Prof Nakata is Deputy Vice-Chancellor Indigenous Education & Strategy at James Cook University. He is a leading Indigenous academic in Australia, and the first Torres Strait Islander to graduate with a PhD. 

His mother is a traditional owner of islands in a remote region of Australia and his dad was born in Japan. He grew up in the islands where he did all his schooling years and has an intimate understanding of the languages and customs of the Torres Strait Islander people. 

He has had an extensive academic career in the fields of Indigenous education, Indigenous Studies, and Indigenous Knowledge. His current research work includes two longitudinal studies of the academic preparation of Indigenous students for university studies, and the academic performance of Indigenous school students in Math and Science.

He has presented over seventy plenary and keynote addresses at professional conferences in Iceland, Norway, Scotland, Greece, South Africa, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Canada, United States, Peru, Aotearoa (NZ) and Australia, and has published extensively on Australian Indigenous education issues in national and international academic journals, anthologies, and books. 

He has been the co-editor of the Australian Journal of Indigenous Education for the past ten years, and continues to serve on editorial boards of academic journals in several countries as well as in Australia.

Research Disciplines

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, language and (4501)
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education (4502)

Socio-Economic Objectives

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education (2102)
• Expanding knowledge (2801)

These are the most recent publications associated with this author. To see a detailed profile of all publications stored at JCU, visit ResearchOnline@JCU. Hover over Altmetrics badges to see social impact.

Journal Articles

• Cumming G, Adamska M, Barnes M, Barnett J, Bellwood D, Cinner J, Cohen P, Donelson J, Fabricius K, Grafton R, Grech A, Gurney G, Hoegh-Guldberg O, Hoey A, Hoogenboom M, Lau J, Lovelock C, Lowe R, Miller D, Morrison T, Mumby P, Nakata M, Pandolfi J, Peterson G, Pratchett M, Ravasi T, Riginos C, Rummer J, Schaffelke B, Wernberg T and Wilson S (2023) Research priorities for the sustainability of coral-rich western Pacific seascapes. Regional Environmental Change, 23 (2).
• Nakata N (in press) Indigenous languages & education: Do we have the right agenda? Australian Educational Researcher,
• Nakata N (2022) AARE 2021—Radford Lecture (R)e-imagining Indigenous education research. Australian Educational Researcher, 49 (5). pp. 865-877
• Nakata M, Nakata V, Day A, Martin G and Peachey M (2019) Indigenous undergraduates’ use of supplementary tutors: developing academic capabilities for success in higher education studies. The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 48 (2). pp. 119-128
• Nakata M, Nakata V, Day A and Peachey M (2019) Closing gaps in Indigenous undergraduate higher education outcomes: repositioning the role of student support services to improve retention and completion rates. Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 48 (1). pp. 1-11
• Jara-Labarthé V, Browitt J, Nakata N and Cisneros Puebla C (2018) Positive discrimination as discourse: a methodological approach for studying Australian and Chilean indigenous educational experiences. Interciencia, 43 (9). pp. 664-671
• Nakata M (2018) Difficult dialogues in the South: questions about practice. Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 47 (Special Issue 1). pp. 1-7
• Martin G, Nakata V, Nakata M and Day A (2017) Promoting the persistence of Indigenous students through teaching at the Cultural Interface. Studies in Higher Education, 42 (7). pp. 1158-1173
• Day A, Nakata M and Miller K (2016) Programs to improve the social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Australian Social Work, 69 (3). pp. 373-380
• Day A, Nakata V, Nakata M and Martin G (2015) Indigenous students' persistence in higher education in Australia: contextualising models of change from psychology to understand and aid students' practices at a cultural interface. Higher Education Research & Development, 34 (3). pp. 501-512
• Barney K, Shannon C and Nakata M (2014) Introduction: exploring the scope of the Australian indigenous studies learning and teaching network. Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 43 (1). pp. 1-7
• Nakata M, Hamacher D, Warren J, Byrne A, Pagnucco M, Harley R, Venugopal S, Thorpe K, Neville R and Bolt R (2014) Using modern technologies to capture and share Indigenous astronomical knowledge. Australian Academic and Research Libraries, 45 (2). pp. 101-110

More

ResearchOnline@JCU stores 29+ research outputs authored by Prof Martin Nakata from 2001 onwards.

Current and recent Research Funding to JCU is shown by funding source and project.

Advisory Accreditation: I can be on your Advisory Panel as a Primary or Secondary Advisor.

These Higher Degree Research projects are either current or by students who have completed their studies within the past 5 years at JCU. Linked titles show theses available within ResearchOnline@JCU.

Current

• Best practice and cultural appropriateness: Governance of the Torres Strait fisheries into the future. (PhD , External Advisor)
• A Synchronic Study of the Torres Strait Islander Student Achievement levels in Literacy and Numeracy (Masters , Primary Advisor)

Completed

• Exploring behaviour support for Australian Aboriginal and Torres Islander students: a mixed methods study (2023, PhD , Secondary Advisor/AM)

The map shows research collaborations by institution from the past 7 years.
Note: Map points are indicative of the countries or states that institutions are associated with.