Maria's research interests involve participatory research with primary children and how they can be empowered to express and communicate themselves through art and design. Currently, this research involves exploring how ethnic minority children in the early stages of learning English as an additional language, can be supported in feeling like they have a ‘voice’ and are able to communicate through their artwork, their ideas and thoughts about the things that are important to them in a way which is highly relevant and personal to them.
Other research areas of interest involve promoting best practice in primary art and design, and championing creative learning in the foundation and primary curriculum with under graduate and primary teachers. Maria is the convenor for the ‘Children as Researchers’ research cluster at the University.
Maria is a Senior Lecturer in Primary and Early Years Art and Design and Professional Studies at the University. She collaborates with colleagues to design and implement innovative modules to complement the existing Primary B.Ed, sharing and disseminating good practice.
During the course of her career, Maria has taught in various first and primary schools, across three different local authorities, she then enjoyed ten years of headship, developing her expertise in all areas of school leadership and improvement, and actively supporting school communities through the positive management of change and re-structuring.
Maria also has significant previous experience as Senior Lecturer in Primary and Early Years Education at the University of the West of England, Bristol, where she was solely responsible for teaching art and design across the undergraduate and post graduate programmes, and contributed strongly to the provision of the arts in general within the context of the creative curriculum. During this time she completed her MA in Education and undertook research which considered how the arts can be used to promote learning across the Early Years and Primary curriculum.
Maria has delivered professional learning to teachers and support staff in many schools and early years settings when she worked as an Educational Arts Consultant in schools and children’s centres. Maria is an Arts Award assessor for the Arts Council, England.
