From the Director of the Pymble Institute – My Four Rs

My teacher training stressed that teaching is based on the three Rs of relationships, relationships, relationships. This mantra continues to prove itself to me through all areas of my work as education is an ever-evolving, unfurling of relationships as learners (children, young people and adults) open their minds to new possibilities. ‘Research’, also starting with an ‘R’, now takes its place in this string as an additional key element in my educational philosophy.

Like relationships, which can be defined as ‘the way in which things are connected or work together’, research is similarly multifaceted, open-ended and complex. Research involves curiosity, beginnings, false starts, clarifications, listening, sharing, putting in the effort, as well as endings, and celebrating when milestones happen – just like relationships. Research embodies the long-game in educational journeys, be that a student’s term-long research project, a teacher’s epic PhD journey or forming partnerships with tertiary colleagues to research something together.

But there is depth and breadth – this is what we get from research relationships in schools. An important question to ask is, how can research relationships impact the educational experiences of students in our schools today? This newsletter shares insights into what we’re doing at Pymble in this area including a profile of our newest PhD, Dr Joshua McDermott, from the History, Society and Ethics Department; information about the upcoming Research Invested Schools network conference being jointly held by Pymble, Barker and Scots this August, and a link to the latest edition of the Pymble research journal, Illuminate, which explores digital intelligence.

I’m looking forward to exploring how these, and other examples, from the Pymble perspective, impact student learning at the upcoming conference at Trinity Grammar School, Building a School Research Culture through Partnerships. Register for the event here and contact Dr Kimberley Pressick-Kilborn (Director of Research P-12 at Trinity) for more information at kpressick-kilborn@trinity.nsw.edu.au.

Hope you enjoy this edition of our newsletter,

Dr Sarah Loch
Director – Pymble Institute

Illuminate Edition 9 – Research and Innovation

Hot off the press! Here’s an excerpt from Pymble’s Principal, Dr Kate Hadwen’s, foreword for the latest edition:

“Since the first edition of Illuminate was published in 2018, approximately 85 Pymble staff members have taken a deep, reflective dive into their teaching practise to pen articles for this great publication.

This edition is particularly exciting as it directs our attention to the big scary elephant in staff rooms around the world: Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education.

While news reports often frame this topic in terms of the demise of original work and fears that already-busy teachers will have to don another hat (of AI enforcement cop) to ensure students are assessed on the quality of their work, not on the quality of content-generating tools, Pymble has adopted a more forward-thinking approach. This approach reflects the overall strategic intent of our Digital Intelligence pillar: “Pymble girls are active, responsible and engaged global citizens who harness the power of technology to effect positive change.”

AI is here to stay. Our job as a future-focused learning community is to ensure all staff and students have the confidence to navigate AI tools as informed, judicious and unique human co-pilots seeking to innovate and accelerate progress in the work they do. As our five authors in this edition highlight, Pymble educators keep learning and bring new ways of thinking in this space.

The five articles showcase inquiry processes relating to experiences with technology in the life of a school. Action research and formal research, as well as explorations of literature and professional reflections bring to our attention issues which are relevant for classroom teachers, technology leaders and university academics alike.

Click here to read Illuminate Edition 9 – Research and Innovation

Education Journal Club – In our fifth year!

The Education Journal Club kicked off our fifth year with some new faces and old friends.

The Education Journal Club (EJC) is a friendly group of teachers and university researchers who enjoy catching up to share and discuss journal articles about education. We have been meeting since 2019 when Dr Kate Hadwen initiated the EJC with her move to Pymble. Members enjoy the chance to meet a couple of times each term in a blend of online and face to face modes. Members each select an education-related journal and read an article from their chosen publication then speak to ‘their article’ at the meeting. This way, everyone leaves the meeting with updates from a range of disciplines and the benefit of shared knowledge and insights.

The EJC is an ideal way to connect with like-minded educators – those looking to continually expand and deepen their knowledge and experience. The group also gives support to those undertaking Masters and PhDs in Education through encouraging and collegial discussion, and it provides an authentic avenue for university academics to connect with K-12 teachers.

We offer huge congratulations to our long-term member Dr Jeff Mann from the Scots College on completing his PhD with Western Sydney University on Outdoor Education; well done, Jeff!!! This is a sterling achievement!

The next meeting will allow members to meet Dr Meera Varadharajan, one of the new members of the group, who will present on a report she co-authored with the Centre for Social Impact (CSI) at the University of New South Wales. The Amplify Insights: Education Inequality report is available for pre-reading.

