
Associate Professor Michelle Picard
Conjoint Senior Lecturer
School of Education
- Email:michelle.picard@newcastle.edu.au
- Phone:(02) 4921 6536
Career Summary
Biography
Michelle Picard has been working in the fields of Education/Applied Linguistics since 1989. She has taught at every level from Primary and Adult Basic Education and Training to Researcher Education programs to PhD and post-doctoral fellows. Her university work has spanned enabling/Foundation programs, ELICOS, academic language and learning and lecturing within the School of Education.
Michelle has lived and worked in Australia, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, and The Sultanate of Oman and regularly taught programs in Singapore.
Her fields of expertise include all levels of academic literacy development including academic integrity, TESOL, higher education, online learning and English for Academic Purposes. She has supervised 6 PhD students to timely completion in the fields of Education, Applied Linguistics and Media.
Michelle has held a number of leadership positions including Associate Dean of the Faculty of the Professions and Director, Researcher Education at the University of Adelaide, Director of Studies at two ELICOS centres and numerous coordinator positions. She served as Deputy Director within the English Language and Foundation Studies Centre at the University of Newcastle from JUly 2016 to July 2019 and is currently Dean of Teaching and Learning in the College/Faculty of Arts, Business, Law and Social Sciences at Murdoch University although she continued to work with PhD students at the University of Newcastle.
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy, Rhodes University
- Master of Arts, Rhodes University
- Graduate Certificate in Education and Higher Ed, University of Adelaide
Keywords
- Academic Integrity
- Academic Literacies
- Enabling education
- English for Academic Purposes
- Higher Education
- Online learning
- Researcher Education
Languages
- English (Mother)
- French (Fluent)
- Afrikaans (Fluent)
Fields of Research
Code | Description | Percentage |
---|---|---|
130199 | Education Systems not elsewhere classified | 40 |
130103 | Higher Education | 60 |
Professional Experience
Academic appointment
Dates | Title | Organisation / Department |
---|---|---|
2/3/2015 - 22/7/2016 |
Associate Head of Teaching & Learning
Associate Head Learning and Teaching and Graduate Diploma/4th Year Coordinator within the School of Education, Faculty of Arts, The University of Adelaide Advisor for the Integrated Bridging Program-Research (for PHD students) across the University. Responsible for development, coordination and teaching of Masters courses in Adelaide and at offshore partner in Singapore |
The University of Adelaide School of Education Australia |
1/6/2006 - 1/10/2008 |
Integrated Bridging Program-Research Coordinator I coordinated student programs in the Researcher Education Unit. This included the Integrated Bridging Program-Research for international research students from an English as an Additional Language background and workshops for all RHD candidates in writing and communication. |
The University of Adelaide The Adelaide Graduate Centre Australia |
1/8/2003 - 1/6/2006 |
Lecturer and Coordinator I taught and coordinated the English for Special Purposes courses for Sharia Law and Education as part of the Foundation Programs within the University General Requirements Unit. I also spent one year teaching in the Level 2 and Foundation course. |
United Arab Emirates University University General Requirements Unit United Arab Emirates |
25/7/2016 - 22/8/2019 |
Associate Professor and Deputy Director English Language and Foundation Studies Centre Learning and Teaching student and staff development for the English Language and Foundation Studies Centre Quality Assurance Course Enhancement Leader for the whole of UoN from October 2018 to July 2019 |
Office of the DVC (A), The University of Newcastle, Australia Academic Devision Australia |
29/7/2019 - |
Dean, Teaching and Learng Responsible for teaching and learning at a College/Faculty level including staff and student development |
Murdoch University College of Arts, Business, Law and Social Sciences Australia |
Teaching appointment
Dates | Title | Organisation / Department |
---|---|---|
1/10/2007 - 30/1/2009 |
Director of Studies Director of Studies Eynesbury College Academy of English
|
Eynesbury College Academy of English Australia |
2/2/2009 - 2/3/2015 |
Director, Researcher Education Director, Researcher Education and Development across the University
|
The University of Adelaide Adelaide Graduate Centre Australia |
6/5/2013 - 31/12/2014 |
Associate Dean Learning and Teaching Associate Dean Learning and Teaching in the Faculty of the Professions (Associate Professor Level
|
The University of Adelaide Australia |
Publications
For publications that are currently unpublished or in-press, details are shown in italics.
