ITI Articles

Bethlehem Tertiary Institute (BTI) received a pleasing endorsement for their research efforts in the latest Performance Based Research Fund (PBRF) round, recording the greatest percentage change of any institute.  The results confirm BTI’s growing status in terms of nationally and internationally recognised research in Teacher Education, Counselling, and Christian Education.  

The Chair of BTI's research committee, Bev Norsworthy, notes that while PBRF results are pleasing, the aim of research is to inform both quality teaching and public policy developments in the crucial areas of teaching and counselling.  It is viewed as integral to the character of excellent tertiary education.  The institute is one of few places in Australasia undertaking research in the area of Christian education both in its application to schooling, but also as it informs tertiary education and e-learning. 

Typically the Education discipline, within which BTI’s focus falls, does not have a long history of research activity compared with those of the sciences.  However, the institute continues to hone its long-term research strategy as a critical component of its overall focus.  At the heart of its research are important matters related to the holistic well being of people together with quality teaching and counselling. 

Within the field of Counselling, BTI staff members have undertaken research in the areas of Disability Studies, Family Therapy, Family Strengths, Masculinity, Transition to Manhood, and Spirituality.

In the Teacher Education and Teaching field, BTI staff members have undertaken research in a huge range of areas, including adult education, authentic assessment, student teachers as thinkers, spiritual leadership for teaching and learning, curriculum development, early childhood education, science and environmental education, and online pedagogy and e-learning.

Researchers at the institute tend to work with qualitative and mixed methodology (grounded theory, narrative and discourse analysis, self-study, case study, critical reflexive, appreciate inquiry, use of metaphor as data collection tool) and in several cases have used innovative data collection or analysis approaches. 

An increasing number of BTI staff have presented and published internationally as well as nationally.  Several also serve on editorial boards for journals.