Research
Domain 03
Character &
Enterprise
The Barker Institute will undertake research projects that will provide research-informed practical advice and guidance to educational practitioners and leaders about character and enterprise education.
Our Purpose
Rationale
This has profound implications for schools and the teaching and learning that takes place within them. Research has shown that students’ capabilities beyond the academic learning of knowledge and skills are important predictors of achievement.
Fostering and developing character traits that equip individuals to impact and change their world is increasingly valued, as is the provision of opportunities to engage in practical experiences. These character-based practical experiences ensure learning is not just theoretical but also genuinely experiential, developing capacity and confidence. In this lies an opportunity for Barker, as an outworking of its commitment to the Christian faith, to investigate further how schools can best position themselves to provide learning opportunities for students to acquire and strengthen virtues, values and the competencies that will help them make wise choices for a well-rounded life and a thriving society.
Research Questions
Potential projects may explore questions such as:
- Why is character and enterprise education important?
- What traditional and innovative models of teaching best facilitate character and enterprise education?
- How can the effectiveness of character and enterprise education be both monitored and measured?
Targeted Publications
In addition to disseminating ongoing research in and thinking around character and enterprise education via its website, social media networks, and its journal Learning in Practice, the Barker Institute will work towards publishing its research in this area in such journals as:
- Journal of Character Education
- International Journal of Lifelong Education
- International Journal of Christianity & Education
Publications
Year 10 Engagement and Discovery Day - 2025
On Wednesday last week, Year 10 students visited one of 28 Partner Organisations—local charities, social enterprises, and not-for-profits—and spent a day learning about their stories, values, and everyday challenges.
- Mark Lovell
- 05 March 2025
What Is Flourishing in Education?
Flourishing is more than just academic achievement—it’s about thriving in all areas of life. In education, flourishing encompasses the holistic development of students, integrating intellectual, emotional, social, and moral dimensions. But how can schools define and measure flourishing among their students, and why does it matter?
- Dr Timothy Scott
- 11 February 2025
"The Great Cause" - with Phillip Heath AM
The Barker Institute proudly supports an important new podcast in the educational landscape - "The Great Cause" - with Phillip Heath AM.
- Dr Matthew Hill
- 04 December 2024
Term 3... and that’s a wrap!
(Or four highlights from a very active term)
- Dr Timothy Scott
- 27 September 2024
Learning for Friendship
Learning about the common language of friendship - a commitment to creating a culture of kindness.
- Martin Conway
- 27 May 2024
Journal Launch - Learning in Practice: The Barker Institute Journal (2023)
This week we are proud to launch the 2023 edition of the Barker Institute Journal, Learning in Practice. The full journal and individual articles are now available online on the Barker Institute website .
- Dr Timothy Scott, Dr Matthew Hill
- 23 February 2024
Character and Its Importance
Someone who has helped me think about character is the journalist David Brooks. Brooks says there are two kinds of virtues by which we tend to define ourselves.
- Mark Lovell
- 15 February 2024
Effective Character Education
Character education is more than the provision of an a well-intentioned, resourced, researched opportunities and programs targeting values, it involves a journey of becoming, where students learn to make wise moral decisions, think critically, live in harmony with others and be successful in challenges of life.
- Peter Gibson
- 18 August 2023
Character Education
The understanding of what character education is has changed over time and continues to change as schools ask questions about how they may educate their students to ‘learn to know the good, love the good and do the good’ (The Jubilee Centre for Character & Virtue, 2022, p. 6).
- Peter Gibson
- 22 June 2023
Barker Institute Events, Term 2, 2023
Parents, students, teachers, and the wider community are warmly welcomed to our events. Five Barker Institute events were held in Term 2, 2023.
- Dr Matthew Hill
- 08 June 2023
Good Arguments with Bo Seo
Last week, Barker had the privilege of hosting ex-student, Bo Seo, a National and World champion School and University debater who has recently published a book, Good Arguments, that threads together his personal narrative in debating with insightful ideas about how to argue well.
- Andrew Hood
- 30 May 2023
Raising Respect with Marshall Ballantine-Jones
A summary of a thought-provoking presentation by Dr Marshall Ballantine-Jones on the topic of RAISING RESPECT.
