Overview
Background
Professor Kelly Matthews is an expert on the student experience in higher education—recently ranked amongst the top 5% of cited scholars globally in higher education, teaching and curriculum, and student partnership—and is an award-winning university teacher.
Her research, spanning over 150 publications and 100 invited talks, is about impact---shaping how students actively participate in their learning, directly improving experiences for students and informing the practices of teaching staff globally. Awarded an Australian Teaching Fellowship and a Higher Education Academy Principal Fellowship, Kelly has
- established influential international writing groups that mentor and motivate emerging scholars to publish about their educational practices,
- co-founded the International Journal for Students as Partners to enable students and staff from across the world to shape what counts as knowledge,
- created and sustained the Students as Partners Network to both celebrate and inspire educational practices across universities worldwide, and
- led collaborative, multi-institutional projects that recognise and promote educational leadership and change through applied research.
In 2025, Kelly is leading a multi-institutional project with Deakin, Monash, and UTS to shape AI policy and practice through student voice.
Kelly is the Academic Lead for Student Experience and Strategic Initiatives in the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Portfolio in the Institute of Teaching and Learning Innovation.
Availability
- Professor Kelly Matthews is:
- Not available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Arts, University of New Orleans
- Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland
- Member, Australian Institute of Company Directors, Australian Institute of Company Directors
Works
Search Professor Kelly Matthews’s works on UQ eSpace
2016
Conference Publication
Exploring students as partners across countries and contexts through a systematic literature review conducted by students and staff
Lucy Mercer-Mapstone, Matthews, Kelly, Dvorakova, Lucie S., Swaim, Kelly, Marquis, Beth, Felten, Peter and Abbott, Sophia (2016). Exploring students as partners across countries and contexts through a systematic literature review conducted by students and staff. International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ISSOTL), Los Angeles, CA, United States, 12-15 October 2016.
2016
Conference Publication
Exploring attitudes toward student-academic partnerships in science
Groenendijk, Lauren, Matthews, Kelly and Chunduri, Prasad G. (2016). Exploring attitudes toward student-academic partnerships in science. Australian Conference on Science and Mathematics Education, Brisbane, QLD, Australia, 28-29 September 2016.
2016
Conference Publication
Engaging students as partners in Australia, Canada, UK and USA: students and staff telling their stories
Dvorakova, Lucie S., Matthews, Kelly, Akenson, Ashley, Bounds, Paulina, Felten, Peter, Healey, Mick, Healey, Ruth, Johnstone, Katelyn, Marquis, Beth, Puri, Varun, Maurer, Trent, Taylor, Paul and Swaim, Kelly (2016). Engaging students as partners in Australia, Canada, UK and USA: students and staff telling their stories. International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ISSOTL), Los Angeles, CA, United States, 12-15 October 2016.
2016
Conference Publication
Activity theory and transnational education: A comparative investigation of Chinese students' internet-assisted learning experience in the China-Australia cross-cultural context
Dai, Kun, Matthews, Kelly and Anthony Wright (2016). Activity theory and transnational education: A comparative investigation of Chinese students' internet-assisted learning experience in the China-Australia cross-cultural context. XVI World Congress of Comparative Education Societies, Beijing, China, 22-26 August 2016.
2016
Conference Publication
International student perspectives on The ethics of SoTL research
Bunnell, Sarah, Felten, Peter, Marquis, Beth, Matthews, Kelly and Abbott, Sophia (2016). International student perspectives on The ethics of SoTL research. International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ISSOTL), Los Angeles, CA, United States, 12-15 October 2016.
2016
Conference Publication
'Students as Partners’ in Higher Education: An insurmountable challenge or an opportunity for transformation?
Mercer-Mapstone, Lucy, Matthews, Kelly, Rueckert, Caroline, Thomas, Lisa and Varnham, Sally (2016). 'Students as Partners’ in Higher Education: An insurmountable challenge or an opportunity for transformation?. Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia (HERDSA) Conference, Fremantle, WA, Australia, 4-7 July, 2016.
2016
Conference Publication
How is science taught? A program level measurement of how we teach 21st century undergraduates
Drinkwater, Michael J. and Matthews, Kelly (2016). How is science taught? A program level measurement of how we teach 21st century undergraduates. Australian Conference of Science and Mathematics Education, Brisbane, QLD, Australia, 28-29 September 2016.
2016
Conference Publication
International stories of student-staff collaboration and engagement: the role of ISSOTL Special Interest Groups (SIGs) in connecting like-minded scholars
Dvorakova, Lucie S., Matthews, Kelly, Verwood, Roselynn, Maurer, Trent, Taylor, Paul and Thibou, Shevell (2016). International stories of student-staff collaboration and engagement: the role of ISSOTL Special Interest Groups (SIGs) in connecting like-minded scholars. International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ISSOTL), Los Angeles, CA, United States, 12-15 October 2016.
2016
Journal Article
Quantitative skills as a graduate learning outcome of university science degree programmes: student performance explored through the planned–enacted–experienced curriculum model
Matthews, Kelly E., Adams, Peter and Goos, Merrilyn (2016). Quantitative skills as a graduate learning outcome of university science degree programmes: student performance explored through the planned–enacted–experienced curriculum model. International Journal of Science Education, 38 (11), 1-15. doi: 10.1080/09500693.2016.1215568
2016
Conference Publication
Student experiences with contrasting first year science programs
Schmidt, Susanne, Matthews, Kelly, Firn, Jennifer and Whelan, Karen (2016). Student experiences with contrasting first year science programs. Queensland Universities Educators Showcase, Brisbane, Australia, 26-27 September 2016.
