A/Prof. Amanda Mooney

Amanda’s research interests are underpinned by a strong commitment to social justice and the role that education can play in furthering this pursuit.  Key here has been a significant investment in investigating approaches to, and practices in, teacher education and associated pathways that promote teacher’s critical dispositions and the development of practical expertise to effectively support diverse learners in inclusive ways.  With a strong disciplinary commitment to the practice of Health, Physical Education and Sport in schooling contexts, Amanda’s research has primarily drawn on qualitative methodologies to examine the ways in which cultural and societal factors shape identities, professional practice, and pedagogies.  This expertise has been applied to projects spanning various contexts including school-based Health and Physical Education, community sporting clubs, teacher education settings, outdoor adventure-based programs and women’s elite professional sporting contexts. At times, this focus has been extended to examine wellbeing and learning for young people experiencing vulnerability and trauma in rural and regional contexts.

More recently, Amanda’s research activities have focussed on approaches to teacher education that support workforce supply in areas of high-demand.  While a key component of this has addressed factors that enable and constrain the attraction, success and retention of teacher education students across the early childhood and schooling sectors, particularly as periods of workforce shortage intensify, a key element of this work has focussed on the capacity building of current and future teachers.  This has included an interest in pre-service teacher mentoring practices and professional learning practices to support mentors in this critical role. While much of this work has drawn on both quantitative and qualitative methodologies, Amanda’s research is largely underpinned by post-structural theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches to make visible the ways in which inequitable practices become normalised in particular settings at certain times, but also to highlight the ways in which these can be challenges to promote more equitable, enjoyable and meaningful learning experiences for young people.

Fellow of Australian Council of Health, Physical Education and Recreation (ACHPER)

Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE)

Health and Physical Education Tertiary Alliance of Victoria (HPETAV)

Mooney, A., Blake, D., Robertson, N., & Tobin, K.  (2022).  Innovation in Teacher Education: Enabling pathways to respond to the challenges of workforce supply.  Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE) Conference, University of South Australia, November 27 to December 1, 2022.

Schenker, K., & Mooney, A.,  (2022).  Theoretical framework: What stands for social justice in HPE and what are we trying to solve.  Paper presented as part of Gerdin et al.,  (2022), EDUHEALTH 2.0 (Re)examining and developing pedagogies for social justice in Health and Physical Education, Symposium, British Educaitonal Research Association (BERA) Conference, University of Liverpool, September 6-8 2022.

Hickey, C., & Mooney, A.  (2021).  Understanding the moment while negotating the time, Australian Associate for Reserach in Education (AARE) Health and Physical Education Special Interest Group (SIG) Keynote, Online Conference, November 28 - December 2, 2021.

Farrelly, C, Mooney, A, Emery, S & Swabey, K (2019), Supporting student wellbeing in schools located in areas of social disadvantage, Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE) Conference, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove Campus, December 1-5, 2019.

MacPhail, A & Mooney, A (2019), Assessment resistance and reformation: A tale of two Irish teacher unions and the implications for teacher’s practice, Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE) Conference, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove Campus, December 1-5, 2019.

Mooney, A (2019), Education for Social Justice – Social Justice Pedagogies in School Health and Physical Education, Symposium Discussant, European Conference of Educational Research (ECER), 3-6 September 2019, Universität Hamburg, Germany.

Mooney, A (2018), Doing Gender: Relationships, Emotions and Spaces of Learning, Research for Educational Impact (REDI) Symposium, Deakin Downtown, August 13 2018.

Mooney, A & Whittle R (2018), International overview: Contextualising PE assessment policy and enactment in Australia: A case study of physical education in Victoria, AIESEP Specialist Seminar, Future Directions in PE Assessment, 18-20 October, Eindhoven, The Netherlands.

Mooney, A, Hickey, C & Brown, T 2017, 'Discipline contestations in Physical Education: Ruminations in Teacher Education', Paper presented at the British Educaitonal Research Association (BERA) Conference, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK, September 5-7, 2017.

Network of Associate Deans of Learning and Teaching in Education (NADLATE), Australian Council of Deans of Education, Victorian Steering Group Committee representative 

Australian Council of Health, Physical Education and Recreation (ACHPER) Victoria - previous Vice President and Director

Accredited Stage 1 and Stage 2 ITE Panellist for the accreditation of Initial Teacher Education programs in Australia, AITSL

Fellow of Australian Council of Health, Physical Education and Recreation (ACHPER), 2019

Deakin University Vice-Chancellor's Award for Outstanding Contribution to Healthy Deakin - Deakin Women in Sport and Exercise Hub (WISE), 2017

Australian Council of Health, Physical Education and Recreation (ACHPER) Victoria, Postgraduate (Doctoral) Award of Distinction for the Most Outstanding Research, 2013

Australian Learning and Teaching Council - Citation award for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning, 2011

University of Ballarat - Vice-Chancellor's Citations awards for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning, 2009

Mooney, A., Morrisey, A., Roberston, N., & Wishart, L.  (2022).  Review of Early Childhood Supervising Pre-Service Teachers Modules.  Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL).

Paatsch, L., Mooney, A., Nolan, A., Moss, J., Molla, T., & Healy, S (2021).  Cottage by the Sea - Where Young Pople Matter: Mentor Program.

Bearman, M., Boud, D., Partridge, H., O'Donnell, M., Mooney, A., Scarparo, S., Dunn, M., Costin, G., Taylor, D., McKay, F., Contessotto, C., Dullaghan, D., Fox, B., Walker, H., & Chandir, H.  (2021).  Sustaining Teaching and Learning Innovation in Higher Education Institutions.

Gerdin, G., Linner, S., Schenker, L, Kitching, A., Mooney, A., & Hickey, C (2020), Social justice practices in school health, physical education and life orientation: an international comparative study, The Swedish Foundation for International Coooperation in Research and Higher Education (STINT).

Moroni L, Wimpenny, K, Mooney A, Adefila, A, & Hickey C (2019), Reviewing the reforms associated with decolonization: the curricula, institutional structures and processes, Cross-Centre International and Interdisciplinary Pilot Projects, Coventry University

Hickey, C., Ollis, D & Mooney, A (2018), Exploring respectful relationships in AFLW, Australian Football League.

Prain, V, Tytler, R, Deed, C, Myers, N, Blake, D, Muir, T, Farrelly, C, Mooney, A, Thomas, D & Swabey, K (2015-2019).  Improving regional low SES students’ learning and wellbeing, ARC Linkage Project.