Professor Robyn Gillies
Professor

Robyn Gillies

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+61 7 336 56541

Background

Professor Robyn Gillies' major research interests are in the learning sciences, classroom discourses, small group processes, including co-regulated learning, classroom instruction, student behaviour, and students with disabilities. Professor Robyn Gillies has worked extensively in both primary and secondary schools to embed STEM education initiatives into the science curriculum. This includes helping teachers to embed inquiry skills into the science curricula so they capture students’ interests, provide opportunities for them to explore possible solutions to problems, explain phenomena, elaborate on potential outcomes, and evaluate findings. In short, through these investigations, students learn how to engage critically and constructively with others’ ideas, challenge and rebut proposals, and discuss alternative propositions. In so doing, they learn to talk and reason effectively together. These STEM education initiatives have been funded by research grants and contracts from the Australian Research Council, the Department of Education and Training (DET), the Queensland Museum Network (QMN), and the Office of Learning and Teaching (OLT). Professor Gillies is a Chief Investigator on the Science of Learning Research Centre (SLRC) where she has been instrumental in implementing two recent science-based research projects in primary and secondary schools to help teachers embed inquiry-science pedagogy into their science curricula. Her recommendations on how teachers can translate research into practice have been widely profiled in the international literature and on the website of the Smithsonian Science Education Center in Washington, DC.

Availability

Professor Robyn Gillies is:
Available for supervision
Media expert

Fields of research

Education Education systems

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Educational Studies, The University of Queensland
  • Masters (Coursework) of Educational Studies (Adv), The University of Queensland
  • Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland
  • Bachelor (Honours) of Science (Advanced), University of Southern Queensland

Research interests

  • Learning sciences

    Learning and teaching

  • Classroom discourses

    Teacher and student classroom discourses

  • Cooperative learning

  • Classroom instruction

    Pedagogical practices in the classroom

  • Educational psychology

  • Classroom behaviour

  • Guidance, Counselling and Careers

Search Professor Robyn Gillies’s works on UQ eSpace

278 works between 1989 and 2025
All (278) Journal Article (186) Book Chapter (42) Conference Publication (31) Book (11) Other Outputs (3) Edited Outputs (5)

261 - 278 of 278 works

1995

Conference Publication

Knowledge and attitudes about childhood asthma among Western Australian primary school teachers

J-F, Gillies, R. and Carroll, A. (1995). Knowledge and attitudes about childhood asthma among Western Australian primary school teachers. ATS 1995: American Thoracic Society International Conference, Seattle, WA, USA, 20-24 May, 1995. New York, NY, United States: American Thoracic Society.

Knowledge and attitudes about childhood asthma among Western Australian primary school teachers

1995

Conference Publication

Promoting cooperative and helping behaviours in student work groups through training in small group processes

Gillies, R. M. (1995). Promoting cooperative and helping behaviours in student work groups through training in small group processes. Australian Guidance and Counselling Association 5th National Conference, Hobart, Australia, 27th- 30th September 1995.

Promoting cooperative and helping behaviours in student work groups through training in small group processes

1995

Journal Article

The effects of gender and ability on students’ behaviours and interactions in classroom-based work groups

Gillies, R. M. and Ashman, A. F. (1995). The effects of gender and ability on students’ behaviours and interactions in classroom-based work groups. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 65 (2), 211-225. doi: 10.1111/j.2044-8279.1995.tb01143.x

The effects of gender and ability on students’ behaviours and interactions in classroom-based work groups

1995

Conference Publication

Examining the Nature of Helping Interactions in Primary School Children in Years 2, 4, and 6

Gillies, Robyn M. and Ashman, Adrian F. (1995). Examining the Nature of Helping Interactions in Primary School Children in Years 2, 4, and 6. Annual Conference of the International Association for the Study of Cooperation in Education (IASCE), Brisbane, Queensland, June 30-July 3, 1995. IASCE.

Examining the Nature of Helping Interactions in Primary School Children in Years 2, 4, and 6

1994

Journal Article

The effects of traumatic incidents on schools

Gillies, R. M. and Boddington, R. (1994). The effects of traumatic incidents on schools. Australian Journal of Guidance and Counselling, 4 (1), 51-64. doi: 10.1017/s1037291100001904

The effects of traumatic incidents on schools

1994

Book Chapter

The effects on students of structured cooperative learning

Gillies, R. M and Ashman, A. F. (1994). The effects on students of structured cooperative learning. Group and interactive learning. (pp. 423-428) edited by H. C. Foot, C. J. Howe, A. Anderson, A. K. Tolmie and D. A. Warden. Southampton: GB: Computational Mechanics Publications.

