Dr Anna Bennett
Interim Director
Centre for English Language and Foundation Studies
- Email:anna.bennett@newcastle.edu.au
- Phone:(02) 4921 5378
Enabling Approaches to Improving Access and Transitions to University: Pathways Program Design and Evaluation
Analysing taken-for-granted assumptions and unrecognised historical habits is critical for maintaining relevancy and achieving more equitable systems.
Dr Anna Bennett works to identify the underlying powerful, but often ‘invisible’, assumptions that continue enduring problems and inequities in higher education. Identifying and disrupting these assumptions and habits is the goal of her research.
Dr Bennett believes we have a responsibility to put at the forefront of education the needs of the people they serve - to provide for them the types of programs and experiences they value. Programs and evaluation therefore need to be designed in highly responsive ways. Challenging outdated and socio-culturally biased assumptions at broader systematic and everyday levels is critical for ensuring that programs do not exclude and serve only small cohorts of students already more advantaged.
“Inclusion, diversity and responsiveness need to be front-and-centre of education and central to the responsive design and evaluation of it” Dr Bennett said.
“There are so many variables in people's backgrounds, contexts and destinations, and this changes considerably over time. Therefore, it is critical for us to appreciate this diversity, rather than impose 'one-size-fits all' structures. Continuous (re)design and evaluation processes enable us to ensure that learning experiences into, through and beyond an individual's education are engaging and meaningful".
Dr Bennett has led research on perceptions and experiences of capability, pace and time in higher education and their impact on diverse groups of students, including students from regional and rural areas. In a recent study, Capability Belonging and Equity in Higher Education (2015), Dr Bennett and colleagues found that there are serious consequences to deeply held, widespread assumptions and related stereotypes about who belongs and is capable in higher education. “Our notion of what constitutes capability, talent and potential is often very limiting for many students because we do not consider the wider impacts of socio-political and economic forces, students' broader relationships, locations, and cultural backgrounds. If we understand that capability is continuously developed in relation to context and that it can be nurtured in ways that value the wonderful individuality of each student, we can then become capable of improving student outcomes.” Dr Bennett said.
“We need to build responsive frameworks to serve our diverse populations" she added.
Evidence of Impact
Dr Bennett explains that evidence collected through a major national study she recently led shows that the most effective access and equity programs are student and stakeholder-centred and context-specific. Conducted with colleagues from the University of Melbourne and La Trobe University, the Equity Initiatives in Australian Higher Education study was commissioned by the Australian Government and identifies initiatives that provide evidence they are effective, from school outreach through to postgraduate programs.
“It was the first national review to capture effective initiatives across Australian higher education. Importantly, the study also shows that rigorous evaluation is very important for ensuring that money invested is money well spent” Dr Bennett said.
Dr Bennett is Interim Director and Head of Research Engagement and Development within theEnglish, Language and Foundation Studies Centre (ELFSC) at the University of Newcastle (UON).
“I am proud of the outstanding outcomes from our rich history of programs that have provided 60,000 students with access to enabling education for 45 years, as well as our English language and International Student Experience programs, which are award winning and sector leading,” said Dr Bennett.
Enabling Approaches to Improving Access and Transitions to University: Pathways Program Design and Evaluation
Dr Anna Bennett is challenging everyday taken-for-granted assumptions and unrecognised historical habits to achieve more equitable education systems
Career Summary
Biography
Dr. Anna Bennett has a PhD in Sociology and applies theory and concepts to better understand issues in higher education. Current research areas include: analysis of access, participation and equity programs, evaluation and policies in higher education; discourses of capability; time and space in higher education; and exploring identities and subject positions in higher education.
Expertise
Anna is Interim Director, English Language & Foundation Studies Centre (ELFSC) and Head Research Engagement and Development (ELFSC) at the University of Newcastle (UON)
Editor of the International Studies in Widening Participation journal.
Member of the international editorial board for Teaching in Higher Education
Member of the National Association of Enabling Educators Australia (NAEEA) Executive Committee and leads a NAEEA enabling programs advocacy subcommittee.
2018 Equity Research Fellow, Centre of Excellence for Equity in Higher Education (CEEHE) UON
Co-convenor of the NAEEA Research Development and Collaboration Special Interest Group
Mentor Program Convenor National Writing Program, provided by CEEHE and sponsored by EPHEA/OFFA UK
Chair, Research Committee, ELFSC
Teaching and Administrative Expertise
Anna was convenor of Open Foundation, Australia's largest enabling program, for five years. Over 25 years of teaching experience (foundational and upper level Sociology). UON's enabling programs are open entry and enable people to qualify for entry into various degree programs across Australia through the UAC. ELFSC provides English language and Enabling programs for ~5,000 students every year.
