Professor Rhonda Craven


Professor Rhonda Craven’s research interests include:

  • the structure, measurement, development, and enhancement of self-concept
  • the impact of enhancing self-concept on academic achievement in reading and mathematics and other desirable educational outcomes
  • the effective teaching of Aboriginal Studies and Aboriginal students
  • Australian national identity
  • maximising life potential in diverse settings
  • interventions that make a difference in educational settings in regard to early intervention, literacy, bullying, youth obesity, educational disadvantage, special education, and appropriate education for gifted and talented students.

Professor Craven is an expert in the use of statistical analyses and quantitative research methodology. She has successfully secured nationally competitive funding for 30 large-scale research projects from the Australian Research Council, the Commonwealth Department of Education, Science and Training, the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation, and the Centenary of Federation.

Teaching Aboriginal StudiesHer research has resulted in extensive publications in books and prestigious academic journals of international repute. She is the editor of the best selling text Teaching Aboriginal Studies published by Allen & Unwin, Australia; and a co-editor for two research monograph series: International Advances in Self Research and International Advances in Education and Social Justice, both published by Information Age Publishing, USA.

Qualifications

DipT (Alexander Mackie), BA Hons (Sydney), PhD (Sydney)

Honours and Awards

UWS Vice-Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Postgraduate Research Training and Supervision (2005)

Betty Watts Award, Australian Association for Research in Education (2005)

Meritorious Service to Public Education, Awarded by the New South Wales Government (2004)

Life Achievement Award from the National Aboriginal Studies Association (2002)

Selected Publications
BooksSelf-Processes, Learning, and Enabling Human Potential

Marsh, H.W., Craven, R.G. & McInerney, D. (Eds) (2008) Self-Processes, Learning, and Enabling Human Potential: Dynamic New Approaches. International Advances in Self Research, Vol 3. Greenwich, CT: Information Age Press.

Craven, R.G. & Wilson-Miller, J. (2003) Deadly Australians. Sydney: Scholastic.

Marsh, H.W., Craven, R.G. & McInerney, D. (Eds) (2003) International Advances in Self Research, Greenwich CT: Information Age Publishing.International Advances in Self

Craven, R.G. (Ed) (1999) Teaching Aboriginal Studies, Sydney: Allen & Unwin.

Craven, R.G. (Ed) (1996) Teaching the Teachers: Indigenous Australian Studies for primary pre-service teacher education. Model core subject manual for teacher educators, Vol. 1, Sydney: School of Teacher Education, University of New South Wales in association with the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation.

Craven, R.G. (1996) Using the right words in the Indigenous Australian Studies classroom. Sydney, NSW: School of Teacher Education, University of New South Wales in association with the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation

Chapters

Craven, R. G. (2011) Educating for the future. In R. G. Craven (Ed) Teaching Aboriginal Studies. Sydney, NSW: Allen & Unwin.

Craven, R. G. (2011) Together we can’t lose. In R. G. Craven (Ed) Teaching Aboriginal Studies. Sydney, NSW: Allen & Unwin.Teaching Aboriginal Studies

Craven, R. G. (2011) Why teach Aboriginal Studies? In R. G. Craven (Ed) Teaching Aboriginal Studies. Sydney, NSW: Allen & Unwin.

Craven, R. G. & Bodkin-Andrews, G. H. (2011) What research can tell us. In R. G. Craven (Ed) Teaching Aboriginal Studies. Sydney, NSW: Allen & Unwin.

Craven, R. G., d'Arbon, M. & Galleguillos, S. (2011) Teaching resources. In R. G. Craven (Ed) Teaching Aboriginal Studies. Sydney, NSW: Allen & Unwin.

Craven, R. G., d’Arbon, M. & Wilson-Miller, J. (2011) Developing teaching activities. In R. G. Craven (Ed) Teaching Aboriginal Studies. Sydney, NSW: Allen & Unwin.

Craven, R. G. & Price, K. (2011) Misconceptions, stereotypes and racism: Let’s face the facts. In R. G. Craven (Ed) Teaching Aboriginal Studies. Sydney, NSW: Allen & Unwin.

Craven, R.G., Marsh, H.W. & Burnett, P. (2003) Cracking the self-concept enhancement conundrum: A call and blueprint for the next generation of self-concept enhancement research, in H.W. Marsh, R. G. Craven, & D. McInerney (Eds) International Advances in Self Research, Volume 1, Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishing.

Marsh, H.W. & Craven, R.G. (2002) The Pivotal Role of Frames of Reference in Academic Self-concept Formation: The Big Fish Little Pond Effect, in F. Pajares & T. Urdan (Eds), Adolescence and Education, Volume 2, Greenwich CT: Information Age Publishing.

