Cont... Professor Reid has established an international reputation for her research and collegial approach to learning and teaching development, supported by her publications, international collaborations with scholars, contributions to the academic community through reviews of others’ scholarly work, and the experience of colleagues who have taken part in her programs.
Her academic approach is underpinned by a strong research base in higher education theory and practice, which informs her interactions with academic staff and allows her to develop reflective and flexible teaching practices; construct curriculum and units that enable students to prepare well for a changing world; build a scholarly approach to the evaluation of teaching; enhance her and her colleagues’ research capacity; develop quality research programs in various academic departments; and identify, implement and evaluate strategic policy for higher degree research.
Professor Reid has a large group of research students whose interests lie in music pedagogy, social impact of music, creativity in theory and practice, and performance as research who she continues to teach.
Her own active career as a researcher in higher education theory and practice, and associated work as an academic developer began at UTS (1996-1999) and Macquarie University (2000-2009) where she gained expertise in tertiary policy and practice.
A tertiary educator her entire career, her first role was director of music for Wesley Institute (1988-1994), when she composed “With Heads Held High” for the opening of Parliament House in Canberra. Her interest in higher education leadership developed during that time, and she gained a Master of Educational Administration from the University of New England. For her PhD on music in higher education, she explored variations in the ways that instrumental and vocal students and teachers learn and teach.
Professor Reid has a large group of research students whose interests lie in music pedagogy, the social impact of music, creativity in theory and practice, and in performance as research. She still teaches a graduate research seminar.
Professor Reid is also a cellist and viola da gamba player.
Caron Chan is the former Chief Strings Examiner for the Australian Music Examinations Board (NSW) and has taught in tertiary and pre-tertiary programs at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. She is in demand as a teacher, adjudicator and presenter on violin pedagogy throughout Australasia. Her students have been prizewinners in International and National competitions including the Leonid Kogan Competition, Kendall National Violin Competition and the Kuring-gai Concerto Competition. Caron performs with the Opera Australia Orchestra and has been a guest musician with Orchestra Victoria and the Tasmanian, New Zealand and Sydney Symphony Orchestras. Caron currently teaches the violin and chamber music at the Conservatorium High School and from her private studio.
Jacinta Adamson (BMus, MTeach, MRE)
Supervisor: Amadeus Music Education Program (Sydney Catholic Schools)
Jacinta Adamson (BMus, MTeach, MRE) has been working on the Amadeus Music Education Program since its inception in 2019, when she was invited to contribute to the project proposal. She has led the planning and implementation of the program from its first note in 2021 as a pilot in Sydney's Southwest, to a large-scale offering for more than 35,000 students in 2025. Prior to the Amadeus program, she was the Leader of Learning: CAPA and Director of the On the Block Band Program at St Vincent’s College, Ashfield. Jacinta is a passionate advocate for music education and music ministry as key tools for students’ musical and faith formation.
Paul Evans is an Associate Professor of Educational Psychology in the School of Education at UNSW Sydney. His areas of expertise include expertise, motivation, instruction, teaching strategies, learning, practice, and performance in educational settings. His research with schools, universities, and music programs is published in nationally and internationally leading journals and books. Paul supervises a team of research students and convenes the Cognitive Load and Motivation Lab at UNSW.
He teaches educational psychology in undergraduate, postgraduate, and research degree programs, and is an active member of the Educational Psychology Research Group.
Research
My research studies people in educational contexts such as school classrooms, workplaces, universities, and music studios. Across these contexts, I examine sources of high-quality motivation, and the kinds of behaviours and cognitions required for learning and improving expertise. I also study the effectiveness of various teaching approaches and strategies in relation to how the mind learns, including the following areas:
- Self-determination theory, a theory of motivation, development, and psychological needs.
- Cognitive load theory, a theory of instructional strategies based on human cognitive architecture
- Self-regulated learning, a framework of metacognitive and behavioural strategies that influence learning.
- Deliberate practice, an approach to studying the amount and quality of practice behaviours that lead to improvements in learning and performance.
I focus on quantitative, survey-based research using statistical procedures such as structural equation modelling and multilevel modelling to study complex datasets (e.g., latent variables, longitudinal measures, clustered data), with some complementary methods such as observational and mixed-methods approaches.
This research ranges from theoretical and fundamental research to applied research as part of partnerships with schools and other educational organisations. It is published in a range of internationally recognised, peer-reviewed academic journals, books, and international conferences. I have collaborated with over 20 academic researchers nationally and internationally and supervise a team of around 10 research students who belong to the Cognitive Load and Motivation Research Lab at UNSW. I am an editorial board member of the Journal of Research in Music Education, a consulting editor for Educational Psychology, and a regular peer-reviewer for a range of journals in educational psychology, music psychology, and music education.
