Winter Research Program

Project title: 

Young people’s online search behaviours and attitudes

Hours of engagement & delivery mode

4 weeks @ 36 hours per week

Work for this project will be offered through a hybrid arrangement of face-to-face (St Lucia campus) and online.

Description:

The successful applicant will work on a project that aims to understand the online search behaviours and attitudes of young people. The literature in this space cuts across a variety of disciplines (digital humanities, law, philosophy of technology, digital engineering, sociology of technology, education – to name a few!), so the successful applicant may come from any one of these areas, or perhaps another relevant disciplinary background. A desire to learn extended literature searching skills is a must.

Expected outcomes and deliverables:

The successful applicant will conduct an extended literature review to find articles across disciplines relevant to the project topic. This will involve finding relevant research articles, filing these articles and organising them into an online catalogue/database, including the compilation of an extended reference list.

The successful applicant will gain valuable extended literature searching skills.

Suitable for:

This project is seeking applicants who are more advanced in their undergraduate studies and looking to potentially pursue postgraduate study (eg. Honours degree, MPhil, PhD). Applicants currently involved in a coursework masters degree are also encouraged to apply.

A high GPA in your current studies will be looked upon favourably.

Primary Supervisor:

Dr Christina Gowlett

Further info:

Please contact Dr Christina Gowlett at c.gowlett@uq.edu.au if you have any questions.

Project title: 

The impact of a research-practice partnership on shaping teacher Professional Identity

Hours of engagement & delivery mode

4 weeks

Applicants can work off-site after initial training. Meetings and data analysis will be conducted via a combination of both in-person and Zoom formats.

30-35hrs/week

Description:

Scholars will investigate how educator participation in the UQ Partner Schools Program influences and shapes teacher professional identity. Scholars will work in a team with researchers from the UQ Learning Lab and assist with writing a literature review, analysis of qualitative and quantitative data, and write-up.

Expected outcomes and deliverables:

Scholars will gain skills in quantitative and qualitative data analyses, and academic writing and communication. They will build knowledge in the role of professional learning in shaping teacher professional identity and practice. Scholars will have the opportunity to contribute to one or more presentations and/or publications for scholarly and community audiences.

Suitable for:

This project is most suitable for UQ enrolled students with an interest in quality professional learning, the development of professional identity and the impact on teaching practice. It is also well suited to scholars interested in the processes of effective research translation. Experience with experimental mixed methodologies is an advantage, but not essential. This position will be best suited to scholars who work well individually and collaboratively, and who have a passion for learning.

Primary Supervisor:

Dr Stephanie MacMahon, Lecturer, School of Education and Program Director, UQ Learning Lab

Further info:

Feel free to contact the Primary Supervisor for further details:

s.macmahon1@uq.edu.au

Project title: 

Mentoring in the workplace

Hours of engagement & delivery mode

4 weeks

Applicants can work off-site after initial training. Meetings and data analysis will be conducted via a combination of both in-person and Zoom formats.

30-35hrs/week

Description:

Scholars will undertake a literature review of research that has investigated formal and informal mentoring practices in the workplace to identify the attributes and practices that enable quality mentoring. Scholars will work as part of a team with researchers from the UQ Learning Lab and assist with the analysis of qualitative data, its triangulation with the literature, and the write-up.

Expected outcomes and deliverables:

Scholars will gain skills in academic writing and qualitative data analyses. They will build knowledge in workplace learning and the role that mentoring plays in facilitating the conditions for effective workplace learning. Scholars will have the opportunity to contribute to one or more presentations and/or publications for scholarly and community audiences.

Suitable for:

This project is most suitable for UQ enrolled students with an interest in workplace learning and social learning practices and theories. It is also well suited to scholars interested in the processes of effective research translation. Skills in literature searching, critical analysis, and academic writing is advantageous. This position will be best suited to scholars who work well individually and collaboratively, and who have a passion for adult and/ or workplace learning.

Primary Supervisor:

Stephanie MacMahon, Lecturer, School of Education and Program Director, UQ Learning Lab

Further info:

Feel free to contact the Primary Supervisor for further details:

s.macmahon1@uq.edu.au

Project title: 

De-escalating student behaviour in schools

Hours of engagement & delivery mode

4 weeks @ 36 hours per week, commencing Monday 24 June

Meetings will be held on campus at St Lucia, but the successful applicant may be able to work from home for some hours each week by negotiation

Description:

This study involves an analytical review of the literature to identify empirically informed practices to de-escalate student behaviour. This study is designed to answer the following Research Question: What practices are used to de-escalate student behaviour, and under what conditions?

The methodology for this task involves what Pawson et al. (2005) describe as a realist review, that will not only amalgamate the evidence behind de-escalation approaches, but will endeavour to explain how, why, and under what circumstances Australian schools might feasibly adopt these practices. A systematic search will be guided by search terms specifying the type of practice (de-escalation, de-escalating, defusing), and the setting (schools: preschool, kindergarten, elementary, primary, middle, secondary, high, special, specialist, support unit). Included with the systematic review will be editorials, opinion pieces, commentaries, reviews, evaluation studies, and peer-reviewed articles. The databases to be searched may include: A+ Education, Applied Social Science Index and Abstracts (ASSIA), Campbell Collaboration Online Library, Directory of Open Access Journals, Education, ERIC, APA PsycInfo, Scopus, Social Science Citation Index (SSCI), and Teacher Reference Center. Reporting of the findings will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Statement (Page et al., 2020) and also identify the effectiveness of de-escalation approaches with different cohorts of learners, the robustness of the evidence purporting the effectiveness of de-escalation approaches, and their generalisability within an Australian education context.

Expected outcomes and deliverables:

Scholars may gain skills in realist literature reviews, be involved in specific tasks, and will create an excel spreadsheet of findings. They may also have an opportunity to generate a co-authored journal article from this research, and/or be named as a co-author on a wider research project that overarches this project.

Suitable for:

This project is open to applications from 2nd, 3rd, or 4th year undergraduate students with a background in education or psychology, postgraduate coursework students in education or psychology, or other applicants from other disciplines that can demonstrate exceptional skills in literature reviews.

Primary Supervisor:

Associate Professor Shiralee Poed, School of Education

Further info:

If you have any questions in relation to this project, please contact s.poed@uq.edu.au