Alison Willis

Dr Alison Willis is a Senior Lecturer in Curriculum and Pedagogy at the University of the Sunshine Coast's School of Education and Tertiary Access. With extensive experience in post-conflict education (Northern Uganda), cross-cultural comparative studies (Australia-Finland), and teacher wellbeing, she focuses on the intersection of stress/trauma, psychological safety, and learning.

• PhD in Education (UniSC)
• Master of Education by Research (UniSC)
• Bachelor of Education (Primary) with Distinction (CQU)

Her research explores:

• Education recovery in disrupted contexts
• Teacher-student relationship dynamics
• Cultural impacts on learning dispositions
• Tensions between academic metrics and wellbeing
• Qualitative methodologies for cross-cultural research
• Decolonizing educational practices

Recent publications examine:

• 4-day school weeks and teacher wellbeing (2023 blog)
• Dialogic anti-discrimination policies (2023)
• Autoethnographic truth-telling through poetry (2023)
• Trauma-informed teacher education (2024)
• Environmental pedagogies (2025)
• Post-conflict educational models (2024)

Scientific recognition:

• Senior Fellow Higher Education Academy (SFHEA)

Professional engagement:

• Co-founder of Teachers of Australia social media campaign
• Contributor to The Conversation and Australian Journal of Teacher Education
• Member of AARE, ATEA, and Society for the Provision of Education in Rural Australia
• Part of Transcultural and Indigenous Pedagogies Research Group