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Associate Professor Tony Dowden

Associate Professor of Education

Biography

Tony Dowden has expertise in learning and teaching, curriculum design, and pedagogy at primary, secondary and tertiary levels. He also has broad sociological interests, including democratic education, Christian education, inclusive education and social justice in education.

He has an extensive research output and is an experienced HDR supervisor. His previous appointments included lecturing at the University of Southern Queensland and the University of Tasmania. His doctoral thesis won the 2007 Sutton-Smith Doctoral Award Prize for the best thesis in education in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Earlier in his career, he was a secondary school teacher in NZ (1987-2001). He served in missions with Catholic Overseas Volunteer Service (NZ) by teaching at Logoipulotu College in Samoa and with Youth With A Mission in a Discipleship Training School with an outreach to Jakarta. Tony is a registered secondary teacher with the Queensland College of Teachers and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (UK).

Qualifications

EdD (Massey University), Curriculum integration for early adolescent schooling in Aotearoa New Zealand: Worthy of serious trial [NZ Association of Research in Education Doctoral Award] – 2007

MEd (with Distinction) (Otago University) – 1993

Grad Cert Univ L&T (University of Tasmania) – 2010

BA (Massey University) – 1992

BSc (Otago University) – 1985

Dip Tch (Canterbury University) – 1986

  • Research Publications

    Books

    • 2010
      • Dowden, T. (2010). Curriculum Integration for Young Adolescents: Historical and Theoretical Perspectives. VDM Verlag.

    Book Chapters

    • 2024
      • J-F., Pullen, D., Bown, A., Dowden, T., Opoku, P. M., and Reck, S. (2024). Sports Data on Prepubescent Athletes: A Developmental Challenge In A. Mansurali, P. M. Jeyanthi, D. Hack-Polay, A. B. Mahmoud, and P. J. Tobin, Sports Analytics – Data Driven Sports and Decision Intelligence (pp. 19–34). Springer.
    • 2018
      • Dowden, T. and Drager, M. (2018). Investing in Australian Youth: Nurturing Values Integrated Through Action-Based Learning In Luetz, J.; Dowden, T. & Norsworthy, B., Reimagining Christian Education: Cultivating Transformative Approaches (pp. 273–282). Springer Nature.
      • Luetz, J; Dowden, T. and Norsworthy, B. (2018). Learning and Loves Envisaged Through the Lens of James K. A. Smith: Reimagining Christian Education Today In Luetz, J; Dowden, T. and Norsworthy, B., Reimagining Christian Education: Cultivating Transformative Approaches (pp. 3–15). Springer Nature.
    • 2017
      • Dowden, T. (2017). Curriculum In D. Pendergast, K. Main, and N. Bahr, Teaching Middle Years: Rethinking Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment (3rd ed.) (pp. 170–187). Allen & Unwin.
    • 2013
      • Dowden, T. (2013). Understanding the Curriculum In P. Hudson, Learning to Teach in the Primary School (pp. ). Cambridge University Press.
    • 2009
      • Dowden, T., Bishop, P., and Nolan, P. (2009). Middle Schooling in New Zealand In S. B. Mertens, V. A. Anfara Jr., and K. Roney, Handbook of Research in Middle Level Education: An International Look at Educating Young Adolescents (Vol. 7) (pp. 135–156). Information Age Publishing.

