معرفی
Professor Mary-Rose McLaren is a faculty member at Victoria University in the College of Arts, Business, Law, Education & IT. She holds a PhD in Medieval History from the University of Melbourne and has a teaching qualification in Drama from Trinity College, London. Her academic journey spans both historical scholarship and performance arts, creating a unique interdisciplinary approach to education.
Her educational background includes:
- BA (Hons) from University of Melbourne, Australia (1983)
- LTCL from Trinity College, London (1997)
- PhD from University of Melbourne, Australia (1992)
Mary-Rose McLaren's research interests sit at the intersection of theory, practice, and performance. She focuses on the use of Drama in developing Literacy, the London sources of Shakespeare, and the role of creativity in education. Her work extends into Early Childhood Education with projects tracking students through university courses, examining workplace placements, exploring cultural awareness among teacher education students, studying cultural beliefs about risky play, and investigating values in higher education teaching. Her research methodology blends traditional academic approaches with creative output as a director, actor, and writer.
Her recent publications reveal a strong focus on belonging in educational contexts, ethical considerations in play spaces, and the integration of arts-based pedagogies in both early childhood and higher education settings. She explores how creative approaches can transform educational practice, particularly through theatre and performance.
Mary-Rose McLaren is actively involved in research supervision, guiding numerous Master's and PhD students through their research journeys. Her current funded research includes the "Early childhood tertiary partnerships program" (2024-2026) examining the impact of university and placement mentoring on student success, and the "Innovation in Initial Teacher Education" project (2022-2025) supporting the development of courses to upskill early childhood educators to teachers.
She has established collaborative networks focused on creative approaches to education, particularly through theatre and performance. Her work often involves community engagement through pop-up playspaces and public pedagogies that explore children's agency and inclusion in urban environments. Mary-Rose also contributes to international connections in education, having sustained global collaborations through digital platforms during the pandemic.
