Biography
Dr. Tebeje Molla (Mekonnen) is a senior lecturer in the School of Education at Deakin University. Tebeje holds degrees in history education (Bahir Dar University, 2004), curriculum (Addis Ababa University, 2007), sociology of education (Aarhus University, 2009) and sociology (Monash University, 2013).
Tebeje has established a research program that focuses on understanding educational inequality and policy responses at systemic (national) and institutional (universities and schools) levels.
After he had completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Deakin, Tebeje was awarded Australian Research Council's Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA, 2019-2021). The DECRA project (2019-2022) focused on educational experiences and outcomes of African heritage youth from refugee backgorunds.
Tebeje has published in high-impact international journals in his field. He also writes newspaper commentaries on Ethiopian politics and occasionally appears on the media (e.g. SBS Amharic) to discuss current affairs in relation to African communities in Australia.
Read more on Tebeje Molla's profileBiography summary
Dr Tebeje Molla's research focuses on education policy, social inclusion, educational justice, research training policy, and teacher professional learning. Theoretically, his work is informed by critical sociology and a capability approach to social justice and human development.
Research interests
- Trauma and learning
- Education policy
- Educational justice
- Social inclusion and education
- Educational experiences of refugee-background African youth
- Graduate research training and employability
- Teacher professional learning
Teaching interests
- Trauma-responsive education
- Trauma and leanring
- Education policy
- Sociology of education
- Qualitative research method
- Higher education
Units taught
E512 (ETR704)
EDX704 Research Paper
EDX706 Minor Thesis
Knowledge areas
- Education policy
- Equity in education
- Teacher professional learning
- Graduate research training and employability
Expertise
- Africa
- Education
- Higher education
- Policy
- Refugees
- Youth/young people's issues
Conferences
Tebeje has presented his work at annual educational/sociological conferences including:
- AARE: Australian Association for Research in Education
- BERA: British Educational Research Association
- ECER: European Conference on Educational Research
- ICES: International and Comparative Education Society (USA)
- TASA: The Australian Sociological Association
- TIES: The Inclusive Education Summit
Professional activities
Tebeje is a member of the Refugee Council of Australia’s Education Special Interest Group. He is currently a co-convenor of AARE’s CALD SIG, and serves as a member of expert groups in ARC projects. He is also a member of the College of Reviewers (CoR) for the Higher Education Research and Development journal. In addition, Tebeje reviews manuscripts submitted to the following journals:
- Critical Studies in Education
- Discourse
- Australian Journal of Education
- Higher Education
- Studies in Higher Education
- European Educational Research Journal
- Policy Futures in Education
- Review of African Political Economy
- International Joural of Inclusive Education
Research groups
Research for Educational Impact (REDI)
Awards
Mid-Career Researcher Award for Career Excellence (Faculty of Arts and Education, Deakin University, 2021)
Bristol 'Next Generation' Visiting Researcher Award (University of Bristol, 2020)
Discovery Early Career Award, DECRA (ARC, 2019)
Early Career Research Award (School of Education, Deakin University, 2019)
Endeavour Research Leadership Award (DET, 2018)
Postgraduate Publication Award (Monash University, 2012)
Publications
African refugee youth in Australia: higher education participation
T Molla
(2022), Vol. 41, pp. 481-495, Higher Education Research and Development, C1
Preparing African students with refugee backgrounds for transition: School practices
T Molla
(2022), Vol. 66, pp. 5-25, Australian Journal of Education, C1
S Baker, J Anderson, R Burke, T De Fazio, C Due, L Hartley, T Molla, C Morison, W Mude, L Naidoo, R Sidhu
(2022), Vol. 74, pp. 444-459, Educational Review, London, England, C1
Crisis and policy imaginaries: higher education reform during a pandemic
Tebeje Molla, Denise Cuthbert
(2022), pp. 1-19, Higher Education, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, C1