    Journal Articles

    • 2025
      • Opoku, M., J-F, Nur, S., Dowden, T., Belbase, S., and Moustafa, A. (2025). Teachers’ Self-Reported Awareness of Trauma Identification and Practices Among Students with Disabilities: An International Study from Bangladesh, Egypt and Nepal. International Journal of School & Educational Psychology, 13(2) 123–140.
      • Hukkinen, E., Luetz, J., and Dowden, T. (2025). Heutagogy as a Framework for Christian Discipleship: The Triadic Role of Biblical Wisdom Literature, the Teachings of Jesus Christ, and the Work of the Holy Spirit. Journal of Religious Education, 73(1) 95–114.
    • 2024
      • Dowden, T., Brough, C., and Fogarty-Perry, B. (2024). Student-Centred Curriculum Integration in Primary Schools: Nurturing Democratic Citizenship in Aotearoa New Zealand. Curriculum Perspectives, 44 513–523.
      • J-F, Dowden, T., Pullen, D., Opoku, M., and Garate, P. (2024). High Performing Male and Female Engineering Students in Chile: Accounting for Mental Health and Well-Being from a Developmental Paradigm. European Journal of Engineering Education, 49(6) 1113–1130.
    • 2023
      • Hukkinen, E., Luetz, J., and Dowden, T. (2023). Assessing Research Trends in Spiritual Growth: The Case for Self-Determined Learning. Religions, 14(6) Article 809.
    • 2022
      • Seward-Linger, R., Dowden, T., and Andrews, D. (2022). Reform from the Grassroots: Key Lessons Learned from an Australian Case Study. Asia Pacific Education Review, 23(2) 221–232.
    • 2019
      • Opoku, M., J-F, Swabey, K., Pullen, D., and Dowden, T. (2019). Poverty Alleviation Among Persons with Disabilities via United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals in Ghana: Voices of Stakeholders with Disabilities. Sustainable Development, 27(1) 175–182.
      • Shanks, B., and Dowden, T. (2019). Investigating the Provision of Professional Learning and Development for Middle Level Teachers in New Zealand. Australian Journal of Middle Schooling, 19(2) 6–17.
    • 2018
      • J-F, Swabey, K., Pullen, D., Getenet, S., and Dowden, T. (2018). Teenagers’ Perceptions of Teachers: A Developmental Argument. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 43(2) 26–38.
    • 2015
      • Shanks, B., and Dowden, T. (2015). Teacher Education for the Middle Years of Schooling: Sustaining Quality Middle Level Preparation in Australian Universities. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 40(12) 59–72.
      • Geiblinger, H., and Dowden, T. (2015). Considerations for Controlled Competition Landings in Gymnastics: Aggregated Opinions of Experts. Science of Gymnastics Journal, 7(3) 47–58.
      • Pendergast, D., Main, K., Barton, G., Kanasa, H., Geelan, D., and Dowden, T. (2015). The Education Change Model as Vehicle for Reform: Shifting Year 7 into High School and Implementing Junior Secondary. Australian Journal of Middle Schooling, 15(2) 4–18.
    • 2014
      • Dowden, T. (2014). Challenging, Integrated, Negotiated and Exploratory Curriculum in the Middle Years of Schooling: Designing and Implementing High Quality Curriculum Integration. Australian Journal of Middle Schooling, 14(1) 16–27.
      • Pittaway, S., and Dowden, T. (2014). Providing Students with Written Feedback on Their Assessment: A Collaborative Self-Study Exploring the Nexus of Research and Practice. Studying Teacher Education, 10(3) 197–209.
    • 2013
      • Shanks, B., and Dowden, T. (2013). Reinvigorating Middle Level Teacher Education in New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Educational Studies, 48(1) 99–112.
      • Dowden, T., Pittaway, S., Yost, H., and McCarthy, R. (2013). Students’ Perceptions of Written Feedback in Teacher Education: Ideally Feedback Is a Continuing Two-Way Communication that Encourages Progress. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 38(3) 349–362.
      • Fluck, A., and Dowden, T. (2013). On the Cusp of Change: Examining Pre-Service Teachers’ ICT Beliefs and Envisioning the Digital Classroom of the Future. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 29(1) 43–52.
    • 2012
      • Dowden, T. (2012). Middle Schooling in Tasmania: Teachers’ Beliefs about Classroom Pedagogy. Australian Journal of Middle Schooling, 12(1) 4–11.
      • Dowden, T. (2012). Implementing Curriculum Integration: Three Easy Lessons from Past Practice. Set: Research Information for Teachers, Issue 3 25–31.
    • 2011
      • Dowden, T. (2011). Locating Curriculum Integration within the Historical Context: Innovations in Aotearoa New Zealand State Schools, 1920s–1940s. History of Education Review, 40(1) 47–61.
      • McLaine, J., and Dowden, T. (2011). Accommodating Environmental Controversies in the Classroom Curriculum: Too Hot to Handle or Opportunities for Deep Learning?. The Social Educator, 29(2) 22–29.
    • 2010
      • Dowden, T. (2010). Curriculum Integration in Aotearoa New Zealand: Rediscovering the Potential of Student-Centred Curriculum Design in the Middle Years. Australian Journal of Middle Schooling, 10(2) 4–10.
    • 2007
      • Dowden, T. (2007). Relevant, Challenging, Integrative and Exploratory Curriculum Design: Perspectives from Theory and Practice for Middle Schooling in Australia. Australian Educational Researcher, 34(2) 51–71.
    • 1996
      • Dowden, T., and McMillan, B. (1996). What Science Teachers Believe about Using Computers in Schools. Computers in New Zealand Schools, 8(1) 19–22.

    Edited Books

    • 2018
      • Luetz, J., Dowden, T., and Norsworthy, B. (2018). Reimagining Christian Education: Cultivating Transformative Approaches.

  • Scholarship

    Professional Memberships


    Higher Education Academy (since 2021)

    Qld College of Teachers (since 2025)


  • Teaching

    Not currently teaching

  • Supervision

    • Completed
      • 2025
        • Hukkinen, E, Heutagogy in Christian discipleship : A qualitative action research exploration of spiritual growth (PhD thesis)