Dr Deborah Trevallion
Honorary Lecturer
School of Education
- Email:deborah.trevallion@newcastle.edu.au
- Phone:(02) 4921 7932
Changing the professional identity linked to the way teachers think
Dr Deborah Trevallion is building the teachers’ of tomorrow’s skills in problem solving teaching methods that promote higher order thinking skills, innovation and creativity in their lives and their classrooms.
Dr Deborah Trevallion is equipping University of Newcastle technology education students with the practices needed to help secondary school students cope with the rapid changes occurring in the world today. Her research focuses on finding new ways to shape teacher’s professional identities that support curriculum and other changes that are frequently thrust upon them in an ever-changing world.
Deborah’s work ensures the education students leave university using the higher order thinking skills needed to mold the minds of school students into problem solvers.
Deborah works in Technology Education which encompasses computing, graphics and multimedia technologies, food technologies, textiles technologies, engineering technologies, STEM and industrial technologies. The challenge she faces is changing university teaching students’ mindsets from one focused on lock-step manufacturing to one of innovation, sustainability and problem solving using emerging technologies.
“My job is to change the professional identity of students, alter their thinking and to show them that the curriculum is so much richer when you can include in a lesson not only the skills need to make something but also the design, technology, maths, engineering and science behind it.”
For her thesis Deborah designed a model to evolve Technology Education students thinking from a manufacturing perspective to a design based, problem solving perspective. The model involves education students firstly observing a variety of styles of teaching, reflecting, evaluating and e-Journaling their observations before discussing them openly in the classroom. They then participate in authentic problem solving activities in actual communities of practice. The university students then use what they learned to micro teach the Technology Mandatory syllabus in schools.
“I ask them to compare what they saw and inevitably they notice that the students in the skills based lesson are bored and disengaged and are quite the opposite in the problem solving lesson,” Deborah said.
“A problem solving approach allows the students to think through the difficulty themselves and research how to solve it, before manufacturing and evaluating the solution, rather than being drip fed information by the teacher. It’s an entirely more engaging and effective way to teach in this area.”
Looking at how to incorporate this model of teaching into other curriculum areas experiencing change is the focus of Deborah’s current research. She is also researching alternative methods of assessment in STEM subjects.
“STEM is difficult to assess as it’s about collaborative and autonomous learning in rich settings. It is about increasing student motivation, moving their thinking forward and solving problems in innovative ways that use a combination of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. How do you assess whether students have achieved all of this?” Deborah asked.
Deborah is on the board of the International Journal of Innovation Creativity and Change and has written a chapter on changing the professional identity of food technology teachers in the book Global Perspectives on Food Technology Education published by Springer. Her Excel study guides in Design and Technology were best sellers.
Impacting students lives
Deborah coordinates a number of undergraduate and postgraduate courses and programs at the University of Newcastle, which means her work has a flow on effect that impacts students and families around Australia.
“My success lies in the university students that go out and teach in schools, as they will help grow the minds of Australia’s children,” she said.
“Change is constant and we have to teach children how to be able to cope with that. I think the reason why we have so many mental health problems is because so much change is forced upon children at a rapid rate. But if we can teach them to cope with change and give them a problem solving approach to everything they will be better equipped to handle life. I believe what we are doing is essential.”
Deborah was the recipient of the highly prestigious Amy and King O’Malley scholarship in 2016 – 2018. One of the main criteria of the award was the ability to impact Australian society for the better.
“My passion lies in helping people become the best that they can be,’ Deborah said.
What motivates Deborah is hearing how her students put their learning to work in their own classrooms and lives. One of her students recently put their problem solving skills to use in an example that shows how innovative thinking can solve real world problems.
“One of my technology education students visited her family in the Torres Strait Islands and found that the traditional fishing village was finding it harder and harder to catch fish as stocks dwindled,” she said. “My student devised a way to catch fish further from the usual fishing zones using a drone with a net attached to it. This is a classic example of problem solving with technology.”
Deborah’s vision for the future is that she would like to see students finish school as life long learners with a passion for learning and solving problems by working through a process they have been taught. However her fear is that teaching Technology Education is being slowly devalued .