Book (1 outputs)
Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link |
---|---|---|---|
2018 | Moskovsky C, English As a Foreign Language in Saudi Arabia New Insights Into Teaching and Learning English, Routledge, London & New York, 208 (2018) |
Chapter (7 outputs)
Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2019 | Elyas T, Picard M, 'A brief history of English and English teaching in Saudi Arabia', English as a Foreign Language in Saudi Arabia: New Insights into Teaching and Learning English, Routledge, United Kingdom 70-84 (2019) [B1] | ||||
2019 | Picard M, 'The future of EFL and TESOL in Saudi Arabia', English as a Foreign Language in Saudi Arabia: New Insights into Teaching and Learning English, Routledge, United Kingdom 157-178 (2019) [B1] | ||||
2019 |
Moskovsky CG, Picard M, 'Introduction', English as a Foreign Language in Saudi Arabia: New Insights into Teaching and Learning English, Routledge, Abington, UK 1-4 (2019) [B1]
|
||||
Show 4 more chapters |
Journal article (28 outputs)
Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2020 |
Tafazoli D, Picard M, 'Guest editorial: Technology in language education', Quarterly of Iranian Distance Education Journal, 2 i-ii (2020)
|
|||||||
2020 |
Akbar A, Picard M, 'Academic integrity in the Muslim world: a conceptual map of challenges of culture', International Journal for Educational Integrity, 16 (2020) [C1]
|
|||||||
2020 | Warner R, Picard M, 'What do Master s students structured reflections say about the learning processes involved in commencing a research project?', Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice, 17 1-15 (2020) [C1] | |||||||
2019 |
Akbar A, Picard M, 'Understanding plagiarism in Indonesia from the lens of plagiarism policy: Lessons for universities', International Journal for Educational Integrity, 15 1-17 (2019) [C1]
|
|||||||
2019 |
Kaliisa R, Picard M, 'Mobile learning policy and practice in Africa: Towards inclusive and equitable access to higher education', Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 35 1-14 (2019) [C1] © 2019 Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education (ASCILITE). This article presents the results of a review of practice and policy in relation to mobile ... [more] © 2019 Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education (ASCILITE). This article presents the results of a review of practice and policy in relation to mobile learning and its potential to enhance inclusive and equitable access to higher education in Africa. We reviewed academic literature on potential barriers. Then, we explored the current state of the mobile learning policy environment in 10 African countries through an analysis of how these policies have tried to address the prominent challenges in the adoption of mobile learning as identified in the literature. The findings reveal that significant resourcing inequalities and epistemological, sociocultural, and institutional barriers remain and affect mobile learning adoption. The analysis also reveals that there is still a policy vacuum in relation to mobile learning specific policies within African higher education institutional and governmental policies. Thus, the formal integration of mobile learning in higher education to facilitate equitable access is very much in its infancy. This article suggests a strong need for institutional, cross-institutional, national and African-wide mobile learning specific policies to ensure better implementation of mobile learning. As interest in mobile learning continues to grow, this review will provide insights into policy and strategic planning for the adoption of mobile learning to achieve inclusive and equitable access to higher education. Implications for practice or policy:Implications for practice or policy: ¿ Relevant stakeholders such as decision makers in governments and higher educational institutions should play a more proactive role in developing explicit national and local mobile learning policies and guidelines to support inclusive and equitable access to higher education. ¿ The development of mobile learning policies needs to explicitly address and consider the intrinsic economic, social, regional, and gender inequalities existing within African countries.
