Principal Fellow / Associate Professor

Jean Russell is a Principal Fellow and Associate Professor at the Centre for Post-compulsory Education and Life-long Learning, of the Education Faculty at the University of Melbourne. During the past 14 years, she has been engaged in major research and development projects (often with others) that focus on school and educational improvement. These include the Middle Years Research and Development Project, Excellence and Innovation, the Victorian Quality Schools Project, and a series of leadership team development programs for government and Catholic schools in Victoria. Recent projects include an evaluation of the use of a learning management system in primary classrooms, a major study of the health and well-being of international students at the University of Melbourne, an evaluation of teacher training for and use of a peace education program in Sierra Leonean schools, an analysis of stakeholder surveys for Hong Kong primary and secondary schools, and evaluations of the Victorian Leading Schools Fund. In recent years, she has helped the University’s Faculty of Education in its move to the new program structure required for the implementation of the ‘Melbourne Model’, through creation of an Action Plan, as well as through membership of the Master of Teaching Taskforce.

The focus of her interests and expertise lies in research design, development of survey and other instruments for gathering data, data analysis and interpretation, and reporting of results. In contributing these skills to research and development projects, she has undertaken work for a range of educational institutions and organisations, including the Australian Council for Educational Research, the Curriculum Corporation, The Catholic Education Office Melbourne, the Victorian Department of Education and Training (now the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development), the Australian Department of Education, Science and Training, the University of Melbourne, the Hong Kong Education and Manpower Bureau, and individual Victorian government and private schools.

She has extensive background experience in a range of roles, both educational and psychological, including those of secondary teacher, teacher educator in the curriculum area, tertiary academic in psychology, Head of the Department of Psychology at Melbourne College of Advanced Education, and General Manager (Schools) of Southern Metropolitan Region in the then Victorian Department of Education, and chairperson or member of a variety of state and national committees and inquiries in the fields of psychology and education. She is a Fellow of the Australian Psychological Society and a member of the Australian Association for Research in Education.

Fellow of the Australian Psychological Society
Mekber of the Australian Association for Research in Education.

B.A. PhD B. Ed FAPsS

The focus of Jean's interests and expertise lies in research design, development of survey and other instruments for gathering data, data analysis and interpretation, and reporting of results. In contributing these skills to research and development projects, she has undertaken work for a range of educational institutions and organisations.

Batten, M. & Russell, J. (1995). Students at risk: A review of the Australian literature 1980-1994. Camberwell: ACER.

Batten, M., Withers, G. & Russell, J. (1996). Students at risk: An overview. set Special: Students at risk, 1-4.

Hill, P. W., Mackay, A. D., Russell, V. J. & Zbar, V. (2001). The middle years. In P. Cuttance and the Innovation and Best Practice Consortium (Ed.). School Innovation: Pathway to the knowledge society. Canberra: DETYA.

Hill, P.W. & Russell, V.J. (1999). Systemic, whole-school reform of the middle years of schooling. In R. J. Bosker, B. P. M. Creemers, & S. Stringfield (Eds.), Enhancing educational excellence, equity and efficiency. Evidence from evaluations of systems and schools in change (pp.167-196). Dordrecht/Boston/London: Klewer Acadmic Publishers.

Rosenthal, D.A., Russell, V.J. & Thomson, G.D. (2006). A growing experience: The health and well-being of international students at The University of Melbourne. Centre for Women’s Health in Society, The University of Melbourne.

Rosenthal, D., Russell, J. & Thomson, G. (2006). The health and well-being of international students at an Australian university. Higher Education On-line First. DOI 10.1007/s10734-006-9037-1

Rosenthal, D., Russell, J. & Thomson, G. (2007). Social connectedness among international students at an Australian university. Social Indicators Research, 84 (1), 71-82.

Russell, J. (1994). Post-compulsory education and training arrangements in the Australian states and territories. Schools Council, National Board of Employment, Education and Training, Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service.

Russell, J. (1995). Post-compulsory curriculum and certificates in the 1990s. Curriculum Perspectives, 15(2), 2-21.

Russell, V. J. (2000). A thinking curriculum for the middle years. IARTV Seminar Series No. 99. Jolimont:IARTV.

Russell, J. (2002). Enabling learning: The crucial work of school leaders. Camberwell: ACER.

Russell, V.J. (2003). "A thinking curriculum for the middle years." In V. Zbar & A. Mackay (Eds.). Leading the education debate: Selected papers from a decade of the IARTV Seminar Series (pp. 112-130). Jolimont, Melbourne: IARTV.


Russell, J., Ainley, M., Frydenberg, E. (2005). Issues Digest: Motivation and engagement. Australian Government: Department of Education, Science and Training.

Russell, J. with Mackay A. and Jane, G. (2003). Messages from MYRAD: Improving the middle years of schooling. Jolimont, Melbourne: IARTV.

Russell, J., Marshall, G., Mackay, A. & Jane, G. (2004). Leading teams: Building the capacity of leadership teams for school improvement. Occasional Paper No. 85. Jolimont: IARTV. (ISBN 1 920963 00 6)

Russell, V. Jean; Rowe, Kenneth J.; Hill, Peter, W. (2001). Effects of multigrade classes on student progress in literacy and numeracy: Quantitative evidence and perceptions of teachers and school leaders. ERIC DOCUMENT 444 122 Bloomington, Indiana: ERIC Clearinghouse on Reading, English, and Communication, Indiana University.

Russell, J., Thomson, G., & Rosenthal, D. (2007). International student use f university health and counselling services. Higher Education On-line First. DOI 10.1007/s10734-007-9089-X

Withers, G. & Russell, J. (1998). Educating for resilience: Prevention and intervention strategies for young people at risk. Camberwell: ACER.