Professor Bruce Johnson

Bruce Johnson is a Professor of Education at the University of South Australia where he recently completed a four year term as Dean: Research Education (2003-2007).

His research interests include human resilience, curriculum theory and development, school reform, and classroom management. He is a Key Researcher in the Hawke Research Institute with an active research program that includes international collaborations with colleagues in the UK.

PROFESSOR JOHNSON'S CURRENT RESEARCH PROJECTS INCLUDE:

Addressing the teacher exodus: Enhancing early career teacher resilience and retention in changing times - ARC Linkage Grant 2008-2012
(with Professor Barry Down; Dr Rosie Le Cornu; Dr Judy Peters; Dr Anna Sullivan; Dr Jane Pearce; Ms Janet Hunter).
The first few years of teaching are difficult for many teachers. Yet research into the ‘problems’ of beginning teachers is nearly exhausted. Few new ideas about how to address these ‘problems’ are emerging. There is a need for a new generation of collaborative research that investigates how beginning teachers develop resilience and sustain their commitment to teaching. Therefore, this project aims to find out how early career teachers deal with threats to their wellbeing. It will identify what internal strengths and external strategies promote teacher resilience. It will provide the evidence base for interventions that will increase teacher commitment and reduce teacher attrition.

Setting the scene; strategies used by beginning teachers to establish a positive classroom learning environment at the beginning of the academic year. Catholic Education South Australia and UniSA Grants 2007-2008
(with Dr Anna Sullivan & Mr David Williams)
The purpose of this ethno-video study is to gain greater understanding of the issues related to beginning teachers' initial experiences of classroom management and, more specifically, the ways in which they 'manage' the classroom environment to promote positive student behaviour. The findings will inform teacher educators and school leaders about how they can best meet the needs of beginning teachers in relation to managing classrooms and promoting harmonious learning environments.

Insights into the Human Dimension of Covert Bullying. DEEWR funded study as part of the larger initiative: Covert Bullying: Its nature and Prevalence in Australian Schools
(with Team Leader, Dr Barbara Spears, Professor Phillip Slee and Professor Larry Owens - Flinders University)
This is an innovative technology project to record ‘spoken stories’ from students, parents and teachers, showing the very human face of bullying – real people, real stories and practical solutions.

Research Degrees

Journal of Educational Enquiry

Centre for Research in Education, Equity and Work

Hawke Research Institute for sustainable societies

Journal of Student Wellbeing

• Curriculum development
• Teacher Professional Development
• Qualitative Research Methods
• Student Welfare

Key Researcher, Hawke Research Institute

Associate Member, Centre for Studies in Literacy, Policy and Learning Cultures

Management Committee Member and Key Researcher, Centre for Research in Education, Equity and Work

Member, Australian Association for Research in Education

Member, British Educational Research Association

PhD (Adelaide)

MEd (Flinders)

BEd(Hons) (Flinders)

• Human Resilience
• Child Protection Issues
• School Discipline
• Curriculum Development
• University-school collaborative research
• Qualitative Data Analysis using NVivo 8

Johnson, B. (2010-forthcoming). Maintaining professional ethics during a ‘moral panic’ over sex education: a case study. In A. Campbell & P. Broadhead (Eds.) Working with Children and Young People: Ethical Debates and Practices across Disciplines and Continents. London: Peter Lang.

Flint, N. & Johnson, B. (2010-forthcoming) Towards Fairer University Assessment. London: Routledge.

Johnson, B. & Tonkin, L. (2009). Changing Childhoods? Insights into the lives of 8-11 year olds. Report to the Department of Education and Children's Services. Magill: University of South Australia.

Johnson, B., Sullivan, A. & Williams, D. (2009) A one-eyed look at classroom life: using new technologies to enrich classroom-based research. Issues in Educational Research, Vol. 19, No. 1' pp. 34-47

Johnson, B. & Down, B. (2009). Re-conceptualising Early Career Resilience: a Critical Alternative. Paper presented at the European Conference on Educational Research, University of Vienna, Austria, 28th September.

