Dr Kieran Balloo
| Name | Dr Kieran Balloo |
|---|---|
| Email Address | kieran.balloo@unisq.edu.au |
| Job Title | Senior Lecturer (Pathways) |
| Qualifications | BSc Surrey, MSc OpenUni UK, PhD Roehampton |
| Department | UniSQ College (Pathways) |
| Affiliations | Centre for Health Research |
| ORCID | https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1745-4653 |
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Biography
Dr Kieran Balloo is a Senior Lecturer (Pathways) and Associate Head (Learning, Teaching & Student Success) in UniSQ College, and a Visiting Lecturer in the Surrey Institute of Education at the University of Surrey, UK. With a disciplinary background in Psychology (BSc, MSc, and PhD), Kieran is a mixed methods researcher whose work broadly explores learning, teaching and assessment practices in higher education, with a particular focus on student transitions, equity, and wellbeing. Kieran's research emphasises the importance of innovative and inclusive educational practices to support diverse student populations. Prior to working at UniSQ, he held Research Fellow and Lecturer positions in Higher Education and Psychology at the University of Surrey and the University of Roehampton. Kieran has been awarded, as Principal or Co-Investigator, a total exceeding $600,000 in competitive grants from prestigious funders, including the Economic and Social Research Council and the Wellcome Trust. These grants have supported his research on assessment and feedback, mental distress, and wellbeing in higher education. A Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, Kieran has extensive teaching experience at undergraduate, postgraduate, and university preparation levels. He invites expressions of interest from potential higher degree (Master of Research and PhD) applicants.
Employment
| Position | Organisation | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research Fellow / Lecturer | University of Surrey, UK | 2017 | 2021 |
| Lecturer | University of Roehampton, UK | 2016 | 2017 |
Expertise
Dr Kieran Balloo is a higher education researcher and he is interested in investigating a range of factors involved in learning and teaching, and the student experience, including:
• Academic Literacies
• Assessment and Feedback
• Student Equity
• Student Mental Health and Wellbeing
• Student Transitions
• Widening Participation
Kieran has experience using a variety of research methods in his research, including:
• Mixed Methods Research: Questionnaire design and administration (psychometrics and survey design), semi-structured interviews/focus groups (qualitative design), and design of educational interventions (experimental design)
• Quantitative Methods: GLM approaches, mediation/moderation, chi-square and log-linear analysis, factor analysis, multidimensional scaling, structural equation modelling, multilevel modelling, meta-analysis, and secondary data analysis
• Qualitative Methods: Phenomenology, IPA, grounded theory, content analysis, discourse analysis, Q methodology, thematic analysis, and systematic review
Teaching
TPP0175 Introduction to Psychology and Counselling
TPP0122 Study Management
MDS1001 Navigating the University: Studying for Success
Fields of Research
- 390102. Curriculum and pedagogy theory and development
- 390203. Sociology of education
- 390303. Higher education
- 390402. Education assessment and evaluation
- 390407. Inclusive education
- 520102. Educational psychology
Professional Membership
| Professional Membership | Year |
|---|---|
| Member of the Society for Research into Higher Education (SRHE) | |
| Member of the National Association of Enabling Educators of Australia (NAEEA) | |
| Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA) | |
| Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia (HERDSA) |
BSc
Surrey
2004
MSc
OpenUni UK
2011
PhD
Roehampton
2016
Supervision Interests
Student Transitions and Wellbeing
Exploring the impact of undertaking Pathways courses at a regional Australian university on students with neurodevelopmental conditions
Exploring approaches to improving access and outcomes for incarcerated students
Current Supervisions
| Research Title | Supervisor Type | Level of Study | Commenced |
|---|---|---|---|
| ESL students’ feedback literacy in China’s application-oriented universities | Associate Supervisor | Doctoral | 2021 |
| An exploration of the lived experiences of Australian Defence Force (ADF