Research Supervision
I convene the Cognitive Load and Motivation Research Lab, a group of researchers and research students working in and across cognitive load theory, motivation, and related areas in educational settings (including schools, classrooms across a range of subjects, or with a focus on music). I have limited places available for research degree students (MEd, EdD, and PhD) who wish to work in these areas.
Current Research Students
- Wei Sun (PhD)
- Yooie Choi (EdD)
- Sijing (Fiona) Zhou (PhD)
- Michael Murphy (EdD)
- Fiona Cooney (EdD)
- Jonathan Clipsham (EdD)
- Michael Kaissis (EdD)
- Stephen Lukins (Grad Cert Ed)
- Hayley Dean (EdD)
- Marie McGregor (co-supervisor, PhD)
- Bronwyn Bell (PhD)
Past Research Students
- Sijing (Fiona) Zhou (BEd Honours, 2021)
- Andrew Kingsford-Smith (MEd, 2019)
- Elisabeth Freer (PhD, 2018)
- Danny Carroll (MPhil, 2018)
- Tamica Grant (PhD co-supervisor, 2017)
- Siriwimon Na Chiangmai (PhD, 2016)
- Hamamah (PhD, 2015)
- Jennifer Fernandez (BEd Honours, 2013)
External Research Supervision
- Alicia Barksdale (DMA, Boston University, 2021)
- Byron Graves (DMA, Boston University, 2019)
- DuWayne Dale (DMA, Boston University, 2017)
- Mark Liu (DMA, Boston University, 2016)
Teaching
I teach classes in educational psychology and motivation, across pre-service teacher education programs and postgraduate professional development programs. I have previously taught classes in music psychology, music education, and creativity. My teaching philosophy is informed by my research in the area, and focuses on understanding students, their prior knowledge, and their interests, while developing evidence-informed teaching programs and strategies that engage students, develop their expertise, and maximise their potential.
PhD (Music Education) (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)
Master of Music Education (University of Western Australia)
Bachelor of Music Bachelor of Education (Hons. 1) (UNSW)
Arts, Design & Architecture (ADA)
School of Education
Cont... On three separate occasions Stephen has been invited to conduct orchestras at the prestigious Midwest Clinic in Chicago, the world’s largest music educator’s conference. He is the recipient of the Australian Band and Orchestra Directors Association’s highest honour, the Citation of Excellence, an award he received in 2014.Stephen is currently Student Music Programs Officer 5-12, Conducting Coordinator for The Arts Unit, a specialist unit in the N.S.W Department of Education, taking up this position at the beginning of 1999. He is the Music Director for the NSW Schools Spectacular; the world’s biggest variety show and has been since 1991. Currently at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music Stephen teaches advanced conducting and is a director of one of the Jazz Orchestras for the jazz department and in addition over the last four years has been the chief conductor with the Sydney Conservatorium Wind Symphony. In 2024 Stephen will take the SCWS on tour to South Korea and Japan premiering compositions by several Australian composers and performing a new concerto for Jonathon Ramsay, principal trombonist with the Berlin Philharmonic.
Over the last fifteen years he has been a conductor in concerts and on many tours with Orchestra Victoria for their innovative education program ‘On the mOVe’, a program which allows students in country regions to be tutored and mentored by Orchestra Victoria players in two-day workshops and concerts. For several years he was also engaged by Symphony Services International to present and conduct concerts for schools with the Sydney Sinfonia. Stephen also works as a freelance conductor and instrumental consultant and is frequently called upon to conduct, lecture, and adjudicate both in Australia and overseas.
In 1989 Stephen was awarded a conducting scholarship by Symphony Australia and for three years studied orchestral conducting under Werner Andreas Albert, during which time he conducted concerts and made recordings with symphony orchestras for Symphony Services International. In 1994 he was awarded the Harry Begian Conducting Scholarship, which enabled him to study advanced symphonic band conducting at the University of Illinois under Professor James Keene. In 1995 he was awarded a master’s degree in Orchestral Conducting and Research from the University of Queensland.
He is also the founding Music Director of the Northern Beaches Symphony Orchestra. Prior to this Stephen had a full-time position as conducting coordinator for the School of Instrumental Music in Perth. He was also a member of staff at the W.A Conservatorium of Music, Edith Cowan University, lecturing and conducting in the Classical, Jazz and Education departments. Between 1992 and 1995, Stephen was a full-time member of staff at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, occupying the position of Director of the Wind Symphony as well as lecturing in Conducting, Instrumental Pedagogy and Jazz studies.