Rebecca Bowen, Teacher/Director at C&K Oaks Beach Community Kindergarten in Bundaberg, has been awarded the prestigious Merline Muldoon Memorial Award for Innovation in Teaching at the 2025 TEACHX Awards.

Rebecca, who has dedicated 27 years to early childhood education, was recognised for her thoughtful approach to rekindling natural curiosity in an age of instant digital gratification.

In 2024, Rebecca observed that many children in her cohort demonstrated minimal inquisitiveness and a reluctance to explore their world – instead seeking instant answers and immediate resolution.

Rather than accepting this as the new normal, Rebecca embraced her own natural curiosity, and transformed her practice to challenge this change, and profoundly impacted children's learning.

"Winning this award is so exciting. To me, it’s an important recognition of the need to explore and evolve pedagogical approaches in our pursuit of success in an ever-changing world," Rebecca said.

Drawing on research-informed slow pedagogies, Rebecca and her team implemented an innovative framework prioritising depth over speed and wonder over instant answers.

The approach included creating a "Curiosity Cube" with intriguing objects for independent discovery, extensive educator modelling of curiosity through wonder questions, and a "See, Think, Wonder" framework encouraging reflective observations.

Extended investigations allowed children weeks to explore concepts deeply, with one oil and water experiment evolving into rich discussions about ocean conservation and environmental stewardship.

The results have been transformative, with children developing critical thinking skills, deeper questioning abilities, and creative thinking capacities.

"This work challenged us to reflect on our understanding of digital-age children and curiosity—we needed to meet children where they are, not where theory suggested they should be," Rebecca said.

C&K CEO Dr Sandra Cheeseman commended Rebecca on this well-deserved recognition.

"Rebecca's work is a terrific example of C&K's commitment to high-quality early childhood education, as well as our values of putting children first and striving for excellence in everything we do," Dr Cheeseman said.

"This award not only shines an important light on the extraordinary work happening every day in our sector, but it is also a powerful recognition of the professionalism that defines early childhood education. It's during these formative years that we shape how children think, question, and engage with their world – celebrating pedagogical expertise in these spaces is critical."

"Rebecca’s dedication to understanding and responding to the unique challenges facing today's children demonstrates the profound impact that thoughtful, research-informed practice can have on young learners' development."

About C&K

The Creche & Kindergarten Association Limited (C&K) is one of Queensland’s largest early childhood education providers, with a legacy spanning 117 years.

C&K is a not-for-profit organisation directly operating 182 Kindergartens and Childcare Centres across the state. C&K’s sphere of influence and state-wide network is expanded and strengthened by an additional 143 community kindergartens and independent childcare centres who choose to affiliate with C&K because of the strength of our reputation for quality education and care, and for the support and advice of our highly experienced educational advisors.

About the TEACHX Awards

Commencing in 2009, the TEACHX Awards exemplify significant teacher contributions to schools and early childhood communities across Queensland. Presented by the Queensland College of Teachers (QCT), the awards attract thousands of nominations for registered teachers who have achieved exceptional outcomes. To be nominated for a TEACHX Award is an achievement in itself.