Peter Freebody
 |
Professorial Research Fellow
Faculty of Education and Social Work
The University of Sydney, Australia
Tel. +61 02 9036 9317
p.freebody@edfac.usyd.edu.au
|
I am a University Professorial Research Fellow based in the Faculty of Education and Social Work.
I studied for my initial degree at The University of Sydney and for my doctorate at The University of Illinois. In the past I have worked at The University of New England, Griffith University, and The University of Queensland.
I also helped to establish the Centre for Research in Pedagogy and Practice at the National Institute of Education in Singapore.
I have served on various Australian state and national advisory groups in the area of literacy education, and I was Academic Advisor to the Queensland Minister of Education and the Arts. I am currently a senior consultant on the Curriculum Corporation’s national on-line curriculum program (“The Le@rning Federation”) and a member of the Expert Advisory Group on Literacy for the Victorian Department of Education and Training.
You will see from my publications that my research and teaching interests are literacy education, educational disadvantage, classroom interaction and quantitative and qualitative research methods.
Publications
Authored books
- Freebody, P. (2007). Literacy education in schools: Research perspectives from the past, for the future. Camberwell, Vic.: Australian Council for Educational
Research, (pp viii + 83).
- Austin, H., Dwyer, B. & Freebody, P. (2003) Schooling the child: the making of students in classrooms.
London: Routledge-Falmer (pp viii+209).
Baker, C.D. & Freebody, P. (1989). Children's first reading books: Introductions
to the culture of literacy. Oxford: Basil Blackwell Ltd. (pp xxiii + 252).
- Freebody, P. (2003) Qualitative Research in Education: Interaction and Practice.
London: Sage Press (pp xiv + 234).
- Lo Bianco, J. & Freebody, P. (1997). Australian Literacies: Informing national policy on literacy education. Canberra,
ACT: Language Australia. pp xxi + 177, Revised 2nd edition (2001).
Canberra, ACT: Language Australia (pp viii + 125).
Edited Books
- Freebody, P., Muspratt, S. & Dwyer, B. (2001) Difference, silence,
and textual practice: Studies in critical literacy. New
Jersey: Hampton Press. (pp xvi + 415)
- Freebody, P. & Welch, A.R. (1993). Knowledge,
culture, and power: International perspectives on literacy policies and practices. London:
Falmer Press; Pittsburg: University of Pittsburgh Press (pp. vi + 244).
- Muspratt, S., Luke, A. & Freebody, P. (1997). Constructing critical literacies: Teaching and learning textual practice. New
Jersey: Hampton Press for Nth America; Sydney: Allen & Unwin for Europe/Commonwealth
(pp x + 460).
Journal Articles (2000-present)
- Cooksey, R.W., Freebody, P., & Wyatt-Smith, C. (2007). Assessment as judgment-in-context: Analysing how teachers evaluate students’ writing. Educational Research and Evaluation, 13, 401–434.
- Freebody, P., Freebody, K., McRae, D. & Muspratt, S. (2006). New curricular ways with new technologies: The Le@rning Federation’s learning objects arrive in classrooms. The Professional Educator. 5, 14-17.
Freebody, P. & Freiberg, J. (2006). Cultural Science and qualitative educational research: Work ‘in the first place’ on the morality of classroom life. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 19, 709-722.
- Freebody, P., Martin, J.R. & Maton, K. (2008). Talk, text, and knowledge in cumulative, integrated learning. Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, 31, 188-201.
- Freebody, P., McRae, D. & Freebody, K. (2006). The Le@rning Federation’s on-line initiative: Lessons from teachers on change, technologies, and learning about English and literacy. English in Australia. 41, 48-57.
- Freebody, P. & Muspratt, S. (2007). Beyond Generic Knowledge in Pedagogy and Disciplinarity: The Case of Science Textbooks. Pedagogies: An International Journal, 2, 35-48.
- Austin, H. & Freebody, P. (2001). Assembling and assessing the ‘child-student’. Journal
of Curriculum Studies, 33,
535-550.
Castleton, G., Wyatt-Smith, C., Cooksey, R., & Freebody, P. (2003).
