Ron Toomey is an Emeritus Professor from the College of Arts, Business, Law, Education and IT at Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia.

Over a long career he has held positions in education as:

  • a secondary school teacher
  • a State Education authority curriculum developer
  • an educational administrator within the Victorian HSC examinations’ authority
  • a university academic in a number of Australian education faculties
  • the Foundation Head of the College of Education at Victoria University (VU)
  • an Adjunct Professor at LaTrobe, Australian Catholic University and the University of Newcastle.

Over time, his research has been supported by grants from the Australian Research Council, Commonwealth and State Governments, the former Commonwealth Government’s Curriculum Development Centre, Industry sources including IBM, BP Australia and the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the OECD and others. The research has addressed themes around curriculum, learning and teaching, the usage of information and communication technology in education, linking industry and education, access and equity in education, and teacher preparation and professional development.

For the past twenty years, Ron's research has concentrated on Values-based Education, a topic he has often been invited to address at international conferences including in Australia, India, the USA and Singapore. The published results of his research include, from a very long list, the following more recent refereed articles, books and chapters.

Publications

Refereed journal articles

Lovat, T., Dally, K., Clement, N., Toomey, R. (2011) Values pedagogy and teacher education: Re-Conceiving the foundations. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, v36 n7 p31-44.

Lovat, T., Clement, N., Dally, K. and Toomey, R. (2011) The impact of values education on school ambience and academic diligence. International Journal of Educational Research, 50, 3, p166-170.

Lovat, T., Clement, N., Dally, K. and Toomey, R. (2010) Values education as holistic development for all sectors: Researching for effective pedagogy. Oxford Review of Education, 36, 6, p713-729.

Lovat, T., Clement, N., Dally, K. and Toomey, R. (2010) Addressing issues of religious difference through values education: An Islam instance. Cambridge Journal of Education, 40, 3, p2013-227.

Toomey, R. and Lovat, T. (2009) Values education, quality teaching and service learning: The harmony of a new pedagogy? Beliefs and Values, 1, 2, p220-229.

Lovat, T. and Toomey, R. (2007) The double helix of values education and quality teaching. Curriculum Leadership, 5, 16

Books

Values Pedagogy and Student Achievement – Contemporary Research Evidence, Springer Press (2011) with T. Lovat, K. Dally and N. Clement.

Teacher Education and Values Pedagogy, David Barlow Publishing: Terrigal (2010) with T. Lovat, K. Dally and N. Clement.

International Research Handbook on Values Education and Student Wellbeing, Springer Publishing: Dordrect (2010) with T. Lovat, K. Dally and N. Clement.

Values Education Quality Teaching and Service Learning: A Troika for Effective Teaching and Teacher Education, Terrigal: David Barlow Publishing (2009) with T. Lovat, N. Clement, R. Crotty and T. Neilsen.

Values Education and Quality Teaching: The Double Helix Effect (2nd Edition), Dordrect: Springer Press (2009) with T. Lovat.

Refereed chapters

Overcoming barriers that impede participation in lifelong learning, in Lifelong Learning, Participation and Equity, J. Chapman. P. Cartwright and E. McGilp (eds) (2006) Dordrecht: Springer.

Clusters and learning networks: A strategy for reform in values education (with J. Chapman), in Values Education and Lifelong Learning, D. Aspin and J. Chapman (eds) (2006) London: Springer Press.

Values Based Education for “At Risk” students (with C. Shealy, R. Farmer, S. Farmer and T. Lovat) in Education, Ethics and Religion, D. Rason (ed) 2023, Springer Press.

Values Based Education for a Better World, in International Research Handbook on Values Education and Student Wellbeing (2nd Edition), Springer Publishing (2023) T. Lovat et al (eds).

Demonstrating the Values of Values Based Education (with Acheson-Claire, K. et al) in International Research Handbook on Values Education and Student Wellbeing (2nd Edition), Springer Publishing (2023) T. Lovat et al (eds).

Recent reports

Final Report of the Research Project Conducted for the Toogoolawa School Community: An Exploratory Study of the Transformative Capacity of Values Based Education on Youth at Risk. (2022) T. Lovat, C. Shealy and R. Toomey 

Areas of expertise

  • Curriculum studies

Contact details

0433 474 689