Navigating School-University Research Partnerships
At Trinity, teachers are supported and equipped to both draw on and conduct research to inform their practice. Dr Kimberley Pressick-Kilborn, Director of Research P-12 is the key driver of this, ensuring that the culture of curiosity at the School is carefully nurtured and opportunities for inquiry are identified.
Most recently, Dr Pressick-Kilborn coordinated a one-day forum focused on Navigating School-University Research Partnerships. With over 60 school leaders, teachers and teacher education academics joining the forum from all over Sydney, the event was a great success.
“The program was designed to inform and stimulate discussion about how to set up and sustain successful education research collaboration,” Dr Pressick-Kilborn says.
The forum included a keynote address from Professor Mary Ryan from the Australian Catholic University, who emphasised the importance of context and for schools to ask the question ‘What works here?’ as Research-Practice Partnership projects take shape. She also shared an infrastructure for partnerships to thrive.
Read the AIS Evidence Institute’s recap of Professor Ryan’s keynote HERE.
There were plenty of opportunities at the forum for participants to form new connections across schools. Universities and other organisations. Staff from Trinity facilitated lively roundtable discussions that enabled professional exchange, while a number of panellists contributed their expert insights on education research partnerships. These panellists included:
- Professor Emerita Robyn Ewing, University of Sydney
- Dr Rob Loe, The Scots College
- Dr Sarah Loch, Pymble Ladies College
- Dr Anne McMaugh, Macquarie University
- Professor Nick Hopwood, UTS
- Ms Tiffany Roos, AISNSW Evidence Institute
- Associate Professor Narelle Eater, University of Newcastle
- Dr Martin Hughes, Skillset Senior College
Dr Kim Rowston, Lecturer at Australian Catholic University, noted that it was, “A perfect platform for schools and universities to initiate meaningful partnerships. The speakers were insightful. Mary Ryan’s keynote was so engaging, inspiring, and informative.”
Ms Tiffany Roos, Director of the Evidence Institute, AISNSW said, “It was a wonderful day of rich conversations and connections. No doubt this day will see the beginnings of many fruitful partnerships.”
Reflecting on the day and the steps moving forward, Dr Pressick-Kilborn says that the value of teachers’ engagement in and with research is well recognised and documented and it is highly valued at Trinity.
“We are fortunate at our school to have many ‘research champions’. In addition, Trinity is a member of a nationwide network of Research-Invested Schools as well as a member of the International Boys’ Schools Coalition, which actively promotes school-based research.
“Hosting this Forum provided an opportunity for us to contribute to school-based education research initiatives more widely, creating further possibilities for collaboration to enrich teaching and learning by bringing educators within and beyond our own School together. In this way, Trinity is not only Growing Good Men but Growing Good Teachers, something in which it’s truly exciting to play a part.”
June 2024 will see a related research event, Building a School Research Culture Through Partnerships. Registrations will be free of charge to teachers, school leaders, university academics and educators from other organisations, and will be open during Term 1 2023 via
Please click HERE to RSVP:
For more information, interested colleagues can contact kpressick-kilborn@trinity.nsw.edu.au
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