Mary Jane Harkins

Dr. Mary Jane Harkins is a Professor of Education at Mount Saint Vincent University’s Faculty of Education. She holds a PhD from Dalhousie University focusing on international collaborations in teacher education. Her research emphasizes university-school-community partnerships, globalization’s impact on education, indigenous knowledge integration, literacy assessment strategies, and inclusive education frameworks. Dr. Harkins is particularly noted for exploring humanitarian education and systemic barriers faced by learners with exceptionalities. She maintains active collaborations across disciplines, including work with sociology and community health researchers.

Her academic career reflects a commitment to bridging educational theory and practice through community-engaged research. Recent studies include photovoice projects examining service access for newcomer children and explorations of gender stereotypes in STEM classrooms. She advises on curriculum development initiatives and has contributed to Nova Scotia’s public education reform debates through policy-oriented publications.

Dr. Harkins’ work often intersects with social justice themes, addressing equity gaps in early childhood education and advocating for culturally responsive pedagogies. She has supervised multiple graduate student projects and maintains a record of peer-reviewed publications spanning education, sociology, and public health domains. Her office is located in Seton 573, and she can be reached at MaryJane.Harkins@msvu.ca.