Patricia is an Academic Teaching Scholar in early childhood education at the College of Arts, Business, Law, Education and IT. Her work predominately focuses on child development theories, professional practice and inclusive practice specifically in relation to cultural competence

Patricia completed her MTeach at the University of Melbourne with a focus on early year’s education (birth to 8 years) and is currently completing her Graduate Certificate of Education Research at Deakin with a research focus on the professional capital of overseas born educators. 

Her current areas of interest are professional identity, cultural diversity, teacher workforce demographics and retention in early childhood. She is currently contributing to research on the remote placement program (RPEC@VU), mentoring and professional work based placements with the early childhood team.

Portfolios

College of Arts, Business, Law, Education and IT

Areas of expertise

  • Professional identity
  • Professional capital
  • Cultural competency
  • Cross-cultural pedagogies
  • Teaching pedagogies

Contact details

[email protected]

Teaching responsibilities

Coordination

  • ECE2001: Practice in Partnership 1 (Professional practice B-2 years)
  • ECE2002: Practice in Partnership 2 (Professional practice 3-5 years)
  • ECE4002: Early Childhood in a Global context
  • ECE6008: Inclusive Practice in Education  

Teaching

  • ECE2001- Practice in Partnership 1 (professional practice B-2 years)
  • ECE2002- Practice in Partnership 2 (professional practice 3-5 years)
  • ECE3004: Critical and contemporary issues in Early Childhood
  • ECE3006: Thinking with young children: Science, Maths and Technology
  • ECE3007: Practice in Partnership 4 (final professional practice kindergarten)
  • ECE4002- Early Childhood in a Global context
  • ECE6002- Early childhood curriculum and pedagogy 1: The sciences
  • ECE6008- Inclusive Practice in Education 

 

Conference presentations

McLaren, M., Walsh, J., Scott, C., Jobson, S., Nehma, N., Mascarenhas, P., Chen, J., & Grimes, J. (2021) Playspaces in public places: The ethical and social challenges of a pop up urban playspace in Melbourne, Australia. Publicness: Seminar Series, Public Pedagogies Institute

McLaren, M., Walsh, J., Scott, C., Jobson, S., Nehma, N., Mascarenhas, P., Chen, J., & Grimes, J. (2021) Mini Maddern Project, Learning & Teaching Symposium, Victoria University.

McLaren, M., Scott, C., Jobson, S., Nehma, N., Mascarenhas, P. (2020) Remote Placements Project, Learning & Teaching Symposium, Victoria University.

Industry experience

  • Kindergarten Teacher: Melbourne 
  • Mentor for pre service teachers: Melbourne
  • Early Childhood Educator: India 
  • Educational Journalist: India