Joanne Burrows

Although Joanne had three different supervisory teams during her research studies, she found the School of Graduate Research team very helpful and courteous. Joanne commends the Dean for remembering everyone’s names and what they were researching: "This provided strong support for the days when I wondered why I am doing all this study."

As a big-picture person, Joanne was not used to paying attention to little details but managed to improve over time. She also learned to think differently and critically analyse her writing and the statements she makes. She began using all the comments and feedback, especially the negative ones, to improve her work.

In addition to patience, perseverance, resilience and critical thinking, Joanne learned to be open to new ideas and information, which she considers the most useful skill. After completing her Masters degree, Joanne knew that there was more to learn, so she immediately started her PhD.

Thesis title: A mixed methods analysis of constructivism in the teaching materials created for older beginner piano students: An Australian perspective