Rate My Professor Thomas Quinlivan

Dr Thomas Quinlivan serves as Associate Dean: Engagement, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in the School of Education at Murdoch University. He also holds the position of University Lecturer in the School of Education. Quinlivan earned a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership from The University of Western Australia, completed from 2014 to 2020. Prior to his roles at Murdoch University, he served as a Primary School Principal.

His research focuses on teacher professional standards and the inclusion of human elements in teaching practices. A key publication is 'Australian Professional Standards for Teachers: Perspectives of Western Australian Primary School Teachers,' co-authored with Grace Oakley and Jennifer K. Shand, published in 2022 in the Australian Journal of Teacher Education (Volume 47, Issue 12, Article 5). This qualitative study drew on semi-structured interviews with 15 proficient primary school teachers from five independent schools in Western Australia. The findings highlighted strengths of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST), including support for professional practice and career development, as well as user-friendliness. Challenges identified encompassed impacts on professional practice and presentation issues. Participants stressed that the APST fail to address critical human qualities such as relationality, resilience, commitment, compassion, and collegiality, which are essential yet hard to measure, potentially undermining teacher identity and exacerbating issues like burnout. This work aligns with broader concerns in educational research about standards emphasizing technical measurables over ontological dimensions. The study was presented at the WAIER Forum 2025 as 'The missing human link in The Australian Professional Standards for Teachers.' At Murdoch University, Quinlivan coordinates the unit EDN118: Teaching and Assessing for Oral Language Development, underscoring his expertise in oral language education.