Simone Smala

Dr. Simone Smala is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Education, Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences at The University of Queensland. Her research focuses on Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL), Generative AI in K-12 education, bilingual education, and teacher wellbeing. She holds a PhD from The University of Queensland and has extensive international collaborations in Europe and the U.S.

• Education:
  • Bachelor of Education, Universität Bielefeld
  • Masters (Coursework) of Education, Rheinish-Westphalian Technical University
  • Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland

Research interests include CLIL pedagogies, AI integration in teaching, German immersion programs, and teacher collaboration. Her work bridges socio-cultural theories, educational policy, and blended learning. Recent publications explore AI prompting in education, teacher relationships, and bilingual program discourses in Australian schools.

Dr. Smala has led grants such as the 2023 Queensland Academy grant on generative AI in education and a UQ-funded study on immersion programs. She currently supervises multiple PhD students focusing on migrant education, generative AI in higher education, and language learning strategies.