Career highlights
2022 Expert National Presenter (by invitation) for the Primary English Teaching Association's (PETAA) Leading with Literacy Conference: From Babble to Batavia and Beyond, Sydney, 2022. Delivery of 2 Early Years presentations for the Early Childhood Program:
- The Early Years Framework; The Language of Play; a foundation for children’s literacy
- Why aren’t you teaching my child to read? How to answer this inevitable question
2022 Expert Consultant for Pasifika Education by invitation from Swinburne University. Provided consultation on a scoping review on the Educational Successes and Challenges of Pacific Learners in Australia 2010-2021.
2021 - 2022 Region Mentor for pre-service teachers on placement in 10 schools, The Melbourne Teaching Academy, Deakin University
2018 - 2020 State Conference Presenter for Victorian Primary and Secondary school teachers at the Graduate Teacher Conferences: Design, Implementation and Evaluation Department of Education and Training (DET), Victoria.
2017 - 2021 Coordinator/Leader of The Language, Literacies & Learning,Teaching and Research Group, School of Education, Deakin University.
2019 The Imaginarium Community of Practice, Deakin University. Investigating pedagogies for use in the 360-degree interactive learning in the Nyaal Precinct.
2015 Key Note Speaker for The 3rd International Conference of Early Chidlhood Education (IECE), Early Childhood Education Holistic and Integrative. By invitation from Padang Universitas, Padang, Indonesia.Keynote Speech titled, Communication keys: understanding the importance of the early childhood teacher's role in children's language and literacy development within a holistic, integrative approach to child development.
Research interests
Teacher Education
Language and Literacy Development in the Early Years
Digital literacies
Cloud Learning & Teaching in Higher Education
Pasifika Education
Critical Discourse Analysis
Supervision of domestic and international student research projects.
Recent topics include:
- The complexities of language in education policies in the Pacific: The Kiribati context
- A focus on literacy development in primary schools in Solomon Islands: Engaging parents to support children’s English reading development
- Parents’ perceptions of touch-screen device use to foster pre-schoolers’ emergent literacy development
- Levelled Text Series and the Perpetuation of Majoritarian Narratives
- The role of play in teaching English as a foreign language in early childhood settings in Indonesia
- Spelling in the early years: Linguistically based approaches
- Play, children’s rights and the pandemic: a systematic literature review on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on children’s access to play and the implications for long-term wellbeing
- Assessment for Children with English as a Second Language (ESL) in Early Childhood Education
- Are Video Modelling techniques adaptable to the adults undertaking the teaching of communication? A Self-Study
- What does digital literacy mean in Australian higher education institutions? A case study of four Australian universities
- Investigating the representation of problems in the Victorian Government Schools Agreement 2022
- An in-depth analysis of three Aviation English textbooks
Units taught
Unit Chair, Lecturer, Curriculum & Assessment Developer, Cloud Instructional Designer
- ECE703 Master of Teaching, Early Childhood Language, Literacy and Mathematics
- ECE230 Bachelor Early Childhood Education,Language and Literacy Development in the Early Years
Knowledge areas
Teacher Education & Professional Learning
Literacy Education
Early language and literacy development (early childhood and primary school)
Pasifika Education
Discourse Analysis
Professional activities
2014 - 2023 Human Ethics Advisor, Faculty of Arts and Education, Deakin University
2020 - 2023 Annual Presenter at the Bachelor of Early Childhood Cloud Conference, Deakin University
2019 - 2020 Co-opted Member of the Faculty Board, Faculty of Arts and Education, Deakin University
Awards
2022 - Industry and Community Engagement Award, Faculty of Arts and Education, Deakin University. For Engagement and Partnership Excellence, The Bach. Early Childhood Education Teaching Team.
2017 - School of Education Teaching Award, Faculty of Arts and Education, Deakin University. For Sustained Excellence in Teaching from 2015-2017.
2013 - Vice Chancellor’s Award For Outstanding Contribution to Partnerships, Deakin University. BECE-DAYD Project Team.
2010 - The Dean's Teaching Award (Prof.Jennifer Radbourne), Faculty of Arts & Education, Deakin University. For Excellence in Teaching; First Year Teaching.
2010 - Best Abstract Award, Deakin Teaching and Learning Conference, Deakin University.
Projects
Graduate Teacher Conferences: Design, Implementation and Evaluation Department of Education and Training (DET), Victoria.
Pre-Service Teachers Theory-Praxis Nexus: Perspectives on Early Years Literacy Education. Cross- University Research partnership with Swinburne University of Technology - Dr. Maryanne Pale.
