The annual Brother John Taylor Fellowship provides up to $25,000 in travel and accommodation for an employee of a Catholic school or an associated body who successfully nominates a topic that will help Catholic schools address teaching priorities or challenges.
Now in its fourth year, the Fellowship - offered by Catholic Education Commission NSW (CECNSW) - is building a body of research for the teaching profession in the Catholic context.
“The Fellowship was established in 2013 to promote excellence from within the Catholic teaching profession,” CECNSW acting Executive Director Ian Baker said.
“We want experienced educators to take the lead and identify topics for research that will benefit their fellow Catholic school teachers.
“It is important we encourage experienced and insightful educators to share their knowledge with their fellow teachers.”
Mr Baker said previous Fellows had researched – or are researching – a diverse range of topics.
To date, the Fellowship has funded research into:
- The importance of play in developing pre-schoolers’ cognitive abilities
- Increasing the number of students studying maths at higher levels
- Using Makerspaces - virtual and physical spaces where students can tinker, invent and learn in a practical, hands-on way with mentors, experts and the latest ‘edutech’ tools.
Mr Baker said the Fellowship honours John Taylor, a Christian Brother and his lifelong dedication to education and the ideals of equity and access.
“John made his mark on NSW education over three decades as a teacher, principal and Executive Director of CECNSW and as a member of key statutory boards for NSW schools,” he said.
“The Fellowship that carries his name is an opportunity to honour his legacy and enable somebody in Catholic schooling to produce lasting research that can make a difference for generations of students and teachers.”
Applications for the Brother John Taylor Fellowship must be submitted by 29 September 2017 using the online form.
CECNSW represents the state’s 591 Catholic schools, which educate some 258,000 students and employ 27,000 teaching and support staff.
