John Kennedy

Dr John Kennedy

Senior Lecturer

School of Education

College of Education, Behavioural and Social Sciences

Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.

Available For Media Comment.

John Kennedy is a Lecturer in STEM Education with UniSA Education Futures and a member of the Centre for Change and Complexity in Learning (C3L).  He was a Physics teacher and Head of Science for 15 years before moving into academic research.  His industry engaged research sits at the nexus of educational theory and classroom practice and is focussed on students' attitudes to schooling, in particular the impact of changing pedagogies on attitudes to STEM subjects, leading to real change in real school settings.  John's research also focusses on expanding methodologies for real world impact and effective change in schools.  He is the creator of the School Attitude Survey (SAS) https://schoolattitudes.unisa.edu.au which is able to measure students' attitudes towards all of their school subjects using a light touch approach.  This results in rich data that can be used to shape data-driven discussions among teachers, school leaders and policy writers.
John's approach to measuring attitudes within schools allows for a partnership with schools themselves to be formed.  In this way his research data can be the catalyst for educational conversations for change at multiple scales, the local level and the systemic level. John is always on the lookout for schools who wish to partner with UniSA and this attitudinal change research. School leaders are invited to contact him by email.

Changing trajectories by mapping the mosaic: A novel approach to understanding changes in the complex systems influencing educational and career decisions.

Year Citation
2025 Gabriel, F., Kennedy, J. P., Marrone, R., & Leonard, S. (2025). Pragmatic AI in education and its role in mathematics learning and teaching. Npj Science of Learning, 10(1), 7 pages.
DOI Scopus2 WoS2
2025 Vieira, M., Kennedy, J. P., Leonard, S., & Cropley, D. (2025). Creative self-efficacy: why it matters for the future of STEM education. Creativity Research Journal, 37(3), 472-488.
DOI WoS8
2025 Kennedy, J., Gabriel, F., Korolkiewicz, M., Rets, I., & Rienties, B. (2025). Editorial: actionable learning analytics in education: an opportunity to close the learning loop. Frontiers in Education, 10, 1-3.
DOI
2024 Murray, C., Gabriel, F., & Kennedy, J. P. (2024). Factors that promote student well-being in schools: a scoping review of Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand literature. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 11(1, article no. 1542), 1-11.
DOI Scopus2 WoS2
2023 Brass, T., Kennedy, J. P., Gabriel, F., Neill, B., Devis, D., & Leonard, S. N. (2023). Learning analytics for lifelong career development: a framework to support sustainable formative assessment and self-reflection in programs developing career self-efficacy. Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence, 6(1173099), 10 pages.
DOI Scopus6 WoS5 Europe PMC1
2023 Fowler, S., Kennedy, J. P., Cutting, C., Gabriel, F., & Leonard, S. N. (2023). Self-determined learning in a virtual makerspace: a pathway to improving spatial reasoning for upper primary students. International Journal of Technology and Design Education, 34(2), 563-584.
DOI Scopus8 WoS5
2023 Leonard, S. N., Repetto, M., Kennedy, J. P., Tudini, E., & Fowler, S. (2023). Designing maker initiatives for educational inclusion. International Journal of Technology and Design Education, 33(3), 883-899.
DOI WoS6
2022 Fowler, S., Cutting, C., Kennedy, J., Leonard, S. N., Gabriel, F., & Jaeschke, W. (2022). Technology enhanced learning environments and the potential for enhancing spatial reasoning: a mixed methods study. Mathematics Education Research Journal, 34(4), 887-910.
DOI Scopus34 WoS28
2021 Patston, T. J., Kennedy, J. P., Jaeschke, W., Kapoor, H., Leonard, S. N., Cropley, D. H., & Kaufman, J. C. (2021). Secondary education in COVID lockdown: more anxious and less creative-maybe not?. Frontiers in Psychology, 12(391, article no. 613055), 1-14.
DOI WoS7 Europe PMC1
2020 Kennedy, J. P., Quinn, F., & Lyons, T. (2020). The keys to STEM: Australian year 7 students' attitudes and intentions towards science, mathematics and technology courses. Research in science education, 50(5), 1805-1832.
DOI
2018 Kennedy, J. P., Quinn, F., & Lyons, T. (2018). Australian enrolment trends in technology and engineering: putting the T and E back into school STEM. International journal of technology and design education, 28(2), 553-571.
DOI
2017 Vlaardingerbroek, B., Taylor, N., Bale, C., & Kennedy, J. (2017). Linking the experiential, affective and cognitive domains in biology education: a case study-microscopy. Journal of biological education, 51(2), 144-150.
DOI
2016 Kennedy, J. P., Quinn, F., & Taylor, N. (2016). The school science attitude survey: a new instrument for measuring attitudes towards school science. International journal of research and method in education, 39(4), 422-445.
DOI