The effects on students of structured cooperative learning

1994

Other Outputs

The effects of structured and unstructured cooperative learning groups on students' behaviours, interactions, and learning outcomes

Gillies, Robyn M. (1994). The effects of structured and unstructured cooperative learning groups on students' behaviours, interactions, and learning outcomes. PhD Thesis, Graduate School of Education, The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/157775

The effects of structured and unstructured cooperative learning groups on students' behaviours, interactions, and learning outcomes

1994

Journal Article

Cooperative learning in schools

Gillies, R. M. and Ashman, A. F. (1994). Cooperative learning in schools. Queensland Teachers Union Professional Magazine, 12 (1), 23-25.

Cooperative learning in schools

1994

Journal Article

Inclusive language in cooperative learning groups

Gillies, R. M. and Ashman, A. F. (1994). Inclusive language in cooperative learning groups. Connections, 4 (4), 22-24.

Inclusive language in cooperative learning groups

1993

Journal Article

Counsellor Roles and Perceptions of Training

Ashman, A. F., Gillies, R. M. and Beavers, S. (1993). Counsellor Roles and Perceptions of Training. Australian Journal of Guidance and Counselling, 3 (1), 1-14. doi: 10.1017/s1037291100002107

Counsellor Roles and Perceptions of Training

1993

Journal Article

Action research for school counselors

Gillies, R. M. (1993). Action research for school counselors. School Counselor, 41 (2), 69-72.

Action research for school counselors

1993

Conference Publication

Promoting wellness through the development of co-operative learning technologies

Gillies, R. M. (1993). Promoting wellness through the development of co-operative learning technologies. Australian Guidance and Counselling Association Fourth National Conference, Adelaide, Australia, September 26-29, 1993. Adelaide, Australia: Australian Guidance and Counselling Association (AGCA).

Promoting wellness through the development of co-operative learning technologies

1992

Journal Article

Action research for guidance counsellors

Gillies, R. M. (1992). Action research for guidance counsellors. Australian Journal of Guidance and Counselling, 2 (1), 27-32.

Action research for guidance counsellors

1992

Conference Publication

Action research for guidance counsellors

Gillies, R. M. (1992). Action research for guidance counsellors. Queensland Guidance and Counselling Association (QGCA), Surfers Paradise, Queensland, 1992. Everton Park, Queensland: (QGCA).

Action research for guidance counsellors

1992

Journal Article

Action research for guidance counsellors

Gillies, Robyn (1992). Action research for guidance counsellors. Australian Journal Of Guidance And Counselling, 2, 27-32. doi: 10.1017/S1037291100002247

Action research for guidance counsellors

1991

Journal Article

Using verbal mediation strategies and group processes to enhance story writing

Gillies R. (1991). Using verbal mediation strategies and group processes to enhance story writing. Australian Journal of Guidance and Counselling, 1, 17-33. doi: 10.1017/S103729110000234X

Using verbal mediation strategies and group processes to enhance story writing

1990

Journal Article

Using cognitive behaviour training activities and group processes to enhance spelling performance

Gillies, Robyn (1990). Using cognitive behaviour training activities and group processes to enhance spelling performance. Queensland Journal of Guidance and Counselling, 4, 69-77. doi: 10.1017/s1030316200000285

Using cognitive behaviour training activities and group processes to enhance spelling performance

1989

Journal Article

Tutoring learning disabled children using cognitive strategy training techniques

Gillies, Robyn (1989). Tutoring learning disabled children using cognitive strategy training techniques. Queensland Journal of Guidance and Counselling, 3, 15-28. doi: 10.1017/s1030316200000145