“Skill based classes, which are a necessary part of problem solving, are becoming too expensive for schools and universities to run. My fear is that the direction we are going, will see students design things on paper using CAD rather than creating the material based solutions with their hands.”
Changing the professional identity linked to the way teachers think
Dr Deborah Trevallion is building the teachers’ of tomorrow’s skills in problem solving teaching methods that promote higher order thinking skills, innovation and creativity in their lives and their classrooms.Dr Deborah Trevallion is equipping University of Newcastle technology education students…
Career Summary
Biography
The area of Gifted Education
Qualifications
- Doctor of Education, Griffith University
- Certificate in Design and Technology, University of Sydney
- Bachelor of Education (Home Science/Textiles Educ), Newcastle College of Advanced Education
- Master of Education - Teaching Gifted Children, Charles Sturt University
- DATA Education Certificate, University of Sydney
Keywords
- Education
Publications
For publications that are currently unpublished or in-press, details are shown in italics.
Book (2 outputs)
Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link |
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2011 | Trevallion DL, Trimmer R, Design and technology, Pascal Press, Glebe, 227 (2011) [A4] | ||
2001 | Trevallion DL, Strazzari S, Excel HSC & Preliminary Design and Technology, Pascal Press, Glebe, 232 (2001) |
Chapter (3 outputs)
Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | ||
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2024 |
Trevallion D, 'Food technology and 21st century learning', Food Futures in Education and Society, Routledge, Abingdon, Oxon 116-132 (2024) [B1]
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Nova | |||
2020 |
Trevallion D, 'Changing the Professional Identity of Food Technology Teachers in New South Wales, Australia', Food Education and Food Technology in School Curricula, International Perspectives, Springer, Springer Nature Switzerland 167-183 (2020) [B1]
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Nova | |||
2018 |
Trevallion D, Sellars M, 'Technology Education and the Australian Curriculum', Numeracy in Authentic Contexts: Making Meaning Across the Curriculum, Springer, Singapore 405-422 (2018) [B1]
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Nova |
Journal article (9 outputs)
Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2020 | Trevallion D, 'Human Enhancing Technology Fast Tech Suits', International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change., 13 10-20 (2020) [C1] | Nova | |||
2020 |
Cusanelli LN, Trevallion D, 'Using technology for productive, creative purpose', International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change, 13 1-12 (2020) [C1] In this article, we explore how creativity is impacted, positively and negatively by educational technology, as fundamental constructs of 21st century education. Creativity is one... [more] In this article, we explore how creativity is impacted, positively and negatively by educational technology, as fundamental constructs of 21st century education. Creativity is one of the most important and noted skills for success in the 21st century and it is essential to ensure its productivity. This article offers clear definitions of technology and creativity and suggest how ones creative productivity can be impacted upon due to a failure to recognise poorly developed technological skills. Students require time to learn the required technological skills and freely available software. Time must be devoted to learning the functions of the program application before developing creative solutions to problems. It is suggested that effective infusion of creativity and technology in education must begin with building technological skills before moving to a problem solving or a STEM approach to learning that builds creativity. This article provides practical implications with broad recommendations and builds discourse around infusion of creative thinking and technology in 21st century educational systems.