Marsh, H.W., Parada, R.H., Craven, R.G. & Finger, L. (2004) In the looking glass: A reciprocal effects model elucidating the complex nature of bullying, psychological determinants and the central role of self, in C. S. Sanders & G. D. Phye (Eds), Bullying, Implications for the classroom: What does the research say? San Diego: Elsevier Academic Press.

Marsh, H.W. & Craven, R.G. (1997) Academic self-concept: Beyond the dustbowl, in G. Phye (Ed) Handbook of classroom assessment: Learning, achievement and adjustment, San Diego: Academic Press

Journal Articles

Jackman, K, Wilson, I.G., Seaton, M. & Craven, R.G. (2011) Big Fish in a Big Pond: A study of academic self concept in first year medical students. BMC Medical Education, 11(48).

Seaton, M., Marsh, H.W. & Craven, R.G. (2010) Big-Fish-Little-Pond-Effect: Generalizability and Moderation – Two Sides of the Same Coin. American Educational Research Journal, 47(2), 390-433.

Bodkin-Andrews, G.H., O'Rourke, V. & Craven, R.G. (2010) The utility of general self-esteem and domain-specific self-concepts: Their influence on Indigenous and non-Indigenous Students’ educational outcomes. Australian Journal of Education, 54(3), 277-306.

Bodkin-Andrews, G.H., Seaton, M., Nelson, G.F., Craven, R.G. & Yeung, A.S. (2010) Questioning the General Self-Esteem Vaccine: General Self-Esteem, Racial Discrimination, and Standardised Achievement across Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Students. Australian Journal of Guidance and Counselling, 10(1), 1-21.

Bodkin-Andrews, G.H., Ha, M.T., Craven, R.G. & Yeung, A.S. (2010) Construct Validation and Latent Mean Differences for the Self-Concepts of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Students. International Journal of Testing, 10(1), 47-79.

Bodkin-Andrews, G., Ha, M.T., Craven, R.G. & Yeung, A.S. (2010) Factorial invariance testing and latent mean differences for the Self-Description Questionnaire II (Short Version) with Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australian secondary school students. International Journal of Testing, 10, 47-79.

Ellis, L.A., Marsh, H.W. & Craven, R.G. (2009) Addressing the challenges faced by early adolescents: A mixed-method evaluation of the benefits of peer support. American Journal of Community Psychology, 44, 54-75.

Seaton, M., Marsh, H. & Craven, R.G. (2009) Earning its place as a pan-human theory: Universality of the big-fish-little-pond effect (BFLPE) across 41 culturally and economically diverse countries. Journal of Educational Psychology, 101(2), 403-419.

Marsh, H., Seaton, M., Trautwein, U., Ludtke, O., Hau, K., O'Mara, A. & Craven, R.G. (2008) The big-fish-little-pond-effect stands up to critical scrutiny: Implications for theory, methodology, and future research. Educational Psychology Review, 20(3), 319-350.

Munns, G., Martin, A. & Craven, R.G. (2008) To Free the Spirit? Motivation and Engagement of Indigenous Students. The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 37, 98-107.

Marsh, H.W. & Craven, R.G. (2006) Reciprocal Effects of Self-concept and Performance from a Multidimensional Perspective: Beyond Seductive Pleasure and Unidimensional Perspectives (PDF 148kb). Perspectives on Psychological Science, 133-163.

Craven, R.G., Marsh, H.W., Debus, R.L. & Jayasinghe. U. (2001) Diffusion effects: Control Group Contamination Threats to the Validity of Teacher-Administered Interventions. Journal of Educational Psychology, 93, 639-645.

Marsh, H.W., Craven, R.G. & Debus, R.L. (2000) Separation of competency and affect components of multiple dimensions of academic self-concept: A developmental perspective. Merril Palmer Quarterly, 45, 567-601.

Craven, R.G. (1999) History matters: A rationale for telling the truth. Monograph of the Social Education Association of Australia, 50-56.

Marsh, H.W., Craven, R.G. & Debus, R.L. (1998) Structure, stability and development of young children's self-concepts: A multi-cohort-multi-occasion study. Child Development, 69, 1030-1053

Marsh, H.W., Chessor, D., Craven, R.G. & Roche, L. (1995) The effects of gifted and talented program on academic self-concept: The big fish strikes again. American Education Research Journal, 32, 285-319

Craven, R.G., Marsh, H.W. & Debus, R.L. (1991) Effects of internally focused feedback and attributional feedback on the enhancement of academic self-concept. Journal of Educational Psychology, 83, 17-27

Contact 

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