Tutoring learning disabled children using cognitive strategy training techniques

Past funding

  • 2022 - 2023
    Contract for intellectual services relative to the global network of learning schools
    Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
    Open grant
  • 2020 - 2023
    'We need to talk' : Genomics and disability
    MRFF Genomics Health Futures Mission, Project Grant administered by AusIndustry
    Open grant
  • 2018 - 2021
    Community-based STEM professional learning for teachers of middle years
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant
  • 2015 - 2018
    QGC/QMN STEM Education Partnership Program: A Professional Learning, Research and Evaluation Plan for 2015 and 2016
    Queensland Museum
    Open grant
  • 2015 - 2019
    School-wide approaches for developing social and emotional wellbeing: New understandings of positive identities, emotions and learning in adolescents
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant
  • 2014 - 2015
    Queensland Primary Teachers' Professional Development Model for Collaborative Multimodal Inquiry Practices in Science: Responding to the Demands of the Australian Curriculum.
    Queensland Department of Education, Training and Employment
    Open grant
  • 2014 - 2015
    Step up! Transforming mathematics and science pre-service secondary teacher education in Queensland
    Open grant
  • 2013 - 2019
    The Science of Learning Research Centre
    ARC Special Research Initiative for a Science of Learning Research Centre
    Open grant
  • 2011 - 2015
    Investing in our Disadvantaged Youth: New School-Wide Approaches to Understanding and Improving School Engagement and Social Connectedness
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant
  • 2011 - 2012
    2011 UQ Trans-Pacific Fellowship - Resilience in Sport: A Cross-National Comparison
    UQ Trans-Pacific Fellowship
    Open grant
  • 2011 - 2014
    Supporting schools and teachers to improve students' reading achievement in rural communities
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant
  • 2011 - 2013
    Transforming primary teachers' representational practices: Effects on students' scientific reasoning and discourse within contemporary sciences
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2009 - 2012
    Inquiry Teaching in Mathematics: Accelerating the process of change
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant
  • 2008 - 2009
    Comparative effectiveness of two strategic and meta-cognitive questioning approaches on children s explanatory behaviour, problem-solving, and learning during cooperative, inquiry-based learning
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2007 - 2008
    The effects of teacher and student dialogues during cooperative learning on students' discourse, problem-solving, and learning
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2005 - 2007
    Effects of training teachers in communication skills during cooperative learning on classroom discourse social inclusion and learning among middle-year students.
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2004 - 2005
    School Reform and Literacy In Secondary Schools
    UQ FirstLink Scheme
    Open grant
  • 2004 - 2005
    The effects of cooperative learning and communication training on classroom discourse, social inclusion, and learning among primary school students
    University of Queensland Research Development Grants Scheme
    Open grant
  • 2002
    The effectiveness of peer collaboration compared with teacher-directed instruction for students with learning difficulties in writing
    University of Queensland Research Development Grants Scheme
    Open grant
  • 2001 - 2002
    Effects of teacher/student interactions in cooperative learning on the development of small group communication and prosocial behaviours in children during the middle years of schooling
    UQ Foundation Research Excellence Awards - DVC(R) Funding
    Open grant
  • 1999 - 2001
    Effects of Cooperative Learning on Young Adolescents' Learning and Small Group Interactions
    ARC Australian Research Council (Large grants)
    Open grant

Availability

Professor Robyn Gillies is:
Available for supervision

Before you email them, read our advice on how to contact a supervisor.

Supervision history

Current supervision

  • Master Philosophy

    Giving Our Girls A Voice: Using Dialogic Teaching to improve gender equity in classrooms.

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Deborah Brown

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Cultural Competence Strategies to Support Chinese International Students Studying in Australia

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Elizabeth Edwards

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Career Development and Career-Related Choices of China-Educated International Medical Students: Insights for Career Guidance

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Asaduzzaman Khan

  • Doctor Philosophy

    The Student and Teacher Relationship: Exploring Behavioural and Neuroscience Variables that impact upon Student and Teacher Wellbeing

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Chase Sherwell, Professor Ross Cunnington

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Career Development and Career-Related Choices of China-Educated International Medical Students: Insights for Career Guidance

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Asaduzzaman Khan

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Cultural Competence Strategies to Support Chinese International Students Studying in Australia

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Elizabeth Edwards

  • Master Philosophy

    Pedagogies that promote cognitivee and academic success

    Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Dialogic Pedagogy and the Impact on Gender Equality in Classroom Interactions

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Deborah Brown

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Built In or Bolt On? A Policy Analysis of Non-Government Programs in Indigenous Education

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Ian Hardy

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Thinking as collaboration: Exploring students thinking via collaborative endeavours in the primary school classroom

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Peter Ellerton

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Implementing Quality Management in Saudi Education by Designing a Program to Improve Teachers¿ Performance

    Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Cultural Competence Strategies to Support Chinese International Students Studying in Australia

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Elizabeth Edwards

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Exploring Language Learning Strategies and Learners¿ Identities Using WhatsApp Chats to Enhance the Learning of Arabic Grammar in Cooperative Learning Settings Online

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Simone Smala

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Critical thinking reflected in the academic writing of Chinese and Australian PhD students

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Garth Stahl

Completed supervision

Enquiries

Contact Professor Robyn Gillies directly for media enquiries about:

  • Behaviour - children in schools
  • Child behaviour in school
  • Discipline - in schools
  • Group learning
  • Guidance counselling - in schools
  • Learning - cooperative group
  • School - child behaviour
  • School - guidance counselling
  • Schools and discipline

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