Dr Damon Thomas
Senior Lecturer
School of Education
+61 7 336 56478
Researcher biography
Damon Thomas is a senior lecturer in literacy education. His current research interests include theories of writing, writing development, pedagogy, and assessment, systemic functional linguistics, argumentation, standardised assessment, and classical rhetoric. Damon's research has made important contributions in the following areas:
- Understanding the complexities of student writing development
- Exploring writing instruction in situ
- Unpacking and critiquing the results of Australia's only large-scale test: the National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy.
Damon completed his PhD at the University of Tasmania (UTAS) in 2015. He began lecturing at UTAS in 2014 and was promoted to senior lecturer in 2019. He took up a senior lecturer position at the University of Queensland (UQ) in 2021. Before starting his academic career, Damon taught as a primary school teacher in Tasmania after completing a Bachelor of Education degree with First Class Honours.
Damon was part of a team of Chief Investigators from the University of Tasmania, Deakin University, and La Trobe University that secured a successful ARC Linkage Project in 2015 in partnership with Anglicare Tasmania (LP150100558). The project investigated conditions that improved learning and wellbeing outcomes in regional, low-SES schools in Tasmania and Victoria. Damon oversaw the literacy component across school sites and conducted in-depth case studies in Tasmanian primary and high schools.
Damon is currently a Chief Investigator on an ARC Discovery Project investigating talk for learning in early years mathematics classrooms. Damon's main role is to employ several linguistic frameworks to understand the complexities of student dialogue and features of productive talk.
Damon is a member of several professional organisations including the Australian Systemic Functional Linguistics Association (ASFLA), the Primary English Teaching Association of Australia (PETAA), and the Australian Literacy Educators' Association (ALEA). Damon also translates literacy research for practising teachers via his blog: Read Write Think Learn
Book Chapters
Thomas, Damon and Kilpatrick, Sue (2023). Why Tasmania has a particular need to increase educational participation. Adapting to online and blended learning in higher education. (pp. 49-62) edited by David Kember, Robert A. Ellis, Si Fan and Allison Trimble. Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore. doi: 10.1007/978-981-99-0898-1_3
Thomas, Damon (2022). An overview of reading. Teaching and learning primary English. (pp. 16-37) edited by Damon Thomas and Angela Thomas. Docklands, VIC, Australia: Oxford University Press.
Ockerby, Louise, Evorall, Grace, Biffin, Melissa, Sturgess, Prue and Thomas, Damon (2022). Planning and programming for primary English teaching. Teaching and learning primary English. (pp. 439-451) edited by Damon Thomas and Angela Thomas. Docklands, VIC, Australia: Oxford University Press.
Thomas, Damon (2022). The essential elements of writing. Teaching and learning primary English. (pp. 308-309) edited by Damon Thomas and Angela Thomas. Docklands, VIC, Australia: Oxford University Press.
Thomas, Damon (2022). Welcome to teaching and learning primary English. Teaching and learning primary English. (pp. 2-13) edited by Damon Thomas and Angela Thomas. Docklands, VIC, Australia: Oxford University Press.
Davis, Alison and Thomas, Damon (2022). Comprehension. Teaching and learning primary English. (pp. 91-109) edited by Damon Thomas and Angela Thomas. Docklands, VIC, Australia: Oxford University Press.
Jones, Pauline and Thomas, Damon (2022). Oral language. Teaching and learning primary English. (pp. 38-54) edited by Damon Thomas and Angela Thomas. Docklands, VIC, Australia: Oxford University Press.
Thomas, Damon (2022). The essential elements of reading. Teaching and learning primary English. (pp. 162-163) edited by Damon Thomas and Angela Thomas. Docklands, VIC, Australia: Oxford University Press.
Thomas, Damon and Humphrey, Sally (2022). An overview of writing. Teaching and learning primary English. (pp. 166-181) edited by Damon Thomas and Angela Thomas. Docklands, VIC, Australia: Oxford University Press.
Humphrey, Sally and Thomas, Damon (2022). Grammar. Teaching and learning primary English. (pp. 182-206) edited by Damon Thomas and Angela Thomas. Docklands, VIC, Australia: Oxford University Press.
Humphrey, Sally and Thomas, Damon (2022). Written genres. Teaching and learning primary English. (pp. 226-250) edited by Damon Thomas and Angela Thomas. Docklands, VIC, Australia: Oxford University Press.
Thomas, Damon (2018). Embracing change when ‘writing for change’: my Ph.D. journey. Structuring the thesis: matching method, paradigm, theories and findings. (pp. 207-216) edited by David Kember and Michael Corbett. Singapore, Singapore: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-981-13-0511-5_20
Thomas, Damon P. and Brett, Peter (2016). Putting on the style: enhancing citizenship education with a persuasive writing framework. What is next in educational research?. (pp. 285-295) Rotterdam, The Netherlands: Sense Publishers. doi: 10.1007/978-94-6300-524-1_25
Nailon, Di, Thomas, Damon, Emery, Sherridan and Stephenson, Elspeth (2015). Using attitude analysis to explore focused conversations for professional learning and development in early childhood. Linguistics and language education in new horizons: the link between theory, research and pedagogy. (pp. 43-59) Hauppage, NY USA: Nova Science Publishers.
