Meet The Education Researcher

Assessment and feedback in higher education (Phillip Dawson)

24 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to Phill Dawson (Deakin University) about how to make sense of some of the latest trends around authentic assessment, self-assessment and ‘u...

International student mobilities (Rachel Brooks)

13 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Students choosing to study overseas has long been an important part of higher education, but is becoming increasingly politically contentious. Profe...

School uniforms and ‘appropriate appearance’ policies (Kayla Mildren)

04 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Many Australian schools have extensive rules around what students are expected to wear and what they should look like. Kayla Mildren (Griffith Unive...

A journal editor’s view on getting published (Sam Sellar)

11 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Getting published in academic journals can be a major source of stress for education researchers. We talk to Sam Sellar (lead editor of Discourse) a...

Teacher recruitment and the problem of ‘hard-to-staff’ schools (Jo Lampert)

13 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We hear regular reports of a ‘crisis’ in teacher recruitment and what has been characterised as an exodus of educators leaving the profession. ...

Precision Education Governance (Kristiina Brunila)

11 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Prof. Kristiina Brunila (University of Helsinki) talks about the rise of ‘Precision Education Governance’ – the current push to reform education...

Mental health education and social-emotional learning (Neil Humphrey)

08 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Mental health is now recognised as an important part of schooling. Neil Humphrey (University of Manchester) talks about recent efforts to establish co...

The coming crisis in education research … and what we might do about it (Sally Power)

11 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Academic research is becoming increasingly peripheral to education policy-makers and practitioners. Prof. Sally Power (Cardiff University) talks abo...

Academics’ use of social media and generative AI (Mark Carrigan)

13 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Why did Twitter so quickly fall apart as a place for scholarship? Where are academics now going for their social media buzz? How can you use Chat GPT ...

Educational leadership, gender and race (Pontso Moorosi)

24 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A/Prof Pontso Moorosi (University of Warwick) joins us to talk about her research on leadership preparation in South African schools, and the varying ...

Sustainability and climate change education (Lizzie Rushton)

27 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How can schools tackle issues of sustainability and climate change? Prof. Lizzie Rushton (University of Stirling) talks about her research around en...

Schools and online ‘toxic masculinity’ (Stephanie Wescott)

29 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Schools are beginning to report a notable change in boys’ behaviour as a result of their increased exposure to the so-called ‘manosphere’ and on...

Teachers and existentialist philosophy (Alison Brady)

31 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What relevance does existentialism have for teachers? Dr. Alison Brady (UCL) uses the existentialist philosophy of Jean Paul Sartre to rethink what ...

Actor-Network Theory (Helene Ratner)

04 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Actor-Network Theory is growing in popularity in education research. Helene Friis Ratner (Aarhus University) discusses the strengths and limitations...

Student experiences of higher education (Kirsty Finn)

05 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Kirsty Finn (University of Manchester) researches a wide range of sociological issues related to students and higher education. We discuss Kirs...

Classroom management (Marcus Samuelsson)

01 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Marcus Samuelsson researches issues of classroom management with Swedish teachers. We talk about how Marcus has shifted from talking about ‘classr...

School shootings and student safety (Nadine M. Connell)

03 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Nadine M. Connell (Griffith University) is a criminologist working in the area of school safety. We discuss Nadine’s research around school shooti...

Everyday objects of education (Jakob Billmayer)

03 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Jakob Billmayer is fascinated by the ordinary aspects of education – from classroom doors and furniture, through to students' school-bags and Ja...

Critical race theory in science teacher education (Felicia Moore Mensah)

06 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Prof. Felicia Moore Mensah (Teachers College) works in the area of science education and teacher preparation. We talk about Felicia’s application ...

Bullying in schools (Paul Horton)

09 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Paul Horton's work addresses school bullying in terms of the social, institutional, and societal contexts within which it occurs. We talk about ...

The importance of teachers’ talk (Adam Lefstein)

12 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Adam Lefstein (Hebrew University of Jerusalem) discusses his recent research on teachers’ talk as a form of professional learning. We discuss the ...

Datafication and education policy (Sam Sellar)

13 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Sam Sellar (UniSA) is a leading commentator on the rise of numbers and data in education and education policy. We discuss the phenomenon of ‘PISA-...

Inequalities in STEM participation (Louise Archer)

18 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Professor Louise Archer (UCL) is involved in large-scale research looking at inequalities in young people’s participation in STEM – science, techn...

The hard work of being a teacher (Nicole Mockler)

24 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Prof Nicole Mockler (University of Sydney) is well-known for her work on the teaching profession and education policy. We talk about Nicole's recent...

Inequalities in early years and primary education (Alice Bradbury)

01 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Professor Alice Bradbury (UCL) is a leading sociologist of early years and primary education, focusing on matters of inequality and social justice. ...

