Award for Massey professor

A Massey professor has received a national award for his significant contribution to teacher education over the past 20 years.

Professor John O’Neill received the Teacher Education Forum of Aotearoa New Zealand award for Sustained Excellence in Teacher Education at the forum’s conference dinner last week.

When presented the award, Professor O’Neill was described as “an exemplary teacher” who has integrity and great respect for his colleagues and students.

“He is always humble and unassuming, sensitive to people’s needs and inclusive,” the citation reads.
“He is a worthy recipient of this award.”

Professor O’Neill, who is based at the Manawatū campus, has been at Massey for 18 years and was honoured to receive the national award.

“It’s a real privilege to be paid by the State to think, to have the freedom to express your opinions and to have the opportunity to inform significant public policy debates,” he says. “It’s also rewarding to know that you’re helping in very practical ways to develop the next generation of teachers. It’s fantastic to be recognised by one’s peers.”

He says the award also recognised the major contribution Massey has made to teacher education nationally.

Before coming to Massey, Professor O’Neill worked at Leicester University in England and was a classroom teacher of students with special education needs.

The previous winners of the award were Mavis Haigh from the University of Auckland and Alan Hall from the University of Waikato.

More than 130 leading teacher education researchers, policy makers and professional representatives last week attended the Teacher Education Forum Aotearoa New Zealand conference at Massey’s Manawatū campus.