Meet our new PhD Scholarship students

7 October 2025

Introducing Siham AbuKhalaf and Rachel Feng

In this post we hear from two of CRADLE’s newest strategic PhD scholarship holders, Siham AbuKhalaf and Rachel (Ziqing) Feng. Both Siham and Rachel share their thoughts on their decision to undertake further study and their aspirations for the PhD journey ahead.

Siham AbuKhalaf

Tell us about yourself and why you chose to do a PHD

I have always seen myself as an academic at heart. I love reading, exploring ideas, and engaging deeply with knowledge. Over the years, I have found joy in publishing papers, attending academic conferences, and participating in scholarly discussions, all of which have reinforced my identity as someone who thrives in academic environments. I also enjoy contributing to the growth of my field and sharing insights with others. Pursuing a PhD was the next logical step in my path.

I am motivated by the opportunity to immerse myself in rigorous research, develop original ideas, and contribute meaningful knowledge to the academic community.

The process of critically analyzing academic articles, uncover new knowledge, and learn alongside peers and mentors inspires me. I see a PhD as a platform to grow as a researcher, refine my skills, and build a career that aligns with my passion for teaching, learning, and academic collaboration.

Finally, I am driven by curiosity, a commitment to learning, and the desire to make a lasting contribution to my field. I see myself as a lifelong learner and academic, and pursuing a PhD is the best way to turn this vision into a reality.

What is your PhD topic?

My PhD research focuses on the intersection between authentic assessment, AI, and student motivation. Specifically, I am investigating how varying degrees of realistic, authentic assessments affect students’ motivation, engagement, and learning outcomes. The goal is to understand how authentic assessment practices can enhance both student experience and learning effectiveness.

CRADLE is an ideal environment for my research because of its focus on assessment and digital learning. The centre’s emphasis on combining theory with practice aligns perfectly with my work on authentic learning and assessment. Being part of CRADLE will provide access to a rich community of researchers, resources, and collaborative opportunities that can inform my methodology, help refine my research questions, and ensure that my findings are both academically rigorous and practically relevant. Finally, CRADLE’s focus on advancing knowledge in teaching, learning, and development makes it an excellent fit for my PhD, offering the support and expertise needed to investigate meaningful questions about student engagement, motivation, and educational design.

What are you most looking forward to during your PhD journey?

I am eager to fully engage in research and contribute new knowledge to my field. I look forward to exploring my topic in depth, developing innovative methodologies, and analysing data critically to generate meaningful insights. Connecting with a community of scholars through conferences, workshops, and collaborations also excites me, as it offers opportunities to exchange ideas, gain feedback, and expand my academic perspective.

I am particularly enthusiastic about the intellectual growth and skill development that a PhD fosters, including refining my research, writing, and analytical abilities.

Additionally, I am motivated by the potential practical impact of my work, especially in shaping teaching and learning practices. Overall, pursuing a PhD represents an opportunity to grow as a researcher, contribute to academia, and strengthen my dedication to academic research and learning.

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Rachel Feng

Tell us about yourself and why you chose to do a PHD

I come from southern China and I am deeply curious about the world. I love exploring new things – food hunting, travelling, reading (I’m a big fan of crime fiction) or just soaking up different cultural and natural sceneries. I also enjoy thinking, generating new ideas and turning them into something meaningful.

For me, pursuing a PhD feels like a natural extension of who I am. It is a brave journey to push the boundaries of unknown. I also strongly believe in lifelong learning – we should never stop maintaining our curiosity, and stay ‘hungry’ for knowledge, keeping learning, questioning, and developing skills. When I first accessed the assessment and feedback research by chance, it immediately resonated with me. I am deeply touched by the impact and the meaning of feedback for student learning and growth, especially because I’ve been lucky to receive positive feedback from my teachers that encouraged me to continue down this research path. Their influence has inspired me to devote myself to assessment and feedback research, with the hope of making a meaningful contribution to this area.  

What is your PhD topic?

My PhD is focusing on how higher education students’ evaluative judgement relates to their identity formation in a time of GenAI. I have deeply resonated with evaluative judgement, defined as ‘the capability of making decisions about the quality of work of self and others” (Tai et al., 2018). That’s something we all practice every moment – whether consciously or not – when we judge the quality of our own work, others’ works, or even choices in our daily life. But we hardly realise what it means to our learning and personal development.  

What excites me is how evaluative judgement not only shapes learning but also identity

When students interrogate the quality of their work, they’re also reflecting on who they are becoming. I really hope my research can shed light on ways to develop students’ evaluative judgement so that they can think critically, self-reflect, grow as their ideal selves – skills vital for sustainable, lifelong learning and future careers. I’m so fortunate to work with a supportive supervisory team – Professor Margaret Bearman, Dr Juuso Nieminen and Dr Jack Walton – and to be part of CRADLE – the world-leading community in evaluative judgement, assessment and feedback research.

What are you most looking forward to during your PhD journey?

At CRADLE, it is so inspiring to be surrounded by those passionate about assessment and feedback research. I’m eager to learn from both my supervisors and fellow researchers. I also look forward to developing solid research skills, connecting with other PhD cohorts who share the same enthusiasm, and to exchanging ideas with renowned scholars in my research field worldwide.

For me, a PhD journey is about more than the research. I also see it as a journey of ‘being and becoming’ – developing resilience, empathy and confidence as a researcher. I can already feel how each step during my research experience is shaping my identity, moving me from a student into an early-phased researcher, which is both challenging and motivating!

Beyond my research, I can’t wait to explore Melbourne’s incredible coffee vibes, enjoy the chilling seasides, and of course, experience the Australian Open!

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We welcome Siham and Rachel and look forward to working with them on their timely and fascinating research.