Danielle is a research associate, PhD candidate at the University of Adelaide, and education consultant with experience supporting World Bank education projects across the Pacific region. Her work focuses on in-service teacher professional development, early childhood education, applied education research, monitoring and evaluation, and education systems strengthening.
 
Her PhD focuses on developing a framework for in-service teacher training for early childhood educators. This work explores how professional development can support meaningful pedagogical shifts in teaching practice while recognising the needs, strengths, cultural contexts, and epistemologies that shape early childhood education systems. It also considers how monitoring and evaluation can be used to understand changes in teacher practice over time, identify areas for ongoing support, and strengthen the link between teacher professional learning and improved outcomes for children and students.
 
Over the past five years, Danielle has worked across several Pacific Island Countries, including the Kingdom of Tonga, the Republic of Kiribati, the Republic of Vanuatu, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Through her consultancy work with the World Bank, she has provided technical assistance to Ministries of Education and education stakeholders to support the collection, analysis, and use of data on teaching practices across early childhood, primary, and secondary education. This work has helped countries identify strengths and gaps in teaching practice, design targeted professional development and use evidence to support education system improvement.
 
Danielle has contributed to national education projects that use evidence to inform the co-design, implementation, and evaluation of professional development programmes. She works collaboratively with government, community, and education stakeholders to ensure programmes are contextually grounded, practical, and responsive to country priorities. Her work spans stakeholder engagement, contextual adaptation of training materials, field team training, data quality assurance, monitoring and evaluation, data analysis, report writing, and in-country dissemination of findings.
 
A key strength of Danielle’s work is research translation and knowledge mobilisation. She has experience transforming complex research findings and project data into accessible, practical, and engaging resources for diverse audiences. This includes reports, training materials, presentations, videos, games, and other knowledge products designed to support learning, stakeholder engagement, and evidence-informed policy and practice.
 
Across her work in the Pacific, Danielle works with humility and takes a decolonising, collaborative, and strengths-based approach. She is committed to working in genuine partnership with local stakeholders, valuing Indigenous knowledge systems and practices, and supporting education systems in ways that are ethical, respectful, and sustainable.
 
Alongside her education work, Danielle has experience in child protection research through her role at the Australian Centre for Child Protection, Adelaide University. She supports the South Australian Child Protection Expert Group, contributing to governance, stakeholder liaison, and the translation of expert advice into practical recommendations for system improvement. She has also supported the design and delivery of community of practice resources and facilitation materials to strengthen child safe practice, workforce capability, and shared learning across service systems. This builds on more than ten years of frontline experience working with children, young people, and families, including those in out-of-home care and young people involved in the youth justice system. A key focus of this earlier work was helping young people exiting detention to re-engage with education, training, or employment.
 
Danielle’s work brings together research, policy, practice, and systems change, with a strong focus on education, equity, and improving outcomes for children and young people.