DrXiaofang Lainie Shang

Dr Xiaofang Lainie Shang is a Lecturer at Deakin University with over a decade of professional experience in early childhood education. Her practice-based background spans roles as educator, teacher, educational leader, and kindergarten director, alongside extensive experience mentoring pre-service and graduate teachers. This professional expertise informs her research, which is grounded in the realities of early years settings and teacher development.

Her research is situated in the field of early childhood education, with a focus on bilingualism and multilingualism in kindergarten contexts. She investigates how language practices and pedagogical approaches shape young children’s learning experiences, with particular attention to issues of educational equity and social justice in linguistically diverse settings.

A central strand of her work draws on sociological approaches to education, particularly the framework of Pierre Bourdieu. Through concepts such as linguistic capital and habitus, she examines how social and institutional structures influence children’s access, participation, and educational outcomes in early childhood environments.

Her research is further informed by Montessori pedagogy, reflecting her training with the Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) across the 0–3 and 3–6 age cycles. This perspective underpins her interest in child-centred learning, the role of the prepared environment, and pedagogical practices that support equitable engagement.

In addition, she explores teacher and family perspectives in early childhood program implementation, emphasising the importance of collaborative partnerships in supporting children’s development and learning.

Her research contributes to understanding how early childhood education can respond effectively to linguistic diversity and promote more equitable outcomes for young learners.