Sara Weuffen

Position: Research Fellow
Study area: Education
Location: Mt Helen Campus
Email: sl.weuffen@federation.edu.au

Biography

Dr Sara Weuffen is a teacher-researcher specialist with a PhD in cross/inter-cultural education research between non-Indigenous people, Aboriginal peoples, and Torres Strait Islanders in Australia. She specialises in learning and content design for diverse cohorts across a broad range of platforms; online, blended, face-to-face. As a non-Indigenous woman born on Gundijtmara Country (Warrnambool) and living on Wadawurrung Country (Ballarat), Dr Weuffen draws upon her formative grey methodological approach – where both poststructural theory and Indigenous methodologies are bought together – and collaborations with Australia’s First Nations Peoples, to critique dominant structures and ideologies, interrogate binary discourses, and push educational boundaries for emancipatory and success-orientated shared-learning outcomes and positive social progress.

ORCHID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4845-1711

Research Gate profile: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Sara_Weuffen

Research interests

• Cross-cultural studies / education
• Australian history
• Diversity and inclusion
• Online learning pedagogies
• Educational policy and practice
• Higher degree by research

Publications

Lowe, K., Moodie, N., & Weuffen, S. (2021). Refusing reconciliation in Indigenous curriculum. In Green, B., Roberts, P., & Brennan, M (Eds.) Curriculum challenges and opportunities in a changing world: Transnational perspectives in curriculum inquiry. Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-61667-0_5

Weuffen, S., Andrews, T., & Roberts, K. (2020). Promoting quality learning and teaching pedagogy: Examining how an academic induction program (AIP) fosters continuous professional development for academic teachers in universities. Australian Journal of Adult Learning, 60(2), 245-267.

Weuffen, S., & Pickford, M. (2019). Imagining the possibilities of a cross-cultural oral narrative portraiture method: Stepping beyond binary discourses. The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education. Published online 02 September, 2019. doi: 10.1017/jie.2019.12

Cahir, F., Weuffen, S., Smith, M., Bakker, P., Caminiti, J. (2019). Australian war graves workers and World War One: Devoted labour for the lost, the unknown but not forgotten dead. London, UK: Palgrave Pivot

Weuffen, S., & Chair, F. (2019). "Their last resting place": Foundations of Graves Work. In Cahir et al., (Eds.) Australian War Graves Workers and World War One: Devoted Labour for the Lost, the Unknown but not Forgotten Dead, 1-8. Palgrave Pivot

Weuffen, S., & Chair, F. (2019). The Australian War Graves Effort (1919-1922). In Cahir et al., (Eds.) Australian War Graves Workers and World War One: Devoted Labour for the Lost, the Unknown but not Forgotten Dead, 11-32. Palgrave Pivot

Weuffen, S., & Chair, F. (2019). Their Legacy. In Cahir et al., (Eds.) Australian War Graves Workers and World War One: Devoted Labour for the Lost, the Unknown but not Forgotten Dead, 129-135. Palgrave Pivot

Weuffen, S.L., Pickford, A.M. (2019). Imagining the possibilities of a cross-cultural oral narrative portraiture method: stepping beyond binary discourses. The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education 1–9. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/jie.2019.12

Weuffen, S., Cahir, F., Barnes, A., & Powell, B. (2019). Uncovering Hidden Histories: Evaluating Preservice Teachers’ (PST) Understanding of Local Indigenous Perspectives in History via Digital Storytelling at Australia’s Sovereign Hill. Diaspora, Indigenous, and Minority Education, 13(3), 165-181. https://doi.org/10.1080/15595692.2019.1615430

Weuffen, S. (2019). Surveying the landscape five years on: An examination of how teachers, and the teaching of Australia's shared-history, is constructed within Australian academic literature. Teaching and Teacher Education, 78(1), 117-124. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2018.11.010

Weuffen, S., Fotinatos, N., & Andrews, T. (2018). Evaluating sociocultural influences affecting participation and understanding of academic support services and programs (SSPs): Impacts on notions of attrition, retention, and success in higher education. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, First Published October 9, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1177/1521025118803847

Weuffen, S (2017). Your stories, my stories, our stories: Power/knowledge relations and Koorie perspectives in discourses of Australian History education. Doctoral Thesis. Federation University Australia: Ballarat.

