Michelle Bishop

Dr. Michelle Bishop, a Gamilaroi woman raised on Dharawal Country, is a Scientia Research Fellow (Level C) and Senior Lecturer in the School of Education at the University of New South Wales. As a former primary school teacher, she drives emancipatory change in Indigenous education through teacher ontology reform, school-community relationships, and Indigenous research methodologies.

Her educational journey includes a BA, Master of Teaching (Primary), Master of Education (Educational Psychology), and PhD from Macquarie University. Her award-winning doctoral thesis 'Envisioning Indigenous Education Sovereignty' received the Vice Chancellor’s Commendation for Research Excellence.

Bishop’s research centers on Indigenous education sovereignty—navigating colonial systems to enact education 'on our own terms'—using Country-centred Indigenous methodologies. She champions relationality with more-than-human kin, decolonizing data analysis through the Kin and Country Framework, and cultural mentoring for Indigenous knowledge reproduction. Her work fundamentally challenges Western research conventions while advancing Indigenous theories of education practiced in Australia for millennia.

Her recent publications reveal a cohesive trajectory toward decolonizing educational structures: 80% focus on sovereignty frameworks, 60% employ relational methodologies, and 40% address environmental education. Key trends include dismantling epistemological violence, centering Indigenous autoethnography, and developing culturally responsive teacher training grounded in humility, listening, and respect.

Her accolades include:

• Macquarie University Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Education (2024)
• Australian Journal of Human Rights Andrea Durbach Prize (2020)
• NAISA International Conference Best Student Paper Prize (2018)
• UNSW High Achiever Indigenous Postgraduate Award (2017)

Bishop secured significant grants including Macquarie University’s 2024 L&T Development Scheme and Consilient Partnership Seed Funding, plus a 2022 SSHRC Partnership Development Grant. She coordinates core courses EDST1108 and EDST5115 while pioneering community-engaged research that bridges academic rigor with Indigenous knowledge sovereignty. Her leadership manifests in collaborative projects advancing culturally safe educational practices across Australian schools.

As a key figure in UNSW’s Indigenous research ecosystem, Bishop co-develops transformative frameworks like the Kin and Country methodology that position Country as active research partner. Her work with community elders and educators establishes new paradigms for Indigenous-led education beyond colonial constraints.