ACU Researcher

Dr. Wade Naylor

Lecturer
National School of Education (NSE)

Areas of expertise: Physics, mathematics & STEM Education; psychometric testing in STEM conceptual inventories; international academic identity, mobility and migration.

Email: wade.naylor@acu.edu.au

Location: ACU Brisbane Campus

HDR Supervisor accreditation status: HDR Supervisor (Provisional)

ORCID ID: 0000-0003-2133-7924

Wade is a Lecturer in the School of Education focusing on Physics, Mathematics, and STEM Education at ACU, with research interests in Physics Education Research (PER) and understanding misconceptions through STEM Concept Inventories (CIs). He is also a visiting senior researcher at the Department of Physics, University of Johannesburg, where he actively contributes to improving student outcomes through PER initiatives. More recently he has been involved with research on International Academics. Wade identifies as a former physicist, turned teacher, turned teacher educator.

Linkedin

View on ResearchGate

View on Google Scholar

Select publications

• Tuinamuana, K., et al. (2025, in press). ‘Performing’ the good neoliberal academic: Using critical autoethnography to interrogate dominant higher education audit cultures. In N. Lemon, A. Bolzle, M. Santa Cruz, & R. Saunders (Eds.), Cultivating wellbeing and community through writing in academia: Shifting the culture with Shut Up and Write. Routledge.
  Chrysostomou, A., Cornell, A. & Naylor, W. (2025). Dominant misconceptions and alluvial flows between Engineering and Physical Science students, Phys. Educ. 60 (035026); 10.1088/1361-6552/adc4ad 

• Naylor, W., Rubab, S., Wang, Y-J. & Qiu, X-L. (2024). Issues relating to CAT and Gain in psychometric testing of STEM subjects using Item Response Theory. In: White, P., Tytler, R., Ferguson, J. (Eds.), Methodological Approaches to STEM Education Research (Vol. 5, pp. 362-382), Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

• Digan, S., Puslednik, L., Naylor, W., Geiger, V. (2024). Developing evidentiary practices in initial teacher education students' scientific reasoning. In: White, P., Tytler, R., Ferguson, J. (Eds.), Methodological Approaches to STEM Education Research (Vol. 5, pp. 265-290) Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

• Chrysostomou, A., Cornell, A. & Naylor, W. (2024). A three-year comparative study of dominant misconceptions among first-year physics students at a South African university. Phys. Educ. 59 (1), 015036; 10.1088/1361-6552/ad14ea 

• Carleschi, E., Chrysostomou, A., Cornell, A. S., & Naylor, W. (2022). Probing the effect on student conceptual understanding due to a forced mid-semester transition to online teaching. European Journal of Physics, 43(3), 035702. https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-6404/ac41d9 
• Alinea, A. L., & Naylor, W. (2017) Gender gap and polarisation of physics on global courses. Physics Education, IAPT 33 (2017), Issue 2. https://arxiv.org/abs/1605.03302 

• Alinea, A. L., & Naylor, W. (2015). Polarization of physics on global courses. Physics Education, 50(2), 210–217. https://doi.org/10.1088/0031-9120/50/2/210 

Projects

• International Academics researching International Academics (HERDSA SiG)

• 2025 Invited Travel and accommodation cost for International Collaborator(Wade Naylor) CoE-MaSS Mathematics Education Research Focus Area, University of Johannesburg, SA Ref No. 2025-050-EDU-CCI. R40,000.00 (~$3500)

• 2025 IOP International Member Research Networking Grant for Physics Teachers $600

• 2023 - 2024, ACU Faculty Research Discovery Grant: (PI: Digan, S.), Naylor, W., Geiger, V., Developing initial teacher education students' evidentiary practices in scientific reasoning. $9,900

• 2023 - 2024, UniSQ Research Capacity Building Grant: Puslednik, L., Digan, S., Naylor, W., Developing primary teachers' use of scientific evidence in the classroom.

• 2022 - 2025, ACU Faculty Education Grant (PI: Naylor, W.) Investigation of conceptual physics understanding in international / ethnically diverse cohorts. $5390

• 2008 - 2010, Ministry of Education (Japan) Kakenhi: Grant no. A20340060: https://nrid.nii.ac.jp/nrid/1000030411028/ (PI: Seishi, M.) Study of the Dynamical Casimir effect. $200,000 AUD

• 2007 - 2015, Ministry of Education (Japan) Scholars Fund Investigation of Black Hole Quasinormal Modes using the asymptotic iteration method. $2500 AUD per year (2005 - 2010)

Awards

• 2023, Lead Academic on Round 1 of the Microcredentials Pilot in Higher Education for Maths & Science iSTEM micro-credentials

• 2023 - 2024, ACU Faculty Research Discovery Grant 2023 (PI: Sarah Digan)

• 2022 - 2024, Faculty of Education and Arts Grant, ACU: Project Code No: 50-905300-111 (equipment & travel grant) - $5390 (2022-2025)

• 2015, Highlights of Physics Education (2015), Phys. Ed. (IOP)

• 2003 - 2005, 21st Century Centre of Excellence Research Fellowship, Kyoto University, Japan

• 2001 - 2003 JSPS Research Fellowship Stipend. $50,000/yr.

• 2001 - Royal Society (UK) Nomination for Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Postdoctoral Fellowship (JSPS).

• 1997 - 2001, Engineering & Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC) UK, PhD Stipend, $40,000/yr.

Appointments and Affiliations

• 2024 - present, HERSA Member & HERDSA SIG - International Academics, Administrator

• 2023 - present, Member of the ACU STEM Centre for Education Excellence, Academic Disciplines Working Group

• 2020 - present, Visiting Senior Research Associate, Dep. of Physics, University of Johannesburg, South Africa

• 2016 - present, Queensland College of Teachers (QCT) - Full Registration: 893537

• 2010 - 2015, Specially Appointed Associate Professor, International College, Osaka University, Japan

• 2008 - present, full member of the Institute of Physics (MInstP), UK

Editorial roles

• 2024 - present, Assistant Editor, American Journal of STEM Education

• 2020 - present, Content Reviewer, TeachEngineering

International journal review panels

• Physical Review Physics Education Research (2024 - present)

• F1000Research, Education (2024 - present)

• Australian Mathematics Education Journal (2020 - present)

• Physical Society of Japan (2005-2015)

• Canadian Journal of Physics (2005-2015)

Grant agency review panels

2024 – present

• National Science Week, Inspiring Australia Queensland (IAQ) Grant Committee Member

• Enhanced Creative Works and Research Grant (ECWRG) Program of the UP System, University of the Philippines (2018)

Public engagement

• PRO Teacher Quantum DIY Workshop, National Science Week Wednesday 20 August, Host & Organiser (https://www.scienceweek.net.au/event/pro-teacher-quantum-diy-workshop/)

• Active Learning and Teaching in STEM, Two Day Workshop, Sri Lanka, 16-17th September 2024, approved by the Ministry of Education, Sri Lanka.

• The Rise of AI and what STEM teachers can do, Uni Taster Program Star Lectures - Education, September 2023, Townsville.

• https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7109838009134415872/

• Data in our lives, ACU University Taster Program Star Lectures - Education, September 2022, Townsville.