Staff Profile

Career Summary

Biography

Qualifications

• PhD, University of Newcastle, 12/07/2010

Research

Research keywords

• Family Studies
• Music Educational Psychology
• Qualitative Research Methods

Research expertise

My research experience is situated in both Education and in Health.

I commenced my research career with a mixed methods doctoral study in music education psychology ('The subjectivity of musical instrument learning', 2010), and I have developed several publications and presentations from this research (e.g.,StGeorge, Cantwell & Holbrook, 2012). For the doctoral thesis I earned the Newcastle Institute of Education Thesis Prize, and the Callaway Doctoral Award from the Australian Society for Music Education . As a member of SORTI (Centre for the Study of Research Training and Impact), I have collaborated in studies exploring doctoral experiences in the Fine Arts (e.g., Holbrook, StGeorge, Graham, Lawry & Ashburn, 2006).

My knowledge in the family studies discipline stems from my research with the Fathers and Families Research Program (F&FRP), Faculty of Health. As Research Academic, I have responsibility for at least ten completed and current research projects. My methodological strengths lie in qualitative and mixed research methodologies. Research instruments that I have designed and used in data collection include questionnaires, focus groups, and structured, semi-structured and in-depth interviews. Other data I work with include videos and online texts (e.g., Fletcher & StGeorge, 2011). In collaboration with Fletcher, I have developed an observation instrument designed to measure parent-child interaction (e.g., Fletcher, StGeorge & Freeman, in press).

Languages

• French

Fields of Research

Memberships

Body relevant to professional practice.

• Member - Australian Society for Music Education

Awards

Research Award.

Collaboration

Since 2008, I have worked within the Fathers and Families Research Program, in the Family Action Centre, Faculty of Health. Led by Dr Richard Fletcher, the research team has worked on a number of different projects with a core focus on fathers' role in family life and child well-being and father-inclusive practice in human services. The team have together produced a suite of peer-reviewed publications that explore fathers' influence from quantitative, qualitative and observational research approaches.

At the same time, I have been developing publications from my thesis in music education psychology and maintaining collaborations with research colleagues in SORTI (Centre for the Study of Research Training and Impact).

Teaching

Teaching keywords

• Education Psychology
• Father Engagement
• Men in Human Services
• Qualitative Research Methods

Teaching expertise

Courses I teach include:

Men in Human Services

Father Engagement - Theory and Practice

Qualitative Research Methods

Educational Psychology

I am also a registered trainer in NVivo qualitative analysis software and since 2007 have delivered training to research students and academics at ANU, Macquarie University and University of Newcastle.