Institute for Learning Sciences and Teacher Education Stipend Scholarship

Opportunities for exciting research with a doctoral scholarship in the national priority area of the education of pre-service teachers

ACU leads the Education Standards and Moderation (ESAM) Research and Development Project investigating the quality and effectiveness of initial teacher education. Up to two PhD Stipend Scholarships (ESAM-ILSTE) are being offered full-time to support high-quality candidates to undertake priority teacher preparation and workforce studies in the Institute for Learning Sciences and Teacher Education.

The two scholarships are designed to support high-performing candidates with knowledge relevant to the fields of teacher preparation and at least one other field (assessment and evaluation; digital design and systems thinking; digital data and literacy; judgement including moderation). The topics for doctoral study below may interest you:

1. The relationship between research, policy and practice in leveraging improvement in teacher education;
2. The role of standards and moderation in assessing professional experience placements;
3. Applying novel approaches to analysing longitudinal teacher preparation and workforce data to examine the performance profiles of preservice teachers during candidature and on entry to the teaching workforce; or
4. Building teacher educator and preservice teacher capabilities in data literacy.

The Education Standards and Moderation project involves a wide range of industry-based partners and universities across Australia. The successful scholarship recipients will be embedded in the Standards and Moderation project team in the Institute.

ACU’s Institute for Learning Sciences and Teacher Education (ILSTE) at Australian Catholic University (ACU) is a research-only institute committed to advancing and creating new knowledge and understanding, with subsequent implications for policy, practice, and further research. Under the Directorship of Professor Claire Wyatt-Smith, ILSTE operates with 9 full-time Professors, 5 International Professorial Fellows, 5 Honorary Professorial appointments, 26 research support staff, and 7 full-time administrative staff. The Institute hosts the Research Centre for Digital Data and Assessment in Education (RCDDAiE). ILSTE has an outstanding record of National Competitive Grant success, having been awarded $5,741,337 in ARC funding from 2014 to 2020 (including 1 Future Fellowship, 6 Discovery, 2 DECRA, and 4 Linkage). Education research at ACU currently stands within band 51-75 of 500 universities internationally for Education in the Academic Ranking of World Universities 2019.  Confirming this standing, education research at ACU was ranked ‘above world standard’ in ERA 2018 and rated ‘high impact’ in EIA 2018-2019.

PhD Eligibility criteria

The eligibility criteria for the PhD program at ACU can be found in the Higher Degree Research Regulations

Scholarship Eligibility criteria

In addition to the PhD program eligibility criteria, applicants must:

• Have prior research experience;
• Hold a Positive Working with Children Clearance; and
• Hold knowledge relevant to the fields of teacher preparation and at least one other field (assessment and evaluation; digital design and systems thinking; judgement including moderation).

Study mode and location

• Full-time for three (3) years based at ACU’s Brisbane Campus, Australia, commencing as soon as possible.

Value and duration

• A tax-free stipend of A$28,597 per annum for three (3) years, subject to satisfactory progress and full-time study mode; and
• either a Research Training Program Fees Offset Scholarship; that is, a tuition fee waiver for three (3) years for domestic candidates; or
• An ACU Tuition Fee Waiver for three (3) years for international candidates.

Application closes

Saturday 17 April 2021 11:59 AEDT

Application instructions:

Interested candidates should view the Institute’s GTPA and contact the Institute for Learning Sciences and Teacher Education before applying: ilste@acu.edu.au

To be considered for this scholarship, applicants must submit all documentation required for an application to the PhD program at ACU, as detailed in the ‘How to Apply’ instructions on the ACU Research Web Page, plus:

• A CV detailing relevant academic and practical experience.
• A brief cover letter detailing their experience and intended programme of research.

For general candidature enquiries, email Candidature Services on res.cand@acu.edu.au, with the subject line ‘ILSTE Stipend Scholarships: Education Standards and Moderation Research and Development project’.