Kari Wilkins

Mrs Kari Wilkins passed away early Monday this week on 27 February 2012. Many of you will remember her as a gifted educator, exceptional student, and gentle, insightful friend. Kari was twice alumni of Monash where she undertook her postgraduate Dip Psych and Masters degrees in our Faculty after which she worked as a school psychologist. She coordinated and taught core units in the Faculty since at least 2006, including "Adolescent Development and Learning", "Contemporary Issues in Developmental Psychology", and "Psychology Education". She was an invaluable research team member in the FIT-Choice project for 5 years, a founding member of the Psychology of Teachers and Students FRG, and had won a PhD scholarship to research school organisational health and teacher stress and burnout. It is incredibly sad that Kari has passed away at such a young age and she will be greatly missed by her husband and children, family and friends.

PhD Title: Teacher stress and burnout in hard-to-staff schools

Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Helen Watt
Kari is associated with the FIT-Choice program of research

Honours and Awards

• Monash Graduate Scholarship for PhD candidature, 2008-2010.

Grants

• Work-related wellbeing amongst early career teachers: Comparing outcomes across the terrain. Monash University, Faculty of Education, Staff Project Grant 2007: $6,000.
• Advancing Research of Teaching and Learning [ARTL]. Monash University, Faculty of Education, Strategic Grant Scheme 2007: $7,000 (with Len Cairns, Paul Richardson, Umesh Sharma, & Helen Watt).
• Developing a school of leadership. Victorian Government, Leading Schools Fund [LSF] 2005: $1,200,000 (with Ross Miller, Ken Robinson, John Albiston [DE&T Employees]; and Andrew Fuller & Dianne Summers [co- Psychologists and Researchers]).
• Fostering independent thought and action: Embedding an emotional intelligence curriculum across P-10. Australian Government Quality Teacher Program [AGQTP] 2005: $18,000 (with Ken Robinson).

Publications

CONFERENCE PAPERS

• Wilkins, K. (July 2007). Mapping the Terrain: Exploring the concept of Hard-to-Staff schools. Paper presented in Symposium titled Early Career Development of Teachers in Challenging Contexts at the Australasian Human Development Association [AHDA] Biennial Conference, Sydney, July 5-8, 2007.

INVITED PRESENTATIONS (PAPERS)

• Wilkins, K. (December, 2006). Time 3 Cluster Analysis of Student Engagement and Achievement Data. Paper submitted at a meeting of DE&T Principal class members and employees, Melbourne, Australia.
• Wilkins, K. (February, 2005). An Examination of Attitudes to School Survey Data. Paper presented at a meeting of DE&T Principal class members, Melbourne, Australia.
• Wilkins, K. (May, 2005). Time 1 Cluster Analysis of Student Engagement and Achievement Data. Paper presented at a meeting of DE&T Principal class members and employees, Melbourne, Australia.
• Wilkins, K. (December, 2005). Time 2 Cluster Analysis of Student Engagement and Achievement Data. Paper submitted at a meeting of DE&T Principal class members and employees, Melbourne, Australia.
• Wilkins, K. (October, 2004). Student Engagement and Achievement: An innovations and excellence approach. Paper presented at a meeting of DE&T Principal class members and employees, Melbourne, Australia.

INVITED PRESENTATIONS (PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT)

• Wilkins, K. (August, 2006). Emotional Intelligence in the Curriculum. Invited presentation at a DE&T secondary school, Melbourne, Australia.
• Summers, D. & Wilkins, K. (October, 2006). Tuning In: Strategies for gaining students attention in the classroom. Presentation at Peninsula Assessment and Therapy Services, Melbourne, Australia.
• Wilkins, K. (February, 2005). Identification of students at risk. Invited presentation at a DE&T secondary school, Melbourne, Australia.
• Wilkins, K. (March, 2005). Development of a Well-Being Handbook for Home Group Teachers. Paper presented at a DE&T secondary school, Melbourne, Australia.
• Wilkins, K. (March, 2005). Developing a Safe School: Talking about Bullying in the Curriculum. Invited presentation at a DE&T secondary school, Melbourne, Australia.
• Wilkins, K. & Summers, D. (March, 2005). Skill development for staff Staff Partnership Program. Invited presentation at a DE&T secondary school, Melbourne, Australia.
• Summers, D., Anastasias, J., Robinson, K., & Wilkins, K. (April, 2005). What's It All About? A skills-based subject for later years students. Invited presentation at a meeting of DE&T Principal class members and employees, Melbourne, Australia.
• Wilkins, K. (April, 2005). Skill development for staff Supporting and Mentoring Students (SMS) Program. Invited presentation at a DE&T secondary school, Melbourne, Australia.
• Wilkins, K. (September, 2005). Interpersonal Learning in the Later Years Curriculum. Invited presentation at a DE&T secondary school, Melbourne, Australia.
• Wilkins, K. (October, 2004). A Whole School Approach to for the Delivery of Student Well-Being Support. Invited presentation at a meeting of DE&T Principal class members and employees, Melbourne, Australia.

THESES

• Wilkins, K. (2004). Adolescent Perceptions of School Engagement: Scale development and validation. Unpublished Masters Thesis, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. (High Distinction Grade)
• Wilkins, K. (2001). Stress and Adjustment: The direct and indirect effects of personal control beliefs. Unpublished Post Graduate Thesis, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. (High Distinction Grade)