Dr Majida Mehana

Biography

I have taught and supervised students in Australia, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, and the United States.

I witnessed firsthand the triumphs and challenges of delivering early childhood education in different educational systems. Issues ranged from teacher preparation programs to early childhood curricula to learning environments. I have researched the systems to explore ways that support children’s development in multicultural contexts.

Qualifications

• B.A. / Teaching Diploma, The Lebanese American University, Beirut, Lebanon (formerly Beirut University College): Degree Awarded in Human Development-Early Childhood Education.
• M.A. in Educational Theory and Practice, The Ohio State University, USA.
  Major in Early and Middle Childhood Education.
• Ph.D. in Curriculum & Instruction, The Pennsylvania State University, USA.
  Major in Early Childhood Education with minors in Human Development and Family Studies and in Statistics.

Teaching Areas

Child Development

Teacher as Researcher

Health and Safety in Early Childhood

Language and Literacy in Early Childhood

The Inclusive Teacher

Primary Research Area/s

Publications

Mehana, M. (2018). Moving forward: Early childhood education in Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates. In J. L. Roopnarine, J. E. Johnson, S. Quinn, & M. Patte (Eds.), Handbook of international perspectives on early childhood education (pp. 85-100). New York, NY: Routledge.

Mehana, M. (2013). English Learning for non-native children around the world: Should it be “sink or swim” approach? INTED2013 Proceedings of the 7^th International Technology, Education, and Development Conference, SPAIN, 1194-1201.

Mehana, M., & Kilani, H. (2010). Enhancing physical education in Omani basic education curriculum: Rationale and implications. International Journal for Cross-Disciplinary Subjects in Education (IJCDSE), 1(2). Retrieved from https://infonomics-society.org/wp-content/uploads/ijcdse/published-papers/volume-1-2010/Enhancing-Physical-Education-in-Omani-Basic-Education-Curriculum-Rationale-and-Implications.pdf

Mehana, M. (2008). Challenges of practicing early childhood education. Proceedings of the International Conference on Excellence in Education 2008: Future Minds and Creativity, Paris. Retrieved from http://icieworld.net/conf/files/Conference%20Proceedings%202008.pdf

Mehana, M., & Reynolds, A.J. (2004). School mobility and achievement: A meta-analysis. Children and Youth Services Review, 26, 93-119.

Presentations in Australia

Burke, J., Mehana, M., & Smith, J. (2020, November), “The barrier has to be jumped out with this music”: Collaborative Creation in a Metropolitan Community Music Program. TASA 2020 Virtual Event. The Australian Sociological Association (TASA).

Mehana, M. (2018, November). The inclusive early childhood classroom: Mechanisms for successful learning for all. Paper presented at the 2018 Education Research Sharing Day, Federation University Australia, Melbourne, Australia.

Mehana, M. (2018, July). Global inclusive education in early childhood: Too little, too late? Paper presented at the meeting of the World Federation of Associations for Teacher Education (WFATE) Fifth Biennial Conference, Melbourne, Australia.

Mehana, M. (2017, November). Inclusion in early childhood settings: Modelling a successful system. Paper presented at the Second International Conference on Advanced Research, Melbourne, Australia.

Mehana, M. (2016, July). Teaching bilingual education in Australian classrooms. Paper presented at the Australian Teacher Education Association Conference, Ballarat, Australia.

Mehana, M. (2014, September). Early interventions in Australia for diverse children and families: How effective are they? Paper presented at the Early Childhood Australia National Conference, Melbourne, Australia.

Memberships

Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth

The Association of Graduates in Early Childhood Studies