About

Dr Carly Sawatzki is a teacher educator and educational researcher in Deakin University's School of Education, and a member of The Centre for Research for Educational Impact (REDI).

Carly has more than 15 years' experience working with preservice and practising teachers (including out-of-field teachers) across primary and secondary school settings. She aims to gently influence the way teachers think about preparing young people for life beyond school, particularly in areas where socioeconomic disadvantage contributes to inequitable educational outcomes.

The focus of Carly's work is young people and their learning. Hence, the work she enjoys most occurs in schools - researching with, coaching, and learning from teachers and students. Carly’s research explores how young people become numerate and financially capable within families, communities and schools, and how to develop and support school leaders' and teachers' knowledge and confidence in this area. She works collaboratively with teachers and students in diverse settings to create and research interdisciplinary learning tasks. These tasks are designed to cultivate critical thinking; connect mathematical and real worlds; and orient students to make informed financial decisions.

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Carly communicates about educational research in accessible, engaging, and convincing ways. She draws on research evidence to highlight that educating for financial capability is a complex pursuit, and argue the importance of adopting local, culturally responsive practices that align classroom tasks and pedagogies with the diverse identities, experiences, values, and norms students bring to their learning.

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Carly writes for academic, government, teacher and preservice teacher audiences. She is regularly engaged by teacher associations and schools, being recognised as a dynamic, thought-provoking presenter who is dedicated to involving school leaders and teachers in professional learning that promotes critical conversation, inspires innovation, and transforms pedagogical practice.