Jeff Northfield Memorial Award for Excellence in Teacher Research

About the award

Jeff Northfield’s family (L to R. Bronwyn, Joan,
John Loughran, Gary) receiving a copy of the
AERA Inaugural Legacy Award in honour of
Jeff’s international contribution to teaching and
teacher education (Accepted by John Loughran
on behalf of the Northfield family at AERA in
Chicago, April 2007).

In recognition of the importance of Jeff Northfield’s work in supporting and conducting teacher research, the Faculty of Education at Monash University established (in 2005) the annual Jeff Northfield Memorial Award for Excellence in Teacher Research. The recipient receives a cheque for $1,000 and a certificate in recognition of the award.

Who is eligible?

The Jeff Northfield Memorial Award for Excellence in Teacher Research is made to a person who demonstrates an ongoing and current commitment to teacher research. A single recipient is nominated by faculty staff each year.

The awardee needs to demonstrate a continuing commitment to the generation of teacher knowledge and to the exploration of the value of this knowledge with other teachers. The individual who receives the award will be asked to present an account of their work to an appropriate conference, and will be encouraged to write about their work for an appropriate professional (and, if possible, academic) journal.

Teacher research, as defined for this award, does not include all research done by a researcher who happens to be a teacher. The award celebrates Monash’s long tradition in the kind of research that Jeff was so prescient in championing: research by teachers into teaching; learning and change in “classrooms” (defined more broadly than school classrooms) that results in the kinds of knowledge that has the potential to directly inform and enrich practice.

This award has a 2-year cycle

As teacher research clearly takes place within and outside higher degree structures and both are valued, there are two forms of the award.

• Year 1: In the first year of the award all teacher researchers in Victorian schools are eligible.
• Year 2: In the second year, the award will be made to a recent student of the Faculty of Education (nominated by a staff member(s) familiar with their work e.g., the supervisor), who demonstrates expertise in their study and practice of teacher research.

After Year 2 the cycle begins again.

2008 is Year 1 of the award. 2009 is Year 2 of the award.

Criteria for the Year 1 award

The award will be made to a person who demonstrates an ongoing and current commitment to teacher research through the following criteria:

1. A continuing commitment to the generation of teacher knowledge and to the exploration of the value of this knowledge with other teachers.
2. A commitment to the promotion of their ideas and research with teachers and other relevant groups.
3. Clear evidence of the impact of their work in their professional context. In many cases this will mean within their school. However, it could, of course mean an impact wider than this.
4. A continuing commitment to working with teachers and schools (or if relevant another professional context), and through this the provision of leadership in their profession.

The recipient will be presented with their award at the mid-year scholarship presentations (June, 2009) in the Faculty of Education. The awardee will be asked to present an account of their work to an appropriate Conference, and will be encouraged to write about their work for an appropriate professional (and academic if possible) journal.

Please ensure that both the applicant and nominator’s contact details are included.

Previous recipients

• 2007 - Ms Rebecca Cooper
• 2006 - the team of Mr Ray Trotter and Ms Esme Capp
• 2005 - Ms Amanda Saffin - read more
• 2004 - Mrs Jill Flack - read more

Who to contact?

Please forward your nominations and/or enquiries for this award to:

John Loughran
Ph: +61 3 990 52847
Fax: +61 3 990 52779
John.Loughran@Education.monash.edu.au