Professor Roger Harris

My present position is Director of the Centre for Research in Education, Equity and Work (CREEW), one of the research concentrations within the Hawke Research Institute (HRI).

My professional activities include research, research supervision, journal editing, international journal reviewing, membership of the SA Training and Skills Commission and Academic Board work for a private RTO, all of which help to keep me up-to-date on current educational issues.

My keen career interest in research has gradually evolved after fulfilling roles in teaching, course coordination, acting headship of the former School of Human Resource Studies and several international consultancies for the university.

I really enjoy research and publishing. I believe in the importance of dissemination, and strive to distribute findings through as many channels as possible in forms appropriate to different audiences.

Centre for Research in Education, Equity and Work

School of Education (Mawson Lakes)

• Vocational education and training - policy
• Training reform
• Curriculum planning and development
• Adult education
• Supervision of research students in higher degree and honours programs

Australian Vocational Education and Training Research Association (AVETRA): Vice-President (2002-2003); Convenor of National Conference (2001); member of Convening Committee for National Conference (2008); and member (since it began in 1996)

Adult Learning Australia and its predecessors: member (since 1975)

Australian College of Education: member (since 1974)

Australian Association for Research in Education: member (since 2006)

PhD (University of Adelaide, 1977)

Dip T (Torrens College of Advanced Education, 1976)

Dip Ed (University of Adelaide, 1970)

BA (Hons) (University of Adelaide, 1969)

• Adult and vocational education generally
• Australian training reform
• Workplace learning
• Competency-based approaches
• Professional development, workforce development
• Inter-sectoral movement of students

BOOKS AND PUBLISHED RESEARCH MONOGRAPHS

Rethinking work and learning: Adult and vocational education for social sustainability, Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer, 2009. Series: Technical and Vocational Education and Training: Issues, Concerns and Prospects, Vol.9 (ed. with P Willis & S McKenzie)

New directions in European VET policy and practice: lessons for Australia, Adelaide: NCVER, 2009 (with M Simons & K Maher)

Careers in vocational education and training: What are they really like?, Adelaide: NCVER, 2009, www.ncver.edu.au/publications/2114.html (with M Simons, V Pudney, V & B Clayton

Crazy paving or stepping stones? Learning pathways within and between VET and higher education, Adelaide: NCVER, 2006 (with Rainey, L & Sumner, R), www.ncver.edu.au/publications/1722.html

Private training providers in Australia: their characteristics and training activities, Adelaide: NCVER, 2006 (with Simons, M & McCarthy, C), www.ncver.edu.au/research/proj/nr3005.pdf

The Certificate IV in Assessment and Workplace Training: Understanding learners and learning, Adelaide: NCVER, 2006 (with Simons, M & Smith, E) www.ncver.au/publications/1665.html

Mix or match? New Apprentices’ learning styles and trainers’ preferences for training in workplaces, Adelaide: NCVER, 2006 (with Simons, M & Bone, J), www.ncver.au/publications/1664.html

'A huge learning curve': TAFE practitioners' ways of working with private enterprises, Adelaide: National Centre for Vocational Education Research, 2005 (with Simons, M & Moore, J), www.ncver.edu.au/publications/1596.html

Shifting mindsets: The changing work roles of VET practitioners, Adelaide: National Centre for Vocational Education Research, 2005 (with Simons, M & Clayton, B), www.ncver.edu.au/research/proj/nr0005.pdf

Student traffic: Two-way movement between vocational education and training and higher education, Adelaide: National Centre for Vocational Education Research, 2005 (with Sumner, R & Rainey, L), www.ncver.edu.au/research/proj/nr3003.pdf

Implementing innovative approaches to learning and assessment through Training Packages, Adelaide: National Centre for Vocational Education Research, 2003 (with Simons, M, Meyers, D & Blom, K), www.ncver.edu.au/ research/ proj/ nr9039.pdf

The role of small enterprise in school students’ workplace learning, Adelaide: National Centre for Vocational Education Research, 2002 (with Mulraney, J., Turner, P., Wyatt, F. & Gibson, T.)

The changing role of staff development for teachers and trainers in VET, Adelaide: National Centre for Vocational Education Research, 2001 (with Simons, M., Hill, D., Smith, E., Pearce, R., Blakeley, J. & Snewin, D.)

