ANDREW GIBBONS reached the pinnacle of educational academic achievement when he graduated in May 2006 with his Doctor of Philosophy in Education. He started his PhD in 2001 after his interest was sparked during his Master’s programme. "I was very interested in engaging in philosophy and part of that was about being able to work with some excellent, internationally renowned supervisors" says Andrew.
"Creating the research proposal was very much about clarifying what the scope was, showing the relevance of it, and identifying relevant literature" says Andrew. His thesis looked at the current research and policy regarding the use of technology in supporting the young child’s early education. Andrew was particularly interested in the ways that technology impacts on experiences of being for children, and for adults.
Andrew works as an early childhood education lecturer at the New Zealand Tertiary College in Greenlane, Auckland. Career-wise, Andrew has also seen benefits. "Achieving this level of study has opened many career doors for me" says Andrew.
Andrew is in the process of getting his work published. He has been offered a contract by an overseas publisher to publish his 100,000-word thesis as a book.
Andrew says "My doctoral experience is memorable for the opportunity to build relationships with people you really respect and having the luxury of time to think. It is a real privilege to be able to sit and read and think for so long. I experienced some amazing moments along the way". Andrew completed the doctoral programme in less than four years entitling him to a University of Auckland incentive grant.
