Institute for Positive Psychology and Education

IPPE tackles the significant issues of our time through positive psychology. We conduct multi-disciplinary research to address critical educational and psychosocial issues, and translate theory to inform effective policy and practice. Our work demonstrates how individuals, communities and organisations can not only just succeed, but flourish and thrive.

The Institute for Positive Psychology and Education gives researchers the space to develop multi-disciplinary, collaborative projects.

Institute for Positive Psychology and Education

Featured projects

Compassion and wellbeing

Compassion and wellbeing

We look at the importance of compassion for promoting wellbeing as well as how can it be enhanced, particularly for overworked and tired health care workers.

Explore project

iTeach

iTEACH

This project looks at how teachers can help students from low socioeconomic backgrounds engage with education during their early years of secondary school.

Explore project

Drivers of success

Drivers of success

This project adopts a positive psychology framework which incorporates Indigenous worldviews to identify characteristics of schools that help students achieve their potential.

Explore project

Education re-engagement

Our researchers are determining the best and most cost-effective ways to help 11–14-year-old students, at risk of dropping out, to re-engage with school and improve their opportunities.

Explore project

Our research streams

Indigenous Game Changers

Indigenous Game Changers’ purpose is to enable Indigenous children, youth and communities to, not just succeed, but thrive.

Explore IGC Research Program

Educational & Developmental Psychology

This research stream explores the factors that allow humans to flourish and to contribute to their community and society.

Explore EDP Research Program

Motivation & Behaviour

This program focuses focused on understanding human motivation and behaviour for the promotion of human wellness.

Explore M&B Research Program

IPPE is a world-leading Research Institute in the fields of education and psychology.

Lead Institution in Australia 2023 and 2024 in Educational Psychology and Counselling (The Australian Research Magazine)

#1 in the world in Research Quality (Psychology), 2025 (Times Higher Education Ranking, by Subject)

#1 in Australia in the United Nations Impact Category of Good Health and Wellbeing (2024 Times Higher Education Impact Ranking)

News and events

How can we keep principals in the job?

A new study looks at how to address Australia’s growing school principal turnover.

ACU receives top marks for research quality in Times Higher Edu...

ACU has ranked number one in the world for research quality in psychology in the 2026 Times Higher Education World University Rankings by subject.

ACU research reveals the $206m cost of offensive behaviours on ...

Violence in Australian schools is costing the education sector an estimated $206 million per year, a new report from ACU has revealed.

ACU’s MacKillop Professors honour the legacy of Australia’s fir...

ACU has appointed four academics MacKillop Distinguished Professors, a new title inspired by the legacy of Australia’s first saint.

ACU recognised as a national leader in research excellence

ACU has been named as Australia’s leading research institution in educational psychology and counselling by The Australian 2026 Research magazine.

Professor Larissa McLean Davies appointed Executive Dean Educat...

Professor Larissa McLean Davies has been appointed Executive Dean of the Faculty of Education and Arts at Australian Catholic University.

Principals navigate growing challenges as anxiety, depression i...

Australia's principals report worsening levels of anxiety and depression and high levels of physical violence, threats, and bullying.

ACU education experts win million-dollar grant to improve Indig...

ACU education experts have won an Australian Research Council grant for a home reading program that will improve Indigenous literacy.

Indigenous education and reading proficiency to benefit from AR...

ACU researchers have been awarded more than $3 million in Australian Research Council linkage grants.

Violence escalates and mental health suffers but principals rem...

Principals faced the worst recorded levels of physical violence, threats of violence, and bullying in the history of ACU’s annual Australian Principal Occupational Heal...

Not all screen time bad for kids, ACU study

Children’s screen time is not the problem most parents fear it to be, according to world-first ACU research.

ACU leads Deadly education programs for young Aboriginal childr...

ACU has launched two Deadly education programs for Aboriginal children in kindergarten, years 3 and 4 in Wonnarua Country.

