Dr Rachael Dwyer | UniSC | University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia

Dr Rachael Dwyer is an educator and researcher concerned with ensuring that all students have opportunities to participate in quality music and arts education as part of their schooling. She spent a number of years as a music specialist teacher in primary schools prior to completing her doctoral studies at The University of Queensland. Rachael’s teaching experience has extended across P-12 music classrooms, as well as over a decade of experience as a teacher educator.

Rachael's integrated research, advocacy and teaching work has focused on the ways in which teachers’ values and beliefs are effectively leveraged for social change through arts-based research methods and pedagogies. Arts education and arts-based methods allow collaborative, applied work drawing on rich and longitudinal relationships with participants, communities and other stakeholders. Her research agenda demonstrates the agency and effectiveness of empowering teachers and preservice teachers in Initial Teacher Education programs to work together for state and national improvement of education for the 21st century.

Rachael has published extensively for a range of audiences and is developing an international profile in music teacher education and arts-based research approaches. Rachael is on the editorial board for the Australian Journal of Music Education, regularly sits on review panels and committees for QCAA, ACARA and Alberts | Tony Foundation, and is President of the Queensland Chapter of the Australian Society for Music Education.