Research Projects
Dr Lynette Pretorius conducts interdisciplinary research to uncover the ways in which personal experiences and institutional systems mirror, influence, and inform one another. Her research interests include doctoral education, academic identity, student wellbeing, AI literacy, and autoethnography. At the moment, she is particularly interested in how educators and academic institutions can improve the educational experiences of graduate research students. She values collaboration and is currently working with various researchers on the following major research projects.
AI and Epistemic Justice: Transforming Higher Education Through AI Literacy
This project focuses on AI literacy with a strong emphasis on decolonising academic knowledge and promoting epistemic justice. By integrating AI into educational practices, Dr Pretorius aims to empower both teachers and students to critically engage with AI technologies in ways that challenge entrenched power structures and knowledge hierarchies. This work includes developing an AI literacy framework and curriculum for higher education, which not only covers foundational AI concepts and ethical considerations but also explores how AI can facilitate the democratisation of knowledge. Dr Pretorius is particularly interested in how AI can foster critical thinking, dismantle exclusionary academic practices, and contribute to a more just and equitable learning environment where diverse perspectives are valued and empowered.
This project has received funding from a Research Support Seeding Grant School of Curriculum, Teaching, and Inclusive Education at Monash University. This work has also been commercialised into publicly available resources on YouTube and as an online course through Knowledge E.
This project has resulted in the following publications:
- ChatGPT as a Qualitative Research Partner
- The ETHICAL Framework for Responsible Generative AI Use
- Generative AI, Ubuntu, and the Decolonisation of Academic Communication
- The AI Literacy Framework for Higher Education
- Fostering AI Literacy
Behind the Academic Curtain: Exploring Wellbeing, Identity, and Belonging Among PhD Students
PhD students develop a wide range of transferable skills and deep disciplinary knowledge during their studies, but navigating the hidden rules and unspoken structures of academia can be a daunting challenge. Complex and often contradictory demands are placed on early career researchers, which contribute to poorer educational and mental health outcomes. This project aims to explore how these skills and understandings of academia are shaped and how students’ unique cultural backgrounds, personal experiences, and social resources influence their wellbeing, identity, and belonging within academic spaces. By giving students a platform to share their own stories, this study uncovers the often-hidden cultural dynamics of academia. It offers fresh insights for researchers and policymakers on how to create more supportive and inclusive environments that enhance the overall wellbeing and success of PhD students.
This project has received funding from a Research Support Seeding Grant School of Curriculum, Teaching, and Inclusive Education at Monash University.
This project has resulted in the following publications:
- Participants’ Pseudonym Choices as a Practice of Empowerment
- Psychological Capital in the PhD
- Diversity Statements and Holistic Stories as Data Tools
- Research and Teaching in a Pandemic World
- Narratives of Disempowerment in the PhD
- Influence of Imposter Syndrome on Academic Integrity in the PhD
- Wellbeing in Doctoral Education
From Page to Practice: Collaborative Writing Groups as Tools for Pedagogical Innovation in Doctoral Education
This project investigates how collaborative writing groups can function as platforms for both academic social practice and pedagogical reform in doctoral education. Writing groups offer more than just a space to improve technical writing skills; they serve as dynamic environments where students engage in the social practices of academia, such as peer review, collaborative authorship, and navigating publication processes. These groups foster a sense of scholarly identity, as students learn the tacit conventions of academic life through shared experiences and mentorship. Beyond this, the project explores how writing groups can be reimagined as pedagogical tools to address gaps in traditional doctoral training, which often overlooks the development of transferable skills. By integrating structured peer collaboration and reflective practices, writing groups can cultivate competencies such as teamwork, communication, and critical thinking, which are essential for success in both academic and broader professional contexts. This project ultimately aims to demonstrate how collaborative writing groups can drive pedagogical reform, creating more inclusive and holistic doctoral education experiences.
This project has received funding from the Monash-Warwick Alliance Education Fund.
This project has resulted in the following publications: