Professional Interests

As the Associate Dean of Teaching and Learning my aim is to ensure that the highest quality of teaching is maintained throughout the Faculty of Education. I chair the Teaching and Learning Quality committee, monitor students’ evaluations of courses and oversee the course approval process.

As a teacher educator, teaching is simultaneously what I do, what I research, and what I know. To achieve excellence in teaching I reflect on the effectiveness of the courses I co-ordinate, the applicability and relevance of the assessment tasks I design, and my students’ responses to teaching approaches. My research platform has been built on a commitment to improve my practice both as a teacher educator and an academic.

I teach student teachers through science education in the Graduate Diploma of Teaching (Secondary and Primary) programmes. I have also taught in the Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood and Primary). I supervise and mentor Masters and Doctoral students.
 

Significant Distinctions and Awards

• 2008 National Tertiary Teaching Excellence Award, Ako Aotearoa
• 2007 Sustained Excellence in Teaching Award, University of Auckland
• 2005 Principal Lectureship, Auckland College of Education
   

Academic Qualifications

• 2007 PhD (Monash) Science teacher education: Fostering confidence and competence
• 2001 MSc Sci Ed (Curtin) Of Science and Women: A group-memory work project
• 1979 BSc (Auckland)
• 1979 DipTch (Auckland Teachers College)
   

Research interests and methodologies

• Self-study of teacher education practices
• Primary, secondary and early childhood teacher education pedagogy
• Practitioner research
• Action research
• Teaching and learning in science education
   

Editorial boards* and review panels

• Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education*
• Science Education Review*
• Research in Science Education
• New Zealand Early Childhood
• Higher Education Research and Development
• Studying Teacher Education
   

Recent Publications

• Garbett, D., Heap, R. ‘Team teaching: having the eyes to see the wind', In: Andrea Mattos (ed.), Narratives on Teaching and Teacher Education: An International Perspective., New York, Palgrave, p.123-136, 2009
• Garbett, D., Ovens, A.P. (In production) 'Peer Teaching - Learning Twice', In: Jesson, J G , Airini, Carpenter, V.M., Stephenson, M.S , McLean, M., (ed.), Pedagogues as innovators: University teaching developments., Auckland, Dunmore Press, p.-, 2009
• Tynan, B.R., Garbett, D., (In production) 'Women in the Academy’, In: Robert Cantwell and Jill Scevak (ed.), An Academic Life: A Handbook for New Academics., ACER Press, p.-, 2009
• Garbett, D., Tynan, B. 'Storytelling as a means of reflecting on the lived experience of making curriculum in teacher education', Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 32, (1), p. 47-51, 2007
• Garbett, D. 'Assignments as a pedagogical tool in learning to teach science: A case study', Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, 28, p.381-392, 2007
• Garbett, D., Tynan, B.R. 'Negotiating the university research culture: collaborative voices of new academics', Higher Education Research and Development (HERDSA), 26, (4), p.411-424, 2007 

Recent and forthcoming presentations

• Institute for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ISoTL): a "Learning in Progress" session October 27 2009
• Between the Tides, Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, 16-19 July, 2009
• Faculty of Education Seminar Series, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Oshawa, Canada, 11 July, 2009
• Australasian Self-Study Network, Ballarat, Victoria, 31 October, 2008
• The University of Auckland Teaching and Learning Showcase, Auckland, Wednesday 29th October, 2008
• The Seventh International Conference on Self Study of Teacher Education Practices, Herstmonceux, Essex, England, 3-7 August, 2008.
• Teacher Education Forum Aotearoa New Zealand, Hamilton, 2-4 July, 2008
• American Education Research Association, New York, 24-28 March, 2008
• British Educational Research Association, Edinburgh, 3-6 September, 2008
• Australasian Science Education Research Association Conference, Fremantle, 11-14 July, 2007
• World Conference on Science and Technology Education 2007, Perth, 9-12 July, 2007

University Committees and service

• Chair of the Faculty Teaching and Learning Quality Committee 2008-current
• University Teaching and Learning Quality Committee 2008-current
• University Tertiary Teaching Excellence Awards sub-committee 2008
• Faculty Management Committee 2008-2009
• Teacher Education Board 2008-current
• Faculty Graduate Diploma of Teaching (Primary) Qualifications Board 2001-current
• Faculty Graduate Diploma of Teaching (Secondary) meeting 2004-current
• School of Science Mathematics and Technology Research committee 2006-2008
• Faculty of Education Research Ethics mentee 2008

Professional experience prior to present position

In a previous life I was a secondary school science and biology teacher. I designed and taught a local Human Biology course for Sixth Form Certificate. I also offered an optional girls-only science and mathematics course to encourage girls to continue in physics, chemistry and mathematics at the senior level.

My interest in girls’ education led me to collaborate with another teacher to start the highly successful EQUALS=Science network in the 1980’s to promote innovative teaching strategies which would foster girls’ involvement in science.

In 1990 I was awarded a scholarship to study for my Masters of Science Education. Starting a family meant that it took me a decade to complete this qualification. As a new parent I became actively involved in Playcentre. I was soon running the education workshops and chairing the meetings. Gaining Playcentre Part 2 was a highlight for me. It taught me the value of studying whatever it is you are immersed in and the importance of spending time with family!
 

Other information, interests or things that drive you

I know that we don’t live to work. To gain some balance in what might easily become a very work- focused household (my husband is also Principal Lecturer in the Faculty of Education), I have taken up horse riding with my daughter. It keeps us out of the shopping malls and we spend Saturdays together, outside, no matter what the weather. But I have also used it as an opportunity to re-view my practices as a teacher educator. I am a novice, learning something new and challenging just like my students! I have learnt a great deal from this experience. I hope that teaching and learning are both never ending journeys for me.