Sean Tinker
Project Officer (Academic Personal Best)
Ph: +613 9214 5565
Fax: +613 9214 4328
Email: sptinker@swin.edu.au

Sean joined SPL in March 2011 as project leader for the Academic Personal Best (APB) project. The first twelve months of the APB project involved gathering learning engagement and motivation data from over 1000 first year undergraduate students in first semester, and designing and delivering a mentored APB program in the second half of the year. The impact of the program has been overwhelmingly positive with significant improvement reported for participants’ self concept as learners; including self efficacy, engagement, and confidence.
 
Since 2001, Sean has worked in a number of academic and professional roles in the higher education sector. Before joining SPL, he was a senior consultant in a HR department delivering leadership programs to senior academics.

Sean’s PhD thesis, on the topics of engagement, social identification, and health is being finalised for submission in 2012. Findings suggest that increasing the opportunities for dialogue around recognition and the exchange of knowledge are associated with engagement, social identification and health. Research interest include: facilitating conversations that matter; generating purpose and meaning in association with engagement and motivation; social identification and behaviour; participatory leadership; and systems approaches to common health, well-being, and sustainability.

• Bachelor of Applied Science Psychology (Honours), Deakin University
• Bachelor of Applied Science Health Promotion, Deakin University

Creating a sense of community and purpose to enhance learning self-concept and engagement for first year undergraduate students. Tinker, S, P. & Buzwell, S. This is a paper being prepared for the FYHE conference in June 2012 that will report on the findings from the pilot APB program.

Publications:

Tinker, S. and Moore, K. (2003). Teachers' Work Hours, Work-Family Conflict and Health: The Mediating Effects of Perceived Control and Organisational Support. The Korean Journal of Health Psychology, 8, 663-678.

Tinker, S. and Moore, K. (2002). Long work hours and health: the impact of work-family conflict, perceived control, and organisational support, in Kathleen Moore (ed.), Under the Southern Cross: Proceedings of the 23rd Stress and Anxiety Research Society Conference, 48-58.

Tinker, S. and Moore, K. (2002). Professional and self-identity saliency: key relationship factors influencing health, in Kathleen Moore (ed.), Relationships: at Home and Abroad: Proceedings of the 2nd Annual Australasian Psychology of Relationships Conference, 96-101.

Presentations:

3rd Annual Australasian Psychology of Relationships Conference - Melbourne, Australia (2003)

• Towards understanding the inter-relationship among our social identities

2nd Annual Australasian Psychology of Relationships Conference - Melbourne, Australia (2002)

• Professional and self-identity saliency - key relationship factors influencing health

23rd Stress and Anxiety Research Society Conference - Melbourne, Australia (2002)

• Long work hours and health: the impact of work-family conflict, perceived control, and organisational support

1st Annual Australasian Psychology of Relationships Conference - Melbourne, Australia (2001)

• Educationalist’s long work hours and the effect on their health and well-being
  
  

2000 – Received the Deakin University award for outstanding achievement in Health Promotion studies.