Our Inspiring Staff

A number of staff at The Scots College are engaged in research, be it discipline-specific, institutional or pedagogical. Meet some of our research staff and hear about their research journey.

Nicholas Little | Senior School Science Teacher

Nick has attended the 2017 IBSC regional conference hosted at Scots “Teacher new to boy’s schools” and the IBSC Annual Conference hosted by Boys Latin School in Baltimore, USA. As part of the conference Nick began an action research project looking at adaptability, teaching styles and Next Generation Learning Spaces (NGLS).

“Through the IBSC Action Research Program, I have learnt much about the action research method through professional reading and mentoring from the Scots College Research Department, particularly Dr. Munday. I also have an international action research mentor – Laura Sabo, who has helped refine the scope of the project and guided my writing. Engaging with secondary education literature is very important as a teacher and looking into the area of NGLS is exciting as teachers seek to find the best way of engaging boys in these new environments.”

Chloe Collett | Year Three Preparatory School Teacher

Chloe was involved in the IBSC 2016-2017 Action Research Program with her project titled 'Encouraging Perseverance in Year 5 boys through Collaborative Problem-Solving'. Chloe won the 2017 Richard Blackett Medal for the Inspirational Teaching of Boys, recognising her selection as one of the top 10 IBSC Action Research projects of 2016-17.

“Action Research has directly impacted my pedagogical views as a teacher, particularly in relation to improvement in student performance and their development as successful learners.  Despite years of experience as an educator, I can continue to flourish in my role by exploring new techniques and delving into what makes students reach their potential. A child’s attitude towards a subject, whether positive or negative, needs to be taken into consideration as this will directly impact their mindset and potential growth. If any student is positively and intrinsically nurtured, they will reap the rewards in their learning. Having my project published and being judged as one of the top ten reports from my research cohort was a huge achievement.”

Reece Condon | Assistant Director Glengarry

Reece is a PhD Candidate at the University of Western Sydney. In his research, he explores how the Glengarry experience has an impact on male adolescent emotional intelligence and flourishing.

“I have established a more critical and analytical approach to my pedagogy as a result of being involved in research learning activities this year. I have also been exposed to a
number of educational professionals that have expanded my understanding of the
future trends in education.”

Kym McMaster | Coordinator of Experiential Education (Bannockburn)

Kym has been exploring boys and their capacity to take risks through the 2017-2018 IBSC Action Research program.

“Since beginning the research program I have discovered my inner academic.
Prior to starting the journey terms such as Literature review, APA referencing, proposal preparation, research context, data collection and analysis submissions, were all a foreign language. I initially struggled with understanding the requirements and format of what to do, however the mentors and cohort peers are extremely supportive. The process is well scaffolded and the task submissions are easily achievable. I have loved the learnings, appreciated the support and friendship of my peers and really enjoyed working with the boys. We have discovered things together that have been inspiring and revealing about the process and each other. I thoroughly recommend the involvement in the IBSC Research.”

Caroline Basckin | Preparatory School Learning Enrichment Teacher

Caroline is a PhD candidate (part-time) in the School of Education, UNSW. Her research project is a qualitative study investigating literacy instruction for students with disabilities. It is an analysis of teachers’ knowledge, beliefs, and use of evidence based practices.

“I am currently collecting and analysing data for my project. Principals from a number of schools agreed for their teachers to be included in the study and are looking forward to the results. With their consent, I had the opportunity to visit various schools and gain valuable insights from the teacher participants through interviews and classroom observations. The Phd experience has been a stimulating learning experience, allowing me to become familiar with current research and also present at a few conferences. This was made possible by being awarded funding for my research from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at UNSW.”

Julie Burgess | Head of LOTE

​Julie is one of the team of LOTE teachers who attended a presentation and Q&A session with Professor David Smith, linguist and educator from Calvin College.

“We found Professor Smith’s presentation to be fresh, nuanced and entertaining, drawing on decades of teaching languages and research in education. He spoke with us about a Christian approach to education and how various methodologies affect second language pedagogy. We were particularly inspired by his exploration of visual texts and the context in which they occur. He encouraged us to teach our students to critically analyze visual texts and the socio-cultural contexts surrounding the information. In order to make meaning from images, our students should use the critical skills of exploration, critique and reflection.”

