2024 Eminent Researcher Award
Emeritus Professor James Chapman
The Eminent Researcher Award is sponsored for LDA by Routledge – Taylor and Francis, publishers of the Australian Journal of Learning Difficulties. The award is presented by invitation to a researcher whose career has involved major contributions to the field of learning and learning difficulties. LDA is honoured to announce that the 2024 Eminent Researcher Award has been accepted by Emeritus Professor James Chapman.
Professor Chapman has a long history researching and publishing in the area of learning difficulties and other related areas, including looking critically at Reading Recovery.
James Chapman is Professor Emeritus of Educational Psychology at Massey University, New Zealand. He received his M.A. in Education from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand and his Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Alberta, Canada. He joined Massey University in 1980. During his 40+ years at Massey he served for 8 ½ years as Head of the Department of Learning and Teaching, and 10 years as Pro Vice-Chancellor of the College of Education.
He has published over 150 journal articles, book chapters and books on learning disabilities, literacy learning difficulties, early literacy development, and motivational factors in academic achievement. In 1999 he was co-winner of the International Reading Association’s Dina Feitelson Award for Excellence in Research. Professor Chapman is a Science Advisor for the Better Start Literacy research at the University of Canterbury, and was on the Ministry of Education Common Practice Model Contributors’ Group.
Congratulations, Emeritus Professor James Chapman.
For further information about the AJLD Eminent Researcher Award and list of previous receipients click here.
The AJLD Early Career Researcher Award
Dr Emily Jackson
The AJLD Early Career Researcher Award is sponsored by Routledge – Taylor and Francis, the publishers of our journal. This award is open to researchers who have completed their PhD within the last six years and are currently engaged in research which has the potential to make a significant contribution to theory or practice in the area of learning difficulties. The Early Career Researcher Award involves the submission of a paper in a form appropriate for publication in the Australian Journal of Learning Difficulties.
This year, LDA is pleased to announce that the Early Career Researcher Award goes to Dr Emily Jackson from the School of Allied Health within Curtin University.
Dr Jackson has submitted a paper entitled ‘Developing teachers’ knowledge and confidence for supporting students with speech, language, and communication needs in Flexible Learning Program classrooms’. The study described in this paper is part of a larger program of research and will lead to the evaluation of in-class interventions for students with speech, language, and communication needs in Flexible Learning Programs.
Congratulations, Dr Jackson.
For further information about the AJLD Early Career Researcher Award and list of previous receipients click here.
2024
LDA Awards
The Mona Tobias Award
Jenny Baker
The LDA Mona Tobias Award is presented to a person who has made an outstanding contribution to Australian education of people with learning difficulties, in the areas of leadership, research, practice, teacher and community education.
It is with great pleasure that LDA announces that in 2024 the Mona Tobias award will be presented to Jenny Baker.
Jenny is recognised for her contribution to the education of school aged children with Specific Learning Disorders and Developmental Language Disorders. Jenny has fostered a professional practice that is dedicated to improving the communication and literacy skills of individuals across all ages through her commitment to highly explicit and evidence-based teaching strategies while providing support and development for the Speech Pathologists in her private practice.
Jenny is also recognised for her generosity in giving up her time to present for Learning Difficulties Australia on a number of occasions and other organisations such as Speech Pathology Australia, DSF SPELD and Think Forward Educators, sharing her knowledge of literacy and language with educators and speech pathologists around Australia.
Jenny is also involved in the clinical education of speech pathology students, equipping them with the knowledge and experience required to operate in school-based settings. She has been involved in the development of literacy programs across several metropolitan primary schools where she collaborates with teachers to develop evidence-based scopes and sequences in literacy.
Congratulations, Jenny Baker.
For further information about Mona Tobias and list of previous recipients of the Mona Tobias Award click here.
The Tertiary Student Award
Caitlin Stephenson
The LDA Tertiary Student Award is presented in recognition of academic excellence and significant research which advances the understanding of theoretical and practical issues in the field of learning difficulties, carried out by a student in the course of their tertiary level studies.
In 2024, the Tertiary Student Award was presented to Caitlin Stephenson in recognition of her ongoing doctoral studies at La Trobe University (Victoria), where she is completing research towards a thesis entitled: “Mapping the role of Australian SLPs for working on reading, writing and spelling with school-aged children and adolescents: A mixed methods, multidisciplinary investigation.” Caitlin’s research is highly relevant in the area of improving interdisciplinary collaboration and service delivery for students with learning difficulties. The outcomes of her research have great potential to positively contribute to the field of learning difficulties and that a major strength of her PhD research is the multi-perspective and multi-disciplinary nature of the data gathered across the four studies.
Congratulations, Caitlin Stephenson.
For further information about the Tertiary Student Award and list of previous recipients, click here.
The Bruce Wicking Award
There is no recipient for this award in 2024.
For further information about the Bruce Wicking Award and list of previous recipients click here.
The Rosemary Carter Award
There is no recipient for this award in 2024.
For further information about the Rosemary Carter Award, click here.