- Dr Matthew Hill
- 11 May 2023
Academic Buoyancy
You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink. But you can salt the oats to make it thirsty!
- Dr Julie Wilson-Reynolds
- 02 May 2023
The Barker Junior School Journey: Reporting on Years 3-6 from 2019-2022
The Barker Journey longitudinal study has now completed its fourth year. The subjects of the study are a group of students who celebrated the conclusion of their primary schooling in 2022. Detailed results reporting on the first four years have recently been shared.
- Dr Matthew Hill, Dr Timothy Scott
- 20 March 2023
Barker Institute Events for Semester 1, 2023
The first five events of the 2023 Barker Institute event calendar have been released, commencing with the community launch of the Lift@Barker project. Parents, students, teachers, and the wider community are warmly welcomed to our events. More events for Term 2 and Semester 2 will be announced soon.
- Dr Matthew Hill
- 20 February 2023
The Lift Project: A year-long, evidence-based wellbeing project for the whole Barker community
Special guest Dr Darren Morten of Avondale University and The Lift Project shared with an eager group of parents how with practice and the right strategies anyone, at any age, can Lift their mood and their life.
- Dr Matthew Hill
- 20 February 2023
Publication of the 6th Edition of Learning in Practice: The Barker Institute Journal
Publishing the close-to-practice research that takes place within the Barker community is an important part of the Barker Institute’s role within the school. We are keen to share what has been learnt by experts in education, be those expert classroom practitioners, pastoral care and wellbeing leaders, or school leaders. Learning in Practice is a published conversation in which reflections on practice take place, and professional learning and development benefit.
- Dr Timothy Scott, Dr Matthew Hill
- 20 February 2023
Responsible Learners
Educators understand the importance of feedback. At Barker we are grateful for the feedback of parents from last year's parent survey. The Learning Team is taking note of the areas for improvement and will thoughtfully address these topics over the Term.
- Dr Julie Wilson-Reynolds
- 03 February 2023
AARE Conference 2022 – Transforming the Future of Education: The Role of Research
The Barker Institute was represented at the Australian Association of Research in Education (AARE) Conference in Adelaide last week including a presentation on the first four years of the Barker Journey. I had the opportunity to attend sessions on all four days of the conference on topics related to our Research Agenda before our own presentation on the final day.
- Dr Matthew Hill
- 05 December 2022
Educating for Humanity & The Holistic Principle – Dr Neil Tucker
Holistic learning & Holistic education
- 08 September 2022
Year 7 Study Habits
An interactive workshop to help Year 7 students and their parents develop good study habits
- 10 May 2022
Improving Student Writing
During Barker’s Inaugural Rhetoric Week, parents gathered to learn how to support their children’s writing with Dr Ian Hunter, Founder of The Writer’s Toolbox.
- 25 March 2022
Can you draw?
Do you consider yourself good at drawing? According to recent research, it is often self-imposed limitations that prevent practice and success!
- 11 March 2022
The Dignity of our Limits - Public Lecture
The Dignity of our Limits – reflections from attending a public lecture by Stephanie Kate Judd (Barker class of 2007) on her research as an Anglican Deaconess Fellow in 2021.
- 21 February 2022
Barker College Science Extension – Annual Public Lectures
- A Lecture Series in the History and Philosophy of Science 2021
- 15 October 2021
Untangling You & Gratitude - Dr Kerry Howells
How to improve mental health with an "attitude of gratitude"
- 09 September 2021
Year 7 Study Habits Webinar
- The 2021 workshop for Parents and Students to manage study habits from Year 7
- 29 April 2021
Barker Year 7 Study Skills webinar
Parents and Students learning how best to study in Year 7
- 17 June 2020
Ag After Dark – The business journey of Vegepod
An event to hear about the business and science of Vegepods
- 06 March 2020
Special Guest Anthony Wicht at NASA tour reunion breakfast
Anthony Wicht inspired Barker NASA students to think about space policy.
- 24 October 2018
Warwick Holmes - The Rosetta Mission
Enthralling Community Forum presentation by Warwick Holmes - The Rosetta Mission.
- 11 August 2017