Teachers' qualitative judgements: a matter of context and salience. Part
II. Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, 26, 33-42
- Chiam, C. L., Hedberg, J. G., & Freebody, P. (2004). Teachers’ and
students’ accounts
of knowledge sharing in educational institutions. Journal of Information
and Knowledge Management, 4,
1557-1565, Special issue on Knowledge Sharing, (article MC04-0166-2004;
ISSN: 1447-9524 (print) 1447-9575 (online)) at http://ijm.cgpublisher.com/product/pub.28/prod.4 (retrieved
February 11, 2006).
- Freebody, P. (2001). Theorising new literacies in and
out of school. Language and Education: An international journal. 15,
105-117.
- Freebody, P. & Freiberg, J. (2001). Re-discovering practical
reading activities in schools and homes. Journal of Research in Reading. 24,
222-234. ISSN 0141-0423.
- Freebody, P. & Freiberg, J. (2006). Cultural
Science and qualitative educational research: Work ‘in the first place’ on
the morality of classroom life. International Journal of Qualitative
Studies in Education, 19,
709-722.
- Freebody, P. & Herschell, P. (2000). The interactive assembly
of social identity: The case of latitude in classroom talk. International Journal
of Inclusive Education. 4,
43-61.
- Freebody, P. & Hornibrook, M. (2005). The relationship of reading
ICT to opportunity structures: An object of study? Reading Research Quarterly, 40,
371-376.
- Freebody, P., Freebody, K., McRae, D., & Muspratt, S. (2006).
New curricular ways with new technologies: The Le@rning Federation’s
learning objects arrive in classrooms. The Professional Educator. 5,
14-17.
- Freebody, P., Hornibrook, M., & Freebody, K. (2005). Language,
learning to read, and life pathways. Reading Research Quarterly Online,
(ms pp 7), [available at:RRQ Online,
http://www.reading.org/Library/Retrieve.cfm?D=10.1598/RRQ.40.3.6&F=RRQ-40-3-Freebody-supp_1.html]
- Freebody,
P., McRae, D., & Freebody, K. (2006). The Le@rning Federation’s
on-line initiative: Lessons from teachers on change, technologies, and learning
about English and literacy. English in Australia. 41, 48-57.
- Freebody,
P. & Power, D. (2001). Interviewing Deaf adults in postsecondary
educational settings: Stories, cultures, and life-histories. Journal
of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 6,
130-141.
- Freebody, P. & Wyatt-Smith, C. (2004). The assessment of literacy:
Working the zone between ‘system’ and ‘site’ validity. Journal
of Educational Enquiry, 5, 30-49.
- Le Vasan, M., Venkatachary, R., & Freebody,
P. (2006). Can collaboration and self-direction be learned? A procedural
framework for problem-based learning. Planning and Changing: An educational
leadership and policy journal. 37,
24-36.
- Luke, A., Freebody, P., Lau, S., & Gopinathan, S. (2005). Toward
research-based innovation and reform: Singapore schooling in transition. Asia
Pacific Journal of Education, 25,
1, 5-28.
- Singh, P., Dooley, K., & Freebody P. (2001). Literacy Pedagogies
that may 'make a difference'. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 29,
49-71.
- Wyatt-Smith, C., Castleton, G., Freebody, P., & Cooksey, R. (2003).
Teachers' qualitative judgements: a matter of context and salience. Part
I. In-context judgements. Australian Journal of Language and Literacy,
26, 11-32.
Book Chapters (2000-present)
- Freebody, P. (2007). Building literacy education: pasts, futures, and “the sum of effort.” In
A. Simpson (Ed.) Future directions in literacy: international
conversations.
Sydney: Sydney University Press, (pp. 95-113).
- Freebody, P. (2008). Critical literacy education: On living with ‘innocent language’. In B.V. Street & N.H.
Hornberger (Eds.) Encyclopedia of language and education,
Volume 2: Literacy.
Heidelberg, Germany: Springer Scientific, (pp. 107-119).
- Freebody, P. & Freiberg, J. (2008). Globalised literacy
education: Intercultural trade in textual and cultural practice. In M. Prinsloo & M.
