Jill Willis

Professor Jill Willis is a leading academic in Education at Queensland University of Technology (QUT), holding a position in the School of Education within the Faculty of Creative Industries, Education & Social Justice. Her roles include teaching in the Masters of Teaching and Masters of Educational Leadership programs, and co-leading major ARC Linkage projects such as Accessible Assessment and Thriving in Vertical Schools. She holds a Doctor of Philosophy from QUT and is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Her research focuses on assessment structures, learning spaces, and teacher agency, with a strong emphasis on collaborative methodologies. Key projects include investigations into vertical school environments, student wellbeing, and inclusive assessment practices. Her work often involves international collaborations with institutions in Canada, New Zealand, and England.

Jill’s awards include the prestigious ACEL Qld Miller Grassie Award for innovative teaching in the Master of Educational Leadership program. She has published extensively on assessment pedagogies, teacher reflexivity, and learning environments, with her 2024 book Learning to Assess addressing teacher education in assessment literacy.

Her supervision spans 15+ PhD and professional doctorate students, focusing on topics like middle leadership, student advocacy, and vertical school design. She leads interdisciplinary teams in projects such as the Kelvin Grove Teacher Education Centre partnership and the Mentoring Beginning Teacher initiative, reflecting her commitment to bridging academic research with practical educational impact.