Accounting for change: Adult and community education organisations and the GST, Canberra: Adults Learning Australia, 2001 (with Gelade, S & Mason, D)

Factors that contribute to retention and completion in apprenticeships and traineeships, Adelaide: NCVER, 2001 (with Simons, M, Bridge, K, Bone, J, Symons, H, Clayton, B, Pope, B, Cummins, G & Blom, K)

Evaluating on- and off-job approaches to learning and assessment in apprenticeships and traineeships, Adelaide: NCVER, 2001 (with Strickland, A, Simons, M, Robertson, I, Harford, M & Edwards, A)

Crime prevention curriculum in SA schools: a study of programs, initiatives and materials, report to SA Attorney-General's Department, Adelaide: CREEW, UniSA, 2001 (with Edwards, G, Carr, L, Hudson, M, Mathews, C)

User’s guide and competency standards for relationship educators, Adelaide: CREEW, UniSA, 2001 (with Simons, M, Edwards, G & Edwards, A)

‘There was movement at the station, for the word had passed around’: A study of work-based learning in South Australia Police, Adelaide: CREEW, UniSA, 2001 (with White, P, Simons, M, Edwards, G, Edwards, A & Shanahan, P)

Work placements in VET courses: Evidence from the cross-sectoral literature, Adelaide: NCVER, 2000 (with Smith, E)

More than meets the eye? Rethinking the role of workplace trainer. Adelaide: NCVER, 2000 (with Simons, M & Bone, J)

Teamworking: Some international perspectives, Flaxton, Queensland: Post Pressed, 2000 (edited with R Park & E Collins)

Crime prevention training needs assessment. Canberra: National Campaign Against Violence and Crime, Federal Attorney General's Department, 1999 (with Wyatt, F, Tedmanson, D, Edwards, G, Bone, J, Carson, E). Volume 1: Final Report and Volume 2: Appendices

Learning the job: juggling the messages in on- and off-job training. Adelaide: NCVER, 1998 (with Willis, P, Simons, M & Underwood, F)

Competency-based education and training: between a rock and a whirlpool, Melbourne: Macmillan Education Australia, 1995 (with Guthrie, H, Hobart, B & Lundberg, D)

CHAPTERS

‘The historical contribution of adult and vocational education to social sustainability in Australia’, in Willis, P, McKenzie, S & Harris, R (eds.), Re-thinking work and learning: Adult and Vocational education for social sustainability, Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer, chapter 4, pp. 45-61

‘Introduction: Challenges in adult and vocational education for social sustainability’, in Willis, P, McKenzie, S & Harris, R (eds.), Re-thinking work and learning: Adult and vocational education for social sustainability, Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer, 2009, chapter 1, pp. 1-9 (with P Willis & S McKenzie)

‘Interrogating the notion of transition: Learner perspectives on multiple transitions between the vocational and higher education sectors’, in Brooks, R (ed.), Transitions from education to work: New perspectives from Europe and beyond, Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan, 2009, pp.42-60 (with L Rainey)

‘Teaching for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET)’, in Saha, LJ & Dworkin, AG (eds.), The New International Handbook of Teachers and Teaching, Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer, Part 1, section 9, 2009, chapter 55, pp. 831-844 (with H Guthrie, M Simons & T Karmel

‘Becoming one of them': the experience of institutional educators providing training in enterprises in Australia, in Kimble, C, Hildreth, P & Bourdon, I (eds.), Communities of practice: Creating learning environments for educators, Charlotte, North Carolina: Information Age Publishing, 2008, Chapter 8, pp.143-161 (with Simons, M)

‘Adult and vocational educators – their changing work and professional development’, in Kell, P, Singh, M & Shore, S (eds.), Adult education @21st century: global futures in theory and practice, New York: Peter Lang (2004), pp.137-152 (with Simons, M)

‘On- and off-job approaches to learning and assessment in apprenticeships and traineeships’, in Smart, N (ed.), Australian apprenticeships: Research readings, NCVER, Adelaide, 2001, pp.199-219 (with Strickland, A, Simons, M, Robertson, I & Harford, M)

‘Factors that contribute to retention and completion in apprenticeships and traineeships’, in Smart, N (ed.), Australian apprenticeships: Research readings, NCVER, Adelaide, 2001, pp.221-237 (with Simons, M, Symons, H & Clayton, B)

‘Training reform in Australia: Implications of a shift from a supply to a demand-driven VET system’, in Deissinger, T (ed.), Vocational education and training – orientation and adaptation: Analyses of the model character of VET systems and policy. Baden-Baden: Nomos Publishers, 2001, pp.231-255. (Berufliche bildung zwischen nationaler tradition und globaler entwicklung).