Nailon, Di, Emery, Sherridan, Stephenson, Elspeth and Thomas, Damon (2015). Challenges facing early childhood teachers in literacy education. Linguistics and language education in new horizons: the link between theory, research and pedagogy. (pp. 401-416) Hauppage, NY USA: Nova Science Publishers.
Thomas, Damon P., Thomas, Angela and Moltow, David (2014). Engaged young writers: dialogic choices beyond Naplan. The future of educational research: perspectives from beginning researchers. (pp. 301-315) Rotterdam, The Netherlands: Sense Publishers. doi: 10.1007/978-94-6209-512-0_25
Thomas, Damon, Thomas, Angela and Fluck, Andrew (2013). Enhancing pedagogy with mLearning. K-12 education: concepts, methodologies, tools, and applications. (pp. 350-363) Hershey, PA, United States: IGI Global. doi: 10.4018/978-1-4666-4502-8.ch020
Journal Articles
Lowien, Nathan and Thomas, Damon P. (2023). Generative AI writing tools and the Australian Curriculum: English. Practical Literacy, 28 (3), 26-28.
Thomas, Damon P., Swain, Nathaniel, Walton, Jack and Hicks, David (2023). Patterns in literacy gender gaps: examining longitudinal data on boys’ achievements in the Australian NAPLAN test. International Journal of Educational Research, 120 102207, 1-15. doi: 10.1016/j.ijer.2023.102207
Prain, Vaughan, Muir, Tracey, Lovejoy, Valerie, Farrelly, Cathleen, Emery, Sherridan, Thomas, Damon P., Deed, Craig and Tytler, Russell (2022). Teacher professional learning in large teaching spaces: an Australian case study. Issues in Educational Research, 32 (4), 1548-1566.
Thomas, Damon P. (2022). Structuring written arguments in primary and secondary school: a systemic functional linguistics perspective. Linguistics and Education, 72 101120, 1-17. doi: 10.1016/j.linged.2022.101120
Thomas, Damon P., Hopwood, Belinda, Hatisaru, Vesife and Hicks, David (2022). Gender differences in reading and numeracy achievement across the school years. The Australian Educational Researcher, 51 (1), 1-26. doi: 10.1007/s13384-022-00583-8
Cooper, Grant, Thomas, Damon P., Prain, Vaughan and Fraser, Sharon (2022). Associations between Australian students’ literacy achievement in early secondary school and senior secondary participation in science: accessing cultural and science capital. International Journal of Science Education, 44 (10), 1-16. doi: 10.1080/09500693.2022.2086317
Beasy, Kim, Hunter, Mary Ann, Hicks, David, Pullen, Darren, Brett, Peter, Thomas, Damon, Reaburn, Robyn, Baker, William, Fan, Frances, Cruickshank, Vaughan, Stephenson, Elspeth and Hatisaru, Vesife (2021). Walking the walk: democratizing change in teacher education. Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 21 (4). doi: 10.14434/josotl.v21i4.32757
Swabey, Karen, Muir, Tracey, Thomas, Damon, Emery, Sherridan and Edwards, Marie-Christina (2021). University and school research partnerships as a source of professional growth in regional communities. Australian Educational Researcher, 49 (5), 961-977. doi: 10.1007/s13384-021-00477-1
Muir, Tracey, Deed, Craig, Thomas, Damon and Emery, Sherridan (2021). Achieving teacher professional growth through professional experimentation and changes in pedagogical practices. The Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 46 (9), 22-38. doi: 10.14221/ajte.2021v46n9.2
Prain, Vaughan, Emery, Sherridan, Thomas, Damon, Lovejoy, Valerie, Farrelly, Cathleen, Baxter, Lindy, Blake, Damian, Deed, Craig, Edwards, Marie-Christina, Fingland, Doug, Mooney, Amanda, Muir, Tracey, Swabey, Karen, Tytler, Russell, Workman, Emma, Daniel-Zitzlaff, Tina and Henriksen, Joanne (2021). Team teaching in large spaces: three case studies framed by relational agency. Teaching Education, 33 (3), 1-15. doi: 10.1080/10476210.2020.1868423
Deed, Craig, Blake, Damian, Henriksen, Joanne, Mooney, Amanda, Prain, Vaughan, Tytler, Russell, Zitzlaff, Tina, Edwards, Marie, Emery, Sherridan, Muir, Tracey, Swabey, Karen, Thomas, Damon, Farrelly, Cathleen, Lovejoy, Valerie, Meyers, Noel and Fingland, Doug (2020). Teacher adaptation to flexible learning environments. Learning Environments Research, 23 (2), 153-165. doi: 10.1007/s10984-019-09302-0
To, Vinh, Thomas, Damon and Thomas, Angela (2020). Writing persuasive texts: using grammatical metaphors for rhetorical purposes in an educational context. Australian Journal of Linguistics, 40 (2), 139-159. doi: 10.1080/07268602.2020.1732867
Shah, Rabi, Brett, Peter and Thomas, Damon (2020). Visualizing civic values: representations of idealized citizenship behaviours in images found in Nepalese social studies textbooks. Citizenship Teaching and Learning, 15 (1), 79-99. doi: 10.1386/ctl_00021_1
Lovejoy, Valerie, Thomas, Damon, Mow, Laura, Edgar, Christine, Alford, Sophie and Prain, Vaughan (2020). Writing futures in English. English in Australia, 55 (2), 5-14.
