A Conversation with Leading Literacy and Education Researcher, Dr Jennifer Buckingham OAM
We recently caught up with Dr Jennifer Buckingham ahead of her upcoming presentation at the Educating Girls Symposium in Sydney on 28 April. A national leader in literacy, education policy, and data-driven practice, Jennifer will be co-presenting with Molly McFadyen, Policy Officer at the NSW Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation (CESE).
Here’s what Jennifer had to say in our short Q&A session:
What interested you in researching the connection between belonging and academic achievement?
Sense of belonging is a psychological construct that has a strong relationship with academic outcomes and behaviour. Unlike some other wellbeing measures, it is something that schools can influence.
Why is a sense of belonging such a critical factor in girls’ educational success?
Surveys of students in NSW public schools have found that girls report lower levels of sense of belonging than boys. Given its relationship with outcomes, it is important to monitor and put in place activities that will increase sense of belonging.
Briefly, how would you describe your session at the Symposium?
The session will present data on girls’ educational and post-school outcomes with some discussion and analysis.
What’s one thing you hope school leaders will reflect on after your presentation?
If there were any surprising aspects of the data, what assumptions had they made, and what things might need to change in their school?