Margaret Maaka, a professor in the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa College of Education Department of Curriculum Studies, was elected executive committee chair of the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Special Interest Groups (SIGs). In addition to this office, Maaka will serve as a member of the AERA council for three years.
With the College of Education since 1986, Maaka's research areas include educational psychology, language and cognitive development, multiliteracies, educational policy, research methods and indigenous development and advancement.
Maaka has held various offices within AERA during her 28-year membership. In 2000, she joined Professors Linda Tuhiwai Smith, Graham Hingangaroa Smith and Huia Jahnke to form the Indigenous Peoples of the Pacific Special Interest Group that provides a forum for researchers interested in studying indigenous knowledge and practices in the Pacific and Pacific Rim.
The SIGs provide a forum within AERA for members with common research interests to collaborate. There are more than 150 SIGs, overseen by the executive committee, and the AERA council serves as the legislative and policy body.
Founded in 1916, AERA is comprised of more than 25,000 members representing 85+ countries. Members are university faculty, researchers, graduate students and other distinguished professionals with diverse expertise in education research. They work in a range of settings from universities and other academic institutions to research institutes, federal and state agencies, school systems, testing companies and nonprofit organizations.