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Associate Professor Richard Walker

PhD(Sydney)

Co-ordinator, Master of Education (Educational Psychology)

Associate Professor in Educational Psychology

Email:

Phone: +61 2 9351 6274

Fax: +61 2 9351 2606

Building.Room: A35.523

Research interests

Learning sciences; psychology of education

  • Learning, cognition and motivation

Keywords

sociocultural, motivation, learning, identity, achievement


Professional biography

Dr Richard Walker is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education and Social Work at The University of Sydney. Richard teaches educational psychology at undergraduate and postgraduate levels and has been awarded several Excellence in Teaching Awards for his teaching in this field.

Richard's research interests have centred on ways of enhancing the learning, motivation and academic achievement of students at all levels of education. His early investigations into the effects of training in metacognitive skills and motivation with primary students were followed by research at tertiary level into autonomous and controlled motivation, as well as investigations into student motivation across a number of faculties at the University of Sydney.

An interest in sociocultural theory has led Richard to investigate student learning in electronic learning environments designed to support collaborative and cooperative interactions amongst students; the use of textbooks and other learning resources; after-school homework support; and identity formation. His most recent research activities have focussed on the development of sociocultural approaches to the understanding of motivation, identity formation, and learning through homework activities.


Awards

  • University of Sydney Excellence in Teaching Award 1998

  • Faculty of Education Excellence in Teaching Award 1994


Professional and community roles

  • Member of Editorial Board, Educational Research Review


Current research students

Project title Degree Research student
A sense of self within a World Heritage Area: education about place and children's identity in attitude-behaviour models PhD Annette Sartor
Identity, psychological adaptation, and socio-cultural adaptation among Australian adolescent Muslims. PhD Maram Abu-Rayya
Learner development within Japanese teriary education. PhD Luke K. Fryer
Historical Thinking and New Media PhD James Goulding
The relationship between student's ethical beliefs and decision making in a business environment MPhilEd Edgardo Martinez
Motivation and Arabic learning Achievement: a Comparative Study between two Types of Chinese Islamic Colleges PhD Juping Qiao

Selected publications

Books

  • Horsley, M., & Walker, R. A. (2013). Reforming homework: Practices, learning and policies. South Yarra, VIC: Palgrave Macmillan.
  • McInerney, D. M., Walker, R. A., Liem, G. A. D . (2011). Sociocultural theories of learning and motivation: Looking back, looking forward. (Vol. 10), Charlotte, NC: Information Age.

