Renee Teal
Senior Research Officer
BHlthSc(hons), PhD
renee.teal@thekids.org.au
Renee is a Senior Research Officer with the Health Promotion and Education Research team. Renee works on the evaluation of the Early Years Initiative – a ten-year partnership between the WA State Government and the Minderoo Foundation that aims to improve the health, development, and learning outcomes of children aged 0-4 years.
Renee has over ten years’ experience in research and evaluation methodologies having worked with organisations across the government, not-for-profit, school and community-based sectors. Renee’s research interest span health promotion, public health messaging, mental health and wellbeing, and child development.
Projects
The Early Years Partnership
The Early Years Partnership is a 10-year (2018-2028) partnership between the WA State Government (Departments of Communities, Health, and Education), Minderoo Foundation and The Kids Research Institute Australia as the evidence and evaluation partner.
Published research
Approaches that support Indigenous children and families in the transition to school: A systematic review
The early years are critical for lifelong wellbeing, with transition to formal school a key period for development. For Indigenous children, this transition provides opportunities to build on cultural strengths and belonging. However, many children face systemic barriers that impact their transition experiences, highlighting a need for culturally safe programs that support Indigenous families during this significant time.
“It Makes You Feel Like Not Sending Your Kids to School”: Aboriginal Parents’ Experiences of the Transition to School
The transition to formal schooling is a critical milestone in a child’s development. For Aboriginal children, early experiences are shaped by both cultural strengths and enduring impacts of colonisation. This study explored factors influencing Aboriginal families’ transition-to-school experiences in an urban Western Australian community.
Education and Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) – University of Western Australia (2021)
- Bachelor Health Science (Public Health and Psychology) (Hons) – University of Western Australia (2004)
Awards/Honours
- 2016 – 2019 Health Promotion Research Training Scholarship, Healthway, Western Australia