Our research seeks to provide immediate benefits for our teacher colleagues and ultimately, their students, by combining research, policy and practices that are effective in improving teacher education and development. students by combining research, policy , and practices that effectively improve teacher education and development. We also move beyond the improvement paradigm to engage in debates about theory and practice in curriculum, pedagogy, assessment and evaluation.
This research strength has a dedicated community in the Teacher Education and Development Research Group that works with and alongside aspiring and current teachers, teacher educators, leaders in school and system leaders, and the university, to support the professional preparation and continuing development of the teaching workforce across curriculum, pedagogy, assessment and evaluation. The group fosters partnerships and collaboration between researchers, practitioners, and key stakeholders while working on critical issues in teacher education and development in curriculum, pedagogy, assessment and evaluation that are , and evaluation that are at the forefront of state, national and international policy agendas.
Research aim
Education, in Australia and internationally, over the past decade has been strongly influenced by a focus on issues of quality.ÌýTheÌýquality of both teachers and teacher education programs haves come underÌýincreasedÌýscrutiny, influenced byÌýa range of agendas.ÌýTheseÌýagendasÌýhighlightÌýevidence of links between student learning and achievement and the quality of both teachers and teacher education.ÌýManyÌýresearchersÌýseeÌýpreparation of new teachers entering the current teaching force andÌýcontinuousÌýteacher professional development at all career stagesÌýasÌýkeysÌýto educational improvement.Ìý
Our overarching aims are to:Ìý
- Develop an understanding of the processes and outcomes of teacher education and learning across career stages in Australia and internationallyÌý
- Foster the integration of theory, research, and practice at all stages of teachers’ professional learning
- Critically evaluate the nexus between initial and continuing teacher education and global, national,ÌýandÌýstate educationalÌýpolicy andÌýreforms associated with curriculum, assessment and pedagogical practice
- Advance the theorisation and practical application of assessment to support learning and teaching
- Investigate how teachers may design motivationally relevant classrooms through the implementation of autonomy-supportive practices, research from cognitive science, and educational psychology.
Themes and signature projects
Our research themes span primary, secondary and higher education contexts.ÌýWe research, teachÌýand advocate the critical issues associated with teachers’ learning in their teacher education programsÌýand beyondÌýand examine how these issues manifest in their further learning and professional development.ÌýOur research builds evidence-based knowledge of effective practice and identifies solutions that improve the quality of teacher learning across career stages.
Our research group conducts high quality, high impact researchÌýwithÌýknowledgeÌýtranslation in the areas of:
- Quality teacher education and professional development
- Comparative educationÌýÌý
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- Impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment
- Pre-service teacher (training on Artificial Intelligence (AI) literacy.
- Supporting creative process across curriculum subjects in curriculum, pedagogy and assessment
- Pre- and post-teacher training on classroom practice to support students with disabilities and high abilities
- Pre- and post-teacher training on classroom practice to support twice-exceptional students
- Supporting the design of motivationally-relevant classrooms for students across a range of abilities and across curriculum subjects
These themes are addressed in our current research projects which have a strong focus on supporting teachers across the continuum and exploring different teacher learning models in Australia and internationally.Ìý
Current activities
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We currently have major research projects underway which address areas including:
teacherÌýselection andÌýrecruitment; retention and promotion
professional experience mentoring and coordination
online delivery of initial teacher education (MTeachÌýPrimary, 91É«ÇéƬ)Ìý
relationshipsÌýbetween teacher professional learning, discipline knowledge, curriculum imperatives and teaching practice
teacher readiness for curriculum changes.
teacher leadership competenceÌý
sustainable school-university partnershipsÌýÌý
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These projects support us to generate research that informs our teaching in initial teacher education and postgraduate programs in theÌý91É«ÇéƬÌýSchool of Education.ÌýThis research-informed approach to teacher educationÌýand developmentÌýprovides immediate benefit to schools, school systems, universities and providers of teacher education at international, state, and national levels.
