Theories into Practice

Andrea Nolan is Professor of Education (Early Childhood) in the School of Education at Deakin University. She has had extensive experience teaching in early childhood education settings as well as in primary schools, and has taught in the TAFE and university sectors, teaching undergraduate and postgraduate students as well as supervising higher degree research students.
Andrea has conducted research in both schools and preschools and has worked on a number of state, national and international projects on literacy development, program evaluation and professional learning for teachers. She has researched the impact of the current Australian reform agenda on professional identities and educator practice, leadership, mentoring, inter-professional work, and reflective practice as a means to better understand practice.

Bridie Raban was the Foundation Mooroolbeek Professor of Early Childhood Studies at the University of Melbourne. She is currently an Honorary Professorial Fellow at the Melbourne Graduate School of Education and in 2021, she was awarded an Honorary University Fellowship by Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU). Her past research has focused on language and literacy development, teacher change and development, curriculum and assessment for the early childhood years and quality provision. She was the first Professor of Early Childhood Education in Victoria and the second in Australia, and before this she was Professor of Primary Education (Early Years) at the University of Warwick and President of the UK Reading Association.