Dr. Thinley earned his PhD in Education from the University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia in 2018. Additionally, he completed a Graduate Certificate in Education from Murdoch University, Western Australia, in 2023. He holds a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership and Management, a Post Graduate Diploma in English, and a Bachelor’s degree in Education from the Royal University of Bhutan (RUB), which he received in 2012, 2009, and 2002, respectively.
Throughout his academic journey, Pema was recognised for his exceptional contributions to education by the Ministry of Education (MoE Bhutan) and the Royal Civil Service Commission (RCSC). In acknowledgment of his dedicated service to the development of teachers and students in Bhutan, he was awarded a Fast Track Promotion based on the position classification system (PCS), a meritocracy system. This recognition motivated him to further his skills and knowledge for the benefit of Bhutan’s future leaders. His commitment and integrity continued in Australia, where he received a Five-Year Qualification remuneration recognition from the Department of Education, WA, in 2022, while working as a registered teacher and casual employee.
In 2005, the Director and Coordinator from the Ministry of Education (Bhutan) invited Pema to join the National Curriculum Researchers and Curriculum Committee. He co-authored the English curriculum after conducting extensive research and interviews with stakeholders. Textbooks and teacher’s manuals based on this work were published the following year. For more details click this link - https://drthinleysears.blogspot.com/p/journals.html.
Pema demonstrated his skills through various small-scale research projects during his Master’s degree. Notable projects included examining “The Benefits of Teaching Process Approach to the Students in their Writing” and conducting action research on “What can I do to improve the writing skills of students in the eighth standard” in 2010. His expertise has since been in high demand among staff and students seeking guidance on research topics, literature reviews, methodology, data collection, analysis, and presentation. He shared his experiences and insights on phenomenological research design with Master’s Degree students.
In 2014, Pema was awarded a Deputy Vice Chancellor's Scholarship to pursue his PhD at the University of New England, and in 2018, he received the UNE's Completion Scholarship. During his PhD, he gained extensive knowledge in mixed-method research and acquired skills in analysing both qualitative and quantitative data using software such as Leximancer, Nvivo, Qualtrics, Winsteps (Rasch Model Analysis), and SPSS. In 2023, Pema received a scholarship from the Department of Education, WA, through the Leap Program for WA teachers, to pursue his graduate certificate in education from Murdoch University.
Pema’s career began as a teacher, progressing to Vice Principal of YMSS in 2006 and Principal in 2008. He actively facilitated various in-service programs (NBIP, CBIP, SBIP) aimed at providing quality education to Bhutanese children and integrating GNH values into the curriculum. He earned praise for his facilitation of action research at his last school in Bhutan.
After gaining his teacher registration from TRBWA, Pema continued teaching in Western Australia’s public schools. He began as a volunteer teacher at Balcatta Primary School through EdConnect Australia, and in 2022, started paid teaching as a casual Relief Teacher. He expanded his teaching by undertaking a Fly In and Fly Out (FIFO) contract teaching role for the Department in 2023 and 2024. Currently, he works as English Teacher at Kalgoorlie Boulder Community High School (KBCHS), Department of Education, WA.
Pema’s dedication to education and research has significantly contributed to his leadership, management, and policy development skills, fostering professional growth for his fellow educators and students.
- By Associate Professor, Dr John Haynes, School of Education, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, 2350
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