Our researchers
Our researchers are leaders in their fields, working with government and industry partners to deliver innovative projects that shape education and create real-world impact.
Professor Greg Thompson
Institute Director
Greg Thompson, Professor at ACU and Director of ILSTE, researches education policy, testing, teacher workload, and AI impacts. Former high school teacher, he previously taught at Murdoch, QUT, and edits education journals.
Professor Suzy Edwards
Professor Susan Edwards researches play-based learning, children’s digital lives, AI in early years, and leads major ARC projects shaping safe, equitable, and trustworthy early childhood education futures.
Professor Vince Geiger
Professor Vince Geiger researches critical mathematical thinking – essential for generating solutions to current global challenges, including sustainability and social disadvantage. This research spans numeracy, mathematical modelling, and digital resources in mathematics education.
Professor Kathy Mills
Professor Kathy A. Mills, ACU is a 3-time ARC Fellow leading a program of research in AI and Digital Citizenship and forging international & national partnerships.
Professor Len Unsworth
Professor Len Unsworth has over 30 years’ experience in teacher education and research including several ARC projects, focusing on multimodal and digital literacy in English and curriculum area learning, children’s literature, and educational semiotics across K-12.
Associate Professor Jessica Holloway
Associate Professor Jessica Holloway, ARC DECRA Fellow, researches teacher expertise, authority, and professionalism. She earned her PhD at Arizona State, taught at Kansas State, and joined Deakin University’s REDI Centre in 2016.
Associate Professor Steven Lewis
Associate Professor Steven Lewis researches education policy, governance, and teacher learning at ACU. An acclaimed author, editor, and ARC fellow, he examines digital data’s role in reshaping global educational policy and practice.
Professor Laura Scholes
Professor Laura Scholes researches gender and critical literacies in the digital age. She has an extensive track record leading ARC and industry projects that advance pedagogical approaches to literacy education for practical application in schools.
Honorary appointments
Our honorary appointments recognise distinguished scholars and leaders whose expertise and contributions enrich our research, strengthen collaborations, and advance the field of education globally.
Professor Bob Lingard
Awarded in recognition of his standing as a distinguished scholar with an international reputation in the area of educational policy, testing and accountability assessment.
Associate Professor Mary Macken-Horarik
Awarded in recognition of her international reputation and scholarly expertise in the field of senior secondary English curriculum.
Professor Joy Cumming
Awarded in recognition of her contribution as a leader in the field of education and support of ILSTE through the supervision of doctoral students.
Professor Gabriele Kaiser
Awarded in recognition of her reputation as a world leading researcher in the field of mathematics education, with specialisations in mathematical modelling, teacher competencies and teacher noticing.
Professor Theo van Leeuwen
Awarded in recognition of his leadership in the field of social semiotics, in particular his development of social semiotics theories and methods for the analysis of multimodal communication.
Professor Rudolf Straesser
Awarded in recognition of his publication record in mathematics education, his preparedness to provide strategic advice about publication and project application opportunities and willingness to participate in joint research projects.
Dr Thorsten Scheiner
Awarded in recognition of his expertise in Professional Teacher Noticing a construct that is an underpinning idea in an ARC Discovery project and ongoing contributions to analysis of data and publications.
HDR students
Our HDR students are part of a vibrant research community, working alongside leading scholars on diverse projects that span education, industry, and international partnerships.
Tianqi (Roy) Zhou
AI-Assisted Multimodal Writing Development in Australian 9-Year-Old Students
Research Assistant, School of Education, ACU (Brisbane)
Supervisor: Professor Kathy Mills (Principal) and Associate Professor Laura Scholes
Profile: Google Scholar, Research Gate, LinkedIn
Shiva Alaee Yazdi
The Impact of Animation and Cartoon on Children’s Visual Artistic Expressions: Exploring the Influence of Child Visual Media on Child- Artist Subjects and Representation
Supervisor: Professor Len Unsworth
Profile: LinkedIn
Agnita Pramasdyahsari
Exploring Student-Teacher and Student-Student Interactions in Critical Mathematical Thinking Task
Supervisor: Professor Vince Geiger
Profile: LinkedIn
Didem Aydin
Myth Busting in Public Health Education: A multimodal analysis of World Health Organization Infographics Addressing Mis/Disinformation about COVID 19
Supervisor: Professor Len Unsworth
Profile: LinkedIn
Alexandra Heard
Search engines and pedagogical practices in early childhood education and care
Supervisor: Professor Suzy Edwards
Yuqing Li
Critical Thinking in STEM Education: Developing a Framework for Task Design
Supervisor: Professor Vince Geiger
James Victor
Writing Across the Curriculum: Teachers’ and Students’ Beliefs about Writing and Writing Assessment in Secondary Schools
Supervisor: Professor Len Unsworth
Profile: LinkedIn
Elizabeth Pink
The Impact of School Libraries on Students’ Volitional Reading in the Digital Age
Supervisor: Associate Professor Laura Scholes
Profile: LinkedIn
Support staff
Our support staff provide expert coordination, technical support, and project management to ensure our research and operations run seamlessly.
Alexander Chen
Senior Scientific Officer
Therese Conway
Institute Coordinator
Dr Chantelle Day
Research Partnerships Manager
Louisa Scott
Research Assistant
Dr Andrew Smith
Senior Research Project Manager
Profile: LinkedIn
Dr Melanie Spallek
Senior Data Analyst
Profile: LinkedIn
Famena Staley
Executive and Project Officer
