Our people

Learn more about the people exploring pedagogy, policy, and community connections in childhood centres and schools for children aged 0 to 8.

Early Years Research Centre

Our people Our projects Our publications

Centre directors

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Ms Dr Hoana McMillan

Lecturer

Iwi: Ngai te Rangi, Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Kahungunu

I have been fortunate in my teaching career to have taught across all sectors of education. Prior to pursuing a formal teaching qualification I worked as a kaiawhina in kōhanga reo. My formal training was as a specialist teacher of Te Reo Māori and Japanese at secondary level but I later transitioned to …
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Dr Bronya Dean

Senior Lecturer

My research interests centre around music in everyday lives, with a particular focus on the musical ‎experiences of young children at home and in the community. I have a professional background in ‎arts management and early childhood music education and my research interests straddle these ‎areas. ‎

My doctoral research explored the spontaneous singing …

Centre members

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Professor Margaret Carr

Emeritus Professor

Margaret is an Emeritus Professor at the University. She has research expertise in narrative assessment and early childhood curriculum development as one of the original developers Te Whāriki, the first national New Zealand early childhood curriculum. In the 2002 Margaret was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to early …
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Professor Bronwen Cowie

Professor

My research is focussed on classroom interactions and learning, with an emphasis on Assessment for Learning in science and technology classrooms and culturally responsive pedagogy in science education. This aspect of my research is underpinned by a sociocultural view of learning. I have explored the affordances of information and communication technologi…
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Mrs Greta Dromgool

Online Professional Development Facilitator

Hub Professional Development Facilitator and Content Developer

Greta is an experienced science teacher who has worked in both secondary and intermediate schools. In 2015, she completed the Science Teacher Leadership Programme working with the Bee Team at Plant & Food Research. Greta is passionate about supporting teachers at all levels to offer engaging…
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Dr Frances Edwards

Senior Lecturer

Frances joined University of Waikato in 2009 after a varied career in education as a teacher, school leader and educational consultant both in New Zealand and the Pacific region. She has a particular interest in assessment at all levels of education, and the teacher development. Her PhD research investigated the development of assessment literacy in beg…
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Professor Linda Mitchell

Honorary Fellow

Professor Linda Mitchell is recognised for her research, evaluation and analysis of early childhood education policies. She is highly critical of privatisation and marketisation in the early childhood education sector, and the capacity of for-profit business owners to make profits from education funding for individual and shareholder gain. She argues for…
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Professor Sally Peters

Head of Education

As a researcher my main areas of interest relate to transitions and children’s learning and development. These interests interweave, with a central focus on the ways in which learning can be fostered within and across settings, and some of the dilemmas associated with this. My central research focus has been on the transition from early childhood educati…
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Dr Hazel Woodhouse

Lecturer

With 30 years of experience as a classroom teacher in early childhood and new entrants in both the UK and New Zealand, Hazel brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her current role as an early childhood lecturer at Te Kura Toi Tangata School of Education at the University of Waikato.
Her research interests align with her passion for enhancing teac…