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Kumara Ward, Dr

Senior Lecturer: Teaching and Research at University of Dundee

I am a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA) and committed education professional specialising in early childhood and primary curriculum and pedagogy, leadership, and management. As of August 2019, my current position is as Senior Lecturer: Teaching and Research in the Master of Education Program at the University of Dundee Scotland.

I began my career as a kindergarten and primary school teacher, developing and consolidating pedagogical expertise over a period of 15 years, culminating in the role of Principal. This focus on leadership was integral in my work in the community college sector and later for the National Childcare Accreditation Council where I managed the Moderation and Accreditation process for all early childhood services in Australia (approximately 10,000) who were registered to participate in the quality assurance process. Integrating key policy and legislative expertise, my extended contribution to this process was to design and implement major structural change to the accreditation process that improved the quality of advice to early childhood services and significantly streamlined process and timeframes involved. This role consolidated my knowledge of all aspects of the early childhood field and it was in this position that I began to develop an academic profile completing my PhD in 2011.

I am a fervent believer in developing education programs that support students to engage in theoretically informed practice, work effectively with children and families in their communities and have the discernment to choose relevant, excellent, and ongoing quality professional development to support them in their careers as they unfold.

Kumara Ward's contributions