2016
Conference Publication
Exploring stories about SoTL International Collaborative Writing Groups (ICWGs)
Healey, Mick, Dvorakova, Lucie S., Higgs, Bettie, Marquis, Beth, Martensson, Katarina, Matthews, Kelly and McDonlald, Jacquie (2016). Exploring stories about SoTL International Collaborative Writing Groups (ICWGs). International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ISSOTL), Los Angeles, CA, United States, 12-15 October 2016.
2015
Journal Article
Curriculum development for quantitative skills in degree programs: a cross-institutional study situated in the life sciences
Matthews, Kelly E., Belward, Shaun, Carmel, Coady, Rylands, Leanne and Simbag, Vilma (2015). Curriculum development for quantitative skills in degree programs: a cross-institutional study situated in the life sciences. Higher Education Research and Development, 35 (3), 545-559. doi: 10.1080/07294360.2015.1107875
2015
Journal Article
The influence of undergraduate science curriculum reform on students' perceptions of their quantitative skills
Matthews, Kelly E., Adams, Peter and Goos, Merrilyn (2015). The influence of undergraduate science curriculum reform on students' perceptions of their quantitative skills. International Journal of Science Education, 37 (16), 2619-2636. doi: 10.1080/09500693.2015.1096427
2015
Journal Article
Student perceptions of communication skills in undergraduate science at an Australian research-intensive university
Mercer-Mapstone, Lucy D. and Matthews, Kelly E. (2015). Student perceptions of communication skills in undergraduate science at an Australian research-intensive university. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 42 (1), 98-114. doi: 10.1080/02602938.2015.1084492
2015
Other Outputs
Students’ perceptions of learning science communication: From first to final years.
Matthews, Kelly (2015). Students’ perceptions of learning science communication: From first to final years.. Australian Council of Deans of Science, Teaching Learning Centre: ACDS Teaching Learning Centre.
2015
Edited Outputs
National Students as Partners Roundtable Program
Kelly E. Matthews ed. (2015). National Students as Partners Roundtable Program. 1st Annual Australian National Students as Partners Roundtable, The University of Queensland, 23 October 2015. Brisbane, Australia: UQ.
2015
Conference Publication
A gap analysis between academics’ intentions for, and students’ experiences of, graduate learning outcomes
Matthews, Kelly E (2015). A gap analysis between academics’ intentions for, and students’ experiences of, graduate learning outcomes. Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia (HERDSA), Melbourne, Australia, 6-9 July 2015.
2015
Journal Article
Social network perspectives reveal strength of academic developers as weak ties
Matthews, Kelly E., Crampton, Andrea, Hill, Matthew, Johnson, Elizabeth D., Sharma, Manjula D. and Varsavsky, Cristina (2015). Social network perspectives reveal strength of academic developers as weak ties. International Journal for Academic Development, 20 (3), 238-251. doi: 10.1080/1360144X.2015.1065495
2015
Conference Publication
Evidence-based teaching practices in science departments: Common practices or still just the champions.
Drinkwater, Michael J. and Matthews, Kelly (2015). Evidence-based teaching practices in science departments: Common practices or still just the champions.. International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Conference, Melbourme, Australia, 27-30 October 2015.
2015
Conference Publication
Redefining early career academia in uncertain times
Bosanquet, Agnes, Mailey, Alana, Matthews, Kelly and Lodge, Jason (2015). Redefining early career academia in uncertain times. Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia (HERDSA), Melbourme, VIC, Australia, 6-9 July 2015.
Funding
Supervision
Availability
- Professor Kelly Matthews is:
- Not available for supervision
Supervision history
Current supervision
-
Doctor Philosophy
Student engagement and partnership on teacher identity development: A comparative study between Indonesia and Australia
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Robin Shields
Completed supervision
-
2024
Doctor Philosophy
Disrupting and reproducing power: A focused ethnography of intercultural learner-teacher partnership using Bourdieu's social field theory and intercultural communication theory
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Shuang Liu
-
2023
Doctor Philosophy
Speaking for ourselves: Indian students co-constructed stories of engaging in partnership with staff in an Australian university
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Suraiya Abdul Hameed
-
2023
Doctor Philosophy
Relationship, engagement, and culture: Exploring the conceptions of students as partners in Chinese higher education
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Jason Lodge
-
2023
Doctor Philosophy
Being a teaching-focused academic in a research-intensive university: A focused ethnography
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Deanne Gannaway
-
2022
Doctor Philosophy
Enacting Pasin as storying as research: Ways of rethinking the health workers' curriculum in Papua New Guinea
Principal Advisor
-
2018
Doctor Philosophy
An exploration of Chinese students' learning experiences in China-Australia '2+2' articulation programmes: In between two systems.
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Emeritus Professor Bob Lingard, Dr Vicente Reyes
Media
Enquiries
Contact Professor Kelly Matthews directly for media enquiries about:
- AI in higher education
- assessment
- education quality
- higher education
- student engagement
- student voice
- teaching impact
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