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Dr Rhonda Oliver,
ECU South West Professorial Chair in Education

Professor Rhonda Oliver has been researching, teaching and publishing about education and educational issues for over 20 years.

A chair of education was created in 2005 to which Rhonda Oliver was appointed - taking up the position in January of 2006. The purpose of this position is to lead educational research at the South-West Campus of ECU. It is envisaged that Rhonda will work with educationalists in the region and in so doing strengthen ties between ECU and the broader community, as well as developing national and international links.

Professor Rhonda Oliver trained as a teacher in the late 1970s at Churchlands College of Advanced Education. She then taught in a number of primary schools and was later appointed as an advisory ESL teacher, assisting teachers in the north-west metropolitan area. During this time she completed her Bachelor of Education. She then commenced her Masters of Education at UWA and was seconded to work there, helping to undertake the research that informed the state review of ESL. On completing her Masters she once more took up a teaching role at a primary school, before returning once more to UWA, this time to undertake a national review. She then commenced her doctoral studies and was employed as a part-time lecturer during this period at UWA and also at ECU. On completion of her PhD she commenced as a fulltime lecturer at ECU in 1996.

She has an extensive research track record and has published articles in a number of local, national and international scholarly journals including SSLA, Language Learning, Modern Language Journal and System. She also has a strong and lengthy relationship with teachers and their professional associations. To this end she has published a number of reports in collaboration with Education authorities and Professional associations within Australia, including one on the teaching and assessment of oral language (for mainstream and ESL students), and another on the communicative competence of adolescent students. She continues to work on large research projects alongside practitioners exploring ways to enhance teaching and learning in our schools.

Currently Professor Rhonda Oliver is working on the following projects:

Examining the needs of African Refugee students in WA schools.
Australind SHS: A case study of a successful rural high school.
Interaction in the classroom (for book to be edited by R. Barnard)
Attitudes and understandings about Aboriginal English among Western Australian Teachers
An examination of rural youth needs in the south-west of Western Australia: Implications for pedagogy.

Please click here for a list of her publications.

Qualifications

Doctor of Philosophy, 1996, The University of Western Australia
Master of Education, 1991, The University of Western Australia
Bachelor of Education, 1985, Western Australian College of Advanced Education
Diploma Teaching, 1979, Churchlands College of Advanced Education

Prizes And Honours

Overall winner “Postgraduate Supervisor of the year” (Postgraduate and Honours Student Association) Edith Cowan University, 2004.
Overall winner “University leadership in research Award” (Postgraduate and Honours Student Association) Edith Cowan University, 1999.
"Award for Excellence in Research Leadership” (Postgraduate and Honours Student Association) Edith Cowan University, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2003.
"Award for Excellence in Research Supervision" awarded by the Postgraduate and Honours Student Association of Edith Cowan University, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002.
"M.A.K.Halliday Scholarship" awarded by the Applied Linguistics Association of Australia for research, 1993.
Post graduate travel award, 1993.
University of WA post-graduate scholarship 1992 - 1995.
"George Francis Bradshaw Award" for Best Master of Education student, 1991.

Professional Membership

Applied Linguistic Association of Australia
American Association of Applied Linguistics
British Association of Applied Linguistics
WATESOL (Vice President 1998-2004)
Director of the Centre for Applied Language and Literacy Research (Edith Cowan University), 2003, 2004.

Summary Of Teaching Experience

14 years tertiary
11 years primary/ESL

Research

National Adult Migrant Education Program (AMEP) research advisory board
Australian Research Council grant assessor
Reviewer: National Science Foundation (USA)
Reviewer: Katholieke Universtat Leuven (equivalent of Belgium ARC)
Reviewer: Cambridge University Press.
Reviewer:
Reviewer for the following national and international conferences:

ECU University Service

Member committee review ECU entrance requirements 2004-2005
Director of the Centre of Applied Language and Literacy Research (CALLR) 2003-2004
Faculty CSESS Research and Higher Degrees Committee 2003- 2004
Board Member of Institute of Service Professions 2003-2004
Committee member School of Education Research and Higher Degrees 2003-2004
Confirmatory panel member for Professional Practice 2001
Member of committee examining the feasibility of double degrees in the Education Faculty
Member of the Research Committee in the School of Education 1999 –2000 (prior to its reconfiguration).
Member of board of Faculty of Community Service, Education and Social Science, 2000 - 2002
Faculty of Education board member, Edith Cowan University 1997- 1998

Community Service

Member Literacy Advisory Committee for the Association of Independent Schools of Western Australia (2001-present)
Member of the consultative committee at the WA Curriculum Council examining the proposal for a post-compulsory ESL unit.
Member of the judging panel of the National Literacy and Numeracy Awards (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005)
WATESOL: Vice President 1998 - 2004, committee member 1996 - 2004

Committee member and secretary Friends of WAYO 2001, 2002

Enterprise

Collaboration with English Teachers Association and the Australian Literacy Educators Association (WA) providing professional development and action research mentoring on student oral language development.
Collaboration with Association of Independent Schools (WA) providing professional development and action research mentoring on student oral language development.
Collaborative research evaluating the success of DOET professional development related to Aboriginal English
The ‘How teenagers talk project’ (SPIRT Grant), initially undertaken collaboratively with Department of Education (WA), has been extended and now includes co-operation and liaison with the Curriculum Council.
The teacher professional development package written for the Middle and Upper Primary Oral Language (ECU Collaborative Grant).
Organising committee for the national ACTA conference 2004
Organising committee for combined WATESOL & MLTA conference 1998, 2000.
Organising committee for Applied Linguistic Association of Australia Perth conference 1999
ESL Review committee (EDWA review of temporary visa students and the implications for education) 2001
LOTE 2000 Committee member (1997 – 2001).
Consultant - Curriculum Review (Auditing EDWA Student Outcome Statements for educational inclusivity) (1996)
Professional Development provider for Education Department of Western Australia, Association of Independent Schools of Western Australia and Catholic Education of Western Australia (1994 - ongoing)
Research team member: Bilingual Interface Project (DEETYA funded CLN Project) (1995/6)

Other

Project officer: National Language and Literacy Institute of Australia
Education Officer - Research: Education Department of Western Australia/University of Western Australia

1990/91 National ESL review
1989/90 Ministry of WA Curriculum review of ESL

Facilitator: National Project on Professional Development (English Student Outcome Statements) (1995/6)
Consultant - Editor (Making the Links - Teachers doing action research: National Project on Professional Development English Project) (1995/6)

Dr Rhonda Oliver, ECU South West Professorial Chair in Education

Dr Rhonda Oliver,
ECU South West Professorial Chair in Education