|
|||||||
2018 | Scobie H, Picard M, 'Embedding mental wellbeing in Australian regional universities: Equity interventions', International Studies in Widening Participation, 5 65-79 (2018) [C1] | |||||||
2017 |
Kaliisa R, Picard M, 'A Systematic Review on Mobile Learning in Higher Education: The African Perspective', TOJET - Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, 16 1-18 (2017) [C1]
|
|||||||
2016 | Picard M, Velautham L, 'Developing Independent Listening Skills for English as an Additional Language Students', International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 28 52-65 (2016) [C1] | |||||||
2015 |
Al Hamdany H, Picard M, 'Narratives of Iraqi adult learners: Experiences of spoken register in English for academic purposes programs at an Australian University', JOURNAL OF ADULT AND CONTINUING EDUCATION, 21 48-71 (2015)
|
|||||||
2013 |
Warner RN, Picard MY, 'All academics facilitating articulated learning for english as an additional language students', Issues in Educational Research, 23 83-96 (2013) This paper develops the concept of articulated learning and relates it to the role of Academic Language and Learning (ALL) academics in facilitating the progress of international ... [more] This paper develops the concept of articulated learning and relates it to the role of Academic Language and Learning (ALL) academics in facilitating the progress of international and other English as an additional language (EAL) students from program to program, between generic, academic and disciplinary skills and from their studies to the work environment. It also describes the ALL role in the development of reflective learning practices which are essential to enable students to problem-solve both academically and professionally. We combine these two elements to extend the theory of articulated learning and explore its value in the internationalisation of higher education. Although it is impossible to detail the vast array of ALL contexts and practices in Australian and international contexts, the case study exemplified in this paper by the Introductory Academic Program enables a clearer definition of the role of ALL practitioners and how they, along with disciplinary counterparts, can best facilitate student learning and achievement.
|
|||||||
2013 |
Elyas T, Picard M, 'Critiquing of higher education policy in Saudi Arabia: Towards a new neoliberalism', Education, Business and Society: Contemporary Middle Eastern Issues, 6 31-41 (2013) Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to critically examine the impact of 9/11 on education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The authors take a historical approach in order to spea... [more] Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to critically examine the impact of 9/11 on education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The authors take a historical approach in order to speak more broadly about higher education policy in Saudi Arabia and show how the post 9/11 context of education in Saudi Arabia has led to a new paradigm in educational policy, which has moved away from what McCarthy et al. call "safe harbors" in schooling and education. Design/methodology/approach: The authors first define neoliberalism and then describe its manifestations and impact on the Saudi Arabian educational context, particularly post-9/11. The authors also describe the arguments against adopting a neoliberal approach and suggest a new neoliberalism that addresses the needs of a glocalized Saudi higher educational community. Findings: A neoliberalism paradigm has been adopted by education policy writers and university academics. In addition, the university learners have enthusiastically embraced neoliberalism and globalization. However, the authors argue that the local conditions make a complete transformation to neoliberalism inappropriate and that, instead, a glocalized form of neoliberalism is required to meet national and individual needs and to ensure the buy-in of local teachers/lecturers. Practical implications: This paper has implications both locally and internationally. It provides insight into the changes that occurred in the educational policy of Saudi Arabia post 9/11. This in turn explains how Saudi Arabia's sudden shift in education gears towards the local market needs. Hence, this "glocalized" neoliberalism could hopefully address the needs of local learners and teachers to operate in a globally competitive environment, as well as address the fears of local critics. Originality/value: This is the first paper in the context of Saudi Arabia that deals with a "Neoliberalism approach" in unpacking the educational policy paradigm shift post 9/11. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
|
|||||||
2013 |
Alhamdany H, Picard M, Maadad N, Darmawan I, 'Spoken register and Iraqi students in an english for academic purposes program', International Journal of Literacies, 19 89-110 (2013) © Common Ground, Hayder Alhamdany, Michelle Picard, Nina Maadad, Igusi Darmawan. This article reports on the survey results of a longitudinal study over the period of a year and a... [more] © Common Ground, Hayder Alhamdany, Michelle Picard, Nina Maadad, Igusi Darmawan. This article reports on the survey results of a longitudinal study over the period of a year and a half into the perceptions of and use of academic register in spoken discourse by 52 Iraqi students at an Australian university in two English for academic purposes (EAP) programs. The results of this study indicate that the participants valued the preenrolment course, and believed that it assisted them in the development of spoken register due to its content and explicit focus on register. The participants appeared to value the English for academic purposes component of their bridging course less in terms of satisfaction with content and instruction in general. However, the explicit focus on register in the bridging English curriculum appeared to affect satisfaction levels with this component of the instruction positively. There was also a clear correlation among variables related to satisfaction with content, satisfaction with instruction, motivation to use spoken register and perceived proficiency in relation to native and non-native speakers. The qualitative data in the survey and interviews indicate that the respondents came to a greater understanding of the varieties of register possible when speaking, and how to use those registers appropriately. They describe how the use of appropriate register is related to daily tasks as well as specific academic tasks and genres. This data supports content-based instruction around specific tasks and activities when teaching spoken register and other EAP content. It also supports the literature which suggests that adults tend to favor practical learning activities and materials. We therefore suggest that EAP courses that consist of various stages should be carefully designed to become sequentially more disciplinarily and practically focused to provide the students with the disciplinary and generic academic English skills and content they require.
