Stephanie Macmahon

Dr. Stephanie MacMahon is a Senior Lecturer in the Science of Learning and Arts Education within the School of Education at the University of Queensland. She brings over two decades of experience as a P-12 music and arts teacher and head of faculty to her academic role, where she teaches in initial teacher education and postgraduate programs and coordinates the Science of Learning Field of Study. MacMahon earned her Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Queensland in 2018 with a thesis titled Capturing the “vibe” in the classroom: the role of social synchrony in developing connectedness. She also holds a Master's (Research) in Music Education from the University of Western Australia and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Sydney. As Co-Founder and Program Director of the UQ Learning Lab, she leads a multidisciplinary team of researchers, educators, and industry partners to transform learning, teaching, and training through evidence-based science of learning applications in schools and workplaces.

Her research specializes in human connection and learning, knowledge mobilisation, metacognition, emotional regulation, self- and social regulatory processes, and the role of emotions in learning environments. Notable publications include the book Higher education learning framework: an evidence-informed model for university learning (2018, co-authored with Annita Nugent et al.), book chapters such as Interdisciplinary and interprofessional partnerships: mobilizing the science of learning to impact real-world practice – the Australian experience (2023, with Annemaree Carroll), and journal articles like Post-error slowing and individual differences in metacognition (2026, with Kali Chidley et al.), The meta-attention knowledge questionnaire (MAKQ): a new instrument for investigating meta-attention in a young adolescent sample (2025, with Aisling Mulvihill et al.), and Assessing the interplay: teacher efficacy, compassion fatigue, and educator well-being in Australia (2025, with Glenys Oberg and Annemaree Carroll). MacMahon has secured funding for numerous projects evaluating the translation of science of learning research into practice across various schools and institutions. Her contributions have been recognized with the UQ Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning (2025), the Australian Council for Educational Leaders (ACEL) National Excellence in Leadership Award (2025), and the ACEL Miller-Grassie Award for Outstanding Leadership in Education (2025). As a member of the UNESCO Science of Learning Alliance, she advances interdisciplinary partnerships for real-world educational impact.

Professional Email: s.macmahon1@uq.edu.au