Helen Sheehan

Helen Sheehan is a Lecturer and Course Coordinator in the School of Education at Australian Catholic University. She teaches in the areas of Secondary English pedagogy, educational psychology, and assessment, contributing to teacher education programs.

Her educational background includes:

• Doctor of Philosophy from University of Southern Queensland (2020)

Helen's research examines the influences on student achievement motivation, sense of belonging and classroom relationality. She specifically investigates factors that foster and those that thwart students' motivation, sense of belonging, and their connections to peers and teachers. Her work explores how educational environments impact students' psychological engagement and relational experiences in classrooms.

Her recent research analyzes asynchronous online teacher education programs, revealing that over 50% of pre-service teachers felt minimal connection to university staff and peers, describing the experience as 'very lonely' and isolating. This work raises important questions about how well such programs prepare future teachers for the relational demands of classroom teaching.

Helen actively engages in research collaboration and supervision, as indicated by the contact options available for 'Research collaboration' and 'Research supervision' on her academic profile.