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Nova | |||
2020 | Trevallion D, Trevallion T, 'STEM: Design, Implement and Evaluate', International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change, 14 1-29 (2020) [C1] | Nova | |||
2018 |
Trevallion DL, 'The Changing Professional Identity of Pre-service Technology Education Students.', International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change., 4 1-15 (2018) [C1]
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Nova | |||
2015 | Trevallion DL, 'Concept mapping: A tool to analyse the development of a technology teachers professional identity.', International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change, 2 23-38 (2015) [C1] | Nova | |||
2015 |
Trevallion D, 'Concept mapping: A tool to analyse the development of a Technology teachers' professional identity', International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change, 2 159-180 (2015) The advancement of a student's professional identity as a Technology Teacher is essential to grasping Technology education and framing future Technology education research.Th... [more] The advancement of a student's professional identity as a Technology Teacher is essential to grasping Technology education and framing future Technology education research.The aim of this research is to examine the professional identity transition that occurs for students' over the course of a technology teacher education pre-service program and to determine the factors that contribute to a successful transition. It will examine the student's initial identity as a trade worker, trace their identity, knowledge, skill, values and attitudes developed during their first course in a Technology Teacher pre service university program. This study uses concept mapping as a way to examine the professional identity change of Technology students moving from a technical/trade worker to a Technology teacher. This study suggests that a student's tertiary education should be focused on them developing their identity as a professional Technology teacher. The influences on the development of this identity, both positively and negatively, will direct future research in Technology education. |
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2015 |
Trevallion D, 'The importance of Reflective journaling as a research tool used to analyse the professional identity of pre service Technology teachers', International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change, 2 97-110 (2015) The advancement of a tertiary student's professional identity as a technology teacher is essential to grasping Technology education concepts and framing future Technology edu... [more] The advancement of a tertiary student's professional identity as a technology teacher is essential to grasping Technology education concepts and framing future Technology education research. The aim of this research is to examine the professional identity transition that occurs for students' over the course of a technology teacher education pre-service program and to determine the factors that contribute to a successful transition. It will examine the student's initial identity as a trade worker, trace their identity, knowledge, skill, values and attitudes developed during their first course in a Technology Teacher pre service university program. This study is a part of a larger study. This study uses online journaling during their first technology foundation course, as a way to examine the professional identity change of Technology students moving from a technical/trade worker to a Technology teacher. The journaling is time-lined against specific pedagogies in order to gain insight into the impact on the Technology teachers developing professional identity. Analysis is carried out using the Most Significant Change technique (MSC) (Davies & Dart, 2005). MSC is a technique for monitoring and evaluating change. This study suggests that a student's tertiary education should be focused on them developing their identity as a professional Technology teacher. A technology teacher's understanding of the nature of technology heavily influences their professional identity, their perceptions of technology education and consequently shapes their teaching practice. The influences on the development of this identity, both positively and negatively, will direct pedagogues used in their teaching preparation and will also direct future research in Technology education. |
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2015 | Trevallion DL, 'The importance of Reflective Journaling as a research tool used to analyse the professional identity of pre service Technology Teachers', International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change., 2 103-116 (2015) [C1] | Nova | |||
Show 6 more journal articles |
Conference (12 outputs)
Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link |
---|---|---|---|
2016 | Trevallion DL, 'Using Online Journaling and Most Significant Change Technique to Examine the Professional Identity Development of Pre-service Technology Teachers.', http://tenzcon.org/2015-conference/2015-conference-papers/, Hamilton, New Zealand (2016) [E1] | Nova | |
