Career highlights
2022 – Research Innovator Award, Faculty of Arts and Education, Deakin University.
2021 – Faculty Teaching and Learning Award, Faculty of Arts and Education, Deakin University. For innovative use of 360-degree video of classroom practice in an undergraduate Initial Teacher Education literacy unit. Recipients: Maria Nicholas, Aubrey Comben, Christian Bass & Stephen Newnham
2017 – Vice-Chancellor's Prizes and Awards for Outstanding Contributions: Deakin University Award for Teaching Excellence. For providing highly supportive Cloud learning through strategic partnerships and premium digital resources, effectively preparing students for placement. Recipients: Maria Nicholas, Denise Simons, Rebecca Claire, Lisa Bell, Rosemarie Garner, Stephen Newnham & Glenn Mcnolty
2016 – Faculty Award for Teaching Excellence, Faculty of Arts and Education, Deakin University
2013 – Faculty Teaching Excellence Award for Early Career Teaching, Faculty of Arts and Education, Deakin University
Affiliations
Associate Investigator: Australian Research Council - Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child: https://www.digitalchild.org.au/
Member of the Strategic Research Centre in Education: Research for Educational Impact (REDI)
Knowledge areas
Maria has an interest in high-ability and gifted education in primary and secondary school settings, and literacy development in the pre-school years and early years of schooling (specialising in the learning, teaching and development of reading). Maria's interests also include digital literacies, teaching approaches, and the role of mediation in child/student development and learning.
Professional activities
2022 – Keynote speaker for Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools' (MACS) "Pathways to Improved Literacy" program of professional learning ; and delivery of two webinar presentations for the program: "Theories of Reading" and "The Gradual Release of Responsibility (GRR) model: Teaching approaches for Reading and Writing".
Winch, G. & Holliday, M., with Nicholas, M. (2020). Chapter 10: Learning to Read: The Child before School. In Winch et al. (Eds.), Literacy: Reading, Writing and Children's Literature (6th ed.) (pp. 153–170). Docklands, Australia: Oxford University Press.
"Teaching Approaches and the Gradual Release of Responsibility Framework" - Instructional video: Nicholas, M., 2018, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=974dcaZdjLs>
"New app turns learning ABCs into child's play" - Media Release: http://www.deakin.edu.au/about-deakin/media-releases/articles/new-app-turns-learning-abcs-into-childs-play
Projects
- Professional Learning - High Ability Education and Learning in partnership with the Centre for Higher Education Studies, DET: Dr Maria Nicholas, A/Prof Andrew Skourdoumbis, A/Prof Linda Hobbs, Dr Shaun Bangay, Dr John Cripps Clark, Dr Seamus Delaney, Dr Sophie Mckenzie, Dr George Aranda, Miss Ondine Bradbury, Dr Guy Wood-Bradley
- Deakin's Nyaal: using 360 degree videos of classroom practice to facilitate immersive teaching/learning experiences, in partnership with local primary schools.
- Doctoral thesis (2020): "Mothers' interactions with two-year-olds when reading printed and electronic texts" : https://dro.deakin.edu.au/view/DU:30136545
- "Transition: A Positive Start to School" - Early Childhood and Primary School cross-sector State-wide Professional Learning: Associate Prof Liz Rouse, Prof Christine Ure, Prof Andrea Nolan, Mrs Rosemarie Garner, Dr Maria Nicholas
Publications
The Barometer of Agency: Reconceptualising the 'Guided Reading' Teaching Approach
Maria Nicholas
(2022), Vol. 12, pp. 1-11, Education Sciences, Basel, Switzerland, C1
Examining the paradoxes children experience in language and literacy learning
G Auld, J O’Mara, A Cloonan, T Delphine, A Eyers, M Nicholas, S Ohi, L Paatsch, L Pangrazio, J Quick
(2022), pp. 1-16, Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, Berlin, Germany, C1
E Rouse, M Nicholas
(2022), Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, C1
Cultural-historical methodology for educational research: A Vygotskian manifesto
John Cripps Clark, Maria Nicholas, Nikolai Veresov
(2021), Vol. 2, pp. 243-260, Methodological approaches to STEM education research, Cambridge, Eng., B1
M Nicholas, L Paatsch
(2021), Vol. 21, pp. 3-26, Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, C1
Learning to read: where should early childhood educators begin?
