Areas of expertise: ict education; teacher education
Phone: +61399533258
Email: [email protected]
Location: ACU Melbourne Campus
HDR Supervisor accreditation status: Not accredited/Not applicable
ORCID ID: 0000-0002-5372-2192
Dr Shu Chao is a Lecturer in Education at Australian Catholic University with extensive experience in higher education teaching, research, and curriculum leadership. Her work focuses on inclusive and ethical teacher education, digital pedagogy and improving the retention and success of underrepresented students in Initial Teacher Education (ITE). She has led key curriculum innovations that improve assessment clarity, promote student engagement and embed culturally responsive and reflective practices.
Dr Chao's research spans both the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) and empirical studies on ethics education, equity and digital learning. She is leading a national study on pre-service teachers' understanding of ethics, and is co-author of several peer-reviewed publications in high-impact journals. She contributes to ACU's research capacity through cross-campus mentoring, interdisciplinary collaboration and ongoing grant development focused on initial teacher education and STEAM education.
Select publications
- Tuinamuana, K., Daliri-Ngametua, R., Naylor, W., Cain, M., Rowe, L., Phillips, D. J.,... & Chao, S. (2025). 'Performing' the good neoliberal academic: using critical autoethnography to interrogate dominant higher education audit cultures. In Fostering Wellbeing through Collective Writing Practices (pp. 177-185). Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003633327-26
- Selwyn, N., Henderson, M. & Chao, S. (2018). 'You need a system': exploring the role of data in the administration of university students and courses. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 42(1), 46-56.doi: 10.1080/0309877X.2016.1206852
- Selwyn, N., Henderson, M., & Chao, S. (2017). The possibilities and limitations of applying 'open data' principles in schools. Cambridge Journal of Education, 47(2), 167-187. doi: 10.1080/030764X.2016.1143449
- Selwyn, N., Henderson, M. & Chao, S. (2015). Exploring the role of digital data in contemporary schools and schooling - '200,000 lines in an Excel spreadsheet'. British Educational Research Journal, 41(5), 767-781.doi: 10.1002/berj.3186
Projects
2025
- Teacher's ethical decision-making: pre- & in-service understanding ($6,398 funded by the Faculty of Education & Arts, Australian Catholic University).
2015
- What works and why? Understanding successful technology-enabled learning within institutional contexts ($209,000 funded by Office for Learning and Teaching)
2014
- School data for all: exploring the opportunities of open data in schools ($40,836 funded by Spencer Foundation)
- Open for learning: using open data tools and techniques to support student learning ($49,000 funded by Office for Learning and Teaching)
Awards
2025
- FEA Research Discovery Grant - Faculty of Education and Arts, Australian Catholic University
2025
- FEA Undergraduate Research Internship Mentor - Faculty of Education and Arts, Australian Catholic University
Appointments and Affiliations
2026
- Australian Teacher Education Association