Publications
Investigating English for aviation: An in-depth analysis of aviation English textbooks - Review
T Dewi, S Ohi
(2023), Vol. 11, pp. 87-104, Journal of Teaching English for Specific and Academic Purposes, Niš, Serbia, C1
Bonita Gardiner, Sarah Ohi
(2023), pp. 1-10, Curriculum Perspectives, Berlin, Germany, C1
Maryanne Pale, Sarah Ohi, Lyn Kee
(2023), Vol. 48, pp. 55-73, Australian Journal of Teacher Education, Perth, W.A., C1
G Ozturk, S Ohi
(2022), Vol. 42, pp. 151-166, Early Years, C1
Examining the paradoxes children experience in language and literacy learning
G Auld, J O’Mara, A Cloonan, T Delphine, A Eyers, M Nicholas, S Ohi, L Paatsch, L Pangrazio, J Quick
(2022), pp. 1-16, Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, Berlin, Germany, C1
S Ohi, P Ingram
(2021), Asia Pacific Journal of Education, C1
S Ohi, J O’Mara, R Arber, C Hartung, G Shaw, C Halse
(2019), Vol. 18, pp. 234-247, European Educational Research Journal, C1
Gulsah Ozturk, Sarah Ohi
(2018), Vol. 16, pp. 393-406, Journal of early childhood research, London, Eng., C1
An analysis of the use of autobiographical narrative for teachers' intercultural learning
A Cloonan, B Fox, S Ohi, C Halse
(2017), Vol. 28, pp. 131-144, Teaching education, London, Eng., C1
Building a model of support for preschool children with speech and language disorders
N Robertson, S Ohi
(2016), Vol. 5, pp. 173-181, Journal of education and learning, Toronto, Ont., C1
Doing diversity: intercultural understanding in primary and secondary schools
C Halse, C Halse, F Mansouri, F Mansouri, J Moss, J Moss, Y Paradies, Y Paradies, J O'Mara, J O'Mara, R Arber, R Arber, N Denson, N Denson, C Arrowsmith, C Arrowsmith, N Priest, N Priest, C Charles, C Charles, A Cloonan, A Cloonan, B Fox, B Fox, C Hartung, C Hartung, C Mahoney, C Mahoney, S Ohi, S Ohi, G Ovenden, G Ovenden, G Shaw, G Shaw, L Wright, L Wright
(2015), Melbourne, Vic., A6
Supporting intercultural engagement in literacy education
A Cloonan, J O’Mara, S Ohi
(2014), pp. 83-98, Becoming a teacher of language and literacy, Port Melbourne, Vic., B1
S Ohi
(2014), Vol. 5, pp. 1008-1018, Creative education, Irvine, California, C1
Literacy in early childhood and primary education : issues, challenges and solutions
C McLachlan, T Nicholson, R Fielding-Barnsley, L Mercer, S Ohi
(2013), Cambridge, England, A1
The literacy and numeracy strategy literature review
A Kostogriz, C Vale, G Auld, D Blake, L Bragg, S Ohi, T Ollis, J O'Mara, L Paatsch, G Williams
(2013), Melbourne, Vic., A6-1
Investigating Ways of Enhancing Online Research
S Ohi
(2011), Vol. 8, pp. 1-6, International journal of instructional technology and distance learning, Pittsburgh, Pa., C1
The teacher's role in the research-policy-praxis nexus
S Ohi
(2008), Vol. 52, pp. 95-109, Australian journal of education, Sydney, N.S.W., C1-1
An evaluation of the early years literacy program
J Williams, M Fleer, K Power, S Ohi, S North, M Long
(2008), Adelaide, S. Aust., A6-1
Teacher's professional knowledge and the teaching of reading in the early years
S Ohi
(2007), Vol. 32, pp. 1-14, Australian journal of teacher education, Graylands, W.A., C1-1
Funded Projects at Deakin
Other Public Sector Funding
Pilot statewide professional mentoring program for early childhood teachers
A/Prof Anne-Marie Morrissey, Dr Sarah Ohi, Ms Louise Laskey, A/Prof Liz Rouse, Prof Andrea Nolan
Victoria University Linkage Coll grant, DEECD Department of Education and Early Childhood Development
- 2015: $188,450
- 2013: $64,200
- 2011: $64,200
Literacy and Numeracy Strategy - Literature Review
A/Prof Colleen Vale, Prof Damian Blake, A/Prof Glenn Auld, Dr Leicha Bragg, Prof Louise Paatsch, A/Prof Trace Ollis, Prof Joanne O'Mara, Dr Sarah Ohi, Dr Gaye Williams
DEECD Department of Education and Early Childhood Development
- 2013: $54,420
Learner Improvement in Reading in Tasmanian Government Schools.
A/Prof Glenn Auld, Prof Julianne Moss, Prof Louise Paatsch, Prof Joanne O'Mara, Dr Maria Nicholas, Dr Sarah Ohi
Department for Education, Children & Young People (Tasmania)
- 2024: $605,126
- 2023: $605,126
Supervisions
Dewi Mulia
Thesis entitled: The role of play in teaching English as a foreign language in early childhood settings in Indonesia
Doctor of Philosophy (Education), School of Education
Kathy Swinkels
Thesis entitled: Mathematically-rich Interactions in Early Childhood Centres
Doctor of Philosophy (Education), School of Education