2024 Meeting Dates:

Term 1:

 Tuesday 20 February

 Wednesday 20 March

Term 2:

 Thursday 16 May

 Tuesday 11 June

Term 3:

 Wednesday 7 August

 Thursday 12 September

Term 4:

 Tuesday 22 October

 Wednesday 20 November

To join us, please contact Sarah or Victoria for more information via pymbleinstitute@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au

PhD Researcher Spotlight: Dr Joshua McDermott

The Pymble Institute loves to support teachers in their postgraduate studies. Dr Joshua McDermott is a member of the History, Society and Ethics Department and an experienced History teacher. After dedicated years of research and writing, as well as teaching, Joshua has now achieved his PhD and he shares some insights with us.

Can you tell us what your PhD is about?

It is about geography and maps and how they were used in the royal courts of ancient Greek kings and queens. I argue that these maps can work as propaganda, a sort of ‘fake news’ made by scholars to exaggerate the power and reach of their leaders. However, I also show that a few of these maps could have a very different purpose, acting as a sort of frank speech to challenge propaganda when it is seen to go too far. This ‘truth to power’ from scholars was valued by wise kings and queens, who understood that it was needed to cut through the noise of court propaganda. It would help leaders think clearly about the world and their place in it.

How did you decide your PhD topic?

Gaps in our knowledge are usually identified through research and finding these gaps can often come about through our earlier research. For me, this occurred when completing my first Masters degree (an MA). I found that important developments from modern geography had not really been applied to ancient geographers, and that applying these tools may help us understand the ancient texts more clearly. As I looked into it further, I began to suspect that these were not just objective geographies, but expressed significant political concerns. This ultimately led me, with the encouragement and support of my supervisors, to proposing a new approach to understanding these ancient geographers in my PhD dissertation.

What were the most valuable things learned through your PhD journey?

The greatest challenges of researching, drafting, and editing the dissertation turned out to be the most valuable aspects of the journey. I was struck by the many ways of thinking required. For research, curiosity is needed as much as critical evaluation. When brainstorming and planning, flexibility and discipline are, somewhat paradoxically, both needed in equal measure. When writing, you assume several roles. You are both disciplined researcher and storyteller: it is not enough to show evidence for something; you also need to interrogate the evidence and communicate these findings in ways that your readers will care about. This often involves stepping back, with the help of the feedback from others. Even the many stages of drafting have a certain alchemy, transforming phrases, paragraphs, and chapters from something irrelevant or unpolished into something which is hopefully more rigorous and engaging. The dissertation was better received than I could have hoped for, but I am keenly aware that this was really just the end result of a process which involved a great deal of drafting, responding to criticism and feedback, before redrafting some more!

What will you do with your PhD now?

In terms of research, the thesis is not so much an end as a beginning. Writing articles for academic journals allows me to continue to engage with other scholars and further extend our shared understanding of the ancient world. I have been encouraged to publish my findings to date in a book so that it can reach a wider audience, and this is something I hope to turn to shortly.

Beyond journal articles and books, I hope to use the research and communication skills developed in the doctorate to help students and others in their own research journeys. As teachers, we all do incredible work in this regard every day in the classroom, encouraging students to investigate with an open mind, evaluate sources critically, and communicate their findings in a range of ways. Research projects not only help us to discover new approaches to problems, but also allow us to communicate these findings in ways which can make a positive impact on the world.

We heartily commend Joshua on his award of the PhD and for the important scholarship he brings to his History classes. If readers are interested in connecting with Joshua, contact the Pymble Institute at pymbleinstitute@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au.

Researching the outdoor education journey

Vanessa Petersen, Deputy Head – Vision Valley Campus, co-presented at the IOERC10 (International Outdoor Education Research Conference) in Tokyo, on Pymble’s Vision Valley Year 9 Residential Program with Professor Tonia Gray and Helen Cooper.

The conference brought together internationally leading experts who are paving the way to revolutionise outdoor education globally. Pymble was the only school represented amongst delegates – something which Vanessa hopes to change by making the conference and others like it a regular professional learning goal amongst our outdoor education staff.

The Pymble Ladies’​ College Year 9 Residential Program is a month-long program at Vision Valley, the College’s outdoor education campus. The intentions of the program are not for students to co-exist with static learning opportunities, but rather to become co-constructors of their learning and promote a deeper connection to self, others and the natural world. Pymble’s research into this area commenced in 2022 and continues in 2024 as the program develops. It is focusing on ways of enhancing girls’ sense of belonging, academic buoyancy and resilience.

The research report on the first phase of the outdoor education residential program was undertaken by the Centre for Educational Research, School of Education at Western Sydney University (WSU) and the Pymble Institute. We are pleased to share this record of the first cohort who experienced the program and look forward to following up with these pioneers, now in Year 11, through longitudinal research methods.