Cultural Citizenship and Refugee Integration: The case of African youth in Australia
Tebeje Molla
(2021), pp. 37-54, Handbook of research on promoting social justice for immigrants and refugees through active citizenship and intercultural education, Hershey, Penn., B1
T Molla
(2021), Vol. 25, pp. 877-895, International Journal of Inclusive Education, C1
African Refugees in Australia: Social Position and Educational Outcomes
T Molla
(2021), Vol. 19, pp. 331-348, Journal of Immigrant and Refugee Studies, C1
Refugees and equity policy in Australian higher education
Tebeje Mekonnen
(2021), Vol. 5, pp. 5-27, Policy Reviews in Higher Education, London, Eng., C1
Building teacher professional capabilities through transformative learning
A Nolan, T Molla
(2021), Vol. 49, pp. 450-465, Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, C1
Critical policy scholarship in education: An overview
T Molla
(2021), Vol. 29, pp. 1-30, Education Policy Analysis Archives, C1
The politics of critical policy sociology: mobilities, moorings and elite networks
G Savage, J Gerrard, T Gale, T Molla
(2021), Vol. 62, pp. 306-321, Critical Studies in Education, C1
Refugee education: homogenized policy provisions and overlooked factors of disadvantage
Tebeje Molla
(2021), INTERNATIONAL STUDIES IN SOCIOLOGY OF EDUCATION, C1
Racial moral panic and African youth in Australia
T Molla
(2021), Vol. 84, pp. 95-106, International Journal of Intercultural Relations, C1
M Hailu, T Molla, A Johnson
(2021), pp. 1-9, International Journal of Intercultural Relations, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, C1
Researching professional recognition in a pre-school setting: a critical realist approach
T Molla, A Nolan
(2020), Vol. 43, pp. 271-282, International Journal of Research and Method in Education, C1
Teacher agency and professional practice
T Molla, A Nolan
(2020), Vol. 26, pp. 67-87, Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, C1
Identifying professional functionings of early childhood educators
T Molla, A Nolan
(2019), Vol. 45, pp. 551-566, Professional development in education, Abingdon, Eng., C1
T Molla, A Harvey, S Sellar
(2019), Vol. 38, pp. 307-323, Higher education research and development, Abingdon, Eng., C1
Positional matters: school leaders engaging with national equity agendas
T Molla, T Gale
(2019), Vol. 34, pp. 858-876, Journal of education policy, Abingdon, Eng., C1
Human Development Optimism and Political Pitfalls in Ethiopia
T Molla
(2019), Vol. 46, pp. 367-391, Forum for Development Studies, London, Eng., C1
Supporting teacher professionalism through tailored professional learning
Andrea Nolan, Tebeje Molla
(2019), Vol. 17, pp. 126-140, London review of education, London, Eng., C1
T Molla, A Nolan
(2019), Vol. 63, pp. 322-339, Australian Journal of Education, C1
Educational aid, symbolic power and policy reform: the world bank in Ethiopia
T Molla
(2019), Vol. 17, pp. 331-346, London review of education, London, Eng., C1
Tebeje Mekonnen, Denise Cuthbert
(2019), Vol. 3, pp. 167-188, Policy Reviews in Higher Education, Abingdon, Eng., C1
Higher education in Ethiopia: structural inequalities and policy responses
T Molla
(2018), Berlin, Germany, A1
T Molla, D Cuthbert
(2018), Vol. 53, pp. 250-267, Journal of Asian and African Studies, C1
Teacher professional learning in Early Childhood education: insights from a mentoring program
A Nolan, T Molla
(2018), Vol. 38, pp. 258-270, Early Years, C1
Teacher professional learning as a social practice: an Australian case
A Nolan, T Mekonnen
(2018), pp. 1-23, International studies in sociology of education, Abingdon, Eng., C1
Teacher professional learning through pedagogy of discomfort
A Nolan, T Molla
(2018), Vol. 19, pp. 721-735, Reflective Practice, C1
The illusion of meritocracy and the audacity of elitism: expanding the evaluative space in education
Trevor Gale, Tebeje Molla, Stephen Parker
(2017), Vol. 1, pp. 7-21, Policy and inequality in education, Singapore, B1
C Mills, T Molla, T Gale, R Cross, S Parker, C Smith
(2017), Vol. 38, pp. 856-871, British journal of sociology of education, Basingstoke, Eng., C1
Teacher confidence and professional capital
A Nolan, T Mekonnen
(2017), Vol. 62, pp. 10-18, Teaching and teacher education, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, C1
Deliberations on the deliberative professional: thought-action provocations
