Rate My Professor Fazlin Mohd Nazir

Dr. Fazlin Mohd Nazir serves as an Associate Lecturer and Perth Campus Coordinator in Early Childhood Education and Care within the Faculty of Education at Southern Cross University. In this role, she oversees postgraduate programs at the Perth campus and contributes to the Early Years Research Lab. Prior to her academic appointment, she held positions in marketing, community services, and early childhood education, including as a program manager, centre director, and educator. She earned her Doctor of Philosophy (Integrated) from Edith Cowan University in 2024, under the supervision of Lennie Barblett and Helen Adam. Her doctoral thesis, titled 'Fostering engagement: Building connections with Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CaLD) families in the early years of school,' examines school partnerships with CaLD families during kindergarten transition in Western Australian metropolitan schools. The study, employing a phenomenological case study approach, involved interviews, focus groups, observations, and audits across three schools, revealing fragmented partnership approaches, limited culturally responsive pedagogy, and the absence of culturally safe third spaces. Keywords include school-CaLD family partnership, funds of knowledge, culturally responsive pedagogy, and early years of school transition.

Dr. Mohd Nazir's research specializations focus on schools' partnerships with culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) families in the early years of schooling, culturally responsive pedagogy, funds of knowledge, and the development of culturally safe third spaces. Her work underscores the need for policy and practice transformations to empower CaLD families through culturally responsive school models. Key publications include conference papers presented at the Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE). In 2024, she presented 'Transforming the early years of school partnerships with ethnically diverse families in the changing Australian educational landscape,' highlighting strategies for engaging CALD families and proposing a culturally responsive framework. In 2023, her paper 'Hearing Culturally and Linguistically Diverse families' voices in the early years: a critical juncture for educational research' explored family aspirations, barriers to school connections, and recommendations for acknowledging diverse languages and cultures. She has been invited as a keynote speaker at international early childhood education conferences, contributing to global discussions on inclusive practices.