Miranda Makin - Associate principal
Miranda’s Doctor of Education degree gave her the chance to explore how school leaders can work with teachers to positively influence student outcomes.
Key facts
Career: Associate principal
Programme: Doctor of Education
Campus: Epsom
“I enrolled in the Doctor of Education programme because I wanted to become a more effective school leader as well as to continue to develop my expertise as a researcher.”
“I chose to study at the University of Auckland because it provided me the opportunity to work with researchers who have influenced education systems in New Zealand and are internationally recognised for their contribution to the fields of education and leadership.
“Pursuing my doctorate has given me the opportunity to explore how school leaders could participate more effectively in professional inquiry with teachers to positively influence student outcomes.
“I have been able to apply problem-based methodology to understand school leaders’ actions as they lead staff professional inquiry, and how these actions could be revised to better support both teacher and student learning.
“I am enjoying working with other doctoral students in my cohort who represent expertise from a variety of contexts beyond secondary education. Their perspectives enrich my thinking and their encouragement keeps me motivated when times get tough.
“I hope my research will have practical application for other school leaders in their own contexts to better support diverse learners.”