Mellita Jones

Australian Catholic University, Arts and Education, Faculty Member

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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).

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Papers by Mellita Jones

Successful university-school partnerships: An interpretive framework to inform partnership practice

by Mellita Jones and Sandra Herbert

Teaching and Teacher Education, 2016

Science teacher educator partnerships with schools (STEPS): developing an interpretive framework for primary science teacher education

by Mellita Jones, John Kenny, and Sandra Herbert

The STEPS Project responds to international concern about primary teachers' lack of science knowl... more The STEPS Project responds to international concern about primary teachers' lack of science knowledge and confidence to teach science, and recent questioning of the effectiveness of traditional approaches to teacher education. The project reviews and builds on established, innovative and successful practices at five universities, to develop and promote a framework supporting school-based approaches to pre-service teacher education. This paper will outline the processes involved in developing an Interpretive Framework, which will be a key outcome of the project. The Interpretive Framework identifies key elements to assist teacher educators in planning, implementing and sustaining school-based approaches to teacher education. Hobbs, Jones, King, Chittleborough, Redman, et al. Developing an Interpretive Framework

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Transformative Learning in Science Education: Investigating Pedagogy for Action

Cultural Studies of Science Education, 2014

Learning in the practicum: engaging pre-service teachers in reflective practice in the online space

by Mellita Jones and Josephine Ryan

Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 2014

Communication in the Practicum

Successful Teacher Education, 2014

Successful and ‘Transferable’ Practice

Successful Teacher Education, 2014

Collaborative Partnerships : A Model for Science Teacher Education and Professional Development

Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 2008

This paper proposes a collaborative partnership between practicing and pre-service teachers as a ... more This paper proposes a collaborative partnership between practicing and pre-service teachers as a model for implementing science teacher education and professional development. This model provides a structure within which partnerships will work collaboratively to plan, implement and reflect on a series of Science lessons in cycles of actionreflection adapted from Korthagen's (2001) ALACT model. Issues within Science education, teacher professional development and teacher education are considered in the development of the model which attempts to deepen constructivist approaches to teachers' professional learning. It attempts to address issues with teacher professional development in the science area and improve professional experience practice for pre-service teachers. The nexus between theory and practice is the focus of the model which hopes to inform both teacher education and professional development for science teachers in the primary sector.

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Personalising Learning in Teacher Education through the use of Technology

Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 2012

The meaningful integration of technology in teaching and learning is consistently called for in a... more The meaningful integration of technology in teaching and learning is consistently called for in all sectors of education. Recently it has appeared as a key tenet for achieving what has been termed as personalising learning. Personalising learning, a concept that addresses a range of current best-practice approaches with an added emphasis on ICT and the voice of individual learners, is becoming more prevalent in both general discussion, and in some countries, in policy regarding education. If its prevalence continues to grow, teacher educators need to consider how they too can incorporate personalising learning approaches in their courses to ensure graduate teachers are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to implement personalising learning approaches in their own classrooms. This paper considers the components of personalising learning and describes one approach to creating a technology-infused learning environment that has been trialled in the tertiary sector. The key focus of this trial was the effective integration of technology as an enabler of personalising learning. Findings indicate that meaningful student learning experiences can be achieved through a personalised approach which also supports the emerging tenets of effective, pedagogical use of ICT for learning. These findings led to a model of Technology for Personalising Learning (TPL) which is presented as a planning framework through which personalising learning with technology can be achieved in higher education.

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Science Teacher Education Partnerships with Schools (STEPS): Partnerships in science teacher education

by Mellita Jones and John Kenny

Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 2014

This paper reports on the STEPS project which addressed international concerns about primary teac... more This paper reports on the STEPS project which addressed international concerns about primary teachers' lack of confidence to teach science, and on-going questions about the effectiveness of teacher education. The five universities involved had each independently established a science education program incorporating school-based partnerships between the university and local schools to enable primary pre-service teachers (PSTs) to teach science.

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Successful university-school partnerships: An interpretive framework to inform partnership practice

by Mellita Jones and Sandra Herbert

Teaching and Teacher Education, 2016