Rate My Professor Royce Willis

Dr. Royce Willis is a Lecturer in Psychology within the Faculty of Health at Southern Cross University, based at the Coffs Harbour campus. He holds a PhD from Southern Cross University and previously held the position of Research Officer at the Coffs Harbour Campus from 2017 to 2022. As a dedicated academic, he is committed to advancing the understanding of human behaviour and cognition through research and education. His career has centered on two primary research areas: Environmental Psychology and Educational Psychology. Dr. Willis contributes to the Mental Health and Psychosocial Wellbeing research group, coordinates courses in the Bachelor of Psychological Science and Bachelor of Exercise Science and Psychological Science programs, and is a member of the SCU Fellowship Community. His work supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

In Environmental Psychology, Dr. Willis explores the intricate interplay between pro-environmental behaviour, mental well-being, and eco-anxiety, analyzing the impact of individual factors such as avoidance tendencies and critical thinking on environmentally conscious actions. He has advanced research in Environmental Psychophysiology, employing electroencephalography and startle response techniques. His Educational Psychology interests encompass school improvement, school leadership, blended learning, mathematics anxiety, conservation psychology, and identity. Key publications include co-authorship on the highly cited "A sense of belonging at university: student retention, predictors and measurement" (Kelly et al., Studies in Higher Education, 2022; over 800 citations), "Influences on purposeful implementation of ICT into the mathematics curriculum" (Willis et al., The Australian Educational Researcher, 2019), "Secondary teachers' perceptions of the importance of mathematics during COVID-19" (Kelly et al., The Australian Mathematics Teacher, 2023), "Belonging, Enjoyment, Motivation, and Retention: University Students Explain Their Choice of Major" (Kelly et al.), and recent contributions such as "Refocusing on nature: the role of nature reintegration in addressing eco-anxiety" (Willis, 2024) and "Adventure and mental health: an ecological perspective" (Brymer et al., Frontiers in Psychology, 2024). These works highlight his influence on student retention, educational practices, and nature-mental health intersections.