Steve Tobias

Steve Tobias is an Adjunct Professor in the School of Education at the University of New England (UNE), where he contributes to teacher education and mathematics pedagogy. He has been at UNE since 2009 and is actively involved in research and academic governance.

His educational background includes:

• BA from the Australian National University (ANU)
• DipEd from La Trobe University
• MSc from Curtin University
• PhD from La Trobe University

Steve's research focuses on the teaching and learning of mathematics across school and university levels. His work emphasizes the affective factors influencing learning, such as beliefs, attitudes, self-efficacy, and motivation. He explores innovative methods to build student resilience and perseverance, particularly through game-based learning and chess. He is also deeply engaged in improving teacher education through partnerships, reform initiatives, and support for pre-service teachers, especially in remote, rural, and Indigenous education contexts. His teaching philosophy incorporates student-centred, Vygotskian approaches, problem-solving tasks, open-ended questioning, and visual thinking routines.

He is an active member of the SiMERR (Science and Mathematics Education Research and Resource Network) research centre at UNE, contributing to national-level research in science and mathematics education.

Steve holds several key academic roles, including:

• Faculty Representative on the UNE SSP Committee
• Chair of the School of Education Board of Examiners
• Academic Staffing Coordinator
• Executive Member of the School of Education
• Member of the Head of School's Research Committee
• Mathematics Education Team Leader in the National Executive of SiMERR

He teaches core units in mathematics education, including EDME145, EDME313, and MATH122, and has extensive experience in both secondary teaching and higher education.