Faculty of Education

Why is climate education so important for our future teachers? Associate Professor Kathryn Coleman and Dr Sarah Healy explain how calls for climate change education in classrooms, dating back to the '90s, have largely gone unanswered—and why it’s time for change. Learn more about their work at SWISP Research Lab and Speculative Thinking Consultancy → unimelb.me/4i56Dxb

How do HELP repayments impact families? Recent changes to student loans are a step forward, but they’re not the whole solution—especially for people balancing HELP debt with family responsibilities. In his latest article for The Conversation, @Mark Warburton, Honorary Senior Fellow our Centre for the Study of Higher Education, breaks down: 🔹 The challenges of juggling HELP repayments with family obligations. 🔹 How current policies create high effective tax rates for parents. 🔹 Why we need more data on family circumstances to shape fairer policies. Dive deeper into the details → unimelb.me/3V36WPo

October was a busy month for us on the global stage! 🌏 In India, Associate Professor Kathryn Coleman and Dr. Sarah Healy teamed up for the Climate Futures Summit, inspiring young leaders to get creative about tackling climate challenges. Meanwhile, Professor Jan van Driel rolled up his sleeves for a hands-on STEM workshop with teachers and gave a keynote about STEM’s role in a tech-driven world. Check out what they got up to → unimelb.me/3OhBrx2 Over in China, Professor Lindsay G Oades PhD and Associate Professor Carlo Perrotta visited Ningbo Qianwan Ciji Foreign Language School to kick off an exciting new partnership. They toured cutting-edge classrooms, exchanged ideas on education innovation, and signed a collaboration agreement. Learn more about this visit → unimelb.me/40V1Gkj Proud to see our team working across borders to make a difference in education 🙌

Congratulations to the 2025 cohort of Atlantic Fellows for Social Equity (AFSE) from an unprecedented five Pacific countries 👏 The new cohort will be supported by AFSE to help drive Indigenous-led and community-based solutions to pressing challenges facing communities in the region. Read more → unimelb.me/4evXKdh

We're delighted to announce that Professor Marek Tesar has been appointed as Dean of Education. Professor Tesar’s award-winning studies focus on early childhood education in New Zealand and internationally. Drawing on his background as a teacher, his academic work focuses on education policy, philosophy, pedagogy, methodology and curriculum, merging theoretical work with a practical focus on the everyday lives of children and their childhoods in New Zealand and overseas. Read more → unimelb.me/3ArKRTD

We're proud of the real-world difference our students are making in Victorian schools. Salesian College Sunbury shared their experience with our student intern program and how this collaboration positively impacts both their students and ours. If you're interested in partnering with us and our student interns, email FOE-TeachingInternship@unimelb.edu.au to learn more.

🎙️ What's the difference between teaching wellbeing skills and fostering a classroom environment that supports motivation and wellbeing? Dr Lara Mossman, Dr Rachel Colla and Sophie Specjal PhD discuss the impact of educators’ actions on student motivation. They explore how intentional teaching supports students' psychological needs in the latest episode of Talking Teaching. Tap through to listen → unimelb.me/3rhOdDK

#UniMelb researchers with lived experience of neurodivergence are leading a purpose-built program advocating for more neurodiversity inclusive workplaces. Learn how they’re improving support services, teaching, and learning practices across the University to make them more accessible to everyone → unimelb.me/4fcMtPT

Check out Associate Dean (Sustainability) Professor Marcia McKenzie’s latest video, Places, Communities, Stories: Quality Climate Communication and Education addressing what makes effective climate communication and education (CCE) impactful, with a focus on relationships at its core. This video is part of the MECCE Project a global initiative led by Prof. McKenzie to enhance climate literacy and action worldwide. Watch now → unimelb.me/40twCbs

Join us and the Centre for Wellbeing Science for a special guest lecture, Compassionate Systems Change in Education: Fostering Hope for our Future, presented by Dr Mette Miriam Boëll, Co-Director of Massachusetts Institute of Technology Systems Awareness Lab. Dr Boëll will discuss how collaborative and transdisciplinary designs can foster community and shape a shared future. Tap through to register → unimelb.me/4hpq7MI