Presenting at The Australian Sociological Association November 2023 colloquium

TASA’s annual event was held in conjunction with the Council of Humanities, Arts & Social Sciences Congress of HASS at the University of Sydney. A half-day postgraduate event was followed by two days of panel-based sessions and general paper sessions relevant to the TASA theme: Sustaining the Social.

The broad theme spoke of sociologies of class, ethnicity, Indigeneity; of body, disability, genders and sexualities; of inequality, health, education, regionality; of culture, religion, emotion; and of economy, technology, environment and activism. Sociologists from all sectors – urban, regional and remote – shared their research insights and connected their work to sustaining social cohesion. The book of abstracts showcased the breadth of subjects covered.

I was excited that my abstract (below) had been accepted for the section: Migration, Ethnicity, Multiculturalism. The day started for me with the keynote speaker, Dr Ash Watson, whose presentation, Telling Sociological Stories, was a refreshing way to anchor my own research on migration. It set the tone for the day as I listened to the many other sociological stories. The morning session was well-attended and followed with friendly questioning. Morning tea was an important time to network. Not knowing any of the other presenters, I willed myself to be brave and introduce myself to others.

My session was after lunch and, although my presentation went well, the speaker following me had technical difficulties cutting the time allocated for questions, which was a shame. However, some people found me in the break and it was interesting to hear their comments. I met my supervisor Christina Ho from UTS (below) and she introduced me to some of her colleagues and PhD and Masters students.

I did not attend the social events on offer, but I did get a sense of an academic conference. I held my own and presented an interesting excerpt of my research. I had not seen myself as an ‘academic’ before, more so as a teacher doing a Master of Research. However, presenting at the conference and engaging with other academics has given me the confidence to know my research is contributing to the understanding of our world and making a difference.

My TASA Abstract: “Australian migration stories are not only of people moving in search of a better life. For wealthy Asians, they may already have a good life in their home country. Their decision to park millions of dollars in Australia in exchange for residency fits the description by anthropologist Aihwa Ong of ‘Flexible Citizenship’. It is a practice pursued by a global economic elite of mobility and flexibility “in search of the greatest security and opportunity for their capital and families.” (Ong 2022). Flexible citizenship allows affluent Asians to make money in their home economies and at the same enjoy the “political security of sending their families to liberal economies.” (Ong 2022).

This way of life involves families that have the financial means to live in multiple countries; maintain two or more homes; frequently travel between these worlds; the ability to speak more than one language and the skills to navigate across cultures. My Masters work examines how these arrangements affect the children of these families. Parents choose this lifestyle ostensibly for the benefit of their family, but how do the uprooted, separated families fare? What do families lose in return for the gains of flexible citizenship?”

Key conferences and events

Looking for some ways to build a research culture in your school? Ready to meet new people from different schools, universities and organisations. These Pymble Institute events will give you ideas which you can apply to your own school research context.

The Pymble Institute is holding its 3rd Student Research Conference on 20 May 2024, 3.30pm- 5.30pm at Pymble Ladies’ College. This year’s theme is Research for Good. A student-run event, the girls look forward to welcoming Dr Sureka Goringe, National Director, Uniting World, and Associate Professor Nina Burridge, School of International Studies and Education, University of Technology Sydney, as keynote speakers. They will be followed by 12 students from Year 7 to 12 who will present their research on topics including bamboo vs plastic, the role of curiosity in research, using regenerative properties of acyloxyls and impacts of colonisation.

Who can attend? In addition to our own students, parents and staff, we welcome students and teachers from other schools, as well as academics and researchers from similar organisations. Contact pymbleinstitute@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au by 6 May 2024 to arrange your invitation.

Staff conducting research also have a voice with the Pymble Ladies’ College Research Conference. This is an annual research gathering which gives internal researchers (action research, postgraduate students, those who have received professional learning grants etc) a platform to present their research to a keen and supportive audience. This is an ideal opportunity for other schools to see how easy it is to build a research culture. Watch this space for the program to be shared in the near future and make a note of the date:  22 August 2024, 4-6pm at Pymble Ladies’ College. Contact pymbleinstitute@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au to arrange your invitation.

The Research Invested Schools Network Conference is happening from 1-2 August 2024 in Sydney. The conference will take place at three schools, Barker College and Pymble Ladies’ College (morning and afternoon of 1 August, respectively) and Scots College (with the Clark Lecture on Wednesday 31 July and a full day’s program on 2 August). If you are not yet connected to the RIS Network, contact pymbleinstitute@pymblelc.nsw.edu.au and we will help you to join the mailing list for RIS events.