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Professor Emeritus Melbourne Graduate School of Education, The University of Melbourne

Stephen Dinham OAM PhD taught in government secondary schools in NSW before being appointed to the University of Western Sydney where he held a number of positions including Head of the Department of Curriculum Studies, Associate Dean (Postgraduate) and Associate Professor. In 2002 he took up a position as Professor of Teacher Education, Pedagogy and Professional Development at the University of New England. In 2005 he became Professor of Educational Leadership and Pedagogy at the University of Wollongong. In 2007 he took up the position of Research Director of the Teaching, Learning and Leadership research program at the Australian Council for Educational Research.

Professor Dinham was appointed as Foundation Chair of Teacher Education and Director of Learning and Teaching in the Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne, in 2011. In 2018 he was appointed Professor Emeritus at the University of Melbourne.

He has conducted a wide range of research projects (more than 75 funded in excess of $10,000,000) in the areas of educational leadership and change, effective pedagogy/quality teaching, student achievement, postgraduate supervision, professional teaching standards, teachers' professional development, middle-level leaders in schools, and teacher satisfaction, motivation and health. He has an extensive publication record of books (7), book chapters (18), refereed journal articles (59), research reports (68) and articles in other professional publications (211). He is a frequent presenter at conferences including in countries such as the USA, Finland, Canada, England, New Zealand, Finland, Vietnam, Northern Ireland, Sweden, Scotland, Germany, Switzerland, Malaysia, Singapore, Spain, Sharjah and Crete as well as every Australian state and territory (over 660 presentations) and has conducted consultancies with a wide range of educational bodies nationally and internationally.

He is the author of the bestselling texts How to Get Your School Moving and Improving (ACER, 2008) and Leading Learning and Teaching (ACER, 2016), both of which have become standard educational leadership texts. He led the $3.2m Commonwealth Project Reconceptualising Mathematics and Science Teacher Education Programs, a joint project funded by the Chief Scientist of Australia involving the University of Melbourne, Monash University, La Trobe University and Deakin University. The project findings were published as Reconceptualising Maths and Science Teaching and Learning (ACER, 2018). He also led a University of Melbourne team that undertook the “I’m the Principal” - Principal Learning, Action, Influence and Identity study (ACER, 2018).

Whilst Director of Learning and Teaching at MGSE, University of Melbourne, he initiated the influential evidence-based degrees Master of Instructional Leadership (2013) and Master of Clinical Teaching (2015).

Awards and Prizes

• Fellow of the Australian College of Educators (1999)
• Fellow of the Australian Council for Educational Administration (2000)
• Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management (2002)
• Sir Harold Wyndham Medal (ACE NSW 2005)
• National Carrick Australian Award for University Teaching - Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning (2006) “For pivotal leadership in the teaching profession, linking teaching educators, professional bodies and practitioners through his research, award structures (QTA) and policy guidance on key committees.”
• Sir James Darling Medal (ACE Victoria 2010)
• Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) “For service to educational research, and to professional associations” (2011)
• Ann D Clark Medallion, Catholic Education, Diocese of Parramatta (2011)
• Richard von Weizsäcker Fellow, Robert Bosch Foundation, Germany (2014).

Experience

  • 2007–2010
    Research Director Teaching, Learning and Leadership, ACER

Education

  • 1993 
    University of New England, Doctor of Philosophy

Research Areas

  • Education Systems (1301)
  • Curriculum And Pedagogy (1302)
  • Other Education (1399)

Honours

Medal of the Order of Australia