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy, University of New South Wales
- Bachelor of Social Studies, University of Sydney
- Bachelor of Arts (Honours), University of Newcastle
Keywords
- Sociology
- Sociology of Education
Languages
- English (Fluent)
Fields of Research
| Code | Description | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 160899 | Sociology not elsewhere classified | 50 |
| 160809 | Sociology of Education | 40 |
| 169999 | Studies in Human Society not elsewhere classified | 10 |
Professional Experience
UON Appointment
| Title | Organisation / Department |
|---|---|
| Senior Lecturer | University of Newcastle Centre for English Language and Foundation Studies Australia |
Publications
For publications that are currently unpublished or in-press, details are shown in italics.
Book (2 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 |
Shah M, Bennett A, Southgate E, Widening Higher Education Participation: A Global Perspective, Chandos Publishing, Oxford, 264 (2016)
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| 2012 | Bennett AK, The Power Paradox: A Toolkit for Analyzing Conflict and Extremism, University Press of America, Lanham, MD, 137 (2012) [A1] |
Chapter (4 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 |
Southgate E, Bennett AK, 'University Choosers and Refusers: Social Theory, Ideas of "Choice" and Implications for Widening Participation', Widening Higher Education Participation: A Global Perspective, Elsevier Chandos, Amsterdam 225-240 (2016) [B1]
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| 2015 |
Shah M, Bennett Southgate Shah, 'Global Perspectives on Widening Participation: Approaches and Concepts', Widening Higher Education Participation A Global Perspective, Elsevier, Amsterdam 241-253 (2015)
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| 1999 | Bennett AK, 'Feminismos y pedagogías en la vida cotidiana', Feminismos y pedagogías en la vida cotidiana, Ediciones Morata, Madrid, Spain (1999) | |||||||
| Show 1 more chapter | ||||||||
Journal article (18 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Bennett A, 'Access and equity program provision-evaluation in Australian higher education: a what matters approach', Educational Research and Evaluation, (2019) | ||||||||||
| 2019 |
Bennett A, Lumb M, 'Policy misrecognitions and paradoxes: Developing more contextually attuned access and equity policies in Australian higher education', Policy Futures in Education, (2019) © The Author(s) 2019. In this paper we discuss recent policy attempts (in 2017) to introduce new frameworks for Australian higher education access and equity programs. These inclu... [more] © The Author(s) 2019. In this paper we discuss recent policy attempts (in 2017) to introduce new frameworks for Australian higher education access and equity programs. These include introducing fees and a tendering process for access or ¿enabling¿ programs, as they are called in Australia, and an evaluation framework based on an evidence hierarchy for widening participation or ¿equity¿ programs. We illuminate how those policymaking attempts contradict the conditions required for equity-oriented programs because they misrecognise the experiences of the participants. We argue that different conceptual approaches to provision and evaluation are required for practitioners, providers and policymakers to shape future policy together (Heimans and Singh, 2018) so that enabling and equity programs can be understood in ways that value the knowledges and experiences of the participants involved (Sayer, 2011). Our aim is to contribute to work that disrupts the positioning of ¿objective¿ policy evaluation frameworks vs ¿subjective¿ practices because this decontextualises (Burke and Lumb, 2018) and oversimplifies (Tesar, 2016a), and may serve paradoxically to reduce the programs¿ impacts.
