Martyn Mills-Bayne

Martyn Mills-Bayne is a Senior Lecturer in Early Childhood Education at the University of South Australia, where he has been teaching in Initial Teacher Education programs for over 17 years. He is affiliated with UniSA Education Futures and has held various leadership roles including Program Director for the Bachelor of Education (2021-2023). His work spans teaching, research, and community engagement focused on early childhood education, with particular emphasis on social-emotional learning, neurodiversity, and gender diversity in the early years workforce.

Mills-Bayne's educational background includes:

• 2024: Graduate Certificate in Education Studies (Digital Learning), University of South Australia
• 2018: Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, Advance HE
• 2017: Doctor of Philosophy, University of South Australia
• 2008: Bachelor of Early Childhood Education (Honours), University of South Australia

His research explores Social Emotional Learning, neurodiversity in education, supporting international student teachers, and the benefits of esports in schools. As someone with AuDHD, he brings personal experience to his work on universal design principles for neurodiverse learners. His PhD research focused on "Fostering Children's Capacity for Empathic Reasoning: The Role of Community of Inquiry in an Empathic Pedagogy," establishing his foundation in ethical understanding and dialogic approaches in early childhood settings.

Analysis of Mills-Bayne's publications reveals a consistent focus on ethical understanding, community of inquiry approaches, and social-emotional development in early childhood education. His work shows an evolution from foundational research on moral reasoning to contemporary applications addressing international student teachers, neurodiversity, and innovative approaches like esports in education. The interdisciplinary nature of his research bridges philosophy, psychology, and educational practice, with strong emphasis on practical applications in real classroom settings.

His professional recognition includes:

• Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA)

Mills-Bayne actively supports early career academic colleagues through UniSA's Teaching Academic Group (TAG) and has secured competitive national grants, including an Office of Learning and Teaching (OLT) Extension Grant for the "Celebrating Cultural Diversity" program. His work with international preservice teachers demonstrates commitment to creating inclusive educational environments that value cultural and linguistic diversity.

He co-leads the Neurodiversity@UniSA Special Interest Group and is an enthusiastic advocate for gender diversity in early childhood education through the MENtor Program and Minderoo Foundation Dad's Alliance. His international engagement includes recent keynotes at Sichuan Normal University in China and the NZ Office of Early Childhood Education National Summit in Wellington.