Karina has taught school mathematics across the full range of year levels, Preparatory to Year 12, spanning 20 years in Australia and England. She has taught secondary mathematics at VCE levels in Victoria and at A-level in England. She has been a mathematics coordinator in two schools, taught as a primary numeracy specialist, and led mathematics program change in three schools (primary and secondary levels). 

Karina was awarded her PhD in 2011 at the University of Melbourne on academic continuity for senior secondary mathematics students dealing with chronic illness. She was a lecturer for two years at Australian Catholic University and participated in research for the Contemporary Teaching and Learning of Mathematics Research and Professional Development (CTLM) project led by Professor Doug Clarke. She began an ongoing research program on alternative ways to teach and learn algebra for increased student understanding and engagement. 

Karina is a Senior Lecturer at Monash University, teaching undergraduate and postgraduate pre-service teachers, and postgraduate school mathematics leaders, alongside her research program and supervision of PhD students. She also consults for individual schools on teacher professional learning and conducts workshops for Independent Schools Victoria and Catholic Education Melbourne.

Karina’s major area of research expertise is mathematics education (upper primary and secondary levels) with specific foci on algebra teaching and learning and teacher professional learning processes. She also has experience in collaborative research on formative assessment with rich tasks, the affective dimension of mathematics learning (motivation, engagement), and argumentation. She has experience with educational design research methodologies in school settings, and qualitative and descriptive statistical methods.

Algebra teaching and learning (upper primary and secondary levels);

Teacher professional learning processes;

Student motivation and engagement;

Argumentation in secondary mathematics classrooms;

Formative assessment with rich tasks in secondary mathematics education.