Tangiwai's research interests include te reo me ngā tikanga Māori, Māori Education and Māori Pedagogy. In 2006 she completed her Master of Indigenous Studies which looked at the impact and implications of Ministry of Education legislative changes to teacher qualifications (effective 1 January 2006) on and for teaching staff in a small sample of Kura Kaupapa Maori in the South and North Islands of New Zealand