The School of Education is a research unit with 35 full time academic staff. The need to bring extensive professional experience to University work often means the teacher and community educator have developed their research skills and experience centered around rich professional workplace learning experience. This has had an impact on the type of research which is both valued and valuable to the profession. Our research in the School of Education focuses on praxis. It is relevant for practitioners and learners and is conducted in situ in partnership with practitioners. The School of Education has a history of increasing successful engagement with research, notably with school, community and industry partners over the past decade. Colleagues in the School work closely with the Institute for Community Engagement and Policy Alternatives and the Institute for Health and Diversity.
Current Research Focus:
The key focus of research in the School is developed around the broad theme of Learners, Communities and Social Action with a very strong emphasis on practitioner research. . Specifically colleagues are flexibly organised in collaborative teams which have been successful in grants and publications around the following themes:
- social change, social capital, social justice, youth and community;
- social ecology, practitioner research, professional learning, collaborative research, action research, partnerships;
- pedagogy and practice
- New learning for the 21st century
There are several other interest groups and personal interests which connect to this work, for example, in wilderness adventure therapy and research which seeks to understand the issues for at risk students, adult literacy and early childhood learning.
Recent Funded Research and Development Projects in the School:
- Computer for Every Child
- Middle Years of Schooling Project
- Building Resources Service project
- Career Change Program
- Vic Health Refugee Project
- Career Education Curriculum Project
- Social Ecology and School Restructuring
- Junction Youth Research Centre
- Wilderness Adventure Education
- Teacher Professional Learning
- Vic Health New Arrivals Regional Relocation Study
- Story Writing in Remote Locations and 'Moving On' Indigenous Learning (SWIRL)
- Youth Pathways
- Teacher Induction
- Living in Harmony - Reconciliation project
- Innovation and Excellence Cluster support
- Democratic School Review
Research Degrees:
Staff in the School of Education are well prepared to support research and supervision towards the achievement of:
- Master of Education (Research)
- Doctor of Education
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
The School has a sound record of successful completions in research degrees.