Book chapters

  • Walker, R. A . (2011). Design-based research: Reflections on some epistemological issues and practices . In L. Markauskaite, P. Freebody & J. Irwin (Ed.), Methodological choice and design: Scholarship, policy and practice in social and education research (pp. 51–56), Dordrecht: Springer.
  • Sainsbury, E., & Walker, R. A. . (2011). The changing face of conceptual change-an emerging sociocultural approach. In D. M. McInerney, R. A. Walker & A. Liem (Ed.), Sociocultural theories of learning and motivation: Looking back, looking forward (Vol. 10, pp. 253–282), Charlotte, NC: Information Age.
  • Burridge, N., & Walker, R . (2010). Teaching within diversity. In R.H. Cantwell & J.J Scevak (Ed.), An Academic Life: A Handbook for New Academics (pp. 97–107), Melbourne: ACER Press.
  • Walker, R. A. (2010). Sociocultural issues in motivation. In P. Peterson, E. Baker & B. McGaw (Ed.), International Encyclopedia of Education (3rd ed., Vol. 6, pp. 712–717), Oxford: Elsevier.
  • Walker, R., Pressick-Kilborn, K., Sainsbury, E., & MacCallum, J . (2010). A sociocultural approach to motivation: A long time coming but here at last. In T. Urdan & S. Karabenick (Ed.), Advances in motivation and achievement: The next decade of research in motivation and achievement (Vol. 16B, pp. 1–42), Bingley, UK: Emerald Group.
  • Horsley, M, Walker, R. (2008). Best practice in designing and managing after school homework support: A sociocultural interpretation of homework and affording learning through homework practices. In McInerney D, Liem A (Ed.), Teaching and learning: International best practice (Vol. 8, pp. 79–109), Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishing.
  • Arnold, L, Walker, R. (2008). Co-constructing classroom environments that improve academic outcomes. In Towndrow P, Koh C, Soon TH (Ed.), Motivation and practice for the classroom (pp. 165–184), Rotterdam, Netherlands: Sense Publishers.
  • Sainsbury, E, Walker, R. (2007). Same words, different meanings: Learning to talk the scientific language of pharmacy. In Angela Brew & Judyth Sachs (Ed.), Transforming a university: the scholarship of teaching and learning in practice (pp. 13–25), NSW, Australia: University of Sydney Press.
  • Walker, R, Horsley, M. (2006). Textbook pedagogy: a sociocultural analysis of effective teaching and learning. In D M McInerney;M Dowson;S Van Etten (Ed.), Effective Schools (Vol. 6, pp. 105–133), Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishing.
  • Horsley, M, Walker, R. (2005). Pasifika Australia: Culturally responsive curriculum and teaching. In D. M. McInerney and S. Van Etten (Eds.), Focus on Curriculum (Vol. 5, pp. 327–352), Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishing.
  • Walker, R. (2003). Teacher development through communities of learning. In McInerney, Van Etten (Ed.), Sociocultural Influences and Teacher Education Programs (pp. 223–246), Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishing.
  • Pressick-Kilborn, K, Walker, R,. (2002). The social construction of interest in a learning community. In McInerney, D.M.&Van Etten, S. (Ed.), Research on Sociocultural Influences on Learning and Motivation (Vol. 2, pp. 153–182), Greenwich, Contecticut: Information Age Publishers.
  • Walker, R. (2001). Social and cultural perspectives on professional knowledge and expertise. In Joy Higgs & Angie Titchen (Ed.), Practice Knowledge and Expertise in the Health Professions (pp. 22–28), Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann.

Journal articles

  • Fryer, L. K., Ginns, P., Walker, R. A., & Nakao, K. (2012). The adaptation and validation of the CEQ and the R-SPQ-2F to the Japanese tertiary environment . British Journal of Educational Psychology, 82, 549–563. DOI:10.1111/j.2044-8279.2011.02045.x
  • Li, H., Martin, A., Armstrong, D., & Walker, R . (2011). Risk, protection, and resilience in Chinese adolescents: A psycho-social study . Asian Journal of Social Psychology, 14, 269–282.
  • Walker R. (2010). Motivating science undergraduates: Ideas and interventions. International Journal of Innovation in Science and Mathematics Education, 18, 1–13.
  • Sainsbury, E, Walker, R. (2008). Assessment as a vehicle for learning: Extending collaboration into testing. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 33(2), 103–117.
  • Pressick-Kilborn, K, Sainsbury, E, Walker, R. (2005). Making sense of theoretical frameworks and methodological approaches: Exploring conceptual change and interest in learning from a socio-cultural perspective. Australian Educational Researcher, 32(2), 25–48.
  • Walker, R. A., Pressick-Kilborn, K., Arnold, L. S., & Sainsbury, E . (2004). Investigating motivation in context: Developing sociocultural perspectives. European Psychologist, 9, 245–256.
  • Marsh, H, Dowson, M, Pietsch, J, Walker, R. (2004). Why Multicollinearity Matters: A Reexamination Of Relations Between Self-Efficacy, Self-Concept, And Achievement. Journal of Educational Psychology, 96(3), 518–522.
  • Pietsch, J, Walker, R, Chapman, E. (2003). The relationship among self-concept, self-efficacy and performance in Mathematics during secondary school. Journal of Educational Psychology, 95(3), 589–603.
  • Walker, R, Debus, R. (2002). Educational Psychology: Advances in learning, cognition and motivation. Change: Transformations in Education, 5(1), 1–25.
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