The International Baccalaureate (Julia Resnik)

08 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Prof. Julia Resnik (Hebrew University of Jerusalem) talks about her ongoing research into the International Baccalaureate – comparing the program’...

Techno-scepticism in the classroom (Marie Heath)

18 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

“I’m not anti-technology … I’m pro-justice”. Dr. Marie Heath (Loyola University) works to encourage an informed scepticism about digital t...

Education in an era of pervasive automation (Mark Andrejevic)

31 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Mark Andrejevic (Monash University) is a leading commentator on surveillance, information and digital media. In this interview Mark looks back on hi...

Students’ engagement with work and employment (Alison Taylor)

03 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Professor Alison Taylor (UBC) has spent her career looking at the interplay between students, education, work and the economy. We talk about the cha...

What makes for ‘good’ education research? (Bob Lingard)

08 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Professor Bob Lingard (ACU) reflects on the art and craft of being an education researcher. He talks about the distinction between ‘education’ r...

Bringing ‘knowledge’ back in (Kate O’Connor)

23 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Knowledge is a fundamental aspect of education, but something that education research rarely addresses head-on. Dr. Kate O’Connor (La Trobe Univer...

Schools and sexuality (Jen Gilbert)

28 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Prof Jen Gilbert (York University) is a leading international researcher in the area of sexuality, gender and education. We talk about school as a s...

What can we learn from the history of education? (Johannes Westberg)

26 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

“Historians remind us of what we might prefer to forget” Johannes Westberg (University of Groningen) is one of Europe’s rising historians of ...

Education and the new laws of robotics (Frank Pasquale)

05 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Frank Pasquale (Brooklyn Law School) is a leading commentator on the social and legal consequences of AI, robotics and algorithms. Drawing on his 20...

Bourdieu and higher education (Troy Heffernan)

16 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Troy Heffernan (La Trobe University) talks about the continuing relevance of Pierre Bourdieu’s ideas to contemporary higher educati...

The big business of schools in Sweden (Malin Ideland)

21 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Despite their social democratic origins, Swedish schools now depend heavily on the support of commercial companies. Professor Malin Ideland (Malmo U...

Automated surveillance in education (Chris Gilliard)

07 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Chris Gilliard (@hypervisible) is a leading critic of surveillance technology, digital privacy, and the problematic ways that tech intersects with rac...

Approaching education from the inside out (Gert Biesta)

10 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Gert Biesta (University of Edinburgh) is one of the best-known – and most interesting - current philosophers of education. We talk about Gert’s ...

Digital learning (Mark Warschauer)

30 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“Laptops will make a good school better, but they won’t make a bad school good” In this episode, we join Mark Warschauer (UC Irvine) for an ov...

The idea of ‘public education’ (Carl Anders Safstrom)

02 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Educational philosopher Carl Anders Safstrom (Maynooth University) joins us to talk about the past, present and future of ‘public education’. We...

Social and emotional development in schools (Rebecca Collie)

03 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

How do students learn to interact with others? How do teachers cope with stress? In this episode, we join psychologist Rebecca Collie (UNSW) for an ...

Reimagining Globalisation & Education (Fazal Rizvi)

06 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Does the idea of ‘globalisation’ still have any relevance for understanding education in the 2020s? Fazal Rizvi (University of Melbourne) talks ...

AI and education (Val Mendes)

09 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Val Mendes (UNESCO) brings a global perspective to the topic of AI and education – particularly in light of UNESCO’s focus on educational policy a...

AI and education (Erica Southgate)

02 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What is the educational potential of artificial intelligence? Erica Southgate (University of Newcastle) talks us through some of the key issues surr...

The psychology of science denial (Gale Sinatra & Barbara Hofer)

06 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What role does science education have in a ‘post-truth’ era when some people deny climate change, oppose vaccinations, and believe COVID to be a h...

Paulo Freire & ‘Pedagogy of the Oppressed’ (Carlos Alberto Torres)

14 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

‘Pedagogy of the Oppressed’ is a key educational text - packed with radical ideas about critical pedagogy and the death of the authoritarian teach...

Civics education, games and platforms (Antero Garcia)

31 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Antero Garcia (Stanford University) talks about his work in the area of media education and civics. We start by talking about the future of civics e...

Justice-oriented approaches to Science Education (Sara Tolbert)

10 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“So you’re a science educator? That’s so radical!’ Sara Tolbert (University of Canterbury) is committed to challenging the politics and powe...

Comparative education & global policy (Jason Beech)

19 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

“We cannot understand education policy and power in education only by looking at the nation state”. Dr. Jason Beech has just joined Monash Unive...

