Matthew Harper

Dr. Matthew Harper is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Teachers and Teaching Research Centre within the School of Education, University of Newcastle. His career spans roles in higher education, international non-profit organizations, community theatre, and secondary school teaching. As a New Colombo Plan Alumnus, he contributes to cross-cultural educational initiatives in Southeast Asia.

• Doctor of Philosophy in Education, University of Newcastle
• Bachelor of Teaching (Honours), University of Newcastle

Harper’s research interrogates the philosophical and practical distinctions between school subjects, particularly mathematics and drama, using the Quality Teaching Model, Basil Bernstein’s pedagogic discourse theory, and critical realism. He argues for valuing arts and STEM equally to enhance student engagement and societal outcomes. His work also focuses on large-scale teacher professional development and student post-school aspirations, including co-developing the Aspirations: Supporting Students' Futures online course.

Recent publications highlight his expertise in drama education, cross-cultural fieldwork, and train-the-trainer methodologies. Collaborative projects span Australia, Zimbabwe, and China, emphasizing global educational equity.

Within the Teachers and Teaching Research Centre, Harper co-supervises doctoral projects on neurodiverse student support, school improvement, and cross-national drama pedagogy. He actively contributes to institutional quality teaching frameworks and has served in multiple teaching roles since 2018.

His team utilizes the Quality Teaching Model to bridge school and university education, with a focus on rural and international contexts.