Centre for Research in Schools (CRiS)Â
About us
Centre for Research in Schools (CRiS) brings together networking, consultancy, and research-focused partnerships that generate practical insights, tested strategies, and evidence schools can act on. Our projects integrate targeted professional learning and evaluation with rigorous research addressing pressing classroom and system challenges. We invite school partners to join a portfolio of clear, classroom-facing projects designed to strengthen teacher capability, improve student outcomes, and build professional community across sectors. Each project delivers tangible outcomes that can be readily used in school reports and system conversations, ensuring that local initiatives contribute to wider impact.
Our projects
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Project Lead: A/Prof. Tony Loughland
The Core Content Reforms require all ITE providers to implement four main changes to their curriculum. These four changes focus on the brain and learning, effective pedagogical practices, classroom management and responsive teaching. This study proposes to examine how effective pedagogical practices are implemented in ITE at ºÚÁÏÍø´óʼÇ. Providers have to provide evidence of where these practices will be taught, practised and assessed. This study proposes to examine what happens when Pre Service Teachers and their practicum supervisors in schoolwork on the practice and assessment aspects of this reform. This study will explore if there is an alignment or misalignment between what is taught, practised and assessed of the effective pedagogical practices in ITE programs on campus/online and what is practised and assessed on professional experience.
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Project Lead: Dr Simon Breakspear
The ºÚÁÏÍø´óÊÂ¼Ç Learning Culture Scan is a survey designed to help schools understand the organisational conditions that drive long-term improvement in teaching and professional growth. Drawing on validated measures, it provides a clear picture of strengths and areas for development across key aspects of school culture that are likely to influence staff professional growth. This is an opportunity to be part of a ground-breaking longitudinal study with ºÚÁÏÍø´óʼÇ, contributing to new evidence on what helps schools sustain improvement over time.
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Project Lead: Associate Professor Paul Evans
This project explores how teachers can create classrooms where students feel confident, engaged, and ready to learn. We bring together two important areas of research: teaching strategies that reduce unnecessary cognitive load, and motivational strategies that spark curiosity, enjoyment, and persistence. By combining these insights, we aim to show how teachers can not only support learning in the classroom but also build the skills students need to study independently. The project helps schools and teachers apply evidence-based approaches that boost both achievement and wellbeing, ensuring students are equipped to think, learn, and thrive.
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Project Leads: Dr. Geraldine Townend, A/Prof. Hoa Nguyen, Dr. Adrian Chew
This research investigates how professional learning (PL) can enhance teacher efficacy in identifying and supporting gifted students within increasingly diverse classrooms. Amid a growing teacher shortage and rising demands for inclusive education, many educators report limited training and confidence in recognising giftedness, particularly beyond high-stakes testing. Grounded in Bandura’s self-efficacy framework, this study explores how PL can bridge this gap and translate into effective classroom practice. The findings will contribute to a long-term research agenda focused on teacher support and will offer insights into improving gifted education across varied teaching contexts.
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Project Lead: Dr. Tanya Kwee
This project investigates how structured professional learning (PL) strengthens immigrant teachers’ self‑efficacy to navigate career transitions and tensions, and how PL enables schools to better support this workforce. Amid a growing global teacher shortage, wherein many systems strategically recruit teachers from overseas, the work focuses on what happens after recruitment: ensuring immigrant teachers can thrive professionally and become culturally and pedagogically confident in the host country. The study examines how PL can address professional challenges, enhance teachers’ confidence and sense of belonging, and improve retention and classroom impact. By equipping schools and systems with evidence-based strategies, the project contributes to sustainable staffing and stronger student learning outcomes.
Our focus
Supporting professional learning culture and growth
Effective professional learning is underpinned by a healthy school culture—one that supports continuous improvement, collaboration, and teacher autonomy. Even the best-intentioned professional learning initiatives can fail if a school’s professional learning culture isn’t ready to support them. That’s why CRiS specialises in evaluating and nurturing these cultures before and during any new initiative.
Positive professional learning cultures typically feature:
- effective collaboration among all staff
- collective teacher efficacy
- a sense of competence, relatedness, and autonomy for teachers.
At CRiS, we use a “Design, Build, Test, Learn†methodology rooted in sense-making and action learning.Â
By working closely with school leaders and teachers, we:
Our team
Director
Associate Professor Tony Loughland
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Members
Associate Professor Paul Evans
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Associate Professor Hoa Nguyen
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Dr Simon Breakspear
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Dr. Geraldine Townend
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Dr Tanya Kwee
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Dr. Andrian Chew
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Douglas Broadbent
Sydney Church of England Grammar School – SHORE
Rebecca Birch
Queenwood School for Girls
Allison McCulloch
Queenwood School for Girls
Cassandra Pride
St Catherine’s School
Matthew Bentley
Sydney Church of England Grammar School – SHORE
Phillip Merchant
St Aloysius’ College
John Tzantzaris
St Aloysius’ College
Our partners
We collaborate with a growing network of schools, including:
Get involved
We invite school leaders, teachers, researchers, and community partners to work with us in shaping and strengthening professional learning cultures across NSW and beyond. Whether you’re interested in evaluating your current practices or designing new professional development initiatives, CRiS is here to help.
For general enquiries, please contact:
- Email: Dr. Tanya Kwee
Join us in building a future where evidence-based practice, collaboration, and innovation define teacher professional learning in schools.