The philosophy of maths education (Nathalie Sinclair)

15 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Professor Nathalie Sinclair (Simon Fraser University) is a leading philosopher whose work strives to change the way we think about learning and teachi...

Educational neuroscience (Michael Thomas)

22 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Many people expect neuroscience to change our understanding of education. Michael Thomas (Birkbeck University) is director of the Centre for Educati...

Universities, futures thinking and climate change (Keri Facer)

26 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Keri Facer (University of Bristol) is a leading thinker in the area of education futures, and has just completed a term as visiting Zennström Profess...

Understanding ‘the game’ of education research (Pat Thomson)

05 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Pat Thomson (University of Nottingham) is renowned for her public work in demystifying academic writing, career-building, and other practical aspects ...

Design and the ethics of higher education (Rikke Toft Nørgård)

16 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Rikke Toft Nørgård (Aarhus University) brings together educational philosophy with design practices and futures thinking. We talk about Rikke’s ...

Working in the 'post-pandemic’ university (Simone Eringfeld)

27 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

“In times of crisis we need to be creative” Simone Eringfeld (Cambridge University) is part of a new generation of education researchers beginni...

The sociology of education policy (Stephen Ball)

05 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

“Sociology of education has devoted itself to saving, reforming, improving, perfecting the school … I now believe that it is a doomed enterprise. ...

The history of EdTech and the automation of education (Audrey Watters)

14 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Audrey Watters is a legendary critical voice in the world of education and technology. In this episode we talk about Audrey’s new book – ‘Teac...

Engineering Education in K-12 schools (Tamara Moore)

23 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Prof. Tamara Moore (Purdue University) discusses her career in the area of Engineering Education – especially her work in developing ‘Engineering ...

Privatization and public schooling (Anna Hogan)

03 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Schools are now increasingly shaped by market forces and commercial interests. Listen to Dr. Anna Hogan (UQ) talk about the fast-changing privatizat...

Working from home, learning at home, and pandemic play (John Potter)

06 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The coronavirus has pushed families, schools and researchers into new ways of doing things. Listen to John Potter (UCL) talk about how the COVID loc...

Digital education after COVID-19 (Felicitas Macgilchrist & Ben Williamson)

28 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

EdTech has been a key aspect of remote schooling during the COVID-19 lockdowns. How have schools and families been making use of digital technologie...

Out-of-school learning & media literacies (Ola Erstad)

02 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Ola Erstad (University of Olso) is a leading researcher in the area of media education. We talk about how young people learn outside of schools, the...

Thinking differently about e-learning and online teaching (Jeremy Knox)

06 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Jeremy Knox is part of Edinburgh University's innovative 'Digital Education' research team. In this conversation, we cover Jeremy’s research into...

Young people’s experiences of mental health (Christine Grove)

14 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Mental health is a priority issue across every level of education – with rising levels of depression, anxiety and stress amongst all age groups. L...

Post-Digital education (Sian Bayne)

20 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Prof. Sian Bayne (University of Edinburgh) is one of the leading critical voices in the area of online teaching and higher education. We talk about ...

The micropolitics of educational work (Geert Kelchtermans)

27 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Let's think about schools in terms of power and interests! Geert Kelchtermans (KU Leuven) discusses the working lives of teachers and principals - an...

Power, space & politics in education: from urban change to AI (Kalervo Gulson)

25 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Kalervo Gulson (University of Sydney) talks about his work in the area of educational policy. We talk about Kal’s early work on urban change and ...

Participatory Design approaches (Bronwyn Cumbo)

05 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What is 'Participatory Design' and how can we use it in education research? Bronwyn Cumbo (Monash University) talks about the benefits of participat...

Digital distraction in the classroom (Jesper Aagaard)

21 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

“Not all rabbit-holes are good places to be” Jesper Aagaard (Aarhus University) talks about his research on the impact of digital devices in sch...

Young people, gender, sexuality & religion (Mary Lou Rasmussen)

07 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

How do we approach research in a world of fluid categories? Mary Lou Rasmussen (Australian National University) talks about her work examining how y...

Young men, masculinity and class (Steve Roberts)

16 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Steve Roberts (Monash University) talks about his work examining young men and transitions to adulthood. We talk about balancing generosity and cri...

Public schools, private schools and the market (Emma Rowe)

27 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

“This system of [school] competition drives us all into behaviour that is probably not that helpful for the broad majority” Dr. Emma Rowe (Deaki...

Doing critical education research (Steve Courtney)

06 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What does critical education research involve? Dr. Steve Courtney (University of Manchester) talks about how education researchers can usefully enga...

Education policy and the power of numbers (Radhika Gorur)

15 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

“It is fascinating how much power numbers seem to have” Dr. Radhika Gorur (Deakin University) talks about her work examining numbers and the mob...