ACU scientists top international research rankings

ACU researchers have once again been named global leaders in psychology, education, humanities, social sciences, and medical sciences based on prestigious new internati...

Acute warning signs for Australian school principals’ health, w...

Heavy workloads, lack of time and teacher shortages are driving school principals towards resignation and early retirement, an ACU survey found.

Wellbeing improves when kids get moving with iPLAY

iPLAY equips teachers with tools to promote physical activity for long term health and wellbeing.

ACU researchers receive prestigious Discovery grants

Researchers from ACU have been awarded more than $1.3 million in the highly competitive Australian Research Council Discovery Projects scheme.

ACU education psychologists among world's most productive

A new study has shown established and emerging ACU educational psychologists are world leaders when it comes to producing and publishing their research.

ACU researchers win over $2 million in grants

ACU researchers have been awarded more than $2 million in Australian Research Council grants.

Fifteen minutes with an online mentor can reboot a young person...

At-risk high school students need the support and guidance of an online mentor to help them re-engage with their schooling, according to a world-leading Professor of Ps...

If lockdowns continue the education gap will get bigger

If sporadic pandemic lockdowns continue, they are likely to create significant challenges of identity, connectedness, and equity of education for children in disadvanta...

Research asks, ‘What are the drivers for Indigenous university ...

Discovering the reasons for Indigenous university student success is the goal of a new research program called ‘Game Changers’ at Australian Catholic University.

High honour for iPLAY

The research team behind an innovative program tackling cardiovascular disease risk in children has been recognised with one of the Council of Academic Public Health In...

Kids get better school results when mum is optimistic about chi...

Mums who are overly optimistic about their children’s academic abilities not only help their children enjoy school more but can also improve their school results, new r...

Global pandemic heaps more stress on stretched principals

A survey of Australia’s principals has found last year’s ravaging bushfires, followed by shock floods, and the COVID-19 global pandemic had an immense impact on the str...

Pandemic is a "downright bizarre situation" for teens

Teenagers are experiencing record high levels of stress during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a world-leading psychology professor and co-author of a new illustrat...

New research centres

Seven new research centres will enhance ACU’s reputation in the arts, education, health, and theology and philosophy.

ACU researchers win ARC Discovery Grants

Two Australian Catholic University researchers have been awarded prestigious ARC Discovery Project grants to further their work

Striving for beauty and money above all else linked to less hap...

People who pursue beauty, fame and money above other goals are less happy than those who want to improve the world, new research has found.

Outstanding ERA results for ACU

Australian Catholic University (ACU) has performed remarkably well over the last three years in the 2018 Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) evaluation.

ACU success in 2018 ARC Grants

ACU has been awarded over $2.6 million in prestigious Australian Research Council funding in 2018.

Beyond carrot and stick: the truth about what motivates us

It’s been almost four decades since two pioneering psychologists proposed a radical shift in the science of motivation.

Professor Herb Marsh presented keynote address at the 2018 APS ...

Our very own Professor Herb Marsh (BA Hons, Indiana Univ, MA, PhD, UCLA; Dsc UWestSyd; HonDoc, Ludwig Maximilians Univ Munich) has presented his keynote address at the ...

Kids have healthier hearts due to new school program

Cardiovascular disease risk in kids due to poor aerobic fitness has been cut by more than half in primary schools using a new online physical activity training program ...

ACU tops list of Australia’s highest-cited researchers

Recognised as the most productive educational psychologist in the world, Professor Herb W Marsh from ACU's Institute for Positive Psychology and Education has recently ...

Facilitating Learning and Wellness in Schools - Prof. Richard R...

View the live stream-cast of Professor Rich Ryan’s Keynote presentation on Facilitating Learning and Wellness in Schools.

¹Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) 2015 rankings

Back to previous page

Visit us

Level 9 and 10, 33 Berry Street
North Sydney NSW 2060
Australia

Mailing address

PO Box 968
North Sydney NSW 2059
Australia

Email: ippe@acu.edu.au