Brian Wall | Coordinator of Business Studies

Brian was a participant at the 2017 IBE/Scots Ideas Future of Work Seminar

“Attendance at the Future of Work event has given me a whole new perspective on where our boys will find themselves in twenty or even ten years time.  The world of work as we know it is changing to an almost unrecognisable state. Robotics and Artificial Intelligence will revolutionise how people work  in the future.  As educators, it is essential that we prepare young people for what lies ahead of them. However it is essential that we do not ditch traditional tools either such as  the pen and paper.  It is also equally important to point out to young people the temptation that we may have to work around the clock due to our 24 hour global connectivity. Overall the event was an enjoyable and thought provoking experience.”

Jeffrey Grundy | Director of Glengarry

Jeffrey was involved in the IBSC 2016-2017 Action Research Program exploring how the implementation of an emotional intelligence development program might enhance collaborative skills in year nine boys.

“I have really enjoyed participating in the Action Research project and greatly value the way in which it has connected me with excellent educators all around the world. In a professional sense, it has given me a robust framework for systematic inquiry into my own practice and also provided a fantastic opportunity for me to clean out the research and academic cobwebs. Involvement in research has provided the perfect stepping stone towards further academic studies and I am now halfway through a two-year, Masters of Leadership and Management in Education (MLMED). I have made some great friends along the way and highly recommend similar involvement to others.”

Dr. Tom Cerni | Head of Counselling Services

Tom presented at the 2017 Teachers New to Boys’ School IBSC Conference held at the Scots College called “How Boys Grow: Caring for the Whole Person.” The presentation provided teachers new to boys’ education with insights and strategies that could assist boys to flourish in the school setting.

“Being afforded the opportunity to present at the annual IBSC conference at Scots enabled me to connect with many new teachers to boys’ education from local, national and international schools. It was an excellent opportunity to share many evidence-based strategies that have been developed over many years aimed at assisting boys flourish in the school setting. The presentation also assisted to develop a pastoral care foundation for teachers new to boys’ education. As with most presentations you gain many insights and knowledge from the participants and this can also be a rich rich source of professional development. I would encourage all staff at the College to consider engaging in the research, no matter what level, and eventually making a presentation.”

Duncan Kendall | Assistant Head of Preparatory School Years 5 to 6

Duncan is involved in the 2018-2019 IBSC Action Research Program, looking at the power of Old Boy's personal stories to transform Year 5 boys' understanding of the qualities of a Fine Scots Boy.

"The prospect of having a deeper understanding of a certain practice or teaching area was certainly appealing for me prior to commencing Action Research. What I first realised was that as educators, we tend to follow a repetition without even realising it: What’s the question? What do I already understand? How might we fix it? However, what we can miss is the bigger inquiry questions and how best engage our boys in this experience. I made personal discoveries about my own personal teaching, our current students and our highly cherished Alumni. Something that may have never have maximised if I did engage in the reflective process of Action Research.
 
In the end the action research findings were almost secondary to the significance of the process of getting to know my students, Alumni and my own teaching so well. In this way it was the best professional development I have ever done."

Jeff Mann | Coordinator of Student Experience

Jeff has a background in outdoor and experiential education, and has recently taken on a new role in the research team at Scots as the Coordinator of Student Experience. Jeff's doctoral research into student engagement and future-focused skills, aims to showcase innovative approaches taken by schools from a range of geographical and social backgrounds around Sydney. 

"Most educators are motivated by having a positive impact on young people. Undertaking research allows the opportunity to broaden this influence beyond the students in your immediate circle, and maybe even contribute something to the ongoing conversation of how education could be shaped in future."

Elizabeth Smith | Junior Preparatory Teacher

Liz is involved in the 2018-2019 IBSC Action Research Program, looking at the power of Old Boy's personal stories to transform Year 5 boys' understanding of the qualities of a Fine Scots Boy.

"The process of undertaking an action research project has strengthened my belief in the importance of being a reflective practitioner. Taking the time to analyse and reflect upon particular elements of our practice is significant for our growth as teachers. This could be aspects of my classroom practice, questions I ask, systems I interact with or assessment procedures. Within my action research project, I particularly enjoyed the opportunity to read widely about storytelling, character development and the importance of role modelling in a boy's life and see the importance of reading widely to inform how I teach. As I reflect upon this, the project has highlighted to me the power of using stories as a vehicle for learning in the classrooms, particularly that of personal stories."