
Makes learning feel rewarding and fun.
Encourages students to explore new ideas.
Inspires students to achieve their best.
Passionate about student development.
Great Professor!
Dr Suzanne Macqueen is an Honorary Senior Lecturer in the School of Education, within the College of Human and Social Futures, at the University of Newcastle, Australia. Trained initially as a primary teacher, she served as a casual teacher with the NSW Department of Education and Training from 1997 to 2006. In 2007, she joined the University of Newcastle as an Associate Lecturer in the School of Education, advancing to Lecturer (2007-2010), Senior Lecturer (2011-2018), and currently Honorary Senior Lecturer. Her academic qualifications include a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Queensland, focusing on non-traditional students' experiences in higher education through narrative inquiry and Bourdieu’s habitus, capital, and field; a Master of Education (Research) from the University of Newcastle on between-class achievement grouping in primary schools for literacy and numeracy; and a Graduate Certificate in the Practice of Tertiary Teaching from the University of Newcastle.
Macqueen’s research interests encompass equity in education, widening participation, student grouping practices, global education, initial teacher education, primary education, narrative inquiry, and behaviour management. She is a member of the Global Education Research and Teaching (GERT) team and participates in international collaborations on preservice teachers’ global competencies and school grouping strategies. In teaching, she covers social studies curriculum, literacy, quality teaching, and professional preparation, including classroom management. Among her accolades are the Women in Research Fellowship (2022, University of Newcastle), British Educational Research Conference Early Career Researcher Presentation Award (2019), Vice-Chancellor’s Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning (2010), Award for Teaching Excellence (2010 and 2014, Faculty of Education), and Research Higher Degree Student Publication Award (2010). Her scholarly output includes 20 journal articles and 6 book chapters, with notable works such as “Family and social capital for the success of non-traditional students in Higher Education” (2018), “Grouping for inequity” (2013, International Journal of Inclusive Education), “Academic outcomes from between-class achievement grouping: The Australian primary context” (2012, Australian Educational Researcher), and the book chapter “Contesting and Constructing International Perspectives in Global Education” (2015). Additionally, she has presented at international conferences including BERA and ECER.