Margie Maher has been a teacher educator in universities, a teacher in secondary and primary schools, and she has experience in early childhood settings in three countries: Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

After her initial teacher education, her first post graduate qualification focussed on children with specific learning difficulties. Her Master's research was undertaken with Maori and Pasifika children and their families developing culturally appropriate and engaging ways of enhancing the numeracy learning of these children, and her PhD examined inclusive education theory to practice.

Margie came to the University of Notre Dame Australia from Charles Darwin University where, in partnership with the Catholic Education Office of the Northern Territory (NT), she led the implementation of in situ teacher education for Indigenous Assistant Teachers in six remote Catholic schools. From 2011 to 2014 she was involved in a project funded by the Australian Office of Learning and Teaching which identified aspects that enhance the transition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students into higher education. In 2015 she completed an evaluative study of an initiative known as Khanyisa (Lighting up Learning) in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Professional Affiliations:

Secretary New South Wales Council of Deans of Education

Vice-Chairperson Reference Committee OLT Enhancing the Training of Mathematics and Science Teachers (ETMST)

Opening Real Science.

CEO Parramatta Systems Learning Committee member

Initial Teacher Education Committee

Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth

CEO Sydney Liaison Committee

CED Advisory Committee on GTIL

Community Engagements:

Serve on the UNDA Disability Support Working Party

Serve on UNDA Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Consultative Group

Regular collaboration with the CEO Sydney and CEO Parramatta

Links with schools where Education students complete Professional Experience

Partnership with AIS in improving the mentoring teacher education students on professional experience

Research partnerships with CEO Sydney and CEO Parramatta

Grants:

$220,000 grant (2013 -2015) OLT: Real Science to improve the ability of graduate teachers to teach science in primary schools. Macquarie University is the lead organisation. Six universities are involved in the project. I am the Vice Chair of the Executive Committee overseeing this research project: Real Science

$20,000 grant (2015) AIS: enhancing the mentoring of teacher education students during professional experience

$79,000 grant (2012/2014) Chief investigator on Diocese of Parramatta researching current stakeholder views on their curriculum and to provide recommendations into the future.

$30,000 grant (2014/2015) Chief investigator on Sydney Catholic Education Office evaluation of the effectiveness of their "Family Liaison" position in enhancing home-school partnerships

$220,000 grant (2012-2014) Chief investigator on OLT grant on elements that enhance the transition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students into higher education.

$100,000 grant (2011-2014) Chief investigator on Catholic Education Office, Sydney project researching class size and its effects on student outcomes.

$1.2million grant (2010-2011) Led the Remote Indigenous Teacher Education project in partnership with the Northern Territory Department of Education and Training.

$1.8 million grant (2008-2011) The School of Education at CDU, together with the Northern Territory Catholic Education Office, won this grant to provide teacher education in situ to assistant teachers in remote Indigenous communities. I led the CDU component of this initiative.

2009 – 2010 Participant in a $ 500,000 project to enhance the teaching of literacy and numeracy in early childhood in NT Catholic Schools

$320,000 grant from DEEWR to facilitate the new Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) nationally becoming accessible to remote Indigenous educators

Currently, Margie is also supporting research and projects with people in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, with whom I have worked since 2005.

In the Media:

Maher, M. Interviewed 21 October 2014 by The Conversation: A teaching degree can't prepare you for absolutely everything.

Ewing, R. & Maher, M. (2014 August 19) NAPLAN not the key to understanding what literacy is. Brisbane Times

Ewing, R. & Maher, M. (2014 August 19). NAPLAN not the key to understanding what literacy is. Sydney Morning Herald.

Molloy, F. from Education Review, (2014 March) reported interview with Maher, M on professional experience in teacher education courses entitled Right Place and Time