Dr Somayeh Ba Akhlagh
Lecturer - Faculty of Humanities, Arts, Social Sciences and Education; School of Education
Biography
Somayeh is a member of the Early Childhood Education team within the School of Education. Before Somayeh joined UNE in 2020, she taught early childhood courses, and educational psychology in various universities in Australia and overseas. Somayeh has also worked in early childhood settings as an educator in both Sydney and Iran.
Qualifications
Doctor of Philosophy, University of Newcastle
Master of Teaching, University of Sydney
Master of Psychology and Education of Children with Special Needs, University of Tehran, Iran
Bachelor of Psychology and Education of Children With Special Needs, Ferdowsi University, Mashhad, Iran
Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, Newcastle TAFE
Diploma of Children’s Services, Randwick TAFE, Sydney
Certificate III in Children’s Services, Randwick TAFE, Sydney
Awards
Early Childhood Australia (ECA) NSW. ECA Conference Travel Scholarship (May 2025)
Fellowship, Higher Education Academy, 4 November 2024.
University of New England (2024). Achieving an outstanding result in overall student satisfaction in Reporting Period Trimester 2 2024 of the unit monitoring process (Unit EDEC388).
Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE). (30th Nov 2022). Early Career researcher (ECR) paper presentation. https://www.aare.edu.au/news/2022-conference-awards-recipients/
University of New England - School Citation for Education Excellence (2022)
University of New England (2021). Achieving an outstanding result in overall student satisfaction in Reporting Period Trimester 1 2021 of the unit monitoring process.
Aunt Fry Gift; being a passionate teacher of diverse groups of children (SDN Children Services, 2012)
Marion Macaulay Bequest Master of Teaching, Outstanding achievement in Postgraduate early childhood academic work (University of Sydney, 2011)
Australian College of Educators; outstanding achievement in professional experience practicums (University of Sydney, 2012)
Teaching Areas
Early Childhood Education (History, Theory, Practice and Policy)
Educational Psychology
Inclusive Education
Curriculum and Pedagogy
Research Interests
The History of Early Childhood Education
Comparative Education
Teacher Education
Inclusive Education
Educational Psychology
Grants
2024 Department Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)- Council for Australian-Aran Relations (CAAR). ($60,336). https://www.dfat.gov.au/people-to-people/foundations-councils-institutes/caar/grants/meet-our-2023-24-grantees/australian-saudi-joint-initiative-promoting-gender-equity-stem
2023 Connect: High-Quality Research in Education Leadership Scholarship ($10,000)
2022 Australian National University. Freilich Project ECR Grants Scheme. https://freilich.anu.edu.au/ ($5000)
2022 Michelle Bannister-Tyrrell Research Scholarship ($5000)
Research Supervision Experience
Dr Ba Akhlagh is interested in receiving inquiries from potential research students seeking supervision in the general areas of early childhood education, and cross-cultural studies.
Presently, Dr Ba Akhlagh is involved in co-supervising both master’s and PhD research students.
Publications
Veliz, L., Zhang, Z. & Ba Akhlagh, S. (2025). Early Childhood Educators’ Pedagogical Knowledge for Effective Practice in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Contexts. Early Childhood Educ J. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-025-01912-z
Ba Akhlagh.S., & Knaus, M. (2025). Professional development to support gender equity in STEM education in Australia and Saudi Arabia. Linking research to the practice of education. Linking research to the practice of education. 9(1), 7-8.https://www.une.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/563444/SoE-Newsletter-vol-9-no-01.pdf
White, P., Ba Akhlagh, S., Fanshawe, M., Charteris, J., & Gregory, S. (2025). Pivotal moments in mentorship: using arts-based reflective practice to explore the impact of mentorship on women in higher education. Reflective Practice, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/14623943.2024.2426278
Ba Akhlagh, S., Mehana, M., & Knaus, M. (2024). Supporting Refugees Participating in the Home Interaction Program for Parents and Youngsters in Regional Australia. Journal of Ethnic and Cultural Studies, 11(4), 210–227. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejecs/2012
Ba Akhlagh, S., & Leggett, N. (2024). A comparative analysis of creativity: Australian and Iranian early childhood national policy frameworks. International journal of early years education, 32(1), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1080/09669760.2023.2298338
Ba Akhlagh, S and Mehana, M. (2024). Challenges and opportunities in designing culturally appropriate resources to support refugee families. Linking research to the practice of education, 8(1), 2-3. https://www.une.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/508708/SOE-Newsletter-Volume-8-No-1.pdf
Ba Akhlagh, S., & Allehyani, H. S. (2023). Saudi Early Childhood Female Teachers’ Perceptions of Children’s Gender Stereotypes When Implementing STEM. In W. Yang, S. Kewalramani, & J. Senthil (Eds.), Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) Education in the Early Years; Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Routledge.