‘Workplace trainers in action: Their role in building a training/learning culture’, in Velde, C (ed.) International perspectives on competence in the workplace: Policy and practice, Amsterdam: Kluwer, 2000, chapter 7, pp.117-138 (with Simons, M)

Roles and responsibilities of team leaders in the Australian automotive industry', in Procter, S & Mueller, F (eds.), Teamworking, London: Macmillan, 2000, chapter 8, pp. 143-161 (with Park, R)

Three chapters in Australian National Training Authority, Research reports into professional development. Brisbane: ANTA, 1997, pp.33-49, pp.96-126, pp.127-178 (with Simons, M)

'Reflections on the role of an evaluator', in Willis, P & Neville, B (eds.), Qualitative research practice in adult education, Melbourne: David Lovell Publishing, 1996, pp.313-324

REFEREED JOURNAL ARTICLES

‘Higher education and VET in Australia: two worlds?’, European Journal of Vocational Training, 2009, vol. 46 (in press)

‘Faces in tertiary places and spaces: experiences of learning in both higher education and VET’, Australian Journal of Adult Learning, 48(3), November 2008, pp. 522-546

‘VET practitioners working with private enterprises: a “third space”?’, Journal of Workplace Learning, vol. 18, no. 7, 2006, pp. 478-494 (with Simons, M), www.emeraldinsight.com/Insight/viewPDF.jsp?Filename=html/Output/Published/EmeraldFullTextArticle/Pdf/0860180707.pdf

‘Roles of informal workplace trainers in different organizational contexts: Empirical evidence from Australian companies’, Human Resource Development Quarterly (USA), vol. 17. no. 2, Summer 2006, pp. 175-198 (with Poell, R, Van der Krogt, FJ, Vermulst, AA & Simons, M)

’Engaging with foreign culture during a study tour: Taiwanese learners’ perspectives’, The International Journal of the Humanities, vol. 3, no. 5, 2005/2006, pp. 69-77 (with Miao, SY & Rainey, L), www.cgpublisher.com/works/3255/actions/1/3/details/history/num=10/CGDocument/fid=
132150/H05_3255_EngagingwithForeignCultureduringaStudyTour23_final.pdf

‘Exploring learning during study tours: Participant perspectives’, The International Journal of Learning, vol. 12, no. 11, 2005/2006, pp. 55-62 (with Miao, S Y & Sumner, R), http://ijl.cgpublisher.com/product/pub.30/prod.1060

‘Peripheral journeys: Probationary constables, learning and acceptance in an Australian police service’, Journal of Workplace Learning, vol. 16, no. 4, May 2004, pp.205-218, www.emeraldinsight.com/1366-5626.htm (with Simons, M & Carden, P)

‘Mask, cosmetics or plastic surgery? The changing face of VET in Australia and implications for learning’, International Journal of Learning, vol. 9, 2004, pp.773-786 (with Simons, M)

‘What hinders and what helps? Searching for solutions to mature aged unemployment and the residential aged care workforce crisis’, Australasian Journal on Ageing, vol. 23, no. 4, December 2004, pp. 177-183 (with Price, K, Alde, P, Provis, C & Stack, S)

‘Exploring complementarity in on- and off-job training for apprenticeships’, International Journal of Training & Development, 7(2), June 2003, pp. 82-91 (with Simons, M, Willis, P & Carden, P)

'The relative contributions of institutional and workplace learning environments: an analysis of apprenticeship training', Journal of Vocational Education and Training, vol.53, no.2, 2001, pp.263-278 (with Willis, P, Simons, M and Collins, E)

'The role of workplace trainer: Implications for national competency standards and the building of training/learning cultures', Australian Vocational Education Review, 7(2), 2000, pp.15-25

'Lifelong learning in work contexts', Research in Post-Compulsory Education, 4(2), 1999, pp. 161-183.

