Connecting and Collaborating: Building the TEFA Network to advocate for and support teaching and education-focused academics
Australian Teaching and Education Focused Academic Network Convenors: Rachel Fitzgerald, Stephen George-Williams, Tim Fawns, Lynn Gribble, Karena Waller and Kelly Matthews
As the higher education landscape continues to evolve, it is increasingly important for education professionals to collaborate, connect, and collectively drive change. The recent Australian Universities Accord highlights the need to improve student experiences and elevate quality educational practices. Teaching and education-focused academics, who have a key role to play in this space, often face considerable workplace challenges such as lower status, repetitive workloads, and limited career progression (Ross & Scanes, 2024). In response, a group of us came together to establish a national network (the Teaching and Education Focused Academic Network) as an essential enabler and support to nurture an environment that promotes community, self-determination, advocacy, and leadership.
Professor Pauline Ross (USyd) applies self-determination theory to highlight the importance of social factors in fostering autonomy, competence, and relatedness for teaching-focused academics. Achieving these goals requires more than individual effort; it calls for a collective approach.
This is the challenge and opportunity that underpins our purpose. Our national network provides the connective tissue necessary for teaching and education-focused academics to collaborate across disciplines, thrive in the complexity of their day-to-day work, and grow professionally. Through this shared effort, we can advocate for greater autonomy, exchange experiences, and develop new insights to navigate the evolving higher education landscape. Such collective advocacy not only strengthens our professional identity, but also enhances the quality of teaching and learning across institutions.
Our shared values were developed through collaboration with the community and include
Inclusive: recognising the diversity in teaching/education-focused roles including levels, disciplines, titles, and workload.
Open: co-creating a safe (and brave) space for teaching/education-focused academics who wish to connect and share, including their allies, sponsors, and similar third space colleagues.
Visible and Valued: raising awareness of and advancing the important work of teaching/education-focusedacademics across the Australian HE sector.
Community-led: For teaching/education-focused academics, by teaching/education-focused academics relying on teaching/education-focused participation and contributions.
We will continue to refine these values with our network.
In her launch of the network, Professor Kerri-Lee Krause highlighted that learner-centred leadership extends beyond formal positions of authority, existing also in informal roles that educators take on every day. By incorporating learner-centred leadership into our daily practice, we not only enhance our own professional growth, but also foster inclusive environments where students can thrive (Krause, 2024). This approach puts student success at the heart of what we do, driving us to create more engaging, supportive, and innovative learning experiences across the board.
Moving forward, the network aims to expand its reach and influence by providing a platform for teaching and education-focused academics, education professionals, and leaders to share practices, advocate for the value of teaching, and promote education-focused leadership. The network will also drive innovation across higher education. Thought leaders like Adam Bridgeman, Sally Kift and Kelly Matthews will continue to enrich these discussions at this forthcoming online panel being moderated by Tim Fawns this week, offering insights on how we can shape the future of teaching and learning in Australia.
Joining the network is easy. Connect with us via LinkedIn, join our national sessions (register for this week’s panel!) and connect with other education-focused professionals to become part of a growing community advocating for the future of higher education. Through our workshops and forums, this network provides an invaluable space to share ideas and collaborate on approaches that benefit teaching and education-focused staff, and our students. Together, as we double down on the promise of transformative higher education, we can drive meaningful change and create a sustainable future for teaching and education-focused academics whose thriving is critical to our sector’s well-being and advancement.
A/Professor Rachel Fitzgerald, Deputy Associate Dean (Academic), Faculty of Business, Economics & Law, The University of Queensland
Dr Stephen George-Williams, Senior Education-Focused Lecturer, Faculty of Science, School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney
A/Professor Tim Fawns, Monash Education Academy, Monash University
A/Professor Lynn Gribble, Education Focussed Academic, Artificial Intelligence CoP Co-Lead, University of New South Wales
Professor Karena Waller, Education Focussed Academic and Academic Director, Education Focussed Careers, University of Melbourne
Professor Kelly Matthews, Institute of Teaching and Learning Innovation, The University of Queensland