Baynham, (Eds.) Literacies, global and local. Amsterdam / Philadelphia: John
Benjamins, (pp. 17-34).
- Freebody, P., Muspratt, S. & McRae, D. (2008). Technology,
curriculum, and pedagogy: evaluating an online content program in Australasia. In L. Lockyer, S. Bennett, S. Agostinho, & B.
Harper (Eds.) International handbook of research on
learning design and Learning Objects: Issues, applications and technologies. Hershey, New York: Information
Science Reference, (pp. 470-492).
- Freebody, P. & Zhang, B. (2008). The designs of culture, knowledge, and
interaction on the reading of language and image. In L. Unsworth (Ed.) New
Literacies and the English Curriculum: Multimodal Perspectives. London: Continuum
(pp. 23-46).
- Austin, H., Freebody, P., & and Dwyer, B. (2001). Methodological issues in analysing talk and text: The case of childhood in and for school. In A. McHoul & M.
Rapley (Eds.) How to Analyse Talk in Institutional Settings: A Casebook of Methods. London: Continuum International London/New York: Continuum International. (pp 183-195)
- Freebody, P. (2004). Hindsight and foresight: Putting the Four Roles Model
of reading to work in the daily business of teaching. In A. Healy and E.
Honan (eds.), Text next: New resources for literacy learning.
Newtown, NSW: Primary English Teachers Association (pp 3-17).
- Freebody, P. (2005). Social Perspectives on the Cognitive Revolution and
Education: From ‘Alien Beings’ to ‘Robust Trustees’.
In J.M. Royer (Ed.) The Impact of the Cognitive Revolution on Educational Psychology. ‘Current
Perspectives on Cognition, Learning, and Instruction’ Series. Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishing. (pp 293-325)
- Freebody, P. Critical literacy. (2005). In Beach, R., Green, J., Michael,
M., & Shanahan,
T. (Eds.). Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Literacy Research,
2nd ed. Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press. (pp 433-454).
- Freebody, P. & Baker, C. (2003). Categories and sense-making in literacy research and education: Critical literacy and the spaces between people. In G. Bull & M.
Anstey (Eds.) The literacy lexicon. Sydney/New York: Pearson, 2nd
revised edition, (pp 225-240).
- Freebody, P. Forrest, T., & Gunn, S. (2001). Accounting and silencing
in interviews: Smooth running through the 'problem of schooling the disadvantaged'.
In P. Freebody, S. Muspratt & B.
Dwyer (Eds.) Difference, silence, and textual practice: Studies in critical
literacy. New
Jersey: Hampton Press (pp 119-151).
- Freebody P. & Freiberg, J. (2000).
Public and pedagogic morality: The local orders of instructional and regulatory
talk in classrooms. In S. Hester and D. Francis (Eds.) Local Education
Order: Ethnomethodological Studies of Knowledge in Action.
Amsterdam/London: John Benjamins, Pragmatics and Beyond Series, pp 141-162.
- Freebody, P. & Luke, A. (2003). Literacy as understanding and changing
the conditions of living: Narratives and heuristics from
the story of the ‘four roles’ model. To appear in G. Bull & M.
Anstey (Eds.) The literacy lexicon. Sydney/New York: Pearson, 2nd
revised edition (pp 51-66).
- Freebody, P. Luke, A., & Gilbert, P. (2003). Reading instruction and
discourse critique: Rethinking
the politics of literacy. In D. Scott (Ed.) Curriculum Studies: major
themes in Education.
London: Routledge (pp. 235-257).
Knight, B.A., Freebody, P., & McDiarmid, C. (2000). A comparison of whole-language
and genre approaches to literacy education. In B.A. Knight & L.
Rowan (Eds.) Researching futures oriented pedagogy. Flaxton, Qld.:
Post Press-ed. (pp 107-132).
- Muspratt, S., Freebody, P., & Luke, A. (2001). Technologies of inclusion,
geographies of exclusion: Schooling and literacy in small rural communities.
In P.Freebody, S. Muspratt & B.
Dwyer (Eds.) Difference, silence, and textual practice: Studies in critical
literacy. New
Jersey: Hampton Press (pp 153-188).
