Media releases

Research into the effectiveness of Teacher Performance Assessments – which certify whether a graduate is ready to teach – has earnt a Federation University Australia academic one of the most prestigious scholarships in the world.

Associate Professor Robyn Brandenburg has been awarded a Fulbright Research and Teaching Scholarship – the first time the scholarship has been awarded to a Federation University academic in the university’s history.

The prestigious award will allow Associate Professor Brandenburg from the School of Education to complete a major research project into initial teacher education over three months at Montclair State University in the United States.

Graduating teachers in Australia and the United States are required to complete a Teacher Performance Assessment in their final year and completion of this assessment certifies that the graduates are ‘ready to teach’.    

Associate Professor Brandenburg’s research will explore the effectiveness of Teacher Performance Assessments and the learning outcomes for students, researchers and teacher educators.

Her approach to teacher education is to seek effective, often innovative solutions, through team building and find appropriate solutions to educational challenges.

The full title of her research project is The Effectiveness of Teacher Education Programs Designed To Meet Graduating Teacher Performance Assessment Standards: A Comparative Mixed Methods Design (Australia and the United States). 

Since its establishment in 1946, the Fulbright Program has grown to become the largest educational exchange scholarship program in the world, operating in more than 160 countries.

Associate Professor Brandenburg is the Associate Dean of Research in the School of Education at Federation University and President of the Australian Teacher Education Association.

Quotes attributable to Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Helen Bartlett

 “The significance of this Fulbright Scholarship cannot be overstated. Associate Professor Robyn Brandenburg has been awarded one of the most coveted and esteemed scholarships in international academia.”

 "This is our university’s first Fulbright Scholarship but it certainly won’t be our last – we are very focused on developing our research capabilities and expanding our impact locally and around the world.”

 Quotes attributable to Associate Professor Robyn Brandenburg

 “It truly is an absolute honour to be awarded Federation’s first Fulbright Scholarship. These Scholarships have a major impact nationally and globally. I believe it's a privilege to teach and that everybody is entitled to a quality education.”

 “Global attention continues to focus on the quality of teaching, teacher quality, teacher education programs and the readiness of graduates to teach. Teacher education has grown in importance over the past few years so this research is opportune.”