|
|||||||
2012 |
Elyas T, Picard MY, 'Teaching and moral tradition in Saudi Arabia: a paradigm of struggle or pathway towards globalization?', CYPRUS INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH (CY-ICER-2012), 47 1083-1086 (2012)
|
|||||||
2012 |
Elyas T, Picard M, 'Towards a Globalized Notion of English Language Teaching in Saudi Arabia: A Case Study', Asian EFL Journal, 14 99-124 (2012) This paper uses one case study at a Saudi Arabian university to illustrate the effects of competing Discourses on the identities of English language teachers in this context. Thro... [more] This paper uses one case study at a Saudi Arabian university to illustrate the effects of competing Discourses on the identities of English language teachers in this context. Through an unpacking of their language teaching narratives, the notion of 'global' English language teaching emerges as a way of potentially resolving these conflicting identities/Discourses.
|
|||||||
2012 |
Guerin C, Picard M, 'Try it on: Voice, concordancing and text-matching in doctoral writing', INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR EDUCATIONAL INTEGRITY, 8 34-45 (2012)
|
|||||||
2011 |
Alyousef HS, Picard MY, 'Cooperative or collaborative literacy practices: Mapping metadiscourse in a business students' Wiki group project', Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 27 463-480 (2011) Although wikis have been used successfully in collaborative learning in higher education, there is a lack of research investigating wikis in business module assessment tasks. Litt... [more] Although wikis have been used successfully in collaborative learning in higher education, there is a lack of research investigating wikis in business module assessment tasks. Little research to date has been conducted on how wikis formatively develop international English as a second language (ESL) in business students' academic discourse. In this case study, students' use of a wiki in an assessment task in the Intermediate Financial Reporting (IFR) module is examined. This study is framed by Hyland and Tse (2004) and Hyland's (2005, 2010) models for the analysis of metadiscourse markers in IFR discourse. The findings of the interviews showed that although students collaborated and cooperated together to do the task, they favoured cooperative over collaborative learning. The linguistic analysis findings showed that the use of interpersonal metadiscourse features varied in the wiki discussion pages versus the report, indicating the students' awareness of their audience and the different genres, although the textual features of the wiki discussion pages resembled those of the report. The study is significant as it is the first to explore wikis' epistemological effects on Master of Commerce students' learning and it could potentially assist in the enhancement of wikis as a learning tool in profession-related courses, particularly those with high numbers of international, ESL students.