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Developing mentors’ standard (led byÌý, Dr Neville Ellis,Ìý) 
Beginning teachers’ professional learning needs (led by Dr Hoa Nguyen,Ìý, Dr Neville Ellis) 
Teachers’ professional learning across two countries: Australia and Canada (led by Dr Hoa Nguyen andÌý)
Teacher Selection and Recruitment:ÌýFunded partnership projectÌýon teacher successÌýwithÌýNSW Department of EducationÌýHuman ResourcesÌýled by Dr Tracy DurksenÌýÌý
InternationalÌýcollaboration with theÌýÌýledÌýbyÌýProfessor RobertÌýKlassen (University of York, UK)
NSW DoE Teaching and assessing students' critical and creative thinking skills in Visual Arts Years 7-10, Creative Innovation Grant, Learning and Teaching Directorate (Led byÌýÌý& Dulwich Hill Visual Arts High School)
Med (CWÌýand PL) Mapping teachers’ critical and creative thinking skills in collaborative interpretations of contemporary artworks: Implications for curriculum andÌýteaching in the Visual ArtsÌýclassroomÌý(Led by Dr Karen Maras)
Development of a Data Literacy Tool for Improved Student OutcomesÌý(led by Dennis Alonzo, Kim Beswick & Jihyun Lee)Ìý
Developing Content-Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) teachers’ professional learningÌý(Led byÌý,Ìý,Ìý,Ìý, DrÌýLisa Gilanyi, Dr Hang Nguyen, TrangÌý Hoang.
Early Career Teacher Mentoring Project,Ìý(Funded project byÌýMatravilleÌýSportsÌýHigh School,ÌýLed by Dr Karen Maras)
Digitalisation of professional learning: Development and application of mobile app to enhance teachers' self-efficacy in implementing the Philippine Department of Education developmental framework during COVID-19 pandemic. Funded by Australia Awards and Alumni Engagement Program – Philippines. Led byÌý.,ÌýQuimno, V.,ÌýBayangos, M.,ÌýLacia, M., &ÌýObierna. International critical friends, Tony Loughland, Rebecca Collie, Hoa Nguyen & Tracy Durksen.
MAP-IT:ÌýMapping Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures Priority concepts – In-school Teacher Professional Learning Program.ÌýAn initiative of the CulturalÌýResidents Project withÌý, Aunty Maxine Ryan, Dr Rose Amazan,ÌýDr TracyÌýDurksen,Ìýand Katherine Thompson.Ìý
Community Resilience: The Social Nature of Resilience and Adaptability Among Teachers and Nurses. Led byÌýDr Lynn Sheridan and colleagues (University of Wollongong) withÌý91É«ÇéƬ co-investigatorsÌýDr Tracy Durksen,ÌýDr Hoa Nguyen and Dr Dennis Alonzo.
Who we are
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- Dr Neville Ellis
- Dr Emily Edwards
- Dr Christine Grima-Farrell
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- DrÌýLisa Gilanyi
- DrÌýKeiko Bostwick
- Dr Ha Ngo
- Dr Luan NguyenÌý
- Dr Tra Do
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- Cynthia Wearne, NSW Department of EducationÌý
- Associate Dean (Research)WIL Academic Director, Faculty of Arts, CSU
- Dr Iain Hay, Macquarie University
- Dr Lan anh Tran, Vietnam National University
- Dr Nga Ngo, Phu Xuan University
- University of Leeds
- Associate Professor Judith Hanks, University of Leeds
- ,
- , Brawijaya University
- , Universitas Negeri Malang
- ,
Ìý
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- Kelli CatoÌý
- Jade Rushby Scientia PhD
- Andrew Kingsford-Smith Scientia PhDÌý
- Cynthia Raffe
- Janna Tess EdD
- Andrea De Carvalho
- Sophie PoiselÌý
- Jamila Al Maawali PhD
- Teny Aghamalian EdD
- Kristina da Silva-Bianco PhDÌý
- Junjun Muhamad RamdaniÌý
- Ting Liu
- Jiao Li
- Jie FanÌý
- ChanahÌýWainer PhDÌý
- Paul Howe EdD
- Tanya Kwee 
- Dianne Quarmby
- Fernandita Gusweni JayantiÌý
- Nicole Luk
- Daniel Witanowski
- Sarah Fleming
- Donna Ginzburg
- Jakki Hardman
- Michelle Lucas
- Jessica Slater PhD
- Anthony Vassallo EdD
- Manu Prassad EdD
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- Human Resources, NSW Department of EducationÌý
- NSW Teachers Federation
- NSW Independent Education Union
- Teacher Selection Project (University of York, UK)Ìý
- Selective Education Program, NSW Department of Education
- Autism Spectrum Australia
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- Graduate Certificate of Education (TESOL)Ìý
- MEd (Research)
- EdD
- PhD