Johnson, B. (2008) Teacher-student relationships which promote resilience at school: a micro level analysis of students’ views. British Journal of Guidance and Counselling, Special Edition, Vol. 36, No. 4, pp. 385-398.

Johnson, B. (2008) Implementing a Child Protection Curriculum: Lessons from a South Australian Trial. Journal of Student Wellbeing, Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 1-19.

Johnson, B. & Howard, S. (2007) Causal chain effects and turning points in young people’s lives: a resilience perspective. Journal of Student Wellbeing, Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 1-15.

Rigby, K. & Johnson, B. (2006) Expressed Readiness of Australian Schoolchildren to Act as Bystanders in Support of Children who are Being Bullied. Educational Psychology, Vol. 26, No. 3, June 2006, pp. 425–440.

Johnson, B. (2006) An evaluation of the trial implementation of the Sexual Health and Relationships Education (share) program 2003-2005. Report to Sexual Health information network and education SA, May, 2006.

Rigby, K. & Johnson, B. (2005) Student Bystanders in Australian Schools. Pastoral Care in Education, Vol. 23, No. 2, pp. 10-16.

Johnson, B. (2005). An Examination of the Small Scale Trial of a Draft Child Protection Curriculum. Report to the Department of Education and Children's Services, Adelaide, April 2005.

Rigby, K., & Johnson, B. (2004) Bystander Intervention: its role in countering School Bullying. Educare News

Rigby, K. & Johnson, B. (2005) Introduction to the International Bystander Project. Pastoral Care in Education, Vol. 23, No. 2, pp. 6-9.

Howard, S., & Johnson, B. (2004) Resilient Teachers: Resisting Stress and Burnout. Social Psychology of Education, Vol. 7, No. 3.

Johnson, B. (2004) Local school micropolitical agency: an antidote to new managerialism. School Leadership and Management, Vol. 24, No. 4.

Rigby, K., & Johnson, B. (2004) Students as Bystanders to Sexual Coercion. Youth Studies Australia, Vol. 23, No. 2, pp. 11-16.

Johnson, B. (2003) Teacher Collaboration: good for some, not so good for others. Educational Studies, Vol. 29, No. 4, pp337-350.

Howard, S. & Johnson, B. (2003) Only connect: a case study of mesosystem links. Childrenz Issues, Vol. 7, No. 2, pp. 43-49.

Oswald, M., Johnson, B. & Howard, S. (2003) Quantifying and evaluating resilience promoting factors: teachers' beliefs and perceived roles. Research in Education, No. 70 (November) pp. 50-64.

Johnson, B. & Johnson, K. (2002) Learning from Warthogs and Oxpeckers: Promoting Mutualism in School and University Research Partnerships. Educational Action Research: An International Journal, Vol. 10, No. 2, pp. 67-82.

Howard, S. & Johnson, B. (2002) Participation and Involvement: Resilience Promoting Strategies for Young Adolescents. In Gollop, B. (Ed) Children and Young People: Their Environments, Children's Issues Centre, Dunedin, University of Otago Press.

McCallum, F. & Johnson, B. (2002) Decision making processes used by teachers in cases of suspected child abuse. Advisor (American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children), Vol. 14, No. 1, pp. 7-10.

Johnson, B. (2000) Using Video Vignettes to Evaluate Children's Personal Safety Knowledge: Methodological and Ethical Issues. Child Abuse and Neglect: The International Journal, Vol. 24, No. 6, pp. 811-827.

Howard, S. & Johnson, B. (2000) Adolescent Resilience. Report to the Criminology Research Council, Canberra.

Howard, S. and Johnson, B. (2000) What makes the difference? Children and teachers talk about resilient outcomes for children ‘at risk’. Educational Studies, Vol. 26, No. 3, pp. 321-327.

Howard, S. & Johnson, B. (2000) Students in Transition. Report to the NSW Department of Community Services and Department of Education and Training, Sydney.

Johnson, B.., & Reid, A. (Eds.) (1999). Contesting the Curriculum. Sydney: Social Science Press.

Williams, D., Johnson, B.Peters, J. with Cormack, P. (1999). Assessment: From Standardised to Authentic Approaches. In B. Johnson and A. Reid (Eds.), Contesting the Curriculum. Sydney: Social Science Press.

