Allison Wright was already a Head of Department at a large high school when she decided to take a brave leap into postgraduate study at the University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC), enrolling in a Master of Education.

Part of her encouragement came from the school she worked at, which valued and supported life-long learning in line with research-based practices, which she says, “intrigued me.”

“I had always wondered what further study would look like, though taking that first step back to study after completing my first degree was both exciting and daunting,” she said.

“A number of colleagues at the time were studying at UniSC, and they spoke exceptionally favourably of the programs on offer, the quality of teachers and the hands-on, relatable assessment. I was also attracted by the flexible times in which tutorials were offered to support my full-time career as an educator and the close proximity the university was to my workplace and home."

Allison said ultimately she chose to study again as she hoped it would broaden her perspective on what it meant to teach, and what that could potentially look like for her as an aspiring school leader. She said the value she gained from studying a Master of Education at UniSC has been multi-pronged.

“I deepened my knowledge base around contemporary educational issues which I was able to take back into my classroom to further enhance my skills,” she said.

Being exposed to a number of “rich action research projects” which she was able to apply directly to her daily practice, was a highlight. She was able to develop a project, analyse its effectiveness and measure her impact.

“The skills acquired through research gave me another lens in which to enact change not only in the classroom but at a leadership level,” she said.

“The rich and robust academic discussions in the tutorials were also of such value. Discussing my profession with an expert in the field whilst sharing my own passion for teaching with peers in tutorials was inspiring. And hearing the rich narratives that sat alongside other peers’ experiences within the profession was also exceptionally powerful."

Educators rarely get to sit with others and share their experiences, which is something Allison found incredibly valuable about the course.

"The ability to learn from other people’s journeys is something I highly valued about my postgraduate studies at UniSC.”

Allison said completing a Master of Education at UniSC has added significant value to her career as an educator.

“The skills I learned across the breadth of subjects in the degree were exceptionally transferrable into real-world situations in schools,” she said.

“I've been able to take my learnings from the degree and apply it to each of the roles I have acquired on my leadership journey."

Allison is now taking her postgraduate journey further, working towards a PhD in one of her passion topics – educational leadership.

“If you’re thinking whether further study is for you, my advice is to meet with a representative from the university to discuss the pathways to further study in the School of Education and Tertiary Access (SETA) at UniSC. I took the brave leap, and I haven’t looked back.”