Research

Educational research is essential to the ongoing success and growth of the education program at Deakin.

The School of Education is an active contributor to global education research and theory.

Its respected academics are considered thought leaders in their fields of specialisation.

Choose Deakin for your higher degree in education

The School of Education at Deakin offers higher degree by research (HDR) students a supportive research community and a strong culture of collaboration and inclusiveness.

We have a large and diverse cohort of doctoral candidates studying both on and off campus.

Our team of expert supervisors and academics ensure ongoing support and guidance at all stages of your research career.

Informative research seminars are also held throughout the year across all campuses.

We're lauded as above world standard

Excellence Research in Australia (ERA) identifies research excellence within Australia’s higher education institutions based on national and international benchmarks.

ERA ranked Deakin's specialist studies in education at '4' – above world standard in 2015.

Our HDR disciplines

We currently have postgraduate research supervisors available in the following disciplines.

Applied learning and professional education and training
Arts education
Curriculum, pedagogy and professional learning
Early childhood education
Education policy, professionalism, leadership and internationalisation
Health and physical education

Humanities, societies and environments education
Language, literacies and learning
Mathematics education
Science, technology and environmental education
TESOL, EAL/D and languages

Learn more about about our higher degree by research interest areas

If you’d like to study a master's or PhD at the School of Education, find out how to become a research degree student

Contact our HDR Coordinators

Our HDR coordinators will be happy to help you with any enquiries you might have regarding studying at the School of Education, choosing a discipline or finding a supervisor.

Melbourne Burwood Campus HDR Coordinator
Dr Andrew Skourdoumis
+61 3 9244 6673
Email Dr Skourdoumbis

Geelong Waurn Ponds Campus HDR Coordinator
Dr Amanda Mooney
+61 3 5227 3285
Email Dr Mooney

My supervisors are first class and the opportunities for networking and collaboration make being a distance student both positive and rewarding.

Adrian Farnham

HDR Student

Breaking new ground in educational research

Deakin researchers are involved in a number of innovative education research projects.

Deakin’s Chair of Education Professor Christine Halse edited a landmark book. Asia Literate Schooling in the Asian Century explores Asian literacy education and building intercultural relations.
A team led by Professor Russell Tytler is working as part of a major national program to increase the study of science and technology in secondary education. They've developed a trailblazing 'representation construction'-guided inquiry pedagogy. It's achieving dramatic improvements in student performance and influencing science educators around the world.
Deakin researchers are focusing on equipping young people and adults to live in a globalised, digital world. They're informing policy across all educational sectors through developing partnerships, transforming pedagogies and working toward achieving equity and social justice.

Our research centres and groups

Research for Educational Impact (REDI)

In 2016, the Centre for Research in Educational Futures and Innovations (CREFI) was renamed Research for Educational Impact (REDI).

REDI seeks to be a leading national and international centre in educational research. Underpinned by strong equity principles, REDI has been formed around four distinctive programs that will address the key contemporary education issues.

Its research crosses all sectors: kindergartens, schools, universities, vocational education and training and community education.

Research programs include:

environmental and health education for sustainable communities
governance, policy and educational leadership in local and global contexts
mathematics
pedagogy, cultures and professional engagement
science.

Interdisciplinary themes include:

rural and regional education and communities
internationalisation, inclusivity and knowledge work
professional learning, practice and ethics.

Learn more about REDI

Centre for Research in Assessment and Digital Learning (CRADLE)

CRADLE focuses on investigating quality assessment in higher education and practices that can be enhanced through emerging digital environments.

The centre is led by Foundation Director Professor David Boud. It collaborates on research in significant areas of assessment innovation, credentialing and the use of evidence of learning.

Find out more about CRADLE

Centre for Teaching and Learning Languages (CTALL)

The Centre for Teaching and Learning Languages (CTaLL) research program focuses on the development of innovative teaching and learning across the TESOL, EAL/D and languages teaching education sectors in Australia and internationally.

Their research is framed by socio-cultural perspectives on languages, culture and identity in education, and the nexus between communication, language awareness and languages curriculum, pedagogy and practice.

Building on the extensive expertise of the languages, EAL/D and TESOL discipline team, CTaLL provides specialist units of contemporary theory, pedagogy and practice cross undergraduate and postgraduate teaching courses.

Contact us
Co-Director Dr Ruth Arber
+61 3 9244 3933
Co-Director Dr Michiko Weinmann
+61 3 9244 6979
Email CTALL