Abby Mirani

Abby Mirani

Associate Lecturer (Science & Technology), Faculty of Education and Arts

Areas of expertise: Sociology; sociology of religion ;social theory; citizenship studies; sociology of Islam
HDR Supervisor accreditation status: Not accredited
Phone: 03 9953 3616
Email: abby.mirani@acu.edu.au
Location: ACU Melbourne campus

Abby Mirani is an associate lecturer at the Australian Catholic University. As an ACU academic staff member and in the National School of Education, Abby lectures and tutors preservice teachers in national and state-based science and technology core CPA units that form part of the Education courses. She contributes to the design and development of core science units in the early childhood and primary sectors.

As the Melbourne coordinator for two ACU programs, the National Exceptional Teachers in Disadvantaged Schools (NETDS) and Science in Schools (SiS), Abby has developed and sustained strong relationships with ACU’s strategic partnerships.

NETDS is a national and multi-university program, which looks to improve teachers' capacity to teach socio-economically, culturally and linguistic learners and encourages them to consider working in low SES schools. As coordinator, Abby provides mentorship to preservice teachers participating in the program for the remaining two years of their degree, including all placements.

In her coordination of the SiS program, Abby supports preservice teachers to gain proficiencies in creating purposeful and diverse science learning experiences to facilitate with students in the primary sector. These professional development opportunities have enabled preservice teachers to transform theory into practice.

In her previous roles, as a senior food technologist, Abby has had access to state-of-the-art science facilities and exposure to national and global expertise, which has influenced her research and professional standards. This has provided Abby with the agency and confidence to develop innovative and authentic science learning experiences.

In 2022, Abby initiated a pilot STEM project, which was embedded into a core science CPA unit. Preservice teachers explored the design and make process from concept to consumer and collaborated with a local school community.

Projects

• National Exceptional Teachers in Disadvantaged Schools program (NETDS) – Melbourne Coordinator
  NETDS has been running for over 10 years but commenced at ACU Melbourne in 2018. The program closely aligns with the ethos of ACU in relation to working with communities experiencing disadvantage. NETDS currently operates across seven Australian universities (ACU, Deakin University, University of New England, University of Newcastle, University of South Australia, Victoria University and Western Sydney University). It is offered to high performing pre-service teachers as part of the existing Initial Teacher Education (ITE) degrees. The program offers pre-service teachers a unique opportunity to undertake their 3rd and 4th practicums in schools that service disadvantaged communities for those students who need quality teaching the most. NETDS PSTs are offered opportunities to experience rural and regional placements. NETDS is predominantly in the primary sector but crossed into the secondary sector in 2021.
• Science in School program (SiS) - Coordinator
  The SiS program was conceptualised in Melbourne about ten years ago, as an embedded practical component within the core 3rd Year CPA Science Education unit (BEd Primary course). Since 2017, the program was extended into the ECP science units and is now integrated within the B-12 science core CPA unit (Melbourne) in the new course map. This program has a strong alignment with ACU's mission, as preservice teachers focus on developing science units of work, as underpinned by issues of social justice, equity and diversity. Pre-service teachers are placed into professional learning teams to develop a mini science unit of work, which they are enabled to facilitate in a SiS partnership school. The theory to practice has been described by students as ‘transformational’.
• ACU and the Victorian State Department of Education & Training (ACU/DET Project) - Contributing researcherand coordinator
  The ACU-DET Project was a state government funded project to look at ways to prepare metropolitan-based PSTs prior to them undertaking outer regional or remote professional placement. Three targeted teaching modules were developed as stand-alone workshops, similar to an ‘induction’ offered to graduates, in response to better supporting PSTs in disadvantaged schools. This project was completed in January 2021 as both a web interface and external resource tool for DET. Three modules were developed, under the supervision of the ACU NETDS Program Director, Professor Bruce Burnett.  The final project was handed over to DET for dissemination to other universities (Victoria and Deakin) and potentially some NFPs working in the education sector. Aspects of the modules are being used internally as part of the ACU NETDS program workshops.
• Project EIPAS – Research Assistant
  Project EIPAS was a fields-based study undertaken in Cordoba, Argentina (developed and facilitated by Dr. Carolina Castano-Rodriguez) with the aim of creating positive learning experiences for children with highly challenging behaviours. Abby’s contribution, under the supervision of Dr Castano-Rodriguez, included the ethics application and proposal, information letters/consent forms to participants, lesson plans and units of work, administrative requirements, and liaisons with local external agencies to support feasibility and research requirements.

Appointments and affiliations

• Associate Lecturer in Science & Technology Education, Faculty of Education & Arts, Australian Catholic University, 2016-present
• NETDS Program Melbourne Coordinator, Australian Catholic University, 2018-present
• Science in School Program Melbourne Coordinator, Australian Catholic University, 2018-present
  Early Childhood and Primary Course Advisor, 2022- present
• Science Teachers Association Victoria (STAV)