Dr Toshiko Kamei acknowledged by MGSE Award for Excellence in Early-Career Research Achievements
Dr Toshiko Kamei, the Chief Investigator Researcher at Melbourne Metrics, received the Award for Excellence in Early-Career Research Achievements during the 2023 Melbourne Graduate School of Education (MGSE) Awards ceremony. This well-deserved honour reflects Toshiko's remarkable accomplishments in her career thus far.
In 2019, Toshiko completed her PhD as part of an Australian Research Council Linkage Grant project to develop assessments to support teachers of SWANS and ABLES in partnership with the Victorian Department of Education and Training (DE). Currently, Toshiko leads the Melbourne Assessment research to carry forward this work. She spearheaded the development of eleven assessment instruments for the Early Years Assessment and Learning Tool (EYALT) and Early ABLES projects.
Her contributions to SWANs/ABLES/Early ABLES and EYALT have made a direct impact in Australia, benefiting thousands of teachers who have assessed over 400,000 students. This work has also influenced policy decisions regarding resource allocation for students with additional learning needs, enabling access to the general curriculum. EYALT will be implemented in every kindergarten across Victoria, supporting the learning of approximately 70,000 children. Toshiko has applied her research expertise to innovative approaches to teacher and leadership development, including leading the creation of a capability framework to support the classroom impact of the Graduate Certificate of Education (Learning Difficulties) and serving as a key researcher in developing five assessments for the Victorian Aspiring Principals Assessment (VAPA).
Between 2019 and 2023, Toshiko has published three journal articles, two book chapters, and presented five conference papers at nine conferences. Additionally, she has authored 20 commissioned reports.
Toshiko is an active member of Melbourne Metrics, sharing and collaborating in the application of measurement theory to complex systems and in developing capabilities frameworks. She has led multiple sessions at Melbourne Metrics and other groups within MGSE and is a part of four professional learning groups within Melbourne Metrics that provide governance and direction. Since 2021, Toshiko has been the course coordinator for Learning from Evidence (EDUC90832). The feedback for the course has been overwhelmingly positive, particularly highlighting the valuable content and opportunities for interaction with instructors and peers. Furthermore, she serves as a co-supervisor for three graduate research students pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy or Doctor of Education degree. Since 2020, Toshiko has been leading the graduate researcher group at the AERC, which was established in 2018 to address the need for greater support and connection among AERC graduate researchers.
Since joining the AERC in 2019, Toshiko has contributed to 13 projects with a combined value of $4.98 million. She has taken the lead in preparing responses for nine successful Category 2 research applications, securing contracts worth a total of $3.58 million.
