Researcher Profile

Dr Mellita Jones

Faculty of Education and Arts, School of Education

Areas of expertise: Teacher education pedagogy; university-school partnerships; science teacher education; reflective practice; personalising learning; global citizenship education; activist education.

HDR Supervisor accreditation status: Full

ORCID ID: 0000-0002-2192-6000

Phone: +61 3 5336 5372

Email: mellita.jones@acu.edu.au

Location: ACU Ballarat Campus

Dr Mellita Jones (PhD, MEd(Research), MICD, GCHE, GDED(Secondary), BSc; SFHEA) has an established applied research record concerned with effective teacher education for the 21st century. This research covers key areas of teacher education pedagogy including university-school partnerships and personalising learning in teacher education. Through her work in international community engagement, she is concerned with the purpose of teacher education for securing a socially just and equitable world, and as such, has research linked to global citizenship education concerned with social justice. This work ties into her research in activist education outcomes within teacher education programs, and particularly in relation to science teacher education, the discipline field from which her academic work originally stems. Critical reflective practice is a cross-cutting theme in Dr Jones’ research, as is its basis in excellence in teacher education practice. This excellence is reflected in a number of teaching excellence and community engagement awards she has received, and in her consultancy work such as writing modules for UNESCO’s teacher education program in the Pacific region. Dr Jones currently serves on the Executive committees for the Australian Teacher Education Association (ATEA) and the World Federation of Associations of Teacher Education (WFATE)

Select publications:

Curated list

Journal Articles

• Gilbert, A., Hobbs, L., Kenny, J., Jones, M., Campbell, C., Chittleborough, G., Herbert, S., & Redman, C. (2020). “I realized science isn’t scary”: In-service teacher insights regarding science focused partnerships. School-University Partnerships, 13(1), 22-31.
• Gilbert, A., Hobbs, L., Kenny, J., Jones, M., Campbell, C., Chittleborough, G., Herbert, S., & Redman, C. (2018). Principal perceptions regarding the impact of school-university partnerships in primary science contexts. School-University Partnerships, 11(2), 73-83.
• Cinelli, R., & Jones, M. (2017). “We were the real teacher”: Outcomes of an international practicum in the Solomon Islands for Australian preservice teachers. International Education Journal: Comparative Perspectives 16(1), 64-77
• Jones, M., Hobbs, L., Kenny, J., Campbell, C., Chittleborough, G., Gilbert, A., Herbert, S., & Redman, C. (2016). Successful university-school partnerships: An interpretive framework to inform partnership practice. Teaching and Teacher Education, 60, 108-120.

Authored/Edited Manuscripts

• Jones, M., & McLean, K. (2018). Personalising learning in teacher education. Singapore: Springer.
• Hobbs, L., Campbell, C., & Jones, M. (Eds.). (2018). School-based partnerships in teacher education. A research informed model for universities, schools and beyond. Singapore: Springer.
• Nuttall, J., Kostogriz, A., Jones, M., & Martin, J. (Eds.). (2017). Teacher education policy and practice: Evidence of impact, impact of evidence. Singapore: Springer.
• Brandenburg, R., Glasswell, K., Jones, M., & Ryan, J. (Eds.). (2017). Reflective theory and practice in teacher education. Singapore: Springer.
• Jones, M., & Ryan, J. (Eds.). (2014). Successful teacher education: Partnerships, reflective practice and the place of technology. The Netherlands: Sense Publishers

