Dr Deborah Gahan

Biography

Background
Deborah has been a lecturer in the School of Early Childhood for 25 years. Over this time, her teaching focus has primarily been in the areas of

• kindergarten/preschool/prep curriculum and practices


• working with families


• the history of early childhood education.

Deborah’s doctoral thesis explored childhood memories of Queensland kindergartens from the 1920s onwards, and the ways such memories can inform teacher practices.
Dr Gahan retains strong connections with the early childhood field, by having regular periods of teaching in prep and, most recently, Year 1 classrooms and by taking students on visits to a range of EC settings. She has been a moderator in NCAC (National Child Care Accreditation Council) since 1995.
Deborah believes that advocacy is a vital part of her professional work. She was President of the Early Childhood Teachers Association of Queensland from 1991-1998 and is currently a member of Early Childhood Australia’s Queensland Branch. She has recently been undertaking an evaluation of Save the Children Qld Mobile Playscheme, providing preschool experiences for marginalised children and families.