The Iwi Research Symposium came ahead of a three-day conference on educational research, convened by the New Zealand Association for Research in Education (NZARE).
More than 250 people were expected to attend the conferences this week, held at the Bay of Plenty Polytechnic's Windemere campus from today until Thursday.
The theme of the conferences was Captured By The Dawn, which reflected how educational research was an ever-developing field, said co-convenor Rosina Taniwha of Ngai te Rangi.
Keynote speakers include professor Robert Tierney of the University of Sydney, professor Wally Penetito of Victoria University and professor Roger Boshier of the University of British Columbia, Canada.
It is the first time Tauranga has hosted the event and NZARE president Dr Cheryl Stephens said the conference venue allowed for a broader range of people to participate.
In another event yesterday, NZARE's Early Childhood Special Interest Group gathered for a workshop on academic writing, led by University of Auckland's Professor Alison Jones.