Dr Peter J Keegan

PhD, MPhil, BA(Hons)

Senior Lecturer

In: Te Puna Wananga » Faculty of Education and Social Work

Biography

Peter ws born and raised in Taranaki (West Coast, North Island, New Zealand). He has been living in Auckland (New Zealand) since December 2000.

He pepeha (tribal proverb)

Ko Pirongia te maunga
Ko Waipa te awa

Ko Waikato-Maniapoto te iwi

Ko Ngati Apakura te hapū
Ko Pūrekireki Wiwi te marae

Research | Current

Peter's interests include measurement (including Item Response Theory), assessment and language testing, (especially in Māori and indigenous language education contexts), language documentation and conservation. He focuses on quantitative approaches to research and data. He undertakes research on changes in the structure of Māori language and efforts to revitalize Māori and indigenous languages, in educational and community contexts. He also interested in the achievement of Māori and minority students, and Māori/indigenous literatures.

Research Projects

2015-2018 Māori Pronunciation Tool: A System for Providing Feedback on Spoken Māori (MPAi)

Along with Dr Catherine Watson (School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Faculty of Engineering) and others. The project involves developing and trialing a prototype computer-based Māori pronunciation tool that provides users with real time feedback on their own pronunciation of Māori vowels and words. We undertook trials in November/December 2015 late 2016 and mid 2017. We are currently analysing the results.

2016-2018. Member, Mid-childhood outcomes of children born at risk of neonatal hypoglycaemia, Children with Hypoglycaemia and their Later Development CHYLD Project, Liggins Institute, University of Auckland. Health Research Council grant $1,198,903. Principal Investigator is Prof Jane Harding.

Teaching | Current

First Semester 2018 Research and Study Leave (no teaching)

Postgraduate supervision

PhD

2015

Huang, Chuanning. Investigating imagined communities at a Japanese supplementary school in New Zealand. Co Supervisor.

2014

Benton Zavala, Ana Maria. A bilingual curriculum response to the challenge of cultural maintenance and academic success: A comparative study. Co Supervisor
Perin, Silvia. Antonio Gramsci and language policy. Co Supervisor

Responsibilities

Research and statistical advise, Te Puna Wānanga, Faculty of Education and Social Work

Areas of expertise

Interests include measurement (including Item Response Theory), assessment and language testing, especially in Māori and indigenous language education contexts. Focuses on quantitative approaches to research and data. Undertakes research on changes in the structure of Māori language and efforts to revitalize Māori and indigenous languages, in educational and community contexts. Also interested in the achievement of Māori and minority students.
The structure of Māori language, especially changes in modern contexts such as home, schooling and community
Also interested in Māori narratives, Māori literature (both in English and Māori)

Committees/Professional groups/Services

I am away on research and study leave in the 1st half of 2018.

Selected publications and creative works (Research Outputs)

Reese, E., Keegan, P., McNaughton, S., Kingi, T. K., Carr, P. A., Schmidt, J., ... Morton, S. (2018). Te reo Māori: Indigenous language acquisition in the context of New Zealand English. Journal of Child Language, 45 (2), 340-367.
Other University of Auckland co-authors: Stuart McNaughton, Susan Morton, Cameron Grant
Keegan, P. J. (2017). Māori dialect Issues And Māori language ideologies In the revitalisation era. MAI Journal: A New Zealand Journal of Indigenous Scholarship, 6 (2), 129-142. 10.20507/MAIJournal.2017.6.2.3
Watson, C. I., Keegan, P., Maclagan, M. A., Harlow, R., & King, J. (2017). The motivation and development of MPAi, a Māori Pronunciation Aid. Proceedings of Interspeech 2017, 2063-2067. Stockholm, Sweden: International Speech Communication Association. Related URL.
URL: http://hdl.handle.net/2292/35553
Other University of Auckland co-authors: Catherine Watson
Keegan, P. J. (2016). Māori language testing and assessment in Aotearoa: past, present and future prospects. Paper presented at The Association for Language Testing and Assessment of Australia and New Zealand 2016 Conference, University of Auckland, New Zealand. 17 November - 19 November 2016. Related URL.
Watson, C. I., Maclagan, M. A., King, J., Harlow, R., & Keegan, P. J. (2016). Sound change in Māori and the influence of New Zealand English. Journal of the International Phonetic Association, 46 (02), 185-218. 10.1017/S0025100316000025
URL: http://hdl.handle.net/2292/30189
Other University of Auckland co-authors: Catherine Watson
Keegan, P., Watson, C., & Hoda, R. (2016). Developing a Maori language pronunciation tool based on a Maori speaker database. Paper presented at The Asian Conference on Language Learning 2016, Kobe, Japan. 28 April - 1 May 2016. Related URL.
Other University of Auckland co-authors: Catherine Watson, Rashina Hoda
Keegan, P. J. (2015). A Review of Maranga mai! Te reo and marae in crisis?. MAI Journal, 4 (1), 87-88. Related URL.
URL: http://hdl.handle.net/2292/26373
Podmore, V., Hedges, H., Keegan, P. J., & Harvey, N. (2015). Children who learn in more than one language: Early childhood teachers afloat in plurilingual seas. Wellington: NZCER. Related URL.
URL: http://hdl.handle.net/2292/28304
Other University of Auckland co-authors: Helen Hedges, Nola Harvey