Christine Cunningham

Dr. Christine Cunningham is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Education, Edith Cowan University. She holds a PhD in educational leadership from Murdoch University and has extensive experience as a secondary teacher, school principal, and local government leader (formerly Deputy Mayor of the City of Canning).

Her research focuses on educational administration, leadership practices, and cross-cultural education systems. Notable areas include gender equality in Chinese schools, crisis leadership during the pandemic, and comparative analyses of educational policies between China and Australia. She has led research projects on curriculum reform in Vietnam and Australian classroom management strategies.

Professional roles include membership in ECU’s University Council (2024–2027) and presidency of the National Tertiary Education Union branch at ECU. She coordinates units like Leading for Improvement and Leading Staffing in ECU’s Master of Education programs.

Her recent publications explore biopower in China’s education policies, pandemic-era school leadership, and vocational education systems. Cunningham has also contributed to media discussions on cultural conflicts among international students and Australia-China relations.

Supervision expertise spans over 20 completed theses, including studies on health education workforce dynamics, Vietnamese curriculum critiques, and leadership challenges in post-disaster Nepal.