Ba Akhlagh, S. (2022). Promoting diversity in early childhood education. Kindergarten research insight, QCAA. https://www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/kindergarten/research-insights/cultural-diversity
Ba Akhlagh, S. & Rogers, M. (2022). Leaving no one behind: Inclusive education practices. Linking Research to the Practice of Education. 6 (2). https://bit.ly/SoEresearchnews
Ba Akhlagh, S. (2022). Promoting cultural competence in early childhood. The Spoke. http://thespoke.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/author/dr-somayeh-ba-akhlagh/
Ba Akhlagh, S. (2021). Early Childhood Sociology of Education: A case of Cultural Diversity in Australia. In M. Aydogmus (Ed.), New Trends and Promising Direction in Modern Education-New Perspective 2021 (pp. 74-88). Palet Yayinlari.
Ba Akhlagh, S. (2011). Giving Muslim children a sense of belonging in early childhood environment. Every Child 17(2). https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/INFORMIT.215355177226162
Conferences/Workshops
Ba Akhlagh, S. & Sahranavard, N. Y. (2025, March 4th). The importance of STEM for developed countries. [online workshop]. University of Allameh Tabatabaei, Tehran, Iran.
Ba Akhlagh, S. & Sahranavard, N. Y. (2025, March 6th ). STEM for young children. [online workshop]. Education Department, Kordestan province, Iran.
Ba Akhlagh, S., Knaus, M., Mohammad Albadi, N., & Jamal Alharthi, M.(2025, January 29th). The impact of professional development on Early childhood teachers’ perceptions of gender equity in STEM Education: An Australian–Saudi joint initiative [hybrid presentation]. University of New England, Armidale, Australia.
Ba Akhlagh, S. (2024, November 25_29). STEM for All. [Workshop]. University of King Abdulaziz, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Ba Akhlagh, S. (2024, November 6th). Designing culturally responsive program [Workshop]. Walking the Talk: Strategies for implementing high- quality teaching in Early Childhood. University of New England, Armidale, Australia.
Ba Akhlagh, S. & Sahranavard, N. Y. (2024, October 30th). STEM for All [online workshop]. University of Allameh Tabatabaei, Tehran, Iran.
Ba Akhlagh, S. (2024, May 1st). Promoting cultural diversity and inclusive education in early childhood [Workshop]. C&K Woodcrest Community Kindergarten.
Ba Akhlagh, S.( 2024, April 19th). The involvement of Ezidi families in children’s “Family Hour” program in rural Australia: Opportunities and challenges [Conference presentation]. Australian National University Centre for Heritage and Museum Studies. https://chms.cass.anu.edu.au/events/involvement-ezidi-families-children-s-family-hour-program-rural-australia-opportunities-and
Ba Akhlagh, S. & Matthews, J. (2023, December 3-6). An analysis of parental involvement during Zoom-mediated heritage language instruction[Poster Presentation]. Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education Conference, Christchurch, New Zealand. https://doi.org/10.14742/apubs.2023.475
Ba Akhlagh, S. & Ardakani, A. (2024). The involvement of Ezidi families in children’s “creative play” program in rural Australia: Opportunities and challenges. School of Education Seminar Series, New England University. 24th January 2024. https://www.une.edu.au/about-une/faculty-of-humanities-arts-social-sciences-and-education/school-of-education/research/seminar-series
Ba Akhlagh, S. (28th Nov, 2023). Saudi early childhood female teachers’ perceptions of children’s gender stereotypes when implementing STEM. Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE). Melbourne.
