Mr Peter Power

Peter is an ongoing Newstep teacher and Academic Advisor in the Pathways and Academic Learning Support Centre (PALS). His focus teaching area is mathematics, and he is the Course Coordinator of the Fundamental Mathematics and Applied Mathematics courses. He also tutors in Academic Literacies 1 and 2 – the core courses in the Newstep Program. 

As a casual academic he has Course Coordinated the two introductory mathematics courses in the PALS Open Foundation program. 

He has been a tutor and is currently a demonstrator for the primary school teacher undergraduate Elementary Mathematics course.

Research.

In 2020, Peter was the recipient of a grant from the PALS Small Grant Scheme for Enabling Teachers, where he explored the reasons why young adults who did not achieve an ATAR allowing direct entry into university choose to enrol in Newstep. This action demonstrates that students will persevere with the education system even if it has failed them up to now. The surveys and focus groups have been completed and the findings and report are currently being collated and produced.

In 2019, Peter presented at the EPHEA and NAEEA conference.

He discussed how using past and present students as mentors can foster engagement which in turn helps with student retention. 

Projects

In November 2018, Peter promoted the idea of attending local shopping centres as a means of increasing awareness in the Newstep Program; with the anticipated outcome being increased student numbers at the Central Coast Campus. He coordinated with a number of local shopping centres to have floorspace for a stall. In January 2019, with the student liaison officer he attended the promotional events. The outcome from the project was a detailed plan with milestones to repeat the action again in a more formalised manner, including attending high schools to promote Newstep to our target students.

 Grants

 2020 - Missed your ATAR?: Why young adults persevere with the education system - $2000

Teaching

 After earning his Bachelor of Teaching (Primary)/Bachelor of Arts, Peter began working in primary education in the NSW education department. In 2016 he took the opportunity to move to the remote region of Katherine, in the Northern Territory. These experiences reaffirmed his belief in the need for equity, diversity and inclusion within education.

In 2018, the University of Newcastle approached Peter with the intention for him to return to the enabling program area at the Central Coast Campus. This was a seen as an excellent fit as Peter had himself been through the enabling program at this campus.

Since joining PALS Peter has been Course Coordinator of the equivalent mathematics programs in Open Foundation. As well as being a tutor and demonstrator in the undergraduate Elementary Mathematics course, for the School of Information and Physical Sciences, which is explicitly for teachers, a career position he has held.

Governance

 Newstep Academic Advisor (2018 – Present)