Tara McLaughlin
Associate Professor, PhD
Kia ora. I’m Tara. I am the founder and director of this research lab. My research focuses on inclusive high-quality early intervention and early childhood education. Key focus areas include exploring (a) evidence-based, intentional and social-emotional teaching practices (b) assessment and data-informed teaching; and (c) innovative professional learning and development. My current work has a strong emphasis on applied research in early learning settings. My broader research uses an eclectic mix of research methods including statistical techniques and a focus on measurement quality in educational research. I am passionate about advancing a rigorous and thriving research culture, in partnership with teachers and stakeholders in early childhood, that meaningfully contributes to a growing body of knowledge and translates into innovative and practical applications and positive outcomes in early childhood.
Massey Staff Profile | Tara's Facebook Page
Karyn Aspden
Senior Lecturer, PhD
I’m Karyn Aspden, and I am one of the Early Years team at Massey University. I began my career as a teacher and leader in a range of early childhood services, before moving into initial teacher education. My research interests include practicum, effective teaching practice, early intervention and infant and toddler pedagogy. The importance of meaningful and responsive relationships is the thread that weaves through each of these areas. I am passionate about supporting the enhancement of quality teaching practice in early childhood services, through my work with student teachers, post graduate students and teachers within the sector.
Massey Staff Profile
Philippa Isom
Lecturer
Kia ora, ko Philippa Isom ahau. I am a Lecturer in Initial Teacher Education for Te Kunenga te Pūrehuroa (Massey University) with a special interest in the Philosophy of Education, Equity in Education, and Futures Studies. I am passionate about connection across the Learning Areas, student-centered learning, and te Tiriti o Waitangi partnership. Although I am primary trained, I have wide ranging experience across education sectors and have worked in the game design industry. I now work across all endorsements (ECE, Primary and Secondary) and also in the ECE endorsement supporting the development of specific pedagogical and domain knowledge. In my research, I am interested in alternative ways of knowledging in educational philosophy including the use of fiction as a thinking practice.
Massey Staff Profile
Linda Clarke
Senior Tutor, PhD
Kia ora. Ko Linda ahau. Nō Ngai Tahu me Ngati Pākehā ahau. I am a senior tutor in Massey’s Institute of Education. Mostly I teach post graduate courses in early years education. My research interests include teachers’ professional learning and development, coaching, social-emotional learning and toddler pedagogy. My background is as an early childhood teacher. I have worked in playcentres, early childhood services and kindergartens. I am passionate about teaching and research, and I enjoy working to support quality teaching and learning in the early years sector.
Massey Staff Profile
Karen Mackay
Professional Clinician
Kia ora, ko Karen Mackay taku ingoa. I am part of the ECE team at Massey University. My main role is working with students specifically focused on practicum. I have worked across the early childhood sector in a variety of roles which has contributed to my ongoing learning about effective teaching practice. I am passionate about strengthening teachers' understanding of social-emotional competence which I explored through a teacher-led research project. I am also passionate about extending children’s mathematics and literacy learning and assessment.
Massey Staff Profile
Aisling Gallagher
Senior Lecturer, PhD
Kia ora, I’m Aisling. I’m a social geographer with a research interest in the organisation of ECE systems. My work focuses in particular on the policy frameworks and funding mechanisms used to foster and sustain ECE sectors, as a crucial educational resource for young children and an important support for working families. In my research I seek to identify models of provisioning which can foster a well-resourced and equitable ECE sector for children, teachers and families. To date, I have researched and published on the ECE sectors of Aotearoa/NZ, the UK and Ireland.
Massey Staff Profile
Zhenlin Wang
Associate Professor, PhD
Kia ora! I am Zhenlin Wang, Associate Professor at the Institute of Education, Massey University. I was trained as an early childhood teacher in China and later pursued postgraduate studies and doctoral research in developmental psychology both in China and in the United States. My academic career started in Hong Kong as a child development researcher and a teacher educator. I joined Massey University and moved to Aotearoa New Zealand in 2023. My research interests revolve around the development of social cognition in children, or the so-called Theory of Mind, that is, how children understand others’ minds. Some of the key areas of research focus include the cultural, familial, and pedagogical influences on children’s social cognitive development, and the impact of the developing theory of mind on children’s wellbeing, social functioning and academic learning.
Massey Staff Profile
Sally Clendon
Associate Professor, PhD, MSLT, BSLT(Hons)
Kia ora, I’m Sally. I am a Senior Lecturer in the Institute of Education. My research interests are focused around optimising access to the curriculum and to literacy learning for children with complex communication and learning needs. I am currently engaged in a number of collaborative research projects with colleagues at universities in New Zealand and Australia focused on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and/or literacy, as well as some key projects for the Ministry of Education. I coordinate the Postgraduate Programmes in Speech and Language Therapy which aligns with my passion for mentoring postgraduate students. My own postgraduate student experience was extremely positive and it is important to me that the students I support have the opportunity to thrive in a similar way. I have experience with a variety of research methodologies but have a particular interest in case study research and its capacity to provide a rich and complex response to a research question by integrating a variety of data sources.
Massey Staff Profile
Vicki Gifkins
Project Coordinator
Kia ora. Ko Vicki Gifkins ahau. I co-ordinate across several research projects including TLRI and Embedded Instruction NZ. I come from a background of teaching across the early childhood sector including in child care, kindergarten, home-based and Playcentre settings. I am also a post-graduate student. I have a passion for ensuring children have access to high quality early childhood education and recognise the critical role of research within this.
Massey Staff Profile
Elaine Khoo
Associate Professor, PhD
Kia ora! Ko Elaine ahau. My name is Elaine and I am an Associate Professor in Digital Education at the Institute of Education, Massey University.
I am originally from Malaysia and have lived in New Zealand for over the last 20 years. I have worked in the tertiary education sector for over 22 years and have diverse teaching, research and working experiences. My research interests are in digital learning and pedagogies, effective teaching and learning in digital technology-supported contexts with applications across a broad sector of education in collaboration with educators from ECE to the tertiary. I have prior qualifications in secondary teaching and early childhood education with a Masters in Psychology (Cognitive Science) (USA) and a PhD in Education (New Zealand).
Massey Staff Profile
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Julie Houghton
Lecturer, MEd
Kia ora. Ko Julie ahau. I am a lecturer and course coordinator in the postgraduate specialist teacher programme at Massey University Institute of Education. My background as an early childhood teacher and leader in various settings and environments led me to regional positions in learning support and a national role at the Ministry of Education. These experiences have shaped my research interests and dedication to shaping the current and next generation of teachers. I'm passionate about equity in early childhood education, social-emotional learning, bicultural curriculum and practice implementation. My research aims to create inclusive and effective educational experiences for all learners.
Massey Staff Profile
Karen Harris
Senior Lecturer, EdPsych, PhD
Kia ora! My name is Dr Karen Harris, and I am a Senior Lecturer and registered Educational Psychologist. I started my career as a teacher, and eventually trained to become an Educational Psychologist. During my work as an Educational Psychologist, I collaborated with various early years settings, providing staff training, assessments of children's learning requirements, and consultations with early years staff and families. Currently, I am leading the MEdDevPsych program at Massey University. I am dedicated to advocating for early intervention and supporting early years settings to create inclusive and diverse environments. At present, I am conducting research on how schools and early years centres can meet the needs of children who identify as trans, non-binary, or gender diverse.
Massey Staff Profile