Navigating Relational Uncertainty in the Classroom
Professional learning for pre-service and current teachers (K12) backed by evidence-based curriculum research design. Register now Commences:
Monday 1st June 2026
Self-paced online learning module
Cost: $200
About this Program
This two-hour self-paced module is backed by backed by evidence-based curriculum research design and presents a series of real scenarios, quizzes and reflective practices to develop teachers’ relational pedagogy. The module aligns with the Victorian Curriculum v2: Intercultural Capability curriculum which fosters difference and diversity, and student belonging in the classroom, by focussing on teachers’ racial and cultural competency.
Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) Standards:
1.3 Students with diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds
1.4 Strategies for teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students
3.4 Select and use resources
4.1 Support student participation
6.4 Apply professional learning and improve student learning
Registration
To register for this program, click here
Deakin University staff / students please contact pledhub@deakin.edu.au for a discount rate.
Program staff
Dr Kerri Garrard career twenty-five years teaching in Australian schools. Since
completing my PhD in 2019, I have taught across the MTeach (Secondary)
Humanities course, Research Pathways and Bachelor of Education Primary units.
My research interests have included History and Humanities curriculum,
exploring interculturality in relation to history teaching and learning, the
shifting nature of teacher identity and racial discrimination in schools. My
involvement in collegial research projects, both in Australia and overseas,
draws on my experience and knowledge in curriculum and pedagogy and directly
informs my work with pre-service teachers and higher degree research students.
Research Groups
Centre for Contemporary Histories Research Group (CHRG) School of Humanities
and Social Sciences, Deakin University.
Transforming Curriculum and Pedagogy Research Group – Deakin University
Research Ecology
Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation
Dr Tebeje Molla research explores various facets of educational disadvantage and policy responses. I focus on understanding how systemic and institutional factors contribute to educational inequality and examine the effectiveness of policy interventions designed to address these issues. My ongoing work explores educational justice and social inclusion across various contexts, including early childhood education, schooling, vocational education and training, and higher education.
Through my DECRA and Future Fellowship projects, I have investigated the educational attainment and integration outcomes of African heritage youth from refugee backgrounds. This research aims not only to contribute to academic knowledge but also to inform policymakers and practitioners about the best practices for supporting the educational and social integration of refugee youth in diverse contexts. My interdisciplinary research draws on critical sociology and the capability approach to social justice and human development. I am also interested in teacher professional learning and research training policies.
As a teacher, I am interested in trauma and learning, sociology of education, critical policy studies, and access to and success in education. In supervising postgraduate research candidates, I adopt a mentorship approach, supporting each candidate to develop into the independent researcher they aspire to be and to achieve the maximum real-world impact in their careers. Through various Researcher Mentorship programs, I mentor early-career scholars.
I am a firm believer in the importance of public-facing scholarship. Beyond academia, I actively participate in advocacy work, accept advisory roles, and engage with the media to disseminate my research and insights. I regularly publish commentaries on platforms such as The Conversation, the AARE blog, and SBS.com.au, and I make appearances on SBS radio (Amharic) to discuss current affairs and educational issues. Engaged scholarship allows me to contribute meaningfully to public discourse, particularly on issues affecting African communities in Australia. I aim to inform policy, influence practice, and support social change by bridging the gap between academic research and the wider community.
Research Groups
Research for Educational Impact (REDI)
Diversity and Social Justice in Education (SoE)
ARC Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child (AI)
Associate Professor Tim Corcoran practiced for a decade as a Psychologist in two Queensland
government departments (Education and Corrective Services) and brings a rich
array of knowledge, skills and expertise to his ongoing research activities.
His academic career has involved posts in Australia, the UK and Singapore. His
research is dedicated to creating sensible theory~practice options supporting
psychosocial ways of knowing/being.
Qualifications
2010 PG Cert Learning and Teaching, University of Sheffield
2008 PhD, School of Social Science and Liberal Studies, Charles Sturt
University
1995 Bachelor of Psychology (Hons), James Cook University
1991 Bachelor of Arts, James Cook University
