PhD Scholarship/School of Education, Western Sydney University:

Gender and sexuality diverse (GSD) teachers offer an important case study of diverse teacher wellbeing which has implications for students, the national teacher shortage and the political landscape for GSD people in Australia. Currently, Australia's hyperdiverse student population is not mirrored within its teaching staff – a problem that exacerbates students' inequitable school outcomes. Australia's current crisis of teacher supply and retention, compounded by all-time low levels of teacher wellbeing, has intensified a lack of teacher diversity.

The Australian Research Council-funded Discovery Project to which this PhD Scholarship is linked aims to better understand the initial teacher education and workplace experiences of pre-service and early career GSD teachers. This mixed-methods longitudinal research will investigate how GSD teachers negotiate the transition into teaching and what sustains them in the profession. The experiences of established GSD teachers, who have remained teaching past the critical early career phase, weathering significant moral panics related to GSD identities in schools, offer considerable insights into how particular schooling cultures and communities retain our newly trained GSD teachers.

Further, it is critical to understand pre-service and early career GSD teachers' experiences of initial teacher education (ITE), specifically in relation to the acknowledgement of diverse identities; their transition from university to employment as teachers; and the systemic and institutional supports that enable them to remain in the profession after graduating, where they may potentially encounter challenging workplace environments for GSD identities.

The successful applicant, located in the School of Education, will develop a research project that runs alongside and interconnects with the above,



investigating the university-to-classroom transition and school workplace experiences of GSD teachers with intersecting minority identities. It is anticipated that the lived experiences and intersecting identities of this candidate will inform the specific participant foci of their work (e.g. GSD teachers who are multiply marginalised).

Their cohort-specific investigations will add to data synthesis across the project. The successful applicant will gain significant capacity building experience as part of a research team on a large-scale project, contributing to research meetings, team-oriented analyses and translational activities.

What does the scholarship provide?

- Domestic candidates will receive a tax-free stipend of $40,607 (AUD) per annum for up to 3 years to support living costs, supported by the Research Training Program (RTP) Fee Offset.
- Support for conference attendance, fieldwork and additional costs as approved by School.
- Supervision by internationally recognised experts in gender, sexuality, and education research, including Project Lead, Professor Jacqueline Ullman.
- Opportunities for publication, Research Assistant work, and teaching.
- Access to the strong research networks and supports of Western Sydney University's School of Education and Institute for Culture and Society, as well as networks offered by the project's other Chief Investigators.

The successful applicant should:

- Hold qualifications and experience equal to one of the following: (i) an Australian First Class Bachelor (Honours) degree, (ii) coursework Masters with at least 25% research component, (iii) Research Master’s degree, or (iv) equivalent overseas qualifications.
- Have a background in education, social sciences, psychology, or related fields. Experience working in schools is strongly preferred.
- Have demonstrable research experience with qualitative or mixed methods. Experience conducting research with marginalised populations is preferred.
- Have demonstrable research interest in topics linked to gender and sexuality, schooling environments, and equity and inclusion in the workplace.
- This scholarship is open to Australian domestic students only.

📌 Doctoral Student (Australia)
🏢 Western Sydney University
📍 Australia