- Wilkinson, I. Freebody, P., & Elkins,
J. (2000). Reading Research in Australia and Aotearoa/New Zealand. In S.
Kamil, P.B. Mosenthal, P.D. Pearson & R.
Barr (Eds.) Handbook of reading research, Volume III. Hillsdale,
New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum (pp 3-16).
Manuscripts/Reports (2000-present)
- Freebody, P. (2007). Evaluating The Le@rning Federation's online curriculum
content initiative. Summary of findings from surveys, site visits and a field
experiment. Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth
Affairs (MCEETYA) (ms pp 144), [at http://www.thelearningfederation.edu.au/tlf2/showMe.asp?nodeID=891]
- Freebody, P. & Muspratt, S. (2007). The Le@rning Federation’s digital resources:
A preliminary study of access, use and value. Ministerial Council on Education,
Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA), (ms pp 45), [at http://www.thelearningfederation.edu.au/tlf2/showMe.asp?nodeID=891]
- Alloway, N., Freebody, P. Gilbert, P. & Muspratt, S. (2002). Boys, literacy and schooling: Expanding the repertoires of practice. Canberra:
Australian Commonwealth Department of Education, Science and Training (pp.
iv + 235).
Digital Curricular Literacies Team (2005). (DCLT, Principals: Freebody, P.,
Hedberg, J. & Guo, L. Project 1: Classroom interaction: Preliminary finding. Research Report, Centre for Research in Pedagogy and Practice, National Institute of Education, Singapore (pp. 98).
- Freebody, P. (2006). Early-stage use of The Le@rning Federation's learning
objects in schools. Results of a field review. Ministerial
Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA) (ms
pp 84), [available at http://www.thelearningfederation.edu.au/tlf2/showMe.asp?nodeID=891]
- Freebody,
P. (2005). Does the use of online curriculum content enhance motivation,
engagement and learning? The Le@rning Federation trial review.
Report to Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth
Affairs (MCEETYA) (ms pp 104), [available at http://www.thelearningfederation.edu.au/tlf2/showMe.asp?nodeID=67]
- Freebody, P. (2005). Queensland Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting
Framework Project Background, rationale and specifications.
Technical paper establishing the QCAR Framework. Brisbane: Education Queensland.
(ms pp 27), [available at http://education.qld.gov.au/qcar/pdfs/expert_paper.pdf]
Freebody, P., Hedberg, J.G., Guo, L. (2004). Digital Curricular Literacies,
Project 1: Classroom interaction.
Centre for Research in Pedagogy and Practice, Research Report #10, [available
at http://www.crpp.nie.edu.sg/file.php/256/RRS04-010_final_version_.pdf]
- Freebody,
P., Watters, J. & Lummis, S. (2002). Expanding possible futures:
A review of Education Queensland’s Policy Statement on the Education
of Gifted Students in Queensland Schools.
A report to the Queensland Government, Brisbane: Education Queensland. (pp.
116). Available at: http://education.qld.gov.au/publication/production/reports/pdfs/expanding.pdf]
- Luke,
A., Freebody, P. & Land, R. (2000). Literate futures: Review of literacy
education.
Brisbane, Qld: Education Queensland (pp. v + 135).
Power, D. & Freebody, P. (2004). Writing Safari: An academic writing guide for deaf students in the middle school years.
(CD-ROM). Canberra: Language Australia.
Conference Presentations
I have presented over 50 international addresses for researchers, such as these, selected from 2000-present:
- Guo, L. & Freebody, P. Knowledge, multimodality and
linguistically diverse learners. American Education Research Association Annual Conference, Chicago,
April 2007.
- Muspratt, S. & Freebody, P. A survey and experimental
evaluation of on-line curriculum content: The case of Learning Objects
in a national web-based digital learning program. British Educational Research Association Annual
Conference, London, September 2007.
- van Rooy, W., Freebody, P., Hedberg, J., Nichols, K., & Barton, G. Transforming
the technology and modalities of learning biology for senior high school
students in NSW: a report of work in progress. Conference of Asian Science
Education, Taiwan, February, 2008.