Reid, A., & Johnson, B. (1999). The Contested Nature of the Curriculum. In B. Johnson and A. Reid (Eds.), Contesting the Curriculum. Sydney: Social Science Press.

Johnson, B., Peters, J., & Williams, D. (1999) Academics Working with Schools: Revealing the Tensions. Journal of Education for Teaching, Vol. 25, No. 2, pp. 123-134.

Howard, S., Dryden, J., & Johnson, B. (1999) Childhood Resilience: Review and Critique of Literature. Oxford Review of Education, Vol. 25, No. 3, pp. 307-323.

Johnson, B. & Howard, S. (1999). Resilience: A Slippery Concept. Connections, Vol. 6, No. 1.

Howard, S. & Johnson, B. (1999) Tracking Resilience. Childhood Australia, Vol. 24, No. 3, pp14-23.

Cormack, P., Johnson, B. Peters, J., & Williams, D. (1998). Authentic Assessment: Implications for Teaching and Learning. Canberra: Australian Curriculum Studies Association.

Cormack, P., Johnson, B., Peters, J., & Williams, D. (1998). Authentic Assessment. In J. Cummin (Ed.) Extending Reform in the Middle Years of Schooling: Challenges and Responses. Canberra: Australian Curriculum Studies Association.

Johnson, B. (1997). The Limits of Personal Safety Education: Insights from an Australian Study. Journal of Child Centered Practice, Vol. 4, No. 1, pp. 83-92.

Oswald, M., Johnson, B., & Whitington, V. (1997). Classroom Problems and their Management in South Australian Government and Independent Schools: Is there a difference? Research in Education, No. 58, November, pp. 59-69.

Peters, J., Dobbins, R., & Johnson, B. (1996). Professional Collaboration in Action. In D. Williams, H. Tunney & T. Grearly (Eds.), Learning Together: University-School Partnerships for Professional Development. Adelaide: University of South Australia.

Peters, J., Dobbins, R., & Johnson, B. (1996). Restructuring and School Culture. Sydney: National Schools Network.

Johnson, B. (1996). We're Too Nice to be Critical: The Struggle Towards Critical Collaboration at Hincks Avenue School. In D. Williams, H. Tunney & T. Grearly (Eds.), Learning Together: University-School Partnerships for Professional Development. Adelaide: University of South Australia.

Johnson, B. (1996). Children's Responses to Threats to their Personal Safety. International Journal of Protective Behaviours, Vol. 2, No. 1, pp. 2-32.

Johnson, B. (1995). Teaching and Learning about Personal Safety. Adelaide: Painters Prints.

Barnett, J., Badger, L., & Johnson, B. (1995). A Professional Development Program for Literacy Teaching: Impact and Issues. In B. Brennan & D. Dymock (Eds.), CPE - An Emerging Professional Practice. Armidale, NSW: Department for Continuing Education, The University of New England.

Johnson, B., Whitington, V., & Oswald, M. (1994). Teachers' Views on School Discipline: A Theoretical Framework. Cambridge Journal of Education, Vol. 24, No. 2, pp. 261-276.

Johnson, B. (1994). Teachers' Role in the Primary Prevention of Child Abuse: Dilemmas and Problems. Child Abuse Review, Vol. 3, Special Edition, pp. 259-271.

Barnett, J., Badger, L., & Johnson, B. (1994). The Professional Development of Teachers in Literacy Teaching: The Case of LLIMY. In J. Burton (Ed.), Perspectives on the Classroom, CALUSA Research Series - Research on Language and Learning, Vol. 1. Adelaide: University of South Australia.

Reid, A. & Johnson, B. (Eds.) (1993). Critical Issues in Australian Education. Adelaide: Painters Prints.

Johnson, B., Whitington, V., & Oswald, M. (1993). Teachers’ Theorising about School Discipline. In A. Reid and B. Johnson (Eds.), Critical Issues in Australian Education. Adelaide: Painters Prints.

I am able to provide media comment in the following areas of expertise:

Discipline: Education

• student resilience
• school discipline
• child protection issues