Trevor Gale, T Mekonnen
(2016), pp. 247-262, Practice theory and education : diffractive readings in professional practice, Abingdon, Eng., B1
T Molla, D Cuthbert
(2016), Vol. 14, pp. 635-654, Policy Futures in Education, C1
D Cuthbert, T Mekonnen
(2015), pp. 95-111, Technology and workplace skills for the twenty-first century: Asia Pacific universities in the globalized economy, Basingstoke, Eng., B1-1
D Cuthbert, T Molla
(2015), Vol. 69, pp. 33-53, Higher education, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, C1-1
Inequality in Ethiopian higher education: reframing the problem as capability deprivation
T Molla, T Gale
(2015), Vol. 36, pp. 383-397, Discourse: studies in the cultural politics of education, London, Eng., C1
Social justice intents in policy: an analysis of capability for and through education
T Gale, T Mekonnen
(2015), Vol. 30, pp. 810-830, Journal of education policy, London, Eng., C1
T Molla, D Cuthbert
(2015), Vol. 42, pp. 237-256, Australian educational researcher, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, C1-1
Higher education in Ethiopia : widening access and persisting inequalities
T Molla
(2014), pp. 125-138, Equity in education: fairness and inclusion, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, B1
The World Bank and higher education reform in Ethiopia: knowledge aid and its undesirable effects
T Mekonnen
(2014), pp. 86-100, World yearbook of education 2014. Governing knowledge: comparison, knowledge-based technologies and expertise in the regulation of education, Abingdon, Eng., B1-1
Neoliberal policy agendas and the problem of inequality in higher education: the Ethiopian case
T Molla
(2014), Vol. 12, pp. 297-309, Policy futures in education, Oxford, Eng., C1
T Molla
(2014), Vol. 50, pp. 229-248, Comparative education, Abingdon, England, C1-1
Higher education development and knowledge economy optimism in Ethiopia
T Mekonnen, T Gale
(2014), Vol. 2, pp. 1-17, Knowledge cultures, Woodside, N.Y., C1-1
Qualitative inequality: experiences of women in Ethiopian higher education
T Mekonnen, D Cuthbert
(2014), Vol. 26, pp. 759-775, Gender and education, London, Eng., C1-1
Higher eduction policy reform in Ethiopia: the representation of the problem of gender inequality
T Molla
(2013), Vol. 26, pp. 193-215, Higher education policy, Basingstoke, England, C1-1
T Molla
(2013), Vol. 2, pp. 167-192, International journal of sociology education, Barcelona, Spain, C1-1
T Molla
(2011), Vol. 12, pp. 35-55, World studies in education, Melbourne, Vic, C1-1
T Molla
(2010), Vol. 12, pp. 7-22, Widening participation and lifelong learning, Stoke-on-Trent, England, C1-1
T Molla
(2010), Vol. 25, pp. 27-45, Educational research journal, Hong Kong, C1-1
Funded Projects at Deakin
Australian Competitive Grants
Enhancing Higher Education Participation of African Refugee Youth
Dr Tebeje Molla Mekonnen
ARC DECRA - Discovery Early Career Researcher Award
- 2021: $126,478
- 2020: $131,612
- 2019: $110,668
Improving School Engagement of African Refugee Students
Dr Tebeje Molla Mekonnen
ARC Fellowships - Future Fellowships
- 2023: $24,582
- 2022: $102,860
Other Public Sector Funding
COVID-19 Online Learning Landscapes and CALDMR students: Opportunities and Challenges
Dr Lisa Hartely, A/Prof Loshini Naidoo, Dr Rachel Burke, Dr Tebeje Molla Mekonnen, Dr Clemence Due, Dr Joel Anderson, Dr Teresa De Fazio, Carolina Morison, Dr William Mude, A/Prof Ravinder Sidhu
NCSEHE National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Research
- 2020: $3,046
Development of a Suite of African Heritage Culturally Safe Resources to Support Victorian School Leaders Develop More Inclusive Schooling Environments.
A/Prof Tim Corcoran, Dr Tebeje Molla Mekonnen, Dr Kerri Garrard, Dr Martin Potter, Mr Simeon Taylor, Mrs Maria Bates
DETVic Grant - Research - Department of Education and Training Victoria
- 2022: $173,641
Industry and Other Funding
Cottage by the Sea-Where Young People Matter: Mentor Program
Prof Louise Paatsch, A/Prof Amanda Mooney, Prof Andrea Nolan, Prof Julianne Moss, Dr Tebeje Molla Mekonnen, Dr Sarah Healy
Cottage by the Sea, Queenscliff Inc
- 2021: $14,998
Supervisions
Omid Talebi Rezaabadi
Thesis entitled: Iranian Immigrants Discourse Struggles: a Case on Subjectivity and Second Language (L2) Selves
Doctor of Philosophy (Education), School of Education