Ba Akhlagh, S. (29th Nov, 2023). Education for Democracy: Advancing Global Citizenship through Transformative Education and Research. International Conference on Transformative Education. (online). Global Citizenship Foundation Conference. https://www.globalcitizenshipfoundation.org/profile/dr-somayeh-ba-akhlagh
Ba Akhlagh, S. (28th July, 2023). Promoting cultural diversity in Early Childhood Education C & K Conference; Reflect, Connect and Ignite for a shared future., Brisbane https://candk.eventsair.com/2023-ck-conference/program
Ba Akhlagh, S. (18th March 2023). How culture influences children’s development. Early Childhood Learning and Development Conference. WA. https://ecldconference.com.au/concurrent-presenters/
Ba Akhlagh, S. (2022). Australian and Iranian Preschool Teachers Conceptualization of Creativity. Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE). Adelaide
Ba Akhlagh, S., & Rogers, M. (2022). Supporting learning and transition to school for Ezidi refugee children in a rural Australian city. Early Childhood Voices 2022, Charles Sturt University (online).
Ba Akhlagh, S. & Rogers, M. (2022). Supporting School Readiness & Learning of Armidale Ezidi children under 5 years old. School of Education Seminar Series, New England University. https://www.une.edu.au/about-une/faculty-of-humanities-arts-social-sciences-and-education/school-of-education/research/seminar-series
Ba Akhlagh, S. (2021). Early childhood national educational frameworks and teachers' beliefs about creativity: A comparative study of Australia and Iran. European Early Childhood Education Research Association (EECERA) Annual Conference. Online festival.
Ba Akhlagh, S. (2021). Promoting cultural diversity in Australian early childhood education. European Early Childhood Education Research Association (EECERA) Annual Conference. Online festival. Ped Talk.
Ba Akhlagh, S. (2020). Early childhood national educational policies: A comparative perspective. HASSE Research Summit, New England University. Online Conference.
Ba Akhlagh, S. (2020). Creativity in Australia and Iran: Twisted tales of imagination, thinking and play in early childhood. School of Education Seminar Series, New England University. 18th November 2021.
Poster Presentation
Ba Akhlagh, S. (2024, October 14-16). Supporting refugee children and families participating in the Home Interaction Program for Parents and Youngsters (HIPPY) program in a regional town of Australia. Research Pathways Conference “Building Resilient Communities”. [poster presentation]. University of New England, Armidale, Australia.
Press/Media
Ba Akhlagh, S. (2025, March 6 ). Celebrating International Women’s Day. TuneFM. https://www.tunefm.net/2025/03/06/celebrating-international-womens-day/
Ba Akhlagh, S. (2025). At What Cost? Future Women. https://open.spotify.com/show/17JqDNJWst6QyZUj9Qk9wr?si=e9d59ed6b6234482
Regional swim club for new migrants a resounding success. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-12-27/regional-swim-club-for-new-migrants-a-resounding/103267414?utm_campaign=abc_news_web&utm_content=link&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_source=abc_news_web
NSW Government website-Education (2022). Collaborative relationships with families is central to quality outcomes for children https://education.nsw.gov.au/early-childhood-education/leadership/news/dr-somayeh-ba-akhlagh
Projects
Ba Akhlagh, S. Knaus, M., Jamal Alharthi, M., Gahwaji, N., Aljohani, A., Albadi, N. (2024). Australian–Saudi joint initiative promoting gender equity in STEM.
Ba Akhlagh, S & Du Plessis, A. (2024). The impact of professional experience and development on early childhood educators/teachers teaching practices.
Ba Akhlagh, S. & Matthews, J. (2023). Child-parent interactions during online heritage language instruction and the perceived role of parental involvement.
Ba Akhlagh, S. Veliz, L. Zhang, Z. Randeniya, A. (2023). Empowering early childhood leaders and educators to deliver plurilingual practices that address the needs of children of diverse backgrounds.
Ba Akhlagh, S. Cohrssen, C. (2023). Evaluation of the Integration Program, “Creative Play”, at the New England Regional Art Museum (NERAM).
Ba Akhlagh, S. & Mehana, M. (2022). Supporting School Readiness & Learning of Armidale Ezidi children under 5 years old.
Thesis
Early childhood national educational frameworks and teachers' beliefs about creativity: A comparative study of Australia and Iran.
Memberships
Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE). SIG - Early Childhood Education, Inclusive Education, Policy in Education
NSW NESA accredited teacher
Early Childhood Australia
Preschool Outcome Measure Expert Advisory Group
Manna Institution- Child, Youth and Family Network