Mythbusters! Clearing up some educational myths & misunderstandings

01 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Listen to three Monash academics debunk some persistent misunderstandings in education ... Prof. Dragan Gasevic on why we shouldn’t be talking abo...

Issues of race and human rights in schools (Audrey Osler)

17 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

“Struggling against injustice is something that you have to persist with” In this interview, Prof. Audrey Osler (University College of Southeast...

School belonging and ‘pracademic’ research (Kelly-Ann Allen)

03 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

How can educational practitioners engage in useful academic research? In this interview, Dr. Kelly-Ann Allen (Monash University) talks about how she ...

Digital inequalities and education (Rebecca Eynon)

14 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

How is the internet increasing inequalities between people? In this interview, Rebecca Eynon (Oxford Internet Institute) talks about her work on dig...

The educational philosophy of John Dewey (Jennifer Bleazby)

29 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What relevance does the work of John Dewey still have for education? John Dewey is one of the most important thinkers in education research and gener...

Exploring the consequences of education policy (Melissa Barnes)

14 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Exploring the consequences of education policy (Melissa Barnes) by Meet The Education Researcher

Ethnography and innovation in education (Christo Sims)

01 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What can ethnography bring to the study of school reform? Christo Sims (UC San Diego) is an anthropologist whose award-winning ethnography lays bare...

Questions of class, gender & capitalism (Jane Kenway)

18 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jane Kenway (Monash & Melbourne Universities) is one of Australia’s leading sociologists of education. In this wide-ranging discussion, Jane refle...

The role of imagination in young children's science learning (Marilyn Fleer)

03 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

What are the links between young children’s imagination and their learning in science, engineering and technology? Marilyn Fleer (Monash University...

End of year reading recommendations ... 2018

07 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

As we prepare to take a break for the 2018/2019 summer vacation here are a few highlights of what Monash academics have been reading over the past 12 ...

Education research use (Mark Rickinson)

26 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

How can academics make sure that their research is useful, and actually ends us being used across the education community? Mark Rickinson (Monash Un...

Robots in the classroom (Sofia Serholt)

12 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

What happens when robots are introduced into classrooms? In this interview, Dr. Sofia Serholt (Chalmers University) talks about her work on robots i...

Architecture and education (Adam Wood)

29 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Adam Wood (UK Leverhulme Scholar) is a social scientist specialising in architecture & education. We discuss the links between architecture and l...

Early career researchers – issues and opportunities (Naomi Barnes)

09 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

What can universities do for ‘early career researchers’? Dr. Naomi Barnes (QUT) is one of a new generation of education researchers beginning th...

Informal learning through online platforms (Thomas Hillman)

24 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

What can people learn on YouTube and Facebook? In this interview, Thomas Hillman (University of Gothenburg) talks about his research on how people l...

Becoming a better researcher (Patrick White)

10 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

How can we develop better research questions? Why should all education researchers make ‘sensible’ use of statistics? In this interview, Patrick...

Writing an academic book

27 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Writing an academic book is not an easy task! In this podcast, we talk to 3 education researchers who have just gone through the process of writing ...

Education research and public engagement (Stewart Riddle)

13 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Why should academics engage with the public? Dr. Stewart Riddle (USQ) is committed to being part of the public debate about education in Australia....

Teacher effectiveness & American-Jewish schools (Ilana Finefter-Rosenbluh)

31 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

How can we make schools work better? In this interview, Dr. Ilana Finefter-Rosenbluh (Monash University) talks about her research interests around e...

Measuring emotions in school (Anne Frenzel)

16 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

What role do emotions play in determining education experiences? In this interview Prof. Anne Frenzel (University of Munich) talks about her work on...

Social justice & secondary data (Emma Smith)

03 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

How can researchers use secondary data to examine social justice issues in education? In this interview Prof. Emma Smith (University of Warwick) tal...

Girls' engagement with maths (Jennifer Hall)

13 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

How can we encourage all students to love maths? Dr. Jennifer Hall (Monash University)talks about her research in the area of mathematics education -...

Networked learning in a digital age (George Siemens)

29 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

How do we reimagine higher education for a networked age? Prof. George Siemens (University of Texas at Arlington) is well-known for his work in the ...

The sociology of early childhood education (Iris Duhn)

16 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

A/Prof. Iris Duhn (Monash University) talks about her work in the sociology of childhood. Iris talks about her research in early childhood education ...

The sociology of sport & education (Richard Pringle)

02 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Prof. Richard Pringle (Monash University) talks about his work in the sociology of sport and education. We discuss Richard's work on masculinities ...

live from the AERA 2018 Conference

16 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Hear from a variety of Monash faculty and friends attending the 2018 American Education Research Association conference in New York. We discuss curren...