معرفی
Amanda Niland is an academic at the Sydney School of Education and Social Work (University of Sydney) since 2016, following over a decade at Macquarie University. With a PhD in Early Childhood Education and multiple graduate qualifications in music, children’s literature, and Montessori education, her work bridges creative arts, literacy, and inclusive pedagogy.
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Grad Dip (Music Studies)
- MA (Hons)
- MECh
- Grad Dip (Children’s Literature)
- Grad Dip (Montessori Education)
Her research focuses on music and creative arts education, children’s literature, and inclusive education, examining how these intersect with young children’s identities and socio-cultural contexts. She employs qualitative methodologies like practitioner inquiry, participatory research with children, and narrative analysis.
Recent publications highlight trends in embodied learning, arts-informed pedagogy, and multimodal identity formation. Projects include international studies on music’s role in infant-caregiver bonding and a case study on children co-authoring picture books.
- Co-researcher: Children as authors and illustrators (2023–2024)
- Lead collaborator: Infant-directed musical activities (2024)
She supervises research students exploring topics like self-regulation in preschoolers and disability inclusion, while also creating picture books that address diversity and inclusion. Her work emphasizes children’s agency, rights, and the transformative potential of arts in early education.
