Townsville Catholic Education's (TCE) commitment to supporting staff professional growth is creating opportunities that extend far beyond individual careers, with Speech Language Pathologist Harriet Naylor embarking on research aimed at improving learning outcomes for students in the early years of schooling.

After being awarded a scholarship to undertake a full-time Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Harriet will spend the next year researching how teachers and Speech Language Pathologists can work together to make classroom learning more accessible for all students, particularly those with diverse language and literacy needs.

As part of TCE's Inclusive Education team, Harriet has spent the past decade working alongside teachers and school communities to support students' speech, language and literacy development.

"My role is highly collaborative," Harriet said.

"I work alongside teachers and school teams to support students within their everyday classroom environments. Over time, my work has shifted more towards supporting whole-class teaching so more students can benefit within their everyday classroom learning."

Harriet's PhD will focus on how teachers and Speech Language Pathologists can work together to reduce language barriers that may impact students' ability to access learning, particularly in the critical early years from Prep to Year 2.

"Classroom learning relies heavily on language," she explained.

"Teachers use language to explain, question, instruct and assess, and students need strong language skills to understand and engage. My research will explore practical ways to help teachers embed language-rich practices into everyday instruction so more students can benefit."

The research has grown from Harriet's experiences working across Catholic schools, where she has seen increasing numbers of students begin school with diverse oral language needs.

"The early years are a critical time to provide support, as language is the foundation for both literacy and classroom learning," she said.

Finding out she had been accepted into the PhD program and awarded a scholarship was a significant milestone.

"It was a mix of excitement and disbelief," Harriet said.

"A PhD is something I've been working towards for quite some time, so being accepted and awarded a scholarship felt incredibly validating. It really felt like the beginning of a meaningful next chapter, both personally and professionally."

Harriet hopes her research will help create more inclusive learning environments and improve outcomes for students across school communities.

"By supporting teachers to embed clear, language-rich and inclusive practices into everyday instruction, students are better able to understand, engage with and participate in learning in a meaningful way," she said.

"This approach is designed to support all students, including those with diverse language backgrounds, those with identified needs, and those who may require additional support at different points in their learning."

Harriet credits TCE for helping make this opportunity possible.

"TCE has supported me in undertaking these studies by enabling me to take a period of leave to meet the full-time requirements of the PhD and scholarship," she said.

"I'm especially grateful for the encouragement and support from my Team Leader and Inclusive Education Manager."

She said her experiences within TCE have been instrumental in shaping the research.

"My work within TCE has played a significant role through the opportunity to work closely with teachers and school communities and better understand the realities of inclusive practice in classrooms," she said.

As Harriet embarks on this exciting new chapter, her research has the potential to provide practical, evidence-based strategies that strengthen inclusive teaching practices and support more students to thrive in the classroom.

Her journey reflects Townsville Catholic Education's commitment to fostering continuous learning and investing in staff development that delivers lasting benefits for students and school communities.