M Nicholas, E Rouse
(2021), Vol. 55, pp. 3-13, Literacy, C1
Guided reading - Working within a child's zone of proximal development
M Nicholas, N Veresov, J Clark
(2021), Vol. 30, Learning, Culture and Social Interaction, C1
Child-centred teaching: Helping each child to reach their full potential
M Nicholas, E Rouse, L Paatsch
(2021), Vol. 11, Education Sciences, C1
R Garner, M Nicholas, E Rouse
(2021), Vol. 29, pp. 764-779, European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, C1
School readiness - what does this mean? Educators' perceptions using a cross sector comparison
E Rouse, M Nicholas, R Garner
(2020), pp. 1-15, International Journal of Early Years Education, Abingdon, Eng., C1
Shaun Bangay, Sophie Mckenzie, Maria Nicholas, Aaron Spence
(2019), Vol. 3, pp. 420-425, Learning, education & games, volume 3: 100 games to use in the classroom and beyond, Pittsburgh, Pa., B1
Aaron Spence, Sophie Mckenzie, Maria Nicholas
(2019), Vol. 3, pp. 16-20, Learning, education & games, volume 3: 100 games to use in the classroom and beyond, Pittsburgh, Pa., B1
Using video-stimulated interviews to foster reflection, agency and knowledge-building in research
Maria Nicholas, Louise Paatsch, A Nolan
(2018), pp. 213-226, Video-based research in education : cross disciplinary perspectives, Abingdon, Eng., B1
M Nicholas
(2018), Vol. 41, pp. 125-141, International Journal of Research and Method in Education, C1
Digital literacies in middle years classrooms: teachers' perspectives and self-reported practices
K Hankins, M Nicholas
(2018), Vol. 24, pp. 13-33, The international journal of learning, Champaign, Ill., C1
S McKenzie, A Spence, M Nicholas
(2018), Vol. 16, pp. 16-29, Electronic Journal of e-Learning, C1
M Nicholas, M Wells
(2017), Vol. 45, pp. 229-249, Asia-pacific journal of teacher education, London, Eng., C1
M Nicholas, S Mckenzie, M Wells
(2017), Vol. 6, pp. 267-282, Journal of education and learning, Toronto, Canada, C1
Transition: a positive start to school: statewide professional learning delivery final report
E Rouse, Rosemarie Garner, Maria Nicholas, Christopher Speldewinde
(2017), [Melbourne, Vic.], A6
Student knowledge: curriculum, assessment and reporting
M Nicholas
(2015), Vol. 14, pp. 1-16, Journal of educational enquiry, Adelaide, S. A., C1
Planning for teaching / planning for learning
G Hope-Rowe, M Nicholas
(2014), pp. 133-156, Becoming a teacher of language and literacy, Melbourne, Vic., B1
Teacher practice: a spotlight on the use of feedback and conferencing in the first year of schooling
M Nicholas, L Paatsch
(2014), Vol. 39, pp. 130-152, Australian journal of teacher education, Perth, WA, C1
Funded Projects at Deakin
Other Public Sector Funding
Transition: A Positive Start to School ¿ State-wide PL Delivery
A/Prof Liz Rouse, Prof Christine Ure, Prof Andrea Nolan, Mrs Rosemarie Garner, Dr Maria Nicholas
DETVic Grant - Research - Department of Education and Training Victoria
- 2018: $99,619
- 2017: $967,012
- 2016: $199,239
Centre for Higher Education Studies Professional Learning.
Dr Maria Nicholas, A/Prof Andrew Skourdoumbis, A/Prof Linda Hobbs, Dr Shaun Bangay, Dr John Cripps Clark, Dr Seamus Delaney, Dr Sophie Mckenzie, Dr George Aranda, Miss Ondine Bradbury, Dr Guy Wood-Bradley
DETVic Grant - Research - Department of Education and Training Victoria
- 2022: $217,834
Industry and Other Funding
Paid Non-local Study Leave Scheme (Australia) in the 2017/18 School Year
A/Prof Tim Corcoran, Prof Julianne Moss, Prof Louise Paatsch, Prof Dianne Toe, Dr Ben Whitburn, Dr Maria Nicholas, Dr Kim Davies, Dr Claire Spicer, Prof Christine Ure, Dr Joanne Quick
Education Bureau The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
- 2018: $160,522
Supervisions
No completed student supervisions to report