Book chapters

• Jones, M., Cinelli, R., & Gallagher, M. (in press). Teacher education for global citizenship: What can international practicum offer? In J. Zajda & S. Majhanovich (Eds.), Discourses of globalisation, ideology, education and policy reforms. Springer. (Upcoming)
• Jones, M., & Cinelli, R. (2019). Teacher education in Solomon Islands. In K. G. Karras & C. C. Wolhuter (Eds.), International handbook of teacher education worldwide (Vol. 3, pp. 273-294). Nicossia, CY: HM Studies.
• Jones, M. (2018). A partnership journey narrative: The case of Damtru, science teacher educator. In L. Hobbs, C. Campbell, & M. Jones (Eds.), School-based partnerships in teacher education. A research informed model foe universities, schools and beyond (pp. 123-137). Singapore: Springer.
• Jones, M., & Chittleborogh, G. (2018). Growing university-school partnerships. In L. Hobbs, C. Campbell, & M. Jones (Eds.), School-based partnerships in teacher education. A research informed model foe universities, schools and beyond (pp. 99-122). Singapore: Springer.
• Chittleborogh, G., & Jones, M. (2018). Linking theory and practice through partnerships. In L. Hobbs, C. Campbell, & M. Jones (Eds.), School-based partnerships in teacher education. A research informed model foe universities, schools and beyond (pp. 61-82). Singapore: Springer.
• Campbell, C., Chittleborough, G., Gilbert, A., Hobbs, L., Jones, M., Kenny, J., Redman, C. (2018). Models of school-based practice: Partnerships in practice. In L. Hobbs, C. Campbell, & M. Jones (Eds.), School-based partnerships in teacher education. A research informed model foe universities, schools and beyond (pp. 39-57). Singapore: Springer.
• Kenny, J., Jones, M., & Speldewinde, C. (2018). Theory and practice: The context of partnerships in teacher education. In L. Hobbs, C. Campbell, & M. Jones (Eds.), School-based partnerships in teacher education. A research informed model foe universities, schools and beyond (pp. 3-19). Singapore: Springer.
• Carter, L., Rodriguez, C., & Jones, M. (2018). Sociopolitical activism and transformative learning: Expanding the discourse about what counts in science education. In L. Bryan & K. Tobin (Eds.), 13 questions reframing education’s conversation: Science (pp. 437-452). New York: Peter Lang.
• Jones, M. (2017). “Preach or teach?” A journey to becoming STEPWISE. In RJ.L. Bencze (Ed.), Science and technology education promoting wellbeing for individuals, societies and environments (pp. 503-522). Singapore: Springer.
• Jones, M. (2017). Improving a school-based science education task using critical reflective practice. In R. Brandenburg, K. Glasswell, M. Jones, & J. Ryan (Eds.), Reflective theory and practice in teacher education (pp. 179-204). Springer International.
• Jones, M., & Ryan, J. (2017). The online space: Developing strong pedagogy for online reflective practice. In R. Brandenburg, K. Glasswell, M. Jones, & J. Ryan (Eds.), Reflective theory and practice in teacher education (pp. 205-222). Singapore: Springer.
• Brandenburg, R., & Jones, M. (2017). Toward transformative reflective practice in teacher education. In R. Brandenburg, K. Glasswell, M. Jones, & J. Ryan (Eds.), Reflective theory and practice in teacher education (pp. 259-273). Singapore: Springer
  
  

Projects:

• Principals as STEM Leaders (PASL): Building the evidence base for improved STEM learning : https://www.utas.edu.au/education/research/research-groups/maths-education/pasl/pasl
• Science Teacher Education Partnerships with Schools (STEPS): https://www.stepsproject.org.au/
• International Practicum: Outcomes for Teacher Education and Social Justice
• Ballarat Embedded Settings Teacher Education Program (BESTEP)

Accolades and awards:

• 2020 Higher Education Academy Senior Fellowship
• 2018 ACU Vice Chancellor’s Staff Excellence Award for Excellence in Community Engagement
• 2016-18 Consecutive Executive Dean Education & Arts Commendation for Outstanding Teaching
• 2011 Australian Learning and Teaching Council Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning
• 2010 ACU Faculty of Education Award for Excellence in Teaching and Learning
  
  

Appointments and affiliations:

• 2019-current:Australian Teacher Education Association (ATEA) Executive Board Member
• 2020-current:World Federation of Associations for Teacher Education (WFATE) Executive Board Member
• Founder and Director, Esther Education Foundation (https://esthereducationfoundation.org/)