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| 2018 |
Bennett AK, Burke P, 'Re/conceptualising time and temporality: an exploration of time in higher education', Discourse, 39 913-925 (2018) [C1]
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| 2018 |
Motta SC, Bennett A, 'Pedagogies of care, care-full epistemological practice and ¿other¿
caring subjectivities in Enabling Education', TEACHING IN HIGHER EDUCATION, 23 631-646 (2018) [C1]
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| 2018 |
Bunn M, Bennett AK, Burke PJ, 'In the anytime: Flexible time structures, student experience and temporal equity in higher education', TIME & SOCIETY, (2018)
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| 2017 |
Southgate E, Brosnan C, Lempp H, Kelly B, Wright S, Outram S, Bennett A, 'Travels in Extreme Social Mobility: how first-in-family students find their way into and through medical education', Critical Studies in Education, 58 242-260 (2017) [C1]
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| 2016 |
Brosnan C, Southgate E, Outram S, Lempp H, Wright S, Saxby T, et al., 'Experiences of medical students who are first in family to attend university', Medical Education, 50 842-851 (2016) [C1] © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and The Association for the Study of Medical Education. Context: Students from backgrounds of low socio-economic status (SES) or who are first i... [more] © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and The Association for the Study of Medical Education. Context: Students from backgrounds of low socio-economic status (SES) or who are first in family to attend university (FiF) are under-represented in medicine. Research has focused on these students¿ pre-admission perceptions of medicine, rather than on their lived experience as medical students. Such research is necessary to monitor and understand the potential perpetuation of disadvantage within medical schools. Objectives: This study drew on the theory of Bourdieu to explore FiF students¿ experiences at one Australian medical school, aiming to identify any barriers faced and inform strategies for equity. Methods: Twenty-two FiF students were interviewed about their backgrounds, expectations and experiences of medical school. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed thematically. Findings illustrate the influence and interaction of Bourdieu's principal forms of capital (social, economic and cultural) in FiF students¿ experiences. Results: The absence of health professionals within participants¿ networks (social capital) was experienced as a barrier to connecting with fellow students and accessing placements. Financial concerns were common among interviewees who juggled paid work with study and worried about expenses associated with the medical programme. Finally, participants¿ ¿medical student¿ status provided access to new forms of cultural capital, a transition that was received with some ambivalence by participants themselves and their existing social networks. Conclusions: This study revealed the gaps between the forms of capital valued in medical education and those accessible to FiF students. Admitting more students from diverse backgrounds is only one part of the solution; widening participation strategies need to address challenges for FiF students during medical school and should enable students to retain, rather than subdue, their existing, diverse forms of social and cultural capital. Embracing the diversity sought in admissions is likely to benefit student learning, as well as the communities graduates will serve. Change must ideally go beyond medical programmes to address medical culture itself.
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| 2015 |
Buchanan RA, Southgate E, Bennett A, 'Editorial: Social justice in the enterprise university: global perspectives on theory, policy, ethics and critical practice', International Studies in Widening Participation, 2 1-3 (2015) [C3]
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| 2014 |
Southgate E, Bennett A, 'Excavating widening participation policy in Australian higher education: subject positions, representational effects, emotion', Creative Approaches to Research, 7 21-45 (2014) [C1]
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| 2012 |
Bennett AK, Hodges BE, Kavanagh KO, Fagan SJ, Hartley JH, Schofield NJ, ''Hard' and 'soft' aspects of learning as investment: Opening up the neo-liberal view of a programme with 'high' levels of attrition', Widening Participation & Lifelong Learning, 14 141-156 (2012) [C1]
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| Show 15 more journal articles | |||||||||||
Conference (22 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 |
Bunn M, Bennett A, Burke PJ, 'Temporalities of trust and betrayal: teaching and learning in the neoliberal university', Newport, Wales (2018)
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| 2018 | Bennett AK, 'Utilising the Equity Initiatives Framework for widening participation program design and evaluation: concept and application.', Auckland (2018) | ||||
| 2018 |
Burke P, Bennett AK, 'Pedagogies of and for Difference: Recognising and Developing Student Capability', Johannesburg, South Africa (2018)
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| 2015 |
Burke PJ, Bennett AK, 'Capability, belonging and mis/recognition in higher education', SRHE Annual Conference Papers, Newport, UK (2015) [E1]
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| 2015 |
Brosnan CJ, Southgate E, Outram S, Kelly B, Harris G, Saxby T, et al., ''It all seemed a bit too big for little old me': Understanding the experiences of medical students who are first in the family to attend university.', Newcastle (2015) [E3]