|
|||||||
2010 |
Elyas T, Picard M, 'Saudi Arabian educational history: Impacts on English language teaching', Education, Business and Society: Contemporary Middle Eastern Issues, 3 136-145 (2010) Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to critically examine the history of education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its impact on modern teaching practices. It explores the re... [more] Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to critically examine the history of education in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its impact on modern teaching practices. It explores the relationship between traditional practices, teacher identity and English language teaching within an increasingly complex context. Design/methodology/approach: The authors undertake a critical review of education in Saudi Arabia utilising critical reflexivity and their local social knowledge as a means of interrogating practice, research of the field, and related texts. Findings: The paper indicates a direct link between historical teaching practices in early Saudi Arabia and the current teaching of English. It suggests the concept of "hybridity" as one way for local English teachers to construct identities that meet the contextual challenges. Practical implications: This paper has implications both locally and internationally. It provides insight into teaching practices preferred by teachers and students in an Arabian context. This in turn has the potential to inform policy and curriculum development by local educators and foreign contractors in Saudi Arabia that take teacher and student identity into consideration. It also facilitates a more nuanced understanding of their Saudi Arabian students by Western educators and administrators. Originality/value: Although work has been done on teacher identity in Saudi Arabia and limited studies have examined the impact of English as a global language, this is the first study to examine the interplay between historical praxis, teacher identity and the conflicting pressures of teaching English in this context. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
|
|||||||
2009 |
Velautham L, Picard MY, 'Collaborating equals: Engaging faculties through teaching-led research', JOURNAL OF ACADEMIC LANGUAGE AND LEARNING, 3 A130-A141 (2009)
|
|||||||
Show 25 more journal articles |
Conference (7 outputs)
Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018 |
Shaw KM, Picard M, 'Examining the success of contemporary Researcher Development programs from a social justice perspective: An integrative review.', Adelaide (2018)
|
||||
2018 |
Picard M, Fudge A, Bilic S, Cooper S, 'Academic Integrity: An Educative and Equitable Approach in Enabling Pathway Programs', Research and Development in Higher Education: [Re] Valuing Higher Education Vol. 41, Convention Centre, Adelaide, Australia (2018) [E1]
|
||||
2017 |
Picard M, Hunt JW, 'Institutional and pedagogical approaches towards supporting student resilience.', Glenelg, South Australia (2017)
|
||||
Show 4 more conferences |
Other (1 outputs)
Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link |
---|---|---|---|
2017 | Picard M, McCulloch A, 'Quality in Postgraduate Research QPR2016', Society, economy and communities, people not just paper to ensure 21st century innovations in doctoral education : An editorial introduction ( pp.6-7). Adelaide: The QPR Organising Committee (2017) |
Report (1 outputs)
Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link |
---|---|---|---|
2012 | Velliaris D, Palmer E, Picard M, Guerin C, Smith S, Green I, Miller J, 'Australian tertiary learning and teaching scholarship and research 2007 2012', HERDSA (2012) |
Thesis / Dissertation (1 outputs)
Year | Citation | Altmetrics | Link |
---|---|---|---|
2007 | Picard M, Academic Literacy Right from the Start?: A Critical Realist Study of the Way University Literacy is Constructed at a Gulf University, Rhodes University (2007) |
Grants and Funding
Summary
Number of grants | 5 |
---|---|
Total funding | $89,680 |
Click on a grant title below to expand the full details for that specific grant.
20181 grants / $13,680
Enablers and barriers to an equitable Higher Degrees by Research learning environment$13,680
Funding body: University of Newcastle - Centre of Excellence for Equity in Higher Education
Funding body | University of Newcastle - Centre of Excellence for Equity in Higher Education |
---|---|
Project Team | Dr Kylie Shaaw; Associate Professor Michelle Picard |
Scheme | Excellence in Teaching for Equity in Higher Education Grant |
Role | Investigator |
Funding Start | 2018 |
Funding Finish | 2018 |
GNo | |
Type Of Funding | Internal |
Category | INTE |
UON | N |
20141 grants / $2,000
Guidelines to support and advance network engagement for members of professional associations and networks$2,000
Funding body: Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education (ascilite)
Funding body | Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education (ascilite) |
---|---|
Project Team | Palmer, E. Picard, M.Y & Miller, J |
Scheme | Innovation Grant |
