Dr John Guenther describes the Remote Education Systems project, which is part of the Investing in People program.

1. REMOTE EDUCATION SYSTEMS
John Guenther
Melodie Bat
Sam Osborne
Chris Duncan

2. Research questions
1. What is education for in remote Australia and what
can/should it achieve?
2. What defines ‘successful’ educational outcomes from the
remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander standpoint?
3. How does teaching need to change in order to achieve
‘success’ is defined by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander standpoint?
4. What would an effective education system in remote
Australia look like?

3. Methodology:
How we will do the research?
• Action research in 5 sites across remote WA, SA and NT
• Analysis of quantitative data from sources such as
NAPLAN, ABS, NCVER
• A combination of site specific foci and cross-site foci
• Local level data analysis coupled with a cross-cutting
synthesis

4. Remote Education Systems Sites

5. What do we aim to achieve?
Long term
Medium term
Short term impact,
outcomes
outcomes project end
>12 months
and beyond
Community Imagined Imagined
Standpoints
futures future
level questioned
expressed becomes real
School School level Innovation in Improved
change teaching and school level
level strategies learning outcomes
Adaptive
Inform policy,
Dissemination remote
Policy level products
share
education
learnings
systems

6. Key partnerships and stakeholders
• NT Department of Education and Training
• WA Department of Education
• SA Department for Education and Childhood Development
• Charles Darwin University
• University of South Australia
• Flinders University
• Nyangatjatjarra College
• Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education
• Central Land Council (through Walpiri Education and Training Trust)
• Menzies Centre for Child Development and Education
• NPY Women’s Council
• More potential partners in negotiation

7. Achievements to date
• Networking and consultation with partners and potential
partners: >170 contacts
• Key relationships developed in each site
• Recognised as key research partner in educational research in the NT
• Analysis of secondary data (esp. MySchool), paper submitted
with analysis
• Recruitment of PhD candidates
• 2 out of 4 confirmed
• Development of methodological and theoretical foundations
• 2 papers submit
• Dissemination and sharing information
• Several conference papers and seminar presentations
delivered/developed
• Team recruitment: all senior researchers in place
• Commenced negotiations with potential community
researchers
7

8. Contact
John Guenther
John.guenther@flinders.edu.au
0412 125 661
Melodie Bat
Melodie.bat@cdu.edu.au
0427 226 561
Sam Osborne
Sam.osborne@nintione.com.au
0408 719 939
Chris Duncan
Christopher.duncan@nt.gov.au
0488 997 565

9. Partners of Ninti One