In this episode, Brendan Lee speaks with Dr. Jenny Donovan, CEO of the Australian Education Research Organisation. Jenny has led some of the heaviest hitting bits of research in Australia. In her current role with AERO and previous one with NSW Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation, Jenny has been behind the teams that brought cognitive load theory to prominence and highlighted the lack of evidence behind programs like Reading Recovery and Language Learning & Literacy or L3 as it is more commonly known.
Throughout this interview, she discusses her journey into education research and the importance of evidence-based practice. Jenny emphasises the importance of areas such as explicit instruction, classroom management, teacher training, standardised testing like NAPLAN, and accountability in educational practices. It also touches on controversial topics such as fads in education and how to spot and avoid them.
Resources mentioned:
- AERO: Teaching for how students learn: A model of learning and teaching
- AERO: Engaged classrooms through effective classroom management
- NSW CESE: Cognitive load theory: Research that teachers really need to understand
- NSW CESE: Reading Recovery: a sector-wide analysis
- NSW CESE: Language, Learning & Literacy (L3) Review
- Project Follow Through
You can connect with Jenny:
Twitter: @JennyDonovan2
You can connect with Brendan:
Twitter: @learnwithmrlee
Facebook: @learningwithmrlee
Website: learnwithlee.net
Support the Knowledge for Teachers Podcast:
https://www.patreon.com/KnowledgeforTeachersPodcast
About Dr. Jenny Donovan
Dr. Jenny Donovan is the inaugural CEO of the Australian Education Research Organisation. Prior to this role, she established and led the Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation (CESE) as Executive Director for 8 years.
Dr. Donovan began her career as a high school teacher in Sydney’s western suburbs. She has worked in a number of education roles in operational and policy areas, including some years as Deputy Director of a not-for-profit education assessment agency at the University of New South Wales.
In 2024, she was a member of Professor Mark Scott’s Teacher Education Expert Panel which delivered recommendations for reform to Initial Teacher Education that were accepted by Australia’s education Ministers. As a result, an evidence-based core curriculum will be implemented in all initial teacher education.
Jenny holds a Bachelor of Arts with a Diploma of Education from Macquarie University, MA (Hons) from UNSW and a PhD in history from the University of Sydney.