Greg Thompson

Professor Greg Thompson is a leading academic in education research at Queensland University of Technology (QUT), affiliated with the School of Education within the Faculty of Creative Industries, Education & Social Justice. He holds a PhD from Murdoch University and has extensive experience in high school teaching before transitioning to academia. His research focuses on education policy, large-scale testing (e.g., NAPLAN), datafication, and the philosophy of education, with a particular emphasis on critical analyses of educational assessment systems and their societal impacts.

Education:

• PhD in Education, Murdoch University (2009)
• Masters in Education, Murdoch University (2004)

Research Interests:

Thompson’s work critiques the implications of standardized testing, explores technical democracy in education, and examines the sociopolitical dimensions of educational policy. He has investigated the effects of NAPLAN on school communities and contributed to global debates on education privatization and commercialization.

Awards & Recognition:

• 2012 Australian Association for Research in Education Early Career Award
• 2012 Western Australian Institute of Education Research Early Career Achievement Award
• 2019 Springer Best Paper Award for 'Private funding in Australian public schools: a problem of equity'

Grants & Projects:

• ARC DECRA Fellowship (2012–2014)
• LP190101301: Time-Use, Time Poverty and Teachers’ Work (2021–present)
• DP250100117: Curriculum, Resources and Teachers' Work (2025–present)

Advisees & Supervision:

Thompson has supervised several HDR students, including projects on Indigenous prisoner education, drama teachers’ experiences, and the unintended consequences of high-stakes testing.

Labs & Collaborations:

He co-leads research on teachers’ time poverty and contributes to initiatives like the Education Futures Studio/Sydney Policy Lab, addressing generative AI in education and automated essay scoring.