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Education rewards students

16 August 2006

Mrs Joan Northfield (left) presented the Education faculty's Jeff Northfield Memorial Award to Ms Amanda Saffin.

Monash's Faculty of Education has presented its annual student awards and scholarships at a ceremony at the Clayton campus.

The Jeff Northfield Memorial Award for Excellence in Teacher Research was presented to Ms Amanda Saffin by Mr Northfield's widow, Ms Joan Northfield, and Dr Ian Mitchell, a senior lecturer in the Education faculty.

The award is dedicated to the memory of researcher Professor Jeff Northfield, who died in May 2004.

Ms Saffin received the $1000 award for her masters research into how teachers' reflective practice -- in which they examine their own work practices -- improves their performance in the classroom.

The Margaret Clark Award for an outstanding Master of Education student in mathematics and science was presented to Ms Hazel Tan for her thesis that compared Victorian and Singaporean mathematics teachers' views of computers and graphics calculators for the teaching and learning of senior secondary mathematics.

The memorial award honours Ms Margaret Clark, who completed her Master of Education (Research) at Monash in 1991 and passed away from cancer in early 1992. It was established in her name by her husband, Mr Malcolm Clark, and was presented by her daughter, Ms Heather Clark.

The $10,000 Invergowrie Foundation/McPherson Family Education Scholarship was shared by final-year students Ms Sarah Pen and Ms Kylie Nankervis.

The scholarships are funded by the Invergowrie Foundation, a charitable trust established in 1925. They are awarded to female education students in Victoria who intend to teach mathematics or science, demonstrate a commitment to quality education and are involved with their local community.

Several university and industry-based scholarships for excellence were also awarded at the ceremony.

Dean of Education Professor Sue Willis congratulated all the recipients and thanked them for their contribution to the faculty. "These awards are a reward for your intelligence, your heart and your hard work," she said.