Rate My Professor Leigh Disney

Dr Leigh Disney is a Lecturer in Early Years within the Faculty of Education at Monash University. He brings extensive practical experience from over ten years as an early childhood educator in both prior-to-school and school-based settings, where he focused on supporting young children’s social and emotional development as well as curriculum domains including science, technology, and mathematics. Prior to his appointment at Monash, Disney held the position of Early Childhood Lecturer at Charles Darwin University, teaching undergraduate and postgraduate students in initial teacher education. He has also engaged in international collaborations in China, contributing to projects on cross-cultural early childhood practices and the integration of play-based learning in Chinese preschools.

As a mixed-methods researcher, Disney investigates early years mathematical learning and the effects of digital technologies in early childhood educational contexts. He contributes to the Mathematics pillar of the Conceptual PlayLab research project at Monash University. His publications include “Above, below, or equal? Exploring teachers’ pedagogical positioning in a playworld context to teach mathematical concepts to preschool children” (with Liang Li), “Investigating young children’s social interactions during digital play” (Early Childhood Education Journal, 2022, with Gretchen Geng), “Young children’s mathematics problem solving in playworld” (2023), “Studying children’s motives in mathematical problem-solving during transition from kindergarten to school: A Conceptual PlayWorld approach” (2024), and the edited book “Your Guide to Wellbeing at University” (2023). Additional works address pre-service teachers’ stress and the support provided by the Australian Education Union during the pandemic. Disney coordinates units such as EDF5775 Advanced play and pedagogy in early childhood settings and EDF5850 Early childhood and primary science. His teaching approach prioritizes deep connections with students, building their confidence and sense of belonging to empower preservice teachers to recognize children as competent learners capable of effecting change. Graduates have applied these principles successfully, including in early childhood science education in China.