We've covered some fantastic student achievements over the last couple of weeks; now it's time to acknowledge one of our staff.
We would like to say a huge congratulations to Miss Kimberley Goh, our Primary Music teacher, on completing her PhD and becoming Dr Goh! Kimberley started at Rehoboth in 2007 and has been instrumental in improving our music offerings and instilling a love of music in her students.
After Mrs Pleysier helpfully clarify that the new Dr Goh isn’t ‘that kind of doctor’ (see the photos above), we took the opportunity to ask a few questions about her own experience:
When did you start, what motivated you to take on a PhD, and what date was your PhD conferred?
I started my PhD in 2015. It was actually my Masters supervisor who encouraged me to take on a PhD and do some further research in the area of feedback. She was very persuasive! My PhD was conferred on 2 August, 2019.
What did your research cover, and what was your final thesis title?
My research looked at how primary school students respond to written feedback. The education community currently has a fairly good idea of what constitutes ‘effective’ feedback. However, there are some unanswered questions especially in relation to how students understand and use feedback. I was interested in learning more about what students thought of feedback, how they used it, and why they responded to feedback in particular ways.
My final thesis title was “Written Feedback: Exploring the Reflections of Upper Primary Music Students at Two Western Australian Schools”.
How did you manage research and writing while still being our much-loved Primary Music teacher?
The short answer is by the grace of God, with a lot of support from others, and some serious time management!
I had a huge amount of support from my wonderful family. Working at Rehoboth was also another blessing as I had the privilege of working with ever-supportive principals, fantastic staff and amazing students! Could I just say a special thank you to all the students who participated in my research? Thank you for sharing your experiences with me, trusting me with your ideas and ultimately helping me become a better teacher!
Any advice for others thinking of pursuing higher studies, or for our Year 12s who might be entering uni?
If something really interests you or if you are curious about something, then why not have a go at digging a little deeper and learning new things? Higher education can be a great way to go about doing this. To our awesome Year 12s who might be entering university, my advice would be to choose something that you love or enjoy doing. Take the time to really understand your subject area (read widely, watch videos on your subject, ask questions). Be organised and manage your time well. Keep the big picture in sight. The perspectives and core values that have guided you throughout your school years at Rehoboth will hold you in good stead as you navigate your way through uni, and life in general!
A PhD is the highest degree that can be achieved at university. The purpose of a PhD is to contribute original knowledge, theories or practices to the academic community that others can then draw on. The work of people like Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, Noam Chomsky and many other scientists, linguistics, mathematicians and philosophers began as their PhDs. For example, Marie Curie’s research helped us to understand ‘radioactivity’, a term she coined in her thesis.
Undertaking a PhD represents a significant commitment of time, usually four years, in order to investigate and develop an idea, conduct research and write a thesis which is normally upwards of 80,000 words. It’s this kind of focused, exhaustive work that makes a successful candidate a specialist in their field, which is why we’re thrilled at Miss Goh’s amazing achievement! It shows that learning, whether formal or informal, is a life-long process, and that God continues to equip and prepare us at all stages of life for the good works He has prepared.
