Rate My Professor Sandi Fielder

Sandi Fielder is an Associate Lecturer in the School of Education at Murdoch University. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Education (Early Childhood) from 1987 to 1989 and a Master of Education from Murdoch University from 2020 to 2023. Currently a PhD candidate, Fielder is an experienced school leader whose career spans metropolitan, rural, and remote educational contexts in Western Australia. She supports diverse workforces transitioning into teaching roles and advocates for high-quality teaching professionals through her academic contributions.

Her research interests encompass initial teacher education, teacher education and professional development of educators, and education leadership. Fielder investigates teacher workforce shortages, motivations for unqualified teaching, professional experiences, early career transitions, retention, and support frameworks for early career teachers. Notable publications include 'Blinded by the light: motivations of unqualified teachers in Western Australia' (2025, Australian Educational Researcher, with Helen Dempsey and Alison L. Hilton), analyzing why pre-service teachers choose unqualified positions; 'Graduate teachers' sense of belonging anchored in experiences of preservice internships and employability' (2025, Journal of Teaching and Learning for Graduate Employability); 'School-based teacher educators’ use of a teaching performance assessment: Tensions and resolutions' (2025, with Kathryn Dehle); 'A Framework for Supporting Teacher Development and Employability Through Teaching Internships' (2024, Australian Journal of Teacher Education, with Chad Morrison and Susan Ledger); and contributions to studies on industry stakeholders in professional experience and conditions supporting teaching interns and early career teachers. She collaborates on school-university partnerships and presented at the WAIER Forum 2025 on early career transitions amid workforce shortages.