Thomas, Damon P. (2019). Rapid decline and gender disparities in the NAPLAN writing data. Australian Educational Researcher, 47 (5), 777-796. doi: 10.1007/s13384-019-00366-8
Thomas, Damon P., Emery, Sherridan, Prain, Vaughan, Papageorgiou, Jeanette and McKendrick, Ann-Marie (2019). Influences on local curriculum innovation in times of change: a literacy case study. Australian Educational Researcher, 46 (3), 469-487. doi: 10.1007/s13384-018-0295-6
Thomas, Damon, Moore, Robbie, Rundle, Olivia, Emery, Sherridan, Greaves, Robyn, te Riele, Kitty and Kowaluk, Andy (2019). Elaborating a framework for communicating assessment aims in higher education. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 44 (4), 546-564. doi: 10.1080/02602938.2018.1522615
Prain, Vaughan, Blake, Damian, Deed, Craig, Edwards, Marie, Emery, Sherridan, Farrelly, Cathleen, Fingland, Doug, Henriksen, Joanne, Lovejoy, Valerie, Meyers, Noel, Mooney, Amanda, Muir, Tracey, Sbaglia, Robert, Swabey, Karen, Thomas, Damon, Tytler, Russell and Zitzlaff, Tina (2018). A framework to support personalising prescribed school curricula. British Educational Research Journal, 44 (6), 1101-1119. doi: 10.1002/berj.3481
Thomas, Damon and To, Vinh (2016). Nominalisation in high scoring primary and secondary school persuasive texts. Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, 39 (2), 135-148.
Thomas, Damon P., Thomas, Angela A. and Moltow, David T. (2015). Evaluative stance in high achieving Year 3 persuasive texts. Linguistics and Education, 30, 26-41. doi: 10.1016/j.linged.2015.03.003
Brett, Peter and Thomas, Damon (2014). Discovering argument: linking literacy, citizenship education, and persuasive advocacy. Journal of Social Science Education, 13 (4), 66-77. doi: 10.2390/jsse-v13-i4-1350
To, Vinh, Fan, Si and Thomas, Damon (2013). Lexical density and readability: a case study of English textbooks. Internet Journal of Language, Culture and Society, 37, 61-71.
Conference Papers
Oates, Greg, Callingham, Rosemary, Getenet, Seyum, Hay, Ian, Beswick, Kim and Thomas, Damon (2019). Technology and the knowledge quartet. 42nd MERGA Conference, Perth, WA, Australia, 30 June - 4 July 2019.
Thomas, Damon (2017). Using SFL to personalise learning in early childhood classrooms. 44th International Systemic Functional Congress, Wollongong, NSW, Australia, July 2017. Wollongong, NSW, Australia: ISFC Organising Committee.
To, Vinh and Thomas, Damon (2017). Examining interpersonal metaphor of modality in successful primary persuasive texts. 44th International Systemic Functional Congress, Wollongong, NSW, Australia, July 2017. Wollongong, NSW, Australia: ISFC Organising Committee.
Nailon, Dianne, Thomas, Damon, Emery, Sherridan, Stephenson, Elspeth and Kinnear, Virginia (2013). Examining focused conversation for learning professional learning and development in early childhood: Highlighting the role of evaluative stance. 2013 Australian Association of Research in Education Conference, Adelaide, SA, Australia, December 2013. Adelaide, SA, Australia: Australian Association for Research in Education.
Thomas, Damon (2012). "I rest my case": Examining linguistic resources used by successful young writers of persuasive texts. 39th International Systemic Functional Congress, Sydney, NSW, Australia, July 2012. Sydney, NSW, Australia: International Systemic Functional Congress.
Research Report
Thomas, Damon (2021). The impact of social norms on boys (and girls) as writers. Docklands, VIC, Australia: Oxford Children's Language Australia.