Year Citation
2025 Kennedy, J., & Murray, C. (2025). An analysis of the South Australian student Well-being Engagement Collection data (2018-2024) (Catalyst Report #22). Australia: Centre for Change and Complexity in Learning (C3L), UniSA Education Futures, University of South Australia.
DOI
2024 Murray, C., & Kennedy, J. (2024). An analysis of Corroboree Frog College student WEC data (2020-2023). Australia: University of South Australia.
DOI
2024 Murray, C., Gabriel, F., & Kennedy, J. (2024). An analysis of Red Eyed Tree Frog College student WEC data (2020-2023). Australia: Centre for Change and Complexity in Learning (C3L) UniSA: Education Futures, University of South Australia.
DOI
2024 Brass, T., Kennedy, J., Devis, D., & Leonard, S. (2024). Launching community space innovation from regional South Australia: a report on teacher self-efficacy. Australia: University of South Australia and Andy Thomas Space Foundation.
DOI
2024 Kennedy, J., & Gabriel, F. (2024). Addressing mathematics anxiety at Great Barred Frog School. Australia: University of South Australia.
2024 Vieira, M., Devis, D., Le Cerf, T., Fowler, S., Kennedy, J., & Leonard, S. (2024). Design thinking for creative confidence. Australia: University of South Australia.
DOI
2024 Dolan, C., Smith, L., Vass, N., Platt, A. L. M., & Kennedy, J. (2024). Illuminating principal practice. Australia: University of South Australia.
DOI
2023 Murray, C. (2023). An artefact analysis of well-being policies across Corroboree Frog College and the wider community. Australia: University of South Australia.
DOI
2023 Kennedy, J., Marrone, R., & Gabriel, F. (2023). Addressing mathematics anxiety at Peron's Tree Frog School. Australia: University of South Australia.
DOI
2023 Devis, D., Fowler, S., Vieira, M., Giannoni, K., Gabriel, F., Kennedy, J., & Leonard, S. (2023). From insight to action: strategies for cultivating equity and empowering women in industry. Australia: University of South Australia.
DOI
2022 Windle, J., Morrison, A., Sellar, S., Squires, R., Kennedy, J. P., & Murray, C. (2022). Teachers at breaking point: why working in South Australian schools is getting tougher. Australia: University of South Australia.
DOI
2022 Fowler, S., Kennedy, J., Cutting, C., Devis, D., & Leonard, S. (2022). A data summary report on the impact of a computer aided design program on the spatial reasoning and attitudes of primary school students (Catalyst report #7). Australia: University of South Australia.
DOI
2021 Kennedy, J. P., & Leonard, S. N. (2021). A data summary report for secondary academic leaders at 'Corroboree Frog College'. Australia: University of South Australia.
2021 Kennedy, J., Thompson, K., Fowler, S., & Leonard, S. N. (2021). A novel approach to mapping changes in student attitudes towards science and mathematics in reaction to changes to their learning environment. Australia: Curtin University.

  • A Complexity Approach to Empowering Local Leaders, Trinity College Gawler, 11/11/2025 - 31/01/2029

  • High Achieving Teachers (HAT) Program: Phase 2 Expansion Pilots, Cwth Dept of Education, Skills & Employment, 12/09/2024 - 31/12/2028

  • Closing the loop in authentic assessment: An EFA collaborative project, Seaview High School, 03/07/2024 - 03/07/2027

  • Extending workplace learning through a Univeristy-school partnership., Pulteney Grammar School, 22/02/2024 - 21/02/2027

  • Chartering Change: Building Developmental Evaluation Capacity for Equity Initiatives, Cwth Dept of Education, Skills & Employment, 27/08/2025 - 27/02/2026

  • SA Academy for Gender Equity in STEM - Careers & Mentoring, DISER-National Careers Institute Partnership Grants, 02/05/2022 - 05/10/2023

  • National Careers Institute Partnership Grants Round 2, Cwth Dept of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources, 07/11/2021 - 07/08/2023

Programs I'm associated with

  • MCDL - Graduate Certificate in Education Studies (Digital Learning)
  • MMET - Master of Teaching

Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
2023 Co-Supervisor - Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Justin Paul Simmonds
2023 Co-Supervisor - Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Simone Hobbs
2023 Principal Supervisor - - Doctorate Full Time Ms Rebecca Burton-Howard
2023 Co-Supervisor - Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mrs Allyce Caitlyn Cole
2022 Principal Supervisor - Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Tamishka Brass
2022 Principal Supervisor - - Doctorate Full Time Mr Karl Grice

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