Role | Investigator |
Funding Start | 2014 |
Funding Finish | 2016 |
GNo | |
Type Of Funding | External |
Category | EXTE |
UON | N |
20121 grants / $20,000
Towards a Thesis Assessment Matrix: assessing research across disciplinary and publication format boundaries$20,000
Funding body: The University of Adelaide
Funding body | The University of Adelaide |
---|---|
Project Team | Picard, M, Velautham, L & Talukdar, J |
Scheme | Faculty of Professions Momentum Fund Grant |
Role | Lead |
Funding Start | 2012 |
Funding Finish | 2012 |
GNo | |
Type Of Funding | Internal |
Category | INTE |
UON | N |
20111 grants / $50,000
HERDSA Review of Australian Learning and Teaching Scholarship and Research$50,000
Funding body: The Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia (HERDSA)
Funding body | The Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia (HERDSA) |
---|---|
Project Team | Palmer, E, Picard, M, Green, I, Guerin, C, Miller, Velliaris, D and Smith, S |
Scheme | Contracted review of Australian Learning and Teaching Scholarship and Research |
Role | Investigator |
Funding Start | 2011 |
Funding Finish | 2012 |
GNo | |
Type Of Funding | Grant - Aust Non Government |
Category | 3AFG |
UON | N |
20101 grants / $4,000
Developing every day and academic listening skills: online, adaptable self-access materials for EAL students$4,000
Funding body: Association for Academic Language and Learning
Funding body | Association for Academic Language and Learning |
---|---|
Project Team | Picard, M.Y & Velautham, L |
Scheme | AALL Research and Resource Development Grant |
Role | Lead |
Funding Start | 2010 |
Funding Finish | 2010 |
GNo | |
Type Of Funding | Grant - Aust Non Government |
Category | 3AFG |
UON | N |
Research Supervision
Number of supervisions
Past Supervision
Year | Level of Study | Research Title | Program | Supervisor Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
2016 | PhD |
Towards a comprehensive model of English as a second language learning and teaching in the Malaysian independent Chinese secondary schools <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="855"><colgroup><col width="102" /><col width="24" /><col width="180" /><col width="398" /><col width="119" /><col width="32" /></colgroup><tbody><tr height="114"><td class="xl65" colspan="6" height="114" style="border-right:.5pt solid black;height:85.5pt;width:642pt;" width="855">T<span style="color:#000000;">his quantitative study examines the impact of student, teacher and school factors on Senior 1 students' English as a second language proficiency in the Malaysian Independent Chinese Secondary Schools. This study shows that students' motivation, attentiveness, the use of deep and surface learning approaches as well as the student-focused teaching approaches and school size directly influence on students' English proficiency. This study shows that students’ motivation, attentiveness, the use of deep and surface learning approaches as well as the student-focused teaching approaches and school size directly</span> <span style="color:#000000;">influence</span><span style="color:#000000;"> students’ English proficiency.</span></td></tr></tbody></table> |
Education, The University of Adelaide | Principal Supervisor |
2016 | PhD |
Towards and effective Integration of ICT in an EFL Setting in a Vietnamese Higher Education Context <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="855"><colgroup><col width="102" /><col width="24" /><col width="180" /><col width="398" /><col width="119" /><col width="32" /></colgroup><tbody><tr height="114"><td class="xl65" colspan="6" height="114" style="border-right:.5pt solid black;height:85.5pt;width:642pt;" width="855">This thesis explores English as a Foreign Language university teacher experiences and practices of integrating Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in their teaching in a higher education institution in Vietnam using a critical realist theoretical framework and focused ethnography. <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="855"><colgroup><col width="102" /><col width="24" /><col width="180" /><col width="398" /><col width="119" /><col width="32" /></colgroup><tbody><tr height="80"><td class="xl68" colspan="6" height="80" style="border-right:.5pt solid black;height:60.0pt;width:642pt;" width="855">The Responsive-Adaptive-Timely model is proposed to facilitate EFL university teacher’s flexible and effective ICT integration to meet student needs and expectations. Factors enabling effective and flexible integration of ICT are their teaching passion, a thirst for further ICT training opportunities and networking opportunities. Barriers to ICT integration are a lack of strong policy vision and practical professional development schemes for teachers.</td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table> |
Education, The University of Adelaide | Principal Supervisor |
2015 | PhD |