- Nichols, K., Barton, G., van Rooy, W., Freebody, P., & Hedberg, J. Investigating
the use of technology and modalities in Queensland senior biology: applying
multiple coding frameworks to lesson observations. Conference of Asian Science
Education, Taiwan, February, 2008.
- Van Bergen, P., Chan, E., Freebody, P., Hedberg, J., Nichols, K., van Rooy,
W., & Barton, G. Digital and multimodal representations
of ‘New Life Science’ concepts
in Australian Science classrooms. Multimodality and Learning Conference,
Institute of Education, London, UK, June 2008.
- Freebody, P., Hornibrook, M. & Muspratt, S. An Evaluation
of On-line Curriculum Content: Learning Objects in a Web-based Digital
Learning Program. Research
presentation, 6th International Conference on Education and Information Systems,
Technologies and Applications, Orlando, Florida, USA, July 2008.
- Hedberg, J., Van Bergen, P., Freebody, P., Nichols, K., van Rooy, W., Barton,
G., & Chan,
E. Transforming through technologies the modalities
of learning: New Life Sciences in secondary schooling. Annual Conference of the Association for
the Advancement of Computing in Education on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia
and Telecommunications, Vienna, Austria, July 2008.
- Freebody, P. Literacy practices in homes and schools: Partnership or protectionism? Cross-London Literacy Research Group, King’s College London, UK, November, 2000.
- Freebody, P. & Freiberg, J. Interactions between General Practitioners and patients: the interface between lay and institutional talk in health settings. International Conference on “Research and Practice in Professional Discourse,” Centre for English Language Education and Communication Research, City University of Hong Kong, November, 2000.
- Freebody, P. The writing-out of reading as social practice in homes and schools. Closing plenary address, International Conference on Literacy and Globalization, Cape Town, South Africa, November, 2001.
- Freebody, P. Literacy research that impacts policy and practice. Invited presidential address, American Educational Research Association Annual Conference, New Orleans, April, 2002.
- Freebody, P. Australian trends in language and literacy research and teaching. Shenzhen Education Bureau Conference on English Teaching, Shenzhen, China, May, 2002.
- Freebody P., McGrath B., Freiberg J., Understanding the shared wisdom in doctor-patient interaction’ Producing Local Order,International Institute of Ethnomethodology and Conversation Analysis, Manchester July, 2003.
- Freebody, P. Ricerca qualitativa nelle scienze dell’educazione. (‘Qualitative research in educational studies’). Universita degli Studi di Lecce, Italy, Dipartimento di Scienze Pedagogiche, Psichologiche, Didattiche. Live satellite link to Universities of Rome Padua, and Venice, April, 2004.
- Freebody, P. & Tan, A.L. The importance of classroom-based research in the search for educational excellence. Keynote address, Global Conference on Excellence in Education and Training, Singapore Convention Centre, May, 2004.
- Freebody, P. & Tan, A.L. Interaction, cognition, and knowledge: Reconsidering the relationship between classroom talk and thinking. Plenary address, Thinking Quality Initiative, 5th International Conference, Baptist University, Hong Kong, June 2004.
- Freebody, P. Why research in Education matters: Recent developments in pedagogy, methodology and policy. opening plenary address, Annual Educational Development Conference, Mt. St. Vincent University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, July, 2004.
- Chiam, C. L., Hedberg, J. G., & Freebody, P. (2004). Impediments to Knowledge Sharing in Public Educational Institutions. Keynote address, Knowledge, Culture and Change in Organisations,4th International Conference, University of Greenwich, London, August 2004.
- Freebody, P. Pedagogy, learning and work: Working the zone between the discipline and the project. Plenary address to the International Conference on ‘Redesigning pedagogy’, National Institute of Education, Singapore, June, 2005.
I have also given a number of presentations to national and state bodies in Australia, such as these, from 2000-present:
- Freebody, P. Scaffolding and classroom interaction: A comparison of two lessons. Invited address, International Conference on “Scaffolding and language learning.” University of Technology, Sydney, December, 2000.
- Freebody, P. Literate for the Future: the 70's were good but... Presentation to the Brisbane Institute, Customs House, Brisbane, August 2001. Replayed on ABC Radio National, October 10, 2001.
