Karen Felstead

Karen Felstead is a Lecturer in Literacy (including Early Childhood Education) at the Institute of Education, Arts and Community (IEAC), Federation University Australia, based at Mt Helen Campus. She has taught across Early Childhood, Bachelor, and Master programs since 2007, with extensive prior experience in Victorian regional schools and London early childhood settings.

Her academic credentials include:

• Doctor of Philosophy, Federation University Australia (2020)
• Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics, University of London (2005)
• Master of Education, University of Ballarat (2001)
• Bachelor of Education, University of Ballarat (1989)
• Graduate Diploma of Music, University of Ballarat (1984)
• Diploma of Teaching Primary, State College of Victoria: Toorak (1981)

Felstead's research centers on social justice and inclusion in education, focusing on vulnerable populations—particularly young mothers—and language/literacy development in early childhood contexts. Her doctoral work employed post-structural theory and narrative inquiry to examine systemic barriers facing marginalized mothers. She investigates first/second language acquisition, inclusive pedagogies for language-impaired children, and culturally responsive teaching for diverse learners.

Her publication trajectory reveals three interconnected strands: (1) equity-focused teacher education frameworks for literacy/numeracy, (2) critical analysis of young mothers' educational exclusion through discourse studies, and (3) international student experience enhancement. Recent work emphasizes decolonizing pedagogies and global justice perspectives in WFATE collaborations.

Karen actively supervises graduate researchers as Associate Supervisor for two PhD candidates exploring nature pedagogy in early childhood and TAFE reengagement strategies for school leavers. Previously, she guided 7 Master's minor theses covering literacy understandings, mother-child schooling transitions, music-art expression links, and ICT in outdoor learning. Her supervision philosophy emphasizes narrative approaches and marginalized voice amplification.

She contributes to IEAC's research ecosystem through RAVE (vocational education), PeCALE (curriculum assessment), and SJIDE (social justice) groups, recently co-presenting on equity mobilization at WFATE 2023 and investigating 'alternative' labeling impacts at AARE 2022.