An exploration of perceptions and applications of spoken register: Iraqi students at a South Australian University. Register is a term used to describe how people use language to express different shades of meaning and thereby achieve a particular purpose or function within a particular social setting. In order to explain the processes involved in learning appropriate register, systemic functional linguists use three terms: field, tenor and mode. Anecdotal evidence as well as a range of research studies suggests that misunderstandings between lecturers and university students with English as an Additional Language (EAL) occur frequently. This is particularly important in spoken language where the student does not have the time to check their errors and self-correct. The literature suggests that register is often an issue for Arabic students studying in Western contexts, but most of it focuses on writing not speaking. As an Iraqi student myself, I wanted to see how spoken register affected Iraqi students studying in Australia. As an English teacher, I wanted to know how to teach academic register most appropriately to this cohort. Therefore, my PhD project focuses on a group of Iraqi students who studied a Masters in water management and agriculture at an Australian university. To help them with their English, they first attended English preparatory courses at the English Language Centre (called GEAP and PEP). Then they took some undergraduate disciplinary courses alongside a Bridging English course (BP) in preparation for their year of academic studies at a Masters level. I explore the three programs: The GEAP/PEP and the BP (English component) in terms of the application of register in the Programs and the students’ perceptions and/or experiences of register while undertaking the programs. In order to explore the students’ perceptions of register, I analysed survey data (predominantly open-ended) from all 52 respondents and from follow up interviews with 15 of them which I thematically analysed using qualitative analysis software (NVivo10). For application, I analysed the publically available curriculum and materials used to teach the course using Critical Discourse Analysis. The reason for using this methodology was that it allowed me to focus on the specific linguistic choices, layout and structure of a text while at the same time exploring the social and historical reasons for these choices (Janks 1997). I also used a thematic analysis of interview data from the Australian English teachers who taught these students in the various programs. The student perception data revealed that the respondents strongly preferred the two English Language Centre courses the GEAP and more specifically the PEP because of their increasingly explicit focus on register for academic and non-academic purposes, the intercultural communication made possible by the different nationalities in the class and its practical discipline- appropriate activities. They criticised the BP because it was too long, focussed on Business English and therefore was inappropriate to their academic and disciplinary needs. Also, they did not like the fact that the cohort was only Iraqi students. An additional finding from the interview data was that mature-aged students have a particular need to take control of their own learning and become integrated within the learning and social environment. The critical discourse analysis data and the interviews with the PEP teachers showed that the PEP curriculum had a progressive development of academic skills, genres and registers through tasks and interactions and this was spelt out explicitly in the PEP Student Handbook (the de facto curriculum for the course). The Handbook also revealed an active learning approach and an awareness of the role culture(s) play in developing academic and other registers. In the BP, on the other hand, there was less explicit information on genres, registers and cultures and the documentation mainly appears relevant to a different discipline (English within the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences) rather than the students’ discipline of agriculture within the Faculty of Sciences. This study suggests that in order to enhance academic register for EAL students, English courses need to be explicit, active and increasingly disciplinary and the students must be culturally integrated into the disciplines, university environment and local culture. This qualitative and interpretative study provides a rich and detailed description of the process of learning English and acquiring academic register and academic cultures. It is significant as it is the first study to focus on spoken register and the Iraqi cohort emerging from a conflict situation and relative isolation into a western academic environment. |
Education, The University of Adelaide | Principal Supervisor |
2015 | PhD | Voice and Representation: A Postcolonial Approach to Higher Education Promotional Media and the International Postgraduate Student Experience | Communication & Media Studies, The University of Adelaide | Co-Supervisor |
2014 | PhD |
