Dr. Waseela is an accomplished academic researcher currently serving as a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Education at the Maldives National University with a diverse and interdisciplinary background in education, research, and technology. She holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Education from Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Australia, where her dissertation focused on integrating technology into teaching and learning in the Maldives, specifically exploring teachers’ Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK). Her academic career is marked by numerous accomplishments and recognitions. She was awarded Fellowship status by the UK Higher Education Academy (FHEA) in 2020, in recognition of her excellence in teaching and learning support. Additionally, she has received several prestigious awards for research and academic excellence, including the Best Career Researcher Award at the International Conference on Social Research and Innovation (ICSRI2025), the AusAID Scholarship, and multiple Student Awards recognizing her outstanding academic achievements.

• Educational Research
• Quantitative Research
• Digital Technology and Pedagogy in Education
• Developing Soft Skills

• Research Methods in Education
• Pedagogical Engagement & Learning
• Educational Technology and Blended Learning in Higher Education
• Information Technology in Education
• Social Research and Research Process
• Principles of Instructional Technology

Ongoing

• Capacity Building of Secondary Mathematics Teachers on Teaching Strategies for the students with Complex Learning Profiles (SCLP Project), a project conducted for DOI, NIE, Maldives
• DIGITAsia project. a collaborative project for online and blended learning in higher educatio
• Investigating school leaders’ perceptions on the performance of MNU graduates who join their school after having completed a teaching degree program from the MNU. a project conducted under The Maldives National University Research Grants
• Evaluating the Impact and Challenges of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Curriculum Implementation: A Mixed-Method Case Study of a Maldivian Public School. a project conducted under The Maldives National University Research Grants

Completed

• Robogogy: Integrating Robotics into Teaching for Non-IT Teachers. a project conducted under The Maldives National University Research Grants – 2024
• Cultural Safety Education and Training Medical Fellows and SIMGs Survey. A project carried out for the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, Australia – 2023
• RACS Trainees’ Association End-of-Term Survey 2022 A project carried out for the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, Australia
• RACS Surgical Workforce Census Survey 2022 A project carried out for the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, Australia
• Supervisors Consensus Survey Phase 4. A project carried out for the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, Australia
• Junior Doctors (JDocs) Program for SET Data Analysis A project carried out for the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, Australia
• General Surgical Science Education Fellowship Examinations Data Analysis 2015 to 2022. A project carried out for the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, Australia

PhD supervision (ongoing)  

• Prototyping a Dhivehi Reading Comprehension Routine: A Mixed Methods Design-Based Research Grade 3 Classrooms in a Maldivian School (working title) (ongoing)

Postgraduate research supervision (ongoing)        

• Exploring teachers’ per Theveli ception on the influence of formative feedback on Maldivian secondary students’ academic success
• The Impact of Nationalism Education (Gaumiyyath) on Students’ Civic Identity in the Maldives
• The Impact of Online Teaching Courses on Classroom Management and Students’ Academic Performance in Maldivian Schools
• Exploring the wellbeing of primary teachers teaching mainstream and SEN students in a remote island school in Maldives
• Understanding How Formative Feedback Influences Maldivian Secondary Students’ Academic Success
• Influence of local culture on school leadership practices in the Maldives
• Teachers’ Perceptions of the Impact of Instructional Leadership Practices on Teacher Performance in Maldivian School
• Educators Perspectives on Implementing Cultural Heritage Education in Maldivian Schools
• Challenges and Needs of Final Year Undergraduate Nursing Students in Relation to OSCE Related Stress: A Qualitative Descriptive Study
• A Quantitative Correlational Study on the Relationship between Artificial Intelligence Reliance and Critical Thinking Skills Among MNU Undergraduate Nursing Students.
• A Qualitative Exploration of Factors Leading to Low Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) in Undergraduate Nursing Students at The Maldives National University (MNU)
• Peer Support and Students’ Willingness to Learn in Higher Education: A Qualitative Study

• Waseela, A. (2026). The Impact of Teacher Demographics and Context on Perceived TPACK Competency: Insights from the Maldives, a Small Island Developing State. Online Learning in Educational Research (In review)
• Waseela, A. (2026) An assessment tool to measure Maldivian in-service secondary grade teachers’ perceptions of their technological pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK). International Journal of Technology in Education Science (In review)
• Zahir, H. M., Abd Majid, F., Mohamed, A. M. D., & Waseela, A. (2026). A Contextual Framework for Soft Skills Development among Novice Teachers in the Maldives. Gading Journal for the Social Sciences (e-ISSN 2600-7568), 29(1), 111-129.
• Waseela, A. (2022). Teachers’ TPACK and technology integration in teaching and learning: A case study in the Maldives(Doctoral dissertation, Queensland University of Technology).
• Waseela, A. (2016). The Impact of Text Messaging on Students’ English Language Skills among Undergraduate Students in the Maldives. Masters Thesis, Villa College

• Perceptions of School Leaders on Current Teacher Education Programme Adequacy for Graduate Transition into the Teaching Profession in the Maldives”. 19th – 20th August 2025. Theveli 2025, MNU, Male’ Maldives
• The Impact of Teacher Demographics on Perceived TPACK Competency Insights from the Maldives, a Small Island Developing State”. 19th – 20th August 2025. MNU, Male’ Maldives
• Co-presented a paper at Theveli 2025 on “Building Hearts and Minds: Stakeholder Perspectives on a School-Based Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Programme in a Maldivian School” (Presenter: Nadheema AbdulSattar). 19th – 20th August 2025. MNU, Male’ Maldives
• Co-presented a paper at Theveli 2025 on “Effect of Social Media on Academic Performance and Engagement in Maldivian Higher Education (Presenter: Iffath Abdulla)”. 19th – 20th August 2025. MNU, Male’ Maldives
• Co-presented a paper at Theveli 2025 on “Robogogy: A Pedagogical Framework for Empowering Nont-IT Teachers with Robotics Education for Resource-Limited Classrooms” (Presenter: Dr. Ali Fawaz Shareef). 19th – 20th August 2025. MNU, Male’ Maldives
• Presented a paper at the International Conference on Social Research and Innovation (CSRI 2025) on “Factors Influencing In-Service Teachers’ Technology Integration: Insights from the Maldives, a Small Island Developing State”. 10th – 11th September. Villa College, Male’ Maldives.
• Presented a paper on “The impact of Text Messaging on Students’ English Language among Undergraduate students in the Maldives” International Conference on Social Research and Innovation (ICSRI2019) – 17 to 18th July 2019 Villa College, Male’, Maldives.

Waseela, A., Zahir, H. M., & Ismail, G. (2026). Communication in the Corporate World. A book chapter for Thriving in The Corporate World: Essential Soft Skills For Success

Waseela, A., Zahir, H. M., & Ismail, G.  (2026). Collaboration in the Corporate World. A book chapter for Thriving in The Corporate World: Essential Soft Skills For Success

Waseela, A., Zahir, H. M., & Ismail, G.  (2026). Emotional Intelligence & Leadership in the Corporate World. A book chapter for Thriving in The Corporate World: Essential Soft Skills For Succes.