- Freebody, P. & Power, D. The life histories of deaf adults. Keynote address, Conference on Discourses and Language at Work, Sydney, November 2001.
- Freebody, P. Contemporary views on literacy: Multiple learnings for a changing society. Plenary address to the TAFE-Access Annual Literacy Conference, Sydney, December, 2001.
- McGrath, B., Freiberg, J.M., & Freebody, P., Conversation analysis applied to auditing GP consultations. General Practice and Primary Health Care Research National Conference, Melbourne, May, 2002.
- Freiberg, J., Freebody, P. & McGrath, B. Communication in general practice medical settings. Australian and New Zealand Communication Association Annual Conference, Gold Coast, July, 2002.
- Freebody, P., Harris, J., Freiberg, J., & McGrath, B., Achieving mutual understandings in doctor-patient interaction. Pre-conference institute on Talk and the Moral Order, International Sociology Association Conference, Gold Coast, July 2002.
- Freebody, P. Doctor-patient interaction. Live interview, ABC Radio National, August, 2002.
- Freebody, P. Revisiting the roles of the reader. Plenary address, NSW Institute for Educational Research, Sydney, November, 2004.
- Freebody, P. Membership Categorisation Analysis and Educational Practice. Plenary address to the International Conference on ‘Critical Discourse Analysis’, University of Tasmania, Launceston, November, 2005.
- Freebody, P. Trialling The Le@rning Federation’s learning objects in schools: A report of survey and case-study results. Presentation to the Senior Curriculum State and Commonwealth Liaison Officers, The Le@rning Federation, National On-line Curriculum Program, Melbourne, November, 2005.
- Freebody, P. The National Inquiry into Literacy: A personal response. Plenary address to the International Conference on ‘Future Directions in Literacy’, The University of Sydney, March, 2006.
- Freebody, P. Evaluating digital learning objects as teaching and learning resources in schools. Address to the Directors-General of Education for all Australian states and territories and New Zealand, Curriculum Corporation governing board meeting, Brisbane, May 2006.
- Freebody, P. Accessing curriculum content in the middle years: The case for disciplinarity. Keynote address to the International Middle Years of Schooling Conference, Adelaide, August, 2006.
- Freebody, P. Evaluating the Learning Federation’s national online program: A literacy educator’s perspective. Plenary address to the Curriculum Corporation national conference: ‘A vision splendid: ICT: research, pedagogy, implementation for schools’, Adelaide, August, 2006.
- Freebody, P. & Zhang, B. Cognition, morality and images in classrooms. Plenary Address to the Australian Systemic Functional Linguistics Association national conference: ‘Multimodal texts and multiliteracies: Semiotic theory and practical pedagogy’. Armidale, September, 2006.
Supervision
I have supervised about 45 theses through to completion, in topic areas such as:
- Predicting reading achievement in the first year of schooling.
- The representation of technical knowledge in high school students’ writing for science.
- The language of aboriginal and non-aboriginal children and the texts they encounter in schools.
- Schooling in small rural and remote communities.
- The development of textual understandings in the first 12 months of schooling.
- Quantitative and interpretive analyses of classroom talk as a cognitive context for learning about literacy.
- Literacy acquisition and diffusion among pre-literate adults in non-industrialised communities in Papua New Guinea.
- Assembling and assessing the student: The ‘child’ as enacted in a primary school literature classroom.
- Documenting and changing the teaching of reading in the primary school.
- Policy and practice in workplace literacy.
- Accounting for culture, language and identity in educational discourses: The case of indigenous Sami in a Finland, Sweden and Norway.
- ‘Good citizenship’ as a situated moral and practical accomplishment.
- Representations of motherhood in contemporary Australian adolescent fiction.
- Diversity and institutional interaction in secondary ESL classrooms.
- An ethnomethodological study of participation and severe intellectual impairment.
- Predicting the patterns of early literacy achievement: A longitudinal study of transition from home to school.
- Topical talk in general practice medical consultations.
- A corpus study of the representation of scientific knowledge in school textbooks.
- Becoming school-literate in China: Historical, semiotic and interactional analyses.

... and I occasionally get out.

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