‘Views through three windows: A study of the purposes and usefulness of on- and off-job training’, Australian and New Zealand journal of vocational education research, 7(2), 1999, pp.55-80 (with M Simons)

‘Non-participation in adult education’, New Zealand journal of adult learning, 25(2), 1997, pp.31-52 (with M Simons)

'Residential aged care workers in rural settings: a study of their roles and training needs', Australian journal on ageing, 13(2), 1994, pp. 64-71 (with M Simons, J Bone)

'Evaluation for improvement and accountability: a case study', Australian and New Zealand journal of vocational education research, 1(2), 1993, pp.55-70

REFEREED CONFERENCE PAPERS

‘A quarter of a century of CBT: the vicissitudes of an idea’, paper presented to the 12th Annual AVETRA Conference, Aligning participants, policy and pedagogy: traction and tensions in VET research, Crowne Plaza Hotel, Coogee Beach, 15-17 April, 2009 (with S Hodge)

‘General staff in VET contexts: what are their working lives like?’, paper for the 11th Annual Conference of AVETRA, VET in context, Adelaide, 2-4 April, 2008, www.avetra.org.au/AVETRA%20WORK%2011.04.08/CS3.1%20%20Michele%20Simons%20&%20Roger%20Harris.pdf (with M Simons)

‘Unravelling the notion of organisational capability: What do writers say it is and VET providers think it is?’, paper for the Annual National Conference of AVETRA, Victoria University, Melbourne, 11-13 April 2007

‘Adult learning communities: Researching registered providers of adult and community education in Australia', paper presented to the SCUTREA Annual Conference, Queen’s University, Belfast, Northern Ireland, 3-5 July 2007 (with Simons, M)

‘Crazy paving? Learning pathways between and within VET and higher education’, in Ferrier, F (ed.), Proceedings of the 9th Annual Conference of AVETRA, Global VET: Challenges at the global, national and local levels, University of Wollongong, 19-21 April 2006 (with Rainey, L). Awarded Best Paper at the Conference.

‘Building organisational capability: the role of research in supporting Australia’s registered training organisations for the future’, paper to 2nd International Conference on Integrating for Excellence, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, UK, 28-30 June 2006. Published on CD-ROM, ISBN: 1-84387-1807, pp. 58-70

‘Cross-sectoral learners: Movement between Australian tertiary education sectors’, paper to Doing – Thinking – Activity – Learning, 12th Annual International Conference on Post-compulsory Education and Training, Gold Coast, 6-8 December 2004 (with Rainey, L & Sumner, R)

‘Recognising the unrecognised: what outcomes do apprenticeships really deliver?’, paper to 44th Annual National Conference of Adult Learning Australia, Adelaide, 18-20 November, 2004 (with Simons, M)

‘Learning cultures for apprenticeships: a comparison of Germany and Australia’, in Proceedings of the 11th Annual International Conference on Post-compulsory Education and Training, Enriching learning cultures, Gold Coast, 1-3 December 2003 (with Deissinger, T)

‘Probationary constables and their journey through a community of practice’, in Proceedings of the 43rd Annual National Conference of Adult Learning Australia, Communities of learning: Communities of practice, University of Technology, Sydney, 27-30 November 2003, pp.82-92 (with Carden, P)

‘Learning within different communities of practice: The case of apprenticeships’, in Proceedings of the 43rd Annual National Conference of Adult Learning Australia, Communities of learning: Communities of practice, University of Technology, Sydney, 27-30 November 2003, pp.237-245 (with Willis, P & Carden, P)

‘Work organizations as providers of learning opportunities: Beliefs and perceptions of apprentices and trainees in two Australian sectors’, in Proceedings of AHRD International Research Conference, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 26 Feb-2 March 2003 (with Poell, R, Van der Krogt, F, Vermulst, A & Simons, M)

'The role of workplace trainers in increasing learning opportunities in the workplace: Empirical evidence from Australian companies', paper presented at the European HRD Research Conference, Toulouse, France, 23-24 May 2003 (with Poell, R, van der Krogt, F, Vermulst, A & Simons, M)

