ProfessorAmanda Mooney

Amanda's research interests are underpinned by a strong commitment to social justice and the role that education can play in furthering this pursuit. Key here has been a significant investment in investigating approaches to, and practices in, teacher education and associated pathways that promote teacher's critical dispositions and the development of practical expertise to effectively support diverse learners in inclusive ways. With a strong disciplinary commitment to the practice of Health, Physical Education and Sport in schooling contexts, Amanda's research has primarily drawn on qualitative methodologies to examine the ways in which cultural and societal factors shape identities, professional practice, and pedagogies.

This expertise has been applied to projects spanning various contexts including school-based Health and Physical Education, community sporting clubs, teacher education settings, outdoor adventure-based programs and women's elite professional sporting contexts. At times, this focus has been extended to examine wellbeing and learning for young people experiencing vulnerability and trauma in rural and regional contexts.

More recently, Amanda's research activities have focussed on approaches to teacher education that support workforce supply in areas of high-demand. While a key component of this has addressed factors that enable and constrain the attraction, success and retention of teacher education students across the early childhood and schooling sectors, particularly as periods of workforce shortage intensify, a key element of this work has focussed on the capacity building of current and future teachers. This has included an interest in pre-service teacher mentoring practices and professional learning practices to support mentors in this critical role. While much of this work has drawn on both quantitative and qualitative methodologies, Amanda's research is largely underpinned by post-structural theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches to make visible the ways in which inequitable practices become normalised in particular settings at certain times, but also to highlight the
ways in which these can be challenges to promote more equitable, enjoyable and meaningful learning experiences for young people.