Dr Karen Elizabeth Maras

Dr Karen Maras, is an Associate Professor in the School of Education at the University of New South Wales. She is also Deputy Head of School (Learning & Teaching). Her research and scholarship specialisations include learning and development in Visual Arts education, as well as curriculum and assessment practice in school and higher education contexts. 

In her research Dr Karen Maras investigates the ontological bases of critical reasoning in art. A key focus of this research is on how students' intuitive theories of art develop, are conceptually structured, and shape the practicalities of knowledge construction and learning progression in the Visual Arts. Karen has established a realist framework for understanding how and on what terms students develop critical theories of meaning in art. More recently she has extended this research to address the cognitive foundations of critical and creative thinking and the relationships of these forms of thought to practical and conceptual reasoning in art. This research assists teachers in understanding how students’ theories and understandings of art develop with age and how theoretical repertoires can be developed and applied as frameworks of meaning when interpreting artworks and art practices in the classroom. Her interest in critical development in art arises from her experience in secondary teaching, her interest in philosophical aesthetics, theoretical frameworks and conceptual development in art.

Karen began her career in teacher education at COFA UNSW, now the School of Art & Design. There she completed her undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral studies. Karen’s contributions to pre-service Visual Arts teacher preparation are grounded in her experience in secondary visual arts teaching. She also teaches in the areas of curriculum and pedagogy theory and practice at postgraduate level in teacher education programs. Her interest in curriculum theory and issues is also informed by her ongoing and extensive experience developing Visual Arts Curriculum K-12 in state and national contexts. Before coming to UNSW Karen led programs in Visual Arts teacher education at Australian Catholic University. Karen has also held a range of leadership roles as Head of School at ACU and also as Deputy Head of School, Learning & Teaching at ACU and UNSW Sydney with particular responsibility of the accreditation of Initial Teacher Education Programs.