Rate My Professor Kelly Freebody

Professor Kelly Freebody serves as Head of School for the Sydney School of Education and Social Work within the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Sydney, where she holds the position of Professor of Drama Education. She possesses a PhD, Bachelor of Arts (Drama), Bachelor of Education (Secondary) with Honours, and a Graduate Certificate in Educational Studies. Beginning her career as a secondary school teacher in Drama and English, Freebody joined the University of Sydney over 16 years ago. In her tenure, she has held significant leadership roles including Program Director of the Secondary Education program, Education Director of the School, and Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Appointed Head of School in January 2024, she brings extensive experience in educational leadership.

Freebody's academic interests center on drama education, applied theatre, social justice, creativity in education, and critical pedagogy in school and community settings. Her scholarly contributions include influential books such as "Critical Themes in Drama: Social, Cultural and Political Analysis" (2021), "Drama and Social Justice: Theory, Research and Practice in International Contexts" (2015), "Applied Theatre: Understanding Change" (2018), and "Partnerships in Education Research: Creating Knowledge that Matters" (2014). Prominent articles feature "The DOL Project: The Contributions of Process Drama to Improved Results in English Oral Communication" (2006), "Developing Communities of Praxis: Bridging the Theory-Practice Divide in Teacher Education" (2012), "Exploring Teacher–Student Interactions and Moral Reasoning Practices in Drama Classrooms" (2010), and "Student Experience of Creativity in Australian High School Classrooms: A Componential Model" (2021). With over 50 research works and approximately 867 citations, her research demonstrates drama's efficacy in enhancing oral language skills, fostering moral reasoning, promoting creativity, and addressing social justice issues in educational contexts.