Investigating international postgraduate business students’ multimodal literacy and numeracy practices: a multidimensional approach. The purpose of this ethnographic case study is to document multimodal literacy and numeracy practices of seven Saudi postgraduate students enrolled in the Master of Commerce Accounting program at the University of Adelaide, Australia. Specifically, it aims to investigate the interrelated dimensions of multimodal texts, literacy and numeracy practices, and contexts. The study employs a multidimensional framework for researching the participants’ literacy and numeracy practices in three course modules: Accounting Concepts and Methods, Principles of Finance, and Management Accounting. The study includes a metadiscourse analysis of collaborative wiki literacy practices in the Intermediate Financial Reporting module. The framework consists of three stages of analysis: description of literacy and numeracy requirements, description of literacy events and participants’ actual practices and their experiences, and a Systemic Functional Multimodal Discourse Analysis (SF-MDA) of Business texts. The analysis of the study is primarily based on Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL) (Halliday, 1985; Halliday & Hasan, 1976; Halliday & Matthiessen, 2004). The findings of the case study revealed the academic literacy and numeracy practices students were expected to manage with in key topics in the business modules. The analysis of the three accounting modules and the online literacy practices revealed the multimodal and multisemiotic nature of accounting discourse, diversity of text type, the literacy and numeracy practices, and features of collaborative learning. The multiple-perspective framework has implications for the investigation of tertiary students’ literacy practices in other disciplines with the application of an SF-MDA of financial statements, graphs, and mathematical symbolism. |
Linguistics, The University of Adelaide | Co-Supervisor |
2010 | PhD |
Diverging identities: a ’contextualised’ exploration of the interplay of competing discourses in two Saudi university classrooms here has been considerable debate in recent years and criticism levelled both from inside and outside sources at the English curriculum in Saudi Arabia (Al-Ahaydib, 1996; Al-Eid, 2000; Al-Hazmi, 2003; Al-Khazim, 2003; Al-Qahatani, 2003; Al-Asmari, 2008; Alamri, 2008; Elyas, 2009a, 2009b). As the future English school teachers, Saudi University students studying English in Saudi higher institutions and the pedagogies employed by their lecturers are of particular interest in this regard. Some work has been done on Arabic students studying English in other Gulf countries (Al-Balushi, 1999; Al-Brashi, 2003; Syed, 2003; Al-Issa, 2005, Clarke, 2006, 2007, 2008a, 2008b, 2008c, 2009, 2010), on the social-cultural aspects of attitudes towards learning English as a language and the effect of English culture(s) on Saudi Arabian students and teachers (Al-Ahaydib, 1996; Al-Jarf, 2004, Al-Hag & Samdi, 1996; Al-Qahatani, 2003; Al-Asmari, 2008, Elyas, 2007, 2008a, 2008b, 2008c). However, a detailed unpacking of the different cultural influences (both Islamic and Western), and how they are evidenced in policy documents, curriculum, textbooks and pedagogy, remains relatively unexplored (Elyas, 2009b). In addition, the effect of the various influences on the teachers‘ professional identities, and the students‘ learning identities has not been dealt with prior to this thesis. The thesis employs a multi-facetted approach drawing on the areas of identity theory, narrative theory, motivation theory and Critical Discourse Analysis in order to obtain a deeper understanding of the target and sensitive topic. The design of this research is based on a case study of two university English classes (including both teachers and students) of a particular university in Saudi Arabia. The data include transcription of focus groups discussions, in-depth interviews with the teachers, policy documents, curriculum and textbooks, surveys of students‘ attitude towards the English language and culture, classroom observations and student‘s written narrative of their ESL stories. Data analysis methods include Critical Discourse Analysis, narrative theory, thematic analysis according to axes of identity and power (Foucault, 1997a, 1997d, 1980, 1983b, 1984, 1997; Gee, 1996, 2002, May, 2005; O‘Leary, 2002), motivation theories, and statistical analysis of the quantitative data. This thesis shows that, although the characterization of English teaching as operating with a "clash of civilization" (Huntington, 1993, 1997, Ratnawati, 2005) is perhaps too simplistic, a clear distinction can be made between opposing cultural forces which cause conflict in the Saudi Arabian University teaching and learning environment. This thesis provides a unique insight into the interplay of competing "Discourses" (Gee, 1999, p.7) within this context. |
Linguistics, The University of Adelaide | Principal Supervisor |
Associate Professor Michelle Picard
Position
Conjoint Senior Lecturer
School of Education
Faculty of Education and Arts
Contact Details
michelle.picard@newcastle.edu.au | |
Phone | (02) 4921 6536 |
Mobile | 0418531553 |
Link | Google+ |
Office
Room | LC 3.23 (Language Centre) |
---|