Creative Practice in Education Research Hub Webpage

Research Context and Background This project, based in K–12 Arts teacher education at Curtin University, aimed to expand research culture through Arts-Based Education Research (ABER). Following a 2022 seed grant, initiatives included a physical gallery, an online hub, and a community of practice, resulting in increased interest among Higher Degree by Research (HDR) students and supervision. Monthly exhibitions and a well-visited webpage facilitated dissemination and engagement. Surveys of staff and students gauged impact and informed program development. The externally facing Creative Practice in Education Research Hub attracted national and international interest, supporting HDR inquiry and fostering broader academic connections. Research Contribution and Innovation The Creative Practice in Education Research Hub Project contributes to knowledge by showcasing NTRO/ABER outputs through Gallery 501 and its online platform, employing arts-based methodologies to disseminate research. Its dual online and physical presence fosters innovation, broadening engagement with academic staff and external visitors, and inspiring creative research projects such as Photovoice essays, poetry, and sustainability initiatives, thereby advancing the profile and influence of creative education research at Curtin. Research Significance and Excellence The webpage, a rare externally facing platform on Curtin’s Faculty of Humanities Research Tree, is frequently updated and widely accessed. It highlights innovative arts-based research, acts as a teaching resource with examples, milestone presentations, and exegesis samples, and offers scholarly links for further study. The site exemplifies the shift in research culture at Curtin, prompting the HDR Proposal Development Unit to consider creative thesis methods, which were not previously standard practice. The webpage has had almost 13,000 visits since its inception, with an audience that includes current Curtin University staff and students, as well as an increasing number of prospective HDR students seeking admission to postgraduate research programs at Curtin.