. 

Research background

Tui’s masters research focused on inclusive education in the tertiary sector. Her research led to the employment of an inclusive education co-ordinator in the university where she studied. Her doctoral research focused on exploring women’s social justice leadership. She is also interested in kauapapa Māori and indigenous research.

Teaching interests

Tui enjoys building relationships and supporting her academic team to reach their goals. Her focus is to ensure graduate teachers are strong in bicultural understanding, all aspects of the curriculum, the NZ Teaching Councils standards and ethics to effectively support the learning of all tamariki. 

Recent publications

• Summers, T. & Kamp, A. (2023). Female Social Justice Leaders in the early childhood profession: A narrative inquiry on the origins of leadership. NZ International Journal in Early Childhood Education. 25, pp.29-43.

• Summers, T. (2022). Stories of Three Female Social Justice Leaders: Understanding the Origins of their Leadership [Doctoral dissertation, the University of Canterbury] https://ir.canterbury.ac.nz/handle/10092/104192

• Betts, R., Mackey, G., Rarere-Briggs, B.; & Summers, T. (2018). Citizenship education in the early childhood Te Whāriki curriculum: The roots of participation. New Zealand Political Studies Association (2018). Our civic future—Civics, citizenship and political literacy in Aotearoa New Zealand: A public discussion paper (pp. 8-9). Wellington: New Zealand Political Studies Association (NZPSA).

• Summers, T., & Betts, R. (2015) Facilitating critical thinking in initial teacher education (ITE) early years student teachers. Wellington, New Zealand. Ako Aotearoa.