This year’s AISNSW Educational Research Symposium 2021 brings together the best of education research to support NSW independent school leaders and classroom practitioners.
What does it take for research to enable impactful change in practice? The provocation for this year’s AISNSW Educational Research Symposium will take educators on a stimulating journey to explore how they can draw on research to enhance and deepen their practice.
“A key focus is about supporting educators to build a sustainable culture that recognises the importance of using the right research and evidence.”
Guided by more than 20 expert education researchers and passionate classroom teachers, the symposium features key concepts and insights for educators to understand how research can become their trusted companion in the classroom. Keynote speaker sessions, workshops, panels, QandAs and fascinating case studies are planned across the two-day online event that will support all teachers in NSW Independent schools.
Director of The Evidence Institute, Tiffany Roos.
Director of The Evidence Institute, Tiffany Roos, says this year’s program brings together the very best of those working in the Australian education research space to offer fresh and diverse approaches that combine research, data and educational impact.
“The symposium aims to highlight how classroom teachers, supported by their leaders, can confidently navigate this challenge using evidence to inform their practice,” Tiffany says.
Book now for the AISNSW Educaitonal Research Symposium, 18-19 October.
“The panel provides a 360-degree view on education, exploring the really difficult question of what it takes for research to enable impactful change."
“A key focus is about supporting educators to build a sustainable culture that recognises the importance of using the right research and evidence. This isn’t about a box ticking exercise, our entire program is purposefully designed to provide multiple ways for participants to access information which is pertinent to their own context.”
Professor Mary Ryan, Dean of Education at Macquarie University.
Four key themes will be explored throughout the event:
- How does high-quality research impact education contexts?
- How do we effectively translate that research into practice?
- How do we support our colleagues and our networks to implement change and new practices?
- How do we foster that culture of research and evidence use in schools and organisations?
Dr Jenny Donovan, Chief Executive Officer at the Australian Education Research Organisation.
Panel: What does it take for research to enable impactful change in practice?
The opening panel offers a thought-provoking start by unpacking the question What does it take for research to enable impactful change in practice? Professor Mary Ryan, Dean of Education at Macquarie University will Chair the panel, bringing her knowledge and work in initial teacher experience. She will facilitate the in-depth conversation beginning with Dr Jenny Donovan, Chief Executive Officer at the Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO). Jenny will introduce ways educators can be supported in schools to apply research, based on findings of a national AERO consultation on what works in schools and what teachers need to enable impactful change in their pedagogy.
Dr Christine Grice, Lecturer in Educational Leadership, University of Sydney.
Dr Christine Grice, Lecturer in Educational Leadership at Sydney University will explore the theme from a leadership lens.
“Christine’s perspective is that leadership is about disposition, not position – so rather than wearing a title, we can lead no matter what your position is, and make impactful change in educational practice,” Tiffany says.
“Christine is an educator by background so she brings together the academic lens, the theory lens with the practice and the leadership lens.”
Professor Jim Tognolini, Director of the Educational Measurement and Assessment Hub, University of Sydney.
Final panel member, Professor Jim Tognolini will approach the question from a data and evidence perspective.
“The panel provides a 360-degree view on education, exploring the really difficult question of what it takes for research to enable impactful change,” Tiffany says.
“How do we decide what research is appropriate and how do educators make the best use of that in their classrooms given that they have very unique contexts that sometimes aren’t represented in the research.”
“We know that is there is an enormous, and a sometimes overwhelming amount of research and evidence, that can be used to facilitate change. But how do we decide what research is appropriate and how do educators make the best use of that in their classrooms given that they have very unique contexts that sometimes aren’t represented in the research.”
Symposium highlights
A highlight of the event is Dr Deborah Netolicky, Head of Teaching and Learning (K-12) at St Mark’s Anglican Community School in Western Australia. A pracademic working in an Independent school, Dr Netolicky draws on her dual experiences to present her research in a candid and relatable way. Her presentation Wrong way go back: A wayfinding approach to evidence-based practice for sustainable school change will provide insight into applying focused data and research as a roadmap in schools to identify areas of improvement and how to realise permanent change over time.
Dr Deborah Netolicky, Head of Teaching and Learning (K-12), St Mark’s Anglican Community School.
“Having Dr Netolicky present as an academic within a school is valuable because it demonstrates how the diverse areas of research and classroom practice can meld in a school rather than simply as a theory,” Tiffany says.
“Dr Netolicky brings the theory to life in a very meaningful educative way.”
Another highlight is an overview of the Australian findings of the international research project Growing Up Digital study followed by a Q and A session. University of NSW education researchers Professor Pasi Sahlberg and Dr Amy Graham will present on how digital technologies are being used, the benefits and distractions they pose to students and whether they are bridging the divide of equity, or widening it and how technology is affecting student learning,
Growing Up Digital: Professor Pasi Sahlberg, University of NSW.
Extending the digital focus, the University of Technology’s Associate Professor Matthew Kearney and The Evidence Institute’s Dr Rachel Perry will present findings from the AISNSW report Enhancing digital learning practices for remote learning and beyond – lessons from the field that examines how four very different NSW independent schools approached remote learning during the pandemic lockdowns.
“One of the most exciting and positive impacts of the symposium is that it provides a way to showcase what is going on across the independent sector in terms of evidence-based, impactful practice,” Tiffany says.
Associate Professor Matthew Kearney, University of Technology.
Already there is a groundswell of excitement as educators from all levels register for the event including school leaders, middle leaders and educators with research responsibilities in schools.
“We want classroom-based practitioners to attend because they’re right at the very centre of where practice and theory meet. Leaders are crucial in providing the support their schools and teachers require in their endeavours to embed and use evidence and research in schools,” Tiffany says.
“We want classroom-based practitioners to attend because they’re right at the very centre of where practice and theory meet.”
“Simply telling teachers to use research and to read more is not enough. We need to build systematic practices into how we give teachers time to collaborate and research and practice new approaches in their classrooms and try new ideas out in safe environments.”
Find out more on the AISNSW Education Research Symposium | 18 and 19 October | See the program and registration details.
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