Dr Ailie McDowall ~ Senior Lecturer

Overview

Dr Ailie McDowall is an education and Indigenous Studies academic. She is currently teaching undergraduate and postgraduate coursework, and coordinates the Indigenous Education and Research Centre’s Master of Philosophy (Indigenous) program.

As a non-Indigenous researcher and educator, my interests lie in how educators develop the knowledge, skills and dispositions of Indigenous and non-Indigenous graduates and researchers to respond to the needs of Indigenous peoples. I have a Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours) and a PhD in education, both conferred by the University of Queensland (UQ). I have worked with the Indigenous Education and Research Centre at James Cook University since 2019. Before starting at JCU, I taught at the School of Education at the UQ. Throughout the last decade, I have also worked as a music festival organiser, at festivals such as Woodford Folk Festival, The Planting Festival, Island Vibe Festival, Byron Bay Bluesfest, and Groovin’ The Moo.

Indigenous Studies Research

With a background in both education and psychology, I am interested in the scholarship of teaching and learning, and how we teach complexity. My earlier research looked at the learning engagements of non-Indigenous students in compulsory Indigenous education coursework. I am currently working on a research project about the preparation of research students to engage in Indigenous topics.

Teaching

The IERC provides an Indigenous Studies curriculum for students from year 10 through to Masters by Research, and I teach across this pathway.

Our teaching work begins with the IERC’s annual Winter School, where I work with ten Year 10-12 Indigenous students undertaking Indigenous Studies curriculum during a one-week university residential.

My primary teaching responsibilities follow into undergraduate and postgraduate Indigenous Studies coursework, including IA2030/5029 Comparative Indigenous Studies, IA3024 Indigenous Narratives in the Contemporary Era, and IA3030/5030 Navigating the Cultural Interface. I am a curriculum specialist and took a lead role in developing the current Indigenous Studies suite of subjects through the writing of teaching materials for four subjects (Level 2 and 3).  

As the Master of Philosophy (Indigenous) coordinator, I take the lead role in teaching two research intensives that support beginning research students in their learning.

I ground my teaching through communities of inquiry, and use relational and collaborative approaches to develop students’ self-confidence and self-efficacy in their learning, whilst developing their academic and analytical skills, and their appreciation of complexity. 

Postgraduate Research

I currently supervise several HDR students who are examining topics such as academic resilience for Indigenous students, Indigenous content in the Australian curriculum, initial teacher education, and in-service teacher professional learning. I also coordinate the Master of Philosophy (Indigenous) program, undertake a range of activities supporting Indigenous HDRs across JCU, and am a member of the university’s Research Education Sub-Committee (RESC).

I am available to supervise Master of Philosophy (Indigenous) or PhD projects in Indigenous education. These projects are best suited to students with a background and/or interest in educational practice, and a passion for supporting Indigenous students in schooling.

The IERC enrols students through an annual intake and you will undertake a series of intensives, designed to give you the skills and confidence you need to undertake research with an Indigenous topic. Whilst a research degree requires independent learning, you will also work together with myself and your colleagues. Find out more about our teaching progams, including the Master of Philosophy, here. 

Interested students should email me with a description of the type of research you would like to undertake, your CV, and a summary of your previous degree(s).

Teaching

• IA2030: Comparative Indigenous Studies (Level 2; CNS & TSV)
• IA3024: Indigenous Narratives in the Contemporary Era (Level 3; CNS & TSV)
• IA3030: Navigating the Cultural Interface (Level 3; CNS & TSV)
• IA5029: Comparative Indigenous Studies (Level 5; CNS & TSV)
• IA5030: Navigating the Cultural Interface (Level 5; CNS & TSV)

Interests

Professional

• Higher Degree by Research students

Research

• Indigenous Studies
• Decoloniality
• Student learning in higher education
• Research education

Teaching

• Indigenous Studies
• Indigenous policy
• Learning development
• Critical and relational teaching approaches

Experience

• 2018 - Senior Research Assistant, School of Education, The University of Queensland
• 2013 to 2018 - Sessional Academic, School of Education, The University of Queensland
• 2015 to 2016 - HDR Student Representative, School of Education, The University of Queensland
• 2015 to 2016 - Postgraduate Research Community Conference Committee Chair, School of Education, The University of Queensland

Research Disciplines

• Sociology (4410)
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education (4502)
• Specialist studies in education (3904)

Socio-Economic Objectives

• Expanding knowledge (2801)

These are the most recent publications associated with this author. To see a detailed profile of all publications stored at JCU, visit ResearchOnline@JCU. Hover over Altmetrics badges to see social impact.

Journal Articles

• Alexander N, Petray T and McDowall A (2022) Conscientisation and Radical Habitus: Expanding Bourdieu’s Theory of Practice in Youth Activism Studies. Youth, 2 (3). pp. 295-308
• Alexander N, Petray T and McDowall A (2022) More learning, less activism: narratives of childhood in Australian media representations of the School Strike for Climate. Australian Journal of Environmental Education, 38 (1). pp. 96-111
• Donohue M and McDowall A (2021) A discourse analysis of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander COVID-19 policy response. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 45 (6). pp. 651-657
• McDowall A, Mills C, Cawte K and Miller J (2021) Data use as the heart of data literacy: an exploration of pre-service teachers' data literacy practices in a teaching performance assessment. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 49 (5). pp. 487-502
• McDowall A (2021) Layered spaces: a pedagogy of uncomfortable reflexivity in Indigenous education. Higher Education Research & Development, 40 (2). pp. 341-355
• McDowall A (2020) You are not alone: pre-service teachers' exploration of ethics and responsibility in a compulsory Indigenous education subject. M/C Journal, 23 (2).
• McDowall A and Ramos F (2018) Doing decoloniality in the Writing Borderlands of the PhD. Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 47 (1). pp. 54-63
• McDowall A (2018) (Not)knowing: walking the terrain of Indigenous education with preservice teachers. The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 47 (2). pp. 100-108

Advisory Accreditation: I can be on your Advisory Panel as a Primary or Secondary Advisor.

These Higher Degree Research projects are either current or by students who have completed their studies within the past 5 years at JCU. Linked titles show theses available within ResearchOnline@JCU.

Current

• A sociological examination of children?s experience and effectiveness when participating in activism. (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• The Larger Implications of a Focus on Indigenous Year 12 Certification (Masters , Secondary Advisor)
• Reconciliation and Resistance: An Exploration of Resistance towards Reconciliation following Crimes against Humanity. Comparative Case Studies form Northern Ireland and Australia (Masters , Secondary Advisor)
• An investigation into the experiences of Indigenous students with information literacy training and seeking information from an academic library. (Masters , Secondary Advisor)
• Indigenous Student Perceptions and Assumprions about Digital Technology Curriculum and Opportunities (Masters , Primary Advisor)
• Building Teacher Capacity in the Torres Straits (Masters , Primary Advisor)
• Non-Indigenous narratives of land in Australian news media: A history of the present (Masters , Primary Advisor)
• Presentations of the indigenous learner and (Re)Presentations of the Indigenous student in the Australian educational discourse (Masters , Primary Advisor)
• Exploration of Resilience of Indigenous Students in Remote Contexts (Masters , Primary Advisor)