Developmental Dyscalculia: An investigation of Australian and UK policies and practices

About the project 

If you are passionate about pursuing a career in education and keen to improve outcomes for children with  learning difficulties,   the University of South Australia – Australia’s University of Enterprise – is offering a hands-on project-based PhD with community impact within the Centre for Research in Educational and Social Inclusion (CRESI).  

Developmental Dyscalculia  is a persistent, specific learning disability that creates barriers to developing basic mathematical skills such as naming and writing numbers, counting forwards and backwards, and comparing number sets.  

There are likely to be at least 286,090 students in Australian schools with the condition (based on enrolment figures for 2023), the majority of whom would be undiagnosed and hence have little targeted support. 

Our project will investigate the ways in which Developmental Dyscalculia is understood, identified, and supported in Australia. . Current research indicates that children who are typically considered to have lower attainment in early mathematics respond to interventions and targeted support in a way that children with Developmental Dyscalculia do not.  

We will draw on the existing body of literature from the UK, where Developmental Dyscalculia is relatively well understood to contribute valuable knowledge to schools, teachers, and policymakers in an Australian context (across multiple states) in relation to early intervention responses. 

You will be based in CRESI, a research centre that is committed to creating a society that fosters educational and social inclusion and addresses barriers of understanding and respect for children and young people's diversity. This project aligns with the Centre’s priority to challenge educators to support learners as divergent thinkers and creators of knowledge for changing futures.  As the supervision team brings together members from two research centres, you will also benefit from the support of C3L. C3L pursues research that directly impacts education and society. This involves investigations into the learning skills, mindsets and developmental aspects of education that are necessary for a digitally rich and complex age. 

What you’ll do 

In this project-based research degree, you will undertake mixed methods research (both qualitative and quantitative methods) to engage in policy and program review.  

Specifically, you will examine current policies and practices in relation to early intervention of Developmental Dyscalculia in both the UK and Australian contexts.  Therefore, it is likely you will have the opportunity to engage with relevant Australian Mathematics Education stakeholders, including the Departments of Education across different Australian states, the Australian Association for Mathematics Teacher, Auspeld, and The Smith Family.  

As this project will also involve exploring teachers’ (in both the UK and Australian contexts) experiences and expertise you may need to travel to different school sites to collect data. 

Where you’ll be based 

The successful applicant is expected to study full-time and to be based at our Mawson Lakes Campus in the north of Adelaide.  

You will be part of CRESI. CRESI is one of the largest research centres in the world that is focused on contributing to new knowledge about issues related to educational and social inclusion. 

Like many countries, Australia is experiencing widening economic and educational inequality which is undermining the social cohesion, national productivity, and the wellbeing of the population. In fact, Australia is now one of the least equitable educational systems in the OECD. 

CRESI researchers have a range of interdisciplinary expertise to undertake a broad scope of research that contribute to and mitigate educational and social inequalities. 

Our mission is to generate research-based knowledge to inform inclusive educational and social policy and practices across the lifespan. We conduct interdisciplinary research to generate knowledge of systemic forms of exclusion? policy analysis and critique focusing on policies' effects? theory building to understand complex phenomena? and case studies of hopeful sites of educational and social inclusion. Our research contributes to greater education equity to enhance social cohesion and wellbeing. Financial Support  

This project is funded for reasonable research expenses. Additionally, a living allowance scholarship of $35,200 (2025 rate) per annum is available to Australian and New Zealand citizens, permanent residents of Australia. Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander applicants will be eligible to receive an increased stipend rate of $52,352 per annum (2025 rate). A fee-offset or waiver for the standard term of the program is also included for this group. For full terms and benefits of the scholarship please refer to our scholarship information. International applicants will not be eligible to receive the scholarship.

Eligibility and Selection 

This project is open to application from both Domestic and International applicants. International applicants will not be eligible to receive the scholarship.

Applicants must meet the eligibility criteria for entrance into a Master of Research or a PhD. 

Additionally, applicants must meet the project selection criteria: 

• teaching experience in primary mathematics/mathematics education
• special education needs/disabilities (SEND) and inclusion practice in mathematics/mathematics education

All applications that meet the eligibility and selection criteria will be considered for this project. A merit selection process will be used to determine the successful candidate.

The successful applicant is expected to study full-time and to be based at our Mawson Lakes Campus in the north of Adelaide. Note that international students on a student visa will need to study full-time.

Essential Dates 

Applicants are expected to start in a timely fashion upon receipt of an offer. Extended deferral periods are not available. Applications close on Monday 25 November 2024.