Maria's expertise builds on a rich early childhood career with more than 12 years of teaching experience in the Early Childhood sector in Australia and Greece. Her research area focuses on the implementation of digital technologies in Early Childhood (birth to 8 years).
She completed her PhD in the University of Melbourne, investigating the use on new technologies by young children and the impact on their self-esteem. She is interested in the association of new technologies with creativity, play and social-emotional development. She works primarily with children, EC teachers, and parents. She also has extensive experience training teachers in the use of new technologies. She uses mixed methodologies, action research and her theoretical background is mostly influenced by critical and postmodern perspectives and ecological approaches.Her recent research projects include a) the investigation of parents' and teachers' beliefs around the use of touchscreen devices by very young children (birth to three) b) Maker pedagogies, Makerspaces, Design Thinking and 3D printing in the early years of school c) Virtual reality in Early Childhood education (University students) d) The implementation of Google suite in Higher education - the use of E-folios by Early Childhood preservice students.As the first kindergarten teacher seconded by the Hellenic Ministry of Education to teach Greek in Melbourne she is also very interested in bilingualism/multilingualism and the use of new technologies for maintaining/supporting cultural heritage.
Find out more about Maria Hatzigianni's experience
Maria Hatzigianni's highlights
FEATURED Journal article
Early childhood educators' attitudes and beliefs around the use of touchscreen technologies by children under three years of age
Read moreMaria Hatzigianni's selected work
Scholarly Works
Displaying the 21 most recent scholarly works by Maria Hatzigianni.
Honours, Awards and Fellowships
MIFRS to complete my PHD
National scholarship (one position) to complete my Masters degree in 'ICT in Education'
COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH NETWORK (CRN) FELLOWSHIP
Credentials
Positions
Honorary
Melbourne Graduate School Of Education
Casual
Melbourne Graduate School Of Education
Casual
Melbourne Graduate School Of Education
Member
EARLI (European Association for Research in Learning and Instruction)
Sig - Digital Childhoods
EECERA (European Early Childhood Education Research Association)
Education
Doctor of Philosophy
University of Melbourne
Master
University of Athens
Kindergarten/Preschool teacher
University of Athens