Professor Heather Fehring

Professor Heather Fehring's RMIT career began in 1991 in the Faculty of Education Language and Community Services, following on from her 16 years of teaching and lecturing across educational institutions including the Department of Education Victoria (now DEECD), Coburg Teachers' College and Melbourne University. 

Since 1991, Heather's successes have seen her awarded in various academic and senior positions, and she is now a Professor in RMIT's School of Education.

Accomplishments 

• 2008 – RMIT Vice Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award.

• 2007 – Carrick Institute Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning: For a decade of sustained and significant contribution to students’ and teachers’ professional knowledge in the field of research and literacy education.

• 2006 – November – RMIT University Scholarship of Teaching Award, Certificate of Merit

• 2006 – June – College of Design and Social Context, Scholarship of Teaching Award

• 2006 – Design and Social Context Portfolio Teaching Awards – Commendation, Provision of Educational Services to the Community. DSC Portfolio, HRESC Operational Unit B: Fehring, Hodges, Liddell, Porter & Shacklock

• 2005 – July – Awarded the Australian Literacy Educators’ Association (ALEA) Medal for contribution to the organisation

• 2003 – July – Nominated as an RMIT entry in the Australian Award for University Teaching (AAUT)

• 2002 – August – Nominated as an RMIT entry in the Australian Award for University Teaching (AAUT) 

• 2002 – July – RMIT University Scholarship of Teaching Award 

• 2002 – June – FELCS Scholarship of Teaching Award

• 1993 – RMIT University APA Scholarship

• 1990 – Melbourne University APA

Publications in progress

• Lu, Y., & Fehring, H. Teachers’ Mandarin Usage in EFL Classrooms in Chinese Universities. Journal article for the Asia Pacific Journal of Education (in progress)

• Conference paper with Yuhong Lu (PHD HDR Candidate) accepted for Asian Pacific Education Research Association (APERA) in Hong Kong (Reference No. 1041) in November 2014. To be converted into a journal article.

• Symposium with Professor Dan Davies (UK) and Rula Al-Abbas Al-Kayyali (UAE) (PhD HDR Candidate) accepted for APERA in Hong Kong November. To be converted into a journal article.

ARC Linkage Projects

•  Ph.D., RMIT University, 23 March 1999
  Thesis: "Influences on Teachers' Judgements of Students' Literacy Development in a Victorian Context"

• Master of Education (MEd.), University of Melbourne, 1985 First Class Honours
  Thesis: "The Spelling Process: Children's Use of Phonemic, Morphemic and Visual Memory Strategies". John and Elizabeth Robertson prize for M. Ed thesis Melbourne University (1986). This thesis resulted in the curriculum publication, Fehring, H., & Thomas, V. (1986). The Teaching of Spelling. Education Department of Victoria: Melbourne. 

• Postgraduate Bachelor of Education (B. Ed.), University of New England, N.S.W., 1975
  Thesis: "An Investigation of Oral and Silent Reading in Relation to Comprehension from a Psycholinguistic Perspective" (Distinction)

• Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), University of New England, N.S.W., 1971.

• Trained Primary Teachers' Certificate (T.P.T.C.), Bendigo Teachers' College, Victoria, 1968

Career overview

• Reviewer for

Australian Journal of Language and Literacy (AJLL)
International Education Studies (Canadian Journal)
Australian Association of Research in Education (AARE) (Conference papers and book reviews).

• 2015–current – Professor in RMIT's School of Education

• 2014 – Deputy Dean School of Graduate Research RMIT 

• 2012–2014 – Director of Higher Degrees by Research (Design and Social Context); DSC College representative on the Graduate Research Committee

• 2012 – DSC College Higher Degrees by Research Committee member; Program Director DR071 (PhD) , MR018 (research Masters), MC039 (Coursework Masters; Victoria University CRC external panel assessor (March) 

• 2011–2013 – Assessor for Education Services Australia (ESA) 

• 2010–2012 – Treasurer for the ALEA National Conference 

• 2008–2012 – Deputy Head Research and Innovation, School of Education, RMIT University; School of Education Executive; DSC College Research Committee member; •Chair DSC College Human Ethics Advisory Network (CHEAN)

• 2000–2012 – Chair of School of Education Research and Higher Degrees Research Committee

• 2000–2007 – Associate Professor, Assessment and Learning, School of Education, RMIT University

• 1991–1999 – Lecturer, Faculty of Education Language and Community Services

Professional affiliations

• Australian Literacy Educators' Association (ALEA) (National Treasurer, 1994–2002). Treasurer for the Victorian organising committee of the ALEA National Conference 2011.

• Australian Education Union (AEU)

• National Tertiary Education Industry Union (NTEU)

• ABC – Friends of the Australian Broadcasting Commission member