Mr Christopher Powell

High School Mathematics education leader with 10 years Head of Department Mathematics experience and 15 years Senior Mathematics teaching experience both in Australia and abroad. I have led large teaching teams to implement best pedagogical practice and have led the development of many units of work using the Year 7-10 Australian Curriculum, QCAA Senior Subjects (General, Methods and Specialist Mathematics) and International Baccalaureate Maths AA and AI syllabuses. I am a Mathematical Methods specialist teacher and have taught Mathematics B and C with outstanding results across Year 11 and 12. Prior to the new QCAA Senior Syllabus in QLD I was a Mathematics B Panel Member for 5 years. I continuously strive to improve my own pedagogy and that of my teaching team through coaching and reflective practices.

At my base high school Brisbane South State Secondary College I have collaborated with many stakeholder partners including UQ SMP, UQ SBMS, UQ Pharmacy, QIMR and CSIRO to develop interdisciplinary units of work yielding outstanding results for student engagement and academic achievement in Mathematics. I have co-lead the design, partnerships and implementation of a high ability selective entry Biomedical Science Academy for 300 students in years 7-9 focussing on STEM(M) with a medical focus in collaboration with UQ. I have a keen interest in interdisciplinary STEM curriculum development in Year 7-10 and their impacts on student achievement and attainment in Senior Mathematics.

For 2024 as RaybouldTutorial Fellow, at the School of Mathematics and Physics UQ , I will be lecturing and undertaking research. I will be teaching MATH1040 and MATH1050 and undertaking school based research to determine the effects of integrated STEM units in Year 7-10 on engagement, achievement and retention of students in higher level mathematics subjects in Year 11 and 12.