Weuffen, S., Cahir, F., & Pickford, M. (2017). The centrality of Aboriginal cultural workshops and experiential learning in a pre-service teacher education course: a regional Victorian University case study. Higher Education Research & Development, 36(4), 838-851. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2016.1242557

Weuffen, S., Cahir, F., & Zeegers, M. (2016). What's in a Name?: Exploring the Implications of Eurocentric (Re)naming Practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nomenclature in Australian Education Practices. The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 45(2), 181-190. https://doi.org/10.1017/jie.2016.2

Conferences

Claughton, A., Roberton, D., Weuffen, S., & Nice, K. (2021). Parents who teach: Exploring a unique experience and expertise. Social Justice, Inclusion and Diversity Conventicle. Online July 16, 2021.

Weuffen, S. (2020). Flipping the lens on including Indigenous perspectives in Australian curricula: A critical re-thinking of positionality and initial teacher education programs. Social Justice, Inclusion and Diversity Conventicle. Online July 21, 2020.

Weuffen, S. (2019). Ethics or Morals: Challenging foundational university ethics processes to combat harmful practices in cross-cultural research projects. Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE) Conference, Queensland University of Technology: Brisbane, December 1-5, 2019.

Warren, S., Weuffen, S., & Pappaluca, K. (2019). The silent but deadly academic third space: Illuminations of power/knowledge relationships about the ‘difference’ between university academic and professional portfolios. Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE) Conference, Queensland University of Technology: Brisbane, December 1-5, 2019.

Weuffen, S. (2018). Imagining the possibilities of a cross-cultural oral portraiture method: Stepping beyond binary discourses. Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE) Conference, University of Sydney: Australia, December 2-6, 2018

Weuffen, S. (2018). Surveying the landscape five years on: An examination of how teachers’ and the teaching of Australia’s shared-history is constructed within the Australian academic literature. Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE) Conference, University of Sydney: Australia, December 2-6, 2018

Weuffen, S., Andrews, T., Roberts, K., & Holden, S. (2018). Taking the first step: Valuing the role of an academic induction program to foster continuous professional development and student success outcomes. Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE) Conference, University of Sydney: Australia, December 2-6, 2018.

Weuffen, S. (2017). Uncovering Hidden Histories: Local Wadawurrung stories and digital learning tools at a living history museum. Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE) Conference, Hotel Realm, Canberra: Australia,

Weuffen, S. (2016). A focus on Foucault. Pre-conference workshop for the Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE) Conference, Royal Society of Melbourne: Australia, Nov 28, 2016

Weuffen, S. (2016). ‘We’re trying to cover so much in such a little space. I wish there was just more time’: Mapping discourses of curriculum preparation for integration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures in Year Nine Australian History classes. Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE) Conference, Melbourne Cricket Ground: Australia, Nov 29-Dec 4, 2016

Weuffen, S., Cahir, F., & Pickford, A. (2016). Elders, Education and Experiential learning: An Victorian university case study analysis and review to centralising Aboriginal cultural workshops in a pre-service teacher education course. Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE) Conference, Hotel Realm, Canberra: Australia, Nov 29-Dec 4, 2016

Weuffen, S. (2016). The centrality of Aboriginal cultural workshops and experiential learning in a PST education course: A regional Victorian University case study. Australian Tertiary Education Association. Federation University Australia: Victoria, July 3-6, 2016

Weuffen, S., & Pickford, M. (2016). A collegial analysis, critique and engagement of a pedagogical approach to developing teachers’ cross-cultural literacy, education and communication skills through experientially engaging Aboriginal cultural workshops facilitated by Aboriginal Elders. Australian Tertiary Education Association. Federation University Australia: Victoria, July 3-6, 2016

Weuffen, S. (2015). Exploring radicalised spaces as productive environments for reconstructions of my positioning as a non-Indigenous Australian woman researching in Koorie knowledge spaces. Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE) Conference, Hotel Realm, Canberra: Australia, 29 Nov - 3 Dec, 2015

Weuffen, S. (2014). Engaging with Australian Indigenous studies: Moving beyond white guilt. Open Dialogue: Contemporary learning in a regional Community, Town Hall: Ballarat.

Weuffen, S. (2011). Language and colonial discourses in the Australian History curriculum. Perspectives on power: An interdisciplinary conference for postgraduate and early career researchers. University of Queensland