Associate Professor Amanda Telford

Research interests

Amanda has been involved in several million dollars of research grants for over 40 studies of children’s physical activity or physical education. My specific research focus examines the influence of family, community and school environments on youth physical activity behaviour. Amanda’s latest work examines the use of technology to promote physical activity in secondary schools. Amanda was a chief investigator on the ARC linkage grant ‘Triple G’ which aimed to promote physical activity and wellbeing of rural- and regional-living girls. Amanda was the Chief Investigator of the State review of VCE PE commissioned by the Victorian Curriculum & Assessment Authority (VCAA), the findings of this research informed the development of the state curriculum for VCE PE for the 2011-2014 study design.

Awards

National awards

• Australian Awards for Excellence in Educational Publishing in a secondary textbook series (Finalist Sydney, 2006) for Nelson Physical Education Units 3&4 (4th Edition) Malpeli, Horton, Davey & Telford (2006) and Nelson Physical Education Units 1&2 (4th Edition) Littlewood, Seery, Broadbent & Telford (2006).

State awards and scholarships

• Victorian Public Health Research Award for Excellence and Innovation. Children’s Participation in Physical Activity (Salmon, Crawford & Telford), Department of Human Services, Victoria. 28th October 2002.
• Finalist. Applied Research in Sport and Recreation Science Award. Children’s Leisure Activities Study. Sport and Recreation Industry Awards, Sport and Recreation Victoria, 2nd September 2003 (Telford, Salmon, & Crawford).
• Australian Postgraduate Award Scholarship (1999-2002)
• Australian Council for Health Physical Education and Recreation (ACHPER) ‘Most Outstanding Physical Education Graduate’ from RMIT University Bachelor Applied Science (Physical Education), March 1992.

Conference awards

• Best Young Investigator – Injury Prevention ($2500). The role of sport injury and injury risk perceptions on children’s continued participation in organised sport. 2009 Australian Conference of Science and Medicine in Sport, Brisbane, October 2009. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. 2009; 12(6) Supplement: pg. 24. Siesmaa E, Finch C, Blitvich J, Telford A.
• Best Presentation (Honours, Graduate Diploma or Higher Degree by Coursework) - Hyndman, B., Telford, A., & Mooney, A. (2008). A comparison of teaching perspectives between undergraduate and graduate physical educators. University of Ballarat Annual Research Conference 2008, Crossing Boundaries: connectivity, collaboration and confluence. Ballarat, Australia. November 5, 2008.

• Associate Professor of Exercise Sciences
• Program Coordinator of Bachelor of Applied Science Physical Education

Teaching responsibilities

• Program Coordinator Bachelor of Applied Science (Physical Education)
• Teaching methods in physical and sport education 3B (Coordinator, lecturer)
• Theory and practice in physical and sport education 4B (Coordinator, lecturer)
• Senior Health and Physical Education curriculum (Lecturer)
• Pyscho social and health related physical activity (Coordinator, lecturer)

Academic management / administration responsibilities

Amanda is currently the Program Coordinator of the Bachelor of Applied Science (Physical Education) degree at RMIT. Prior to this Amanda was the Program Coordinator of the Bachelor of Education (Physical Education) from 2007-2011 where she lead a program of over 500 undergraduate students.

• PhD, Deakin University, Melbourne, 2003
• M.App.Sc (Human Movement) RMIT University, Melbourne, 1998
• B.App.Sc (Physical education) RMIT University, Melbourne, 1991
• Grad Cert. (Educational leadership) Victoria University, Melbourne, 2009
• Towards Leadership Excellence Program, Chair Academy, 2009

Membership of scientific advisory committees

• Invited independent reviewer for 2011-2015 VCE PE study design. Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA)
• Health and Physical Education Tertiary Alliance Committee member and steering committee (2009-current)
• State examiner Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) VCE Physical Education Units 3&4 Examination setting panel (2006 & 2007).
• Trained presenters responsible for State-wide roll out of VCE PE Study design briefing sessions on behalf of the Victorian Curriculum & Assessment Authority (VCAA) commissioned by Australian Council for Health, Physical Education & Recreation (ACHPER) (2005).
• Invited writer of the Victorian Curriculum & Assessment Authority (VCAA) sample VCE Unit 3&4 Physical Education Examination paper distributed to all schools in Victoria (2005).
• Member of the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) VCE Physical Education Review Board (2004).
• State Movement Sciences Co-ordinator for the Australian Council for Health Physical Education and Recreation (2003-2006).
• Member of the National Heart Foundation steering committee for the Out of School Hours Care Project (2002-2004).
• Member of the International Diabetes Institute steering committees for the primary Fight Back Study: Health eating and physical activity resource for schools (2003).

Invited advisor or presenter for State and Federal Governments

• Invited by Senator Kate Lundy Federal Shadow Minister for Sport & Recreation & Nicola Roxon Federal Shadow Minister for Health to participate in the ALP FORUM: Creating health promoting communities. Presenter and participant in roundtable discussion (Canberra, May 2007).
• Member of the National Nutrition and Physical Activity Monitoring & Surveillance expert advisory group. Invited by the Department of Health & Aged Care Commonwealth Government of Australia (National consensus workshop for measuring children’s physical activity, Melbourne 13th Oct & Canberra 8-9th Dec, 2005).
• Invited by Senator Kate Lundy Federal Shadow Minister for Sport & Recreation, Senator Minister for the Australian Capital Territory to give a 2 hour presentation on physical activity in primary schools (Melbourne, Nov 2005).
• Invited presenter to the Department of Education and Training Victoria to present the findings of the Teachers and Physical Activity Study (TAPAS) (2005).
• Invited by Minister for Education Lynn Kovski to be a panelist on the Ministerial Advisory committee for Physical Education in Victorian schools (2004).
• Member of the National Children’s Physical Activity Guidelines Consensus Committee Invited by the Department of Health & Aged Care Commonwealth Government of Australia. (Meeting in Canberra, March 2004)