‘Out of sight, but not out of mind: The reality of change in the daily working lives of VET teachers and trainers’, paper to 6th AVETRA Conference, Sydney, 9-11 April 2003, http://www.avetra.org.au/2003%20conference%20pages/2003refereedpapers.htm (with Simons, M)

‘Trumpets of change: Are the Jericho walls of VET standing firm, tumbling or leaning?’, invited Keynote Address to be presented at the Tenth Annual International Conference on Post-Compulsory Education and Training, Gold Coast, Queensland, 2-4 December 2002

‘Mask, cosmetics or plastic surgery? The changing face of VET in Australia and implications for learning’, paper presented to Ninth International Conference on Learning, Beijing, China, 16-20 July 2002 (with Simons, M)

‘Building bridges between the researched and researchers: the use of reflective journals in VET research’, paper presented at the 5th National Conference of the Australian Vocational Education and Training Research Association (AVETRA), Melbourne, 20-22 March 2002 (with Simons, M)

‘Ostriches, snakes or chameleons? VET teachers/trainers and the changing nature of their work’, in Beven, F, Kanes, C & Roebuck, R (eds.), Knowledge demands for the new economy, Proceedings of the 9th Annual International Conference on Post-compulsory Education and Training, Gold Coast, 3-5 December 2001, vol.1, pp.267-276 (with others)

‘Differing realities: Staff development in public and private providers of VET’, Fourth National AVETRA Conference, Adelaide, 26-28 March 2001 (with Simons)

‘Individual learning and team working: Exploring the learning of probationary constables in South Australia Police’, in Teamworking. Conference Proceedings of the Fourth International Workshop on Teamworking, Nijmegen, 4-6 September 2000

‘”There are workplace trainers and then there are workplace trainers”: Reconceptualising their role as workers and trainers’, in Future research, Research futures, Proceedings of the third national conference of AVETRA, Canberra Institute of Technology, Canberra, 22-24 March, 2000, pp.151-157 (with Simons)

‘Trying to hit a moving target: A study of perspectives and practices in VET staff development’, in Future research, Research futures, Proceedings of the third national conference of AVETRA, Canberra Institute of Technology, Canberra, 22-24 March, 2000, pp.142-150 (with Simons)

‘Learning and assessment issues in apprenticeships and traineeships’, in Future research, Research futures, Proceedings of the third national conference of AVETRA, Canberra Institute of Technology, Canberra, 22-24 March, 2000 – on web and in proceedings, pp.339-343 (with Robertson, I, Harford, M, Strickland, A, Simons, M).

‘A national study of factors contributing to retention and completion rates of apprentices and trainees’, in Beven, F, Kanes, C & Roebuck, D (eds.), Learning together, working together: Building communities for the 21st century, Brisbane: Australian Academic Press, 2000, Volume 2, pp.65-73 (with Simons, M, Symons, H & Clayton, B).

‘Evaluating on- and off-job approaches to learning and assessment in apprenticeships and traineeships’, in Beven, F, Kanes, C & Roebuck, D (eds.), Learning together, working together: Building communities for the 21st century, Brisbane: Australian Academic Press, 2000, Volume 2, pp.101-107 (with Robertson, I, Harford, M, Strickland, A, Simons, M & Edwards, A).

'Researching VET staff development: the changing role of a poor cousin in current training reform in Australia', in International Conference on Researching Vocational Education and Training, Manchester, UK, July 1999, http://www.leeds.ac.uk/educol/documents/000001067.htm

‘Lifelong learning in work contexts’, International Conference on Lifelong Learning, University College Worcester, Worcester, UK, 1999

'Rethinking the role of workplace trainer: building a learning culture', in Changing practice through research: changing research through practice, Proceedings of 7th Annual International Conference on Post-compulsory Education and Training, Centre for Learning and Work Research, Griffith University, December 1999, Volume 4, pp. 32-42 (with M Simons) (refereed)

‘Staff development in VET public and private providers: a snapshot’, paper presented to 7th Annual International Conference on Post-compulsory Education and Training, Centre for Learning and Work Research, Griffith University, December 1999 (with M Simons)