We know more about teaching than ever—so why is change so slow? with Joanna Barbousas (Ep 69)

In this episode, Anna is joined by Professor Joanna Barbousas, Pro Vice-Chancellor of Education, Impact and Innovation, and Dean of the School of Education at La Trobe University in Australia. Early in her career, Joanna noticed that many capable students struggled to access the curriculum due to gaps in foundational reading and language skills—an insight that has shaped her work ever since. Now, she is focused on transforming teacher education to better prepare educators using evidence-based practices. Joanna shares how she led major changes at La Trobe University–redesigning programs to align with the science of learning and launching initiatives like the Science of Language and Reading Lab and the Science of Math Education Lab. Anna and Joanna also explore why change is so difficult in universities and what it takes to lead meaningful reform. This is a compelling conversation for anyone interested in improving education and translating research into practice. This episode is also available in video at www.youtube.com/@chalktalk-stokke SHORT COURSE  La Trobe Short Course:  Evidence-informed Mathematics Teaching – An Introduction https://shortcourses.latrobe.edu.au/evidence-informed-mathematics-teaching ResearchED Calgary ResearchED Calgary registration: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/researched-calgary-tickets-1984343272144 TIMESTAMPS [00:00:22] Introduction [00:05:19] How Joanna’s early teaching shaped her leadership initiatives [00:06:51] How Joanna went from classroom teacher to Dean [00:10:31] The education landscape in Australia [00:15:38] Unpacking the Rowe report [00:19:23] The importance of teacher education reviews in Australian [00:24:51] The outcomes of the TEEP review  [00:30:08] Becoming the Dean of Education at La Trobe University [00:35:25] Reaction from faculty members [00:43:34] SOLAR Lab – How was it established? [00:49:17] Explaining the successful Nexus program [00:53:38] What Joanna learned about retaining teachers in hard-to-staff schools [00:55:17] Ideas for a national model [00:57:42] Why change matters: A message to leaders [01:00:26] Conclusion   RELEVANT PREVIOUS EPISODES  Rebuilding teacher training through cognitive science with Jonas Linderoth https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-zwqb7-19e0dae Reclaiming learning time to boost literacy and numeracy with Ross Fox https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-bpy4n-188c9c5 Using evidence in education with Pamela Snow https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-jc9mq-161ecac EPISODE TRANSCRIPT https://www.annastokke.com/transcripts/ep-69-transcript EPISODE RESOURCES https://www.annastokke.com/resources/ep-69-resources   MUSIC Intro & Outro: Funk Jazz Big Band -  ColorFilmMusic Website: www.annastokke.com FB: Chalk & Talk IG: @chalkandtalkpodcast Tiktok: @chalkandtalkpodcast X: @rastokke LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/anna-stokke-3a1b4c Bluesky: @rastokke.bsky.social