Gregory Burnett

Biography

Teaching/Work experience 2014-2016 Republic of Nauru In-country Lecturer in Pacific Education for University of New England Associate Degree in Teaching/Bachelor of Education – Pacific Focus. A teacher education aid project designed to increase numbers of Nauruan teachers in Nauruan schools. The Nauru Teacher Education Project is a multi-million dollar project funded by AusAID and administered by UNE, NSW Australia.  2006-2013 Senior Lecturer and Associate Postgraduate Studies Coordinator, College of Education, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. Involved in course coordination and teaching in BTch, BA and MEd degree programmes. Also involved in postgraduate research supervision from PG Dip Arts through to EdD and PhD. Research and Study Leave in Republic of Kiribati, Central Pacific Feb to June 2011.  2004-2006 Lecturer (Primary) in School of Education, Faculty of Arts and Law, University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji. Part of a three person team teaching and externalising BEd (Primary) programme into distance and flexible learning mode to enable student access across Pacific region. A AUD$1.3 million AusAID funded, USP initiative (20 individual units of study either sole-authored or co-authored which form USP’s current BEd (primary) degree programme)  2002-2004 Research Assistant with Rural Teacher Education Project (RTEP), a AUD $1 million Australian Research Council (ARC) funded research project focusing on quality teaching and learning and teacher preparation in rural/remote NSW. 1984-1997 School Teaching in rural/remote NSW, Australia (5 years); Republic of Nauru, Central Pacific (2 years); Republic of Kiribati, Central Pacific (5 years).

Research Interest

Research and teaching emphases include a sociology of Pacific education; the influence of cultural and other difference on schooling; and exploring critical theory as a basis for teaching and learning in the Pacific region.