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| 2013 | Bennett AK, 'The non-traditional student within the higher education marketplace: an analysis of student expectations of Enabling university programs', NAEEA Conference Program, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne (2013) [E3] | ||||
| 2013 | Bennett AK, Fagan S, 'Beyond self-doubt: techniques to counter the ¿Impostor-Syndrome'', National Association of Enabling Educators of Australia Conference, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne (2013) [E3] | ||||
| 2012 | Hodges BE, Bedford T, Bennett AK, Hartley JH, Kavanagh KO, Klinger C, et al., 'Enabling retention: Understanding and improving student retention rates in Australian university enabling programs', Conference Handbook. Foundation & Bridging Educators New Zealand Inaugural Conference 2012, Auckland, New Zealand (2012) [E3] | ||||
| 2012 | Bennett AK, 'Alternative pathways to higher education in Australia: The importance of enabling and empowerment beyond mainstream conventions', Conference Handbook. Foundation & Bridging Educators New Zealand Inaugural Conference 2012, Auckland, New Zealand (2012) [E3] | ||||
| 2012 |
Bunn RJ, Bennett AK, Southgate EL, Cooper SA, Kavanagh KO, ''Wow, I didn't know that!' The benefits of taking a collaborative approach to transition experiences of enabling students into Undergraduate Education Programs', Conference Handbook. Foundation & Bridging Educators New Zealand Inaugural Conference 2012, Auckland, New Zealand (2012) [E3]
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| 2011 | Bennett AK, 'A case study of perceptions of power: Clubs Australia, pokies and the politics of 'spin'', Australian Sociological Association (TASA) Conference: Local Lives/Global Networks, Newcastle, NSW (2011) [E3] | ||||
| 2011 |
Bennett AK, Burgess CA, 'Challenges at the cultural interface: The hidden academic cultural curriculum', Proceedings of the 1st International Australasian Conference On Enabling Access To Higher Education, Adelaide, SA (2011) [E1]
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| Show 19 more conferences | |||||
Other (3 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Bennett AK, 'Programs-that-prepare-students-for-university-study-may-no-longer-be-free', (2017) [O1] | ||||
| 2015 |
Bennett A, Buchanan R, Southgate E, 'Editors: Social justice in the enterprise university: global perspectives on theory, policy, ethics and critical practice', ( issue.2) (2015)
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| 2013 | Brosnan C, Southgate E, MacQueen S, Kelly B, Outram S, Rubin M, et al., 'Faculty of education and arts strategic networks and pilot projects scheme', Equity in Elite Degrees: social difference, institutional practice and processes of change (2013) |
Report (7 outputs)
| Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 |
Bennett AK, Motta S, Hamilton E, Burgess C, Relf B, Gray K, et al., 'Enabling Pedagogies: A participatory conceptual mapping of practices at
the University of Newcastle, Australia', Centre of Excellence for Equity in Higher Education (2018)
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| 2018 |
Bennett A, Motta SC, Hamilton E, Burgess C, Relf B, Gray K, Leroy-Dyer S, 'Conceptualising Enabling Pedagogies at the University of Newcastle', Centre for Excellence in Education in Higher Education, 250 (2018)
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| 2017 |
Wood D, McLeod M, Viragh K, Devlin M, Hill A, Harvey A, et al., 'A comparative study of the equity strategies employed by Australian universities', HEPPP NPP, 200 (2017)
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| Show 4 more reports | |||||
Grants and Funding
Summary
| Number of grants | 10 |
|---|---|
| Total funding | $560,792 |
Click on a grant title below to expand the full details for that specific grant.
20182 grants / $43,600
Equity Research Fellowship$39,150
Funding body: Centre of Excellence for Equity in Higher Education
| Funding body | Centre of Excellence for Equity in Higher Education |
|---|---|
| Scheme | Grant |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2018 |
| Funding Finish | 2018 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Not Known |
| Category | UNKN |
| UON | N |
Equitable Approaches to Pedagogy and Course Design in the Teaching of First Year Economics and Politics$4,450
Funding body: Faculty of Business and Law University of Newcastle
| Funding body | Faculty of Business and Law University of Newcastle |
|---|---|
| Scheme | T & L research grants |
| Role | Investigator |
| Funding Start | 2018 |
| Funding Finish | 2018 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | N |
20163 grants / $210,827
A comparative evaluation of the efficacy of the equity strategies employed by Australian universities$156,686
Funding body: Department of Education
| Funding body | Department of Education |
|---|---|
| Scheme | Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Programme |
| Role | Investigator |
| Funding Start | 2016 |
| Funding Finish | 2016 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Aust Competitive - Commonwealth |
| Category | 1CS |
| UON | N |
It's About Time: working towards more equitable understandings of the impact of time for students in higher education$34,191
Funding body: National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education (NCSEHE)
| Funding body | National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education (NCSEHE) |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Professor Penny Jane Burke, Doctor Anna Bennett, Professor Jacqueline Stevenson |
| Scheme | Research Grants Program |
| Role | Investigator |
| Funding Start | 2016 |
| Funding Finish | 2016 |
| GNo | G1600939 |
| Type Of Funding | C2110 - Aust Commonwealth - Own Purpose |
| Category | 2110 |
| UON | Y |
Enabling Pedagogies and Transitions $19,950
Funding body: Centre of Excellence for Equity in Higher Education
| Funding body | Centre of Excellence for Equity in Higher Education |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Bennett, A., Motta, S., Burgess, C., Gray, K., Hamilton, E., Relf, B., Leroy-Dyer, S. and Albright, J. |
| Scheme | Grant |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2016 |
| Funding Finish | 2017 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | N |
20152 grants / $234,952
Critical Interventions Framework Part 2$205,262
Funding body: Department of Education
| Funding body | Department of Education |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Doctor Anna Bennett, Ms Belinda Munn, Professor Geoff Whitty, Laureate Professor Jennifer Gore, Professor Max Smith |
| Scheme | Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Programme |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2015 |
| Funding Finish | 2015 |
| GNo | G1501186 |
| Type Of Funding | C2110 - Aust Commonwealth - Own Purpose |
| Category | 2110 |
| UON | Y |
Capability, Belonging and Equity in Higher Education: Developing Inclusive Approaches$29,690
Funding body: National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education (NCSEHE)
| Funding body | National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education (NCSEHE) |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Professor Penny Jane Burke, Doctor Anna Bennett, Associate Professor Seamus Fagan, Mrs Catherine Burgess, Aprof JANE Maguire, Associate Professor Erica Southgate, Doctor Shamus Smith |
| Scheme | Research Grants Program |
| Role | Investigator |
| Funding Start | 2015 |
| Funding Finish | 2015 |
| GNo | G1500360 |
| Type Of Funding | Other Public Sector - Commonwealth |
| Category | 2OPC |
| UON | Y |
20142 grants / $62,336
Overcoming limiting notions of academic capability: strategies to improve the participation and completion rates of students from non-traditional and low socio-economic backgrounds$47,336
Funding body: University of Newcastle
| Funding body | University of Newcastle |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Anna Bennett |
| Scheme | Special Project Grant |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2014 |
| Funding Finish | 2014 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | N |
FACULTY OF EDUCATION AND ARTS STRATEGIC NETWORKS AND PILOT PROJECTS SCHEME$15,000
Funding body: University of Newcastle - Faculty of Education and Arts
| Funding body | University of Newcastle - Faculty of Education and Arts |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Caragh Brosnan |
| Scheme | Strategic Networks Grant |
| Role | Investigator |
| Funding Start | 2014 |
| Funding Finish | 2014 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | N |
20121 grants / $9,077
Establishing effective and sustainable links between Enabling and undergraduate programs by examining the transitions of ELFSC students$9,077
Funding body: University of Newcastle
| Funding body | University of Newcastle |
|---|---|
| Project Team | Anna Bennett |
| Scheme | CTL grant |
| Role | Lead |
| Funding Start | 2012 |
| Funding Finish | 2012 |
| GNo | |
| Type Of Funding | Internal |
| Category | INTE |
| UON | N |
Research Supervision
Number of supervisions
Current Supervision
| Commenced | Level of Study | Research Title | Program | Supervisor Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Masters | Building Science Capability in Higher Education | M Philosophy (Education), Faculty of Education and Arts, The University of Newcastle | Co-Supervisor |
| 2018 | PhD | Home, Hope and the Gatekeepers of Life Long Learning | PhD (Sociology & Anthropology), Faculty of Education and Arts, The University of Newcastle | Co-Supervisor |
| 2018 | PhD | (Re) Constructing the Invisible: Religious and Gendered Subjectivities in Higher Educational Spaces - Aspiration, Access and Impact | PhD (Sociology & Anthropology), Faculty of Education and Arts, The University of Newcastle | Co-Supervisor |
| 2017 | PhD | Notions of Success in Australian Enabling Education | Education, University of Newcastle | Co-Supervisor |
| 2016 | PhD | Professional identities and third space roles in Australian universities | Sociology, University of Newcastle | Co-Supervisor |
| 2016 | PhD | Working within, without and between: identities, power/s and mis/recognitions of Third Space professionals in higher education | PhD (Sociology & Anthropology), Faculty of Education and Arts, The University of Newcastle | Co-Supervisor |
Research Collaborations
The map is a representation of a researchers co-authorship with collaborators across the globe. The map displays the number of publications against a country, where there is at least one co-author based in that country. Data is sourced from the University of Newcastle research publication management system (NURO) and may not fully represent the authors complete body of work.
| Country | Count of Publications | |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | 9 | |
| United Kingdom | 3 | |
| Canada | 2 |
News
Programs that prepare students for university study may no longer be free
May 19, 2017
University deadlines affecting student engagement
April 28, 2017
Dr Anna Bennett
Position
Interim Director
Centre for English Language and Foundation Studies
Academic Division
Contact Details
| anna.bennett@newcastle.edu.au | |
| Phone | (02) 4921 5378 |
Office
| Room | MCLG62 |
|---|---|
| Building | McMullin |
NEWS • May 19.2017
Programs that prepare students for university study may no longer be free
For the first time, students may have to pay up to A$3271 for “enabling” courses, designed to prepare students for university study.
NEWS • Apr 28.2017
University deadlines affecting student engagement
New research from the University of Newcastle reveals equity students in higher education are challenged by institutional expectations about time.