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
2014
Journal Article
Assessment and teaching of science skills: whole of programme perceptions of graduating students
Hodgson, Yvonne, Varsavsky, Cristina and Matthews, Kelly (2014). Assessment and teaching of science skills: whole of programme perceptions of graduating students. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 39 (5), 515-530. doi: 10.1080/02602938.2013.842539
2014
Conference Publication
Curriculum development to achieve graduate learning outcomes in science: implications for academic developers
Matthews, Kelly (2014). Curriculum development to achieve graduate learning outcomes in science: implications for academic developers. ICED 2014: International Consortium for Educational Development, Stockholm, Sweden, 16-18 June 2014. London, United Kingdom: The International Consortium for Educational Development.
2013
Journal Article
Who learns in maths classes depends on how maths is taught
Matthews, Kelly E. (2013, 12 30). Who learns in maths classes depends on how maths is taught
2013
Journal Article
Learning or doing? Science degrees need reform and students can help
Matthews, Kelly (2013, 11 21). Learning or doing? Science degrees need reform and students can help The Conversation
2013
Journal Article
Foreword Delta Conference 2013: Shining through the fog
Matthews, Kelly (2013). Foreword Delta Conference 2013: Shining through the fog. International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, 44 (7), 961-962. doi: 10.1080/0020739X.2013.835905
2013
Journal Article
Factors influencing students’ perceptions of their quantitative skills
Matthews, Kelly E., Hodgson, Yvonne and Varsavsky, Cristina (2013). Factors influencing students’ perceptions of their quantitative skills. International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, 44 (6), 782-795. doi: 10.1080/0020739X.2013.814814
2013
Journal Article
Scientists and mathematicians collaborating to build quantitative skills in undergraduate science
Rylands, Leanne, Simbag, Vilma, Matthews, Kelly E., Coady, Carmel and Belward, Shaun (2013). Scientists and mathematicians collaborating to build quantitative skills in undergraduate science. International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, 44 (6), 834-845. doi: 10.1080/0020739X.2013.783239
2013
Conference Publication
Mathematics and statistics for life science students: discussing the contribution of mathematics and statistics departments
Varsavsky, Cristina and Matthews, Kelly (2013). Mathematics and statistics for life science students: discussing the contribution of mathematics and statistics departments. Lighthouse DELTA 2013: The 9th Delta Conference on teaching and learning of undergraduate mathematics and statistics, Kiama, NSW, Australia, 24-29 November, 2013. Richmond, NSW, Australia: School of Computing, Engineering and Mathematics, The University of Western Sydney..
2013
Conference Publication
Fostering distributed leadership in university teaching: a case study of 100 leaders of change
Sharma, Manjula, Rifkin, Will, Johnson, Elizabeth, Varsavsky, Cristina, Beames, Stephanie, Pyke, Simon, Crampton, Andrea, Zadnik, Marjan, Matthews, Kelly and Jones, Susan (2013). Fostering distributed leadership in university teaching: a case study of 100 leaders of change. Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia (HERDSA) Conference, Auckland New Zealand, 1-4 July 2013.
2013
Journal Article
SoTL and students' experiences of their degree-level programs: an empirical investigation
Matthews, Kelly E., Divan, Aysha, John-Thomas, Nicole, Lopes, Valerie, Ludwig, Lynn O., Martini, Tanya S., Motley, Phillip and Tomljenovic-Berube, Ana M. (2013). SoTL and students' experiences of their degree-level programs: an empirical investigation. Teaching and Learning Inquiry: The ISSOTL Journal, 1 (2), 75-89. doi: 10.1353/iss.2013.0020
2012
Journal Article
Some reflections by early career academics
Lodge, Jason, Bosanquet, Agnes and Matthews, Kelly (2012). Some reflections by early career academics. HERDSA News, 34 (3), 17-18.
2012
Journal Article
Two perspectives, one conference: ISSoTL 2012
Matthews, Kelly and Roxa, Torgny (2012). Two perspectives, one conference: ISSoTL 2012. HERDSA News, 34 (3), 24-25.
2012
Journal Article
Musings of an early career academic: testing threat gone but where were our leaders?
Matthews, Kelly (2012). Musings of an early career academic: testing threat gone but where were our leaders?. HERDSA News, 34 (2), 14-15.
2012
Journal Article
Learning to lead change: SaMnet’s action-learning projects
Rifkin, Will, Sharma, Manjula, Crampton, Andrea, Yates, Brian, Matthews, Kelly, Beames, Stephanie, Varsavsky, Cristina, Johnson, Elizabeth, Jones, Susan, Zadnik, Marjan and Pyke, Simon (2012). Learning to lead change: SaMnet’s action-learning projects. Australian Journal of Education in Chemistry, 72, 9-15.
2012
Journal Article
The science students skills inventory: Capturing graduate perceptions of their learning outcomes
Matthews, Kelly E. and Hodgson, Yvonne (2012). The science students skills inventory: Capturing graduate perceptions of their learning outcomes. International Journal of Innovation in Science and Mathematics Education, 20 (1), 24-43.
2012
Journal Article
Embedding case studies into statistical teaching to enhance quantitative skills of biomedicine students
Familari, Mary, Elliott, Kristine, Watson, Ray and Matthews, Kelly E. (2012). Embedding case studies into statistical teaching to enhance quantitative skills of biomedicine students. International Journal of Innovation in Science and Mathematics Education, 20 (1), 44-56.
2012
Book
The state of quantitative skills in undergraduate science education: Findings from an Australian study July 2012
Matthews, Kelly E., Belward, Shaun, Coady, Carmel, Rylands, Leanne and Simbag, Vilma (2012). The state of quantitative skills in undergraduate science education: Findings from an Australian study July 2012. Sydney, Australia: Australian Government, Office for Learning and Teaching.
2012
Journal Article
Identities and transformational experiences for quantitative problem solving: Gender comparisons of first-year university science students
Hudson, Peter and Matthews, Kelly (2012). Identities and transformational experiences for quantitative problem solving: Gender comparisons of first-year university science students. Journal of Science and Mathematics Education in Southeast Asia, 35 (1), 22-46.
2012
Conference Publication
Computer-mediated collaborative learning in large first-year STEM classes facilitating interdisciplinary scenario-inquiry tasks
Lawrie, Gwendolyn and Matthews, Kelly (2012). Computer-mediated collaborative learning in large first-year STEM classes facilitating interdisciplinary scenario-inquiry tasks. ASCILITE 2012 - Annual conference of the Australian Society for Computers in Tertiary Education, Auckland, New Zealand, 25 - 28 November 2012. Tugun, QLD Australia: ASCILITE.
2012
Conference Publication
Quantitative skills in science: findings from 13 case studies
Matthews, Kelly, Adams, Peter, Belward, Shaun, Coady, Carmel, Rylands, Leanne and Simbag, Vilma (2012). Quantitative skills in science: findings from 13 case studies. The Australian Conference on Science and Mathematics Education, Sydney Australia, 26-28 September 2012.
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
Other advisors: Emerita Professor Di Eley
-
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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