Research projects and grants

Monash Education is renowned for conducting innovative research projects and making a significant contribution to the educational outcomes and health and wellbeing of children, young people and adults from diverse backgrounds and circumstances.

Current externally funded projects

Conceptual PlayLab

Laureate Professor Marilyn Fleer

2019 - 2024
ARC Laureate Fellowship

Fleer’s Conceptual PlayLab aims to test ground-breaking play-based models for teaching science, technology, engineering and mathematics to young children.

Q Project

Assoc. Professor Mark Rickinson, Professor Lucas Walsh, Ms Connie Cirkony

2019 - 2023
Paul Ramsay Foundation

The Q Project is an Australian first study to investigate how research evidence is used in schools, and how to support educators to better use that evidence as part of their work.

Leading Virtual Learning Teacher Course

Assoc. Professor Mike Phillips, Professor Michael Henderson, Dr Zachari Swiecki

2020 - 2022
Department of Education and Training (Victoria)

This project is a world first in developing and implementing a curriculum diagnostic system based on the emerging psychometric field of Epistemic Network Analysis.

Kids co-designing sustainable and healthy environments

Assoc. Professor Deana Leahy, Assoc. Professor Ruth Jeanes, Assoc. Professor Iris Duhn, Dr Rosie Welch, Professor Jo Lindsay, Mr Warren Taylor, Dr Claire Tanner, Dr Bronwyn Cumbo

2020 - 2021
VicHealth

A project to develop an online toolkit that local councils, early childhood centres, and/or schools can use to engage children and young people in co-designing healthy and sustainable environments.

Data-smart schools: enhancing the use of digital data in secondary schools

Professor Neil Selwyn, Professor Dragan Gasevic, Professor Michael Henderson, Dr Luci Pangrazio

2019 - 2021
ARC Discovery Project

This project aims to investigate the use of digital data in schools to identify ways to improve its capture and use.

School leadership amid the pandemic

Dr Venesser Fernandes

2020 - 2021
Independent Schools of Victoria

This research project explores the experiences of principals from Independent schools in Victoria in leading their schools through the Covid-19 pandemic.

A novel transformational model for school food education in Pacific coastal communities

Assoc. Professor Deana Leahy, Dr Kathleen Aikens

2020 - 2021
Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR)

This scoping study will inform the design of a novel model of community engaged food education in the Pacific.

Building Babies Brains (Bfor3) and Literacy Acquisition for Pre-Primary Students (LAPS) 2020 Project

Assoc. Professor Janet Scull

2020 - 2021
Waardi Limited

A project to evaluate Bfor3 and LAPS programs, and to help design teacher professional learning program and classroom teaching approaches to facilitate implementation.

Informal sport as a health and social resource for diverse young people

Assoc. Professor Ruth Jeanes, Dr Justen O'Connor, Professor Ramon Spaaij, Professor Dawn Penney, Ms Carmel Guerra

2019 - 2021
ARC Linkage Project

This research investigates the contribution of informal sports participation to the well-being of diverse young people and considers how governments, sport and health agencies can support this participation.

Islamic Schooling in Australia and Indonesia: A Collaborative Documentary Film

Dr Melanie Brooks, Professor Jeffrey S. Brooks, Dr Fida Sanjakdar, Dr Agus Mutohar

2019 - 2021
Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and the Australia-Indonesia Institute

This project explores the similarities, differences, challenges, and educational successes of two Islamic schools, one in Melbourne, Australia and another in Semarang, Indonesia.

Challenging Homophobia in Rugby Union

Professor Richard Pringle

2020 - 2021
Brennan Bastyovanszky (donation)

Research to examine homophobia within the context of the culture of rugby union.

Quasi-experimental research on Home Based Parenting Education Program

Dr Gloria Quinones, Dr Corine Rivalland, Dr Liang Li, Dr Hilary Monk

2018 - 2021
Plan International Nepal

A project to assess the effectiveness of the Home Based Parenting Education Program in Nepal.

Setting up for success: reengaging young parents with education

Dr Penny Round, Dr Pearl Subban

2019 - 2021
Department of Social Services (Australia)

A project to identify ways to provide education to young parents who have discontinued their formal education.

Family Violence Prevention in Victorian Muslim Communities

Dr Fida Sanjakdar, Dr Melanie Brooks

2020 - 2021
Board of Imams of Victoria Inc.

Respectful relationships in early childhood professional learning

Dr Marie Hammer, Dr Liang Li, Dr Hilary Monk, Dr Corine Rivalland, Assoc. Professor Nikolay Veresov, Dr Megan Adams, Joseph Agbenyega, Laureate Professor Marilyn Fleer, Dr Gloria Quinones

2017 - 2020
Victorian Department of Education and Training

Commissioned by the Victorian Department of Education and Training, this project is to develop a training and resource package, which aims to deepen the understanding of early childhood educators in the area of respectful relationships, gender equality, gender-based violence and family violence prevention.