2014 | Trevallion DL, Owen D, 'Analysing the Australian Obesity epidemic's role in the "design and Technologies national curriculum', 8th Biennial Conference on Technology EducationResearch, Masonic Conference and Functions Centre, Sydney, Australia (2014) [E1] | Nova | |
2014 | Trevallion DL, Hamed AH, 'Bring your own device (BYOD) and the Digital Technology curriculum', 8th Biennial Technological Conference on Technology Education Research (TERC), Masonic Conference and Functions Centre, Sydney, Australia (2014) [E1] | Nova | |
2013 | Trevallion DL, Trevallion DL, 'Identity theft! Changing the professional identity of Technology Education teachers', Book of Abstracts. Eapril 2013 Conference, Biel/Bienne, Switzerland (2013) [E3] | ||
2013 | Trevallion DL, Trevallion DL, Owen D, Gayner D, Jones N, Eade L, 'Using Design Thinking to raise the status of Technology Education', PATT27 Technology Education for the Future: A play on Sustainability, Christchurch, New Zealand (2013) [E1] | Nova | |
2013 | Trevallion DL, Eade L, Jones N, Gayner D, Owen D, Gayner D, 'Identity Theft! Are New Age Teachers changing the identity of the Technology Teacher?', PATT27 Technology Education for the future:A play on sustainability, Christchurch, New Zealand (2013) [E1] | Nova | |
2012 | Trevallion DL, Owen DM, ''The Technologies' curriculum area as is manifested within Australian curriculum, assessment and reporting authority', Exploration of Best Practice in Technology, Design & Engineering Education. Combining the 7th Biennial International Conference on Technology Education Research (TERC), The 50th Celebration Industrial, Gold Coast, QLD (2012) [E1] | Nova | |
2005 | Trevallion DL, 'Underachievement: A model for improving academic direction in schools', AARE 2004 Conference Papers Collection, Melbourne, Australia (2005) [E2] | ||
2004 | Trevallion DL, 'Underachievement: An investigation of a model for improving academic direction in schools', Abstracts of Papers, Melbourne (2004) [E3] | ||
2004 | Grushka KM, Trevallion DL, 'Reflecting on an industry retraining teacher education program which is confronting change imperatives and addressing the issues of sustaining curriculum innovation in schools', Conference Paper, Gold Coast, Australia (2004) [E2] | ||
2004 | Grushka KM, Trevallion DL, 'Sustaining quality industry retraining technology education: Reflecting on an industry retraining teacher education program', Learning for Innovation in Technology Education, Gold Coast (2004) [E2] | ||
2004 | Trevallion DL, 'A Whole School Perspective on GATS Education in 2004', Optimizing Outcomes in Gifted Education, Sydney (2004) [E2] | ||
Show 9 more conferences |
Software / Code (1 outputs)
Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link |
---|---|---|---|
2012 | Trevallion DL, Trevallion DL, 'Fast suits and Olympic swimming: Reducing drag and breaking records', http://theconversation.edu.au/fast-suits-and-olympic-swimming-reducing-drag-and-breaking-records-7960 (2012) |
Other (1 outputs)
Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link |
---|---|---|---|
2014 | Trevallion DL, 'Connecting to Australia's first Digital Technologies Curriculum', : The Conversation Media Group (2014) [O1] |
Grants and Funding
Summary
Number of grants | 3 |
---|---|
Total funding | $6,435 |
Click on a grant title below to expand the full details for that specific grant.
20201 grants / $2,500
2020 FEDUA 'Finish that Output' scheme funding$2,500
Funding body: Faculty of Education and Arts, University of Newcastle
Funding body | Faculty of Education and Arts, University of Newcastle |
---|---|
Project Team | Dr D Trevallion |
Scheme | FEDUA 'Finish that Output' scheme |
Role | Lead |
Funding Start | 2020 |
Funding Finish | 2020 |
GNo | |
Type Of Funding | Internal |
Category | INTE |
UON | N |
20081 grants / $3,400
2008 Equity Research Fellowship - Research Grant$3,400
Funding body: University of Newcastle
Funding body | University of Newcastle |
---|---|
Project Team | Doctor Deborah Trevallion |
Scheme | Equity Research Fellowship |
Role | Lead |
Funding Start | 2008 |
Funding Finish | 2008 |
GNo | G0188212 |
Type Of Funding | Internal |
Category | INTE |
UON | Y |
20041 grants / $535
AARE 2004, 28 Nov - 4 Dec 2004, Melbourne$535
Funding body: University of Newcastle
Funding body | University of Newcastle |
---|---|
Project Team | Doctor Deborah Trevallion |
Scheme | Travel Grant |
Role | Lead |
Funding Start | 2004 |
Funding Finish | 2004 |
GNo | G0184591 |
Type Of Funding | Internal |
Category | INTE |
UON | Y |
Research Supervision
Number of supervisions
Current Supervision
Commenced | Level of Study | Research Title | Program | Supervisor Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
2020 | PhD | Problem Based Learning in STEM Education | PhD (Education), College of Human and Social Futures, The University of Newcastle | Co-Supervisor |
Dr Deborah Trevallion
Position
Honorary Lecturer
School of Education
College of Human and Social Futures
Contact Details
deborah.trevallion@newcastle.edu.au | |
Phone | (02) 4921 7932 |
Fax | (02) 4921 7887 |
Office
Room | HA67 |
---|---|
Building | Hunter Building |
Location | Callaghan University Drive Callaghan, NSW 2308 Australia |