Centre for Research in Schools (CRiS)
About us
The Centre for Research in Schools (CRiS) is a dedicated hub for educators, researchers, and school communities seeking to build and sustain robust professional learning cultures in K–12 settings. We aim to connect rigorous educational research with practical, real-world strategies so that every partner school has the tools and insights needed to foster impactful professional growth.
Our focus
Professional learning culture and growth
Effective professional learning is underpinned by a healthy school culture—one that supports continuous improvement, collaboration, and teacher autonomy. Even the best-intentioned professional learning initiatives can fail if a school’s professional learning culture isn’t ready to support them. That’s why CRiS specialises in evaluating and nurturing these cultures before and during any new initiative.
Positive professional learning cultures typically feature:
- effective collaboration among all staff
- collective teacher efficacy
- a sense of competence, relatedness, and autonomy for teachers.
At CRiS, we use a “Design, Build, Test, Learn” methodology rooted in sense-making and action learning.
By working closely with school leaders and teachers, we:
Our team
Director
Associate Professor Tony Loughland
UNSW
Founding members
Associate Professor Paul Evans
UNSW
Dr Simon Breakspear
UNSW / Breakspear Learning
Dr Tanya Kwee
UNSW
Douglas Broadbent
Sydney Church of England Grammar School – SHORE
Rebecca Birch
Queenwood School for Girls
Allison McCulloch
Queenwood School for Girls
Cassandra Pride
St Catherine’s School
Matthew Bentley
Sydney Church of England Grammar School – SHORE
Phillip Merchant
St Aloysius’ College
John Tzantzaris
St Aloysius’ College
Our partners
We collaborate with a growing network of schools, including:
Get involved
We invite school leaders, teachers, researchers, and community partners to work with us in shaping and strengthening professional learning cultures across NSW and beyond. Whether you’re interested in evaluating your current practices or designing new professional development initiatives, CRiS is here to help.
For general enquiries, please contact:
- Email: Dr. Tanya Kwee
Join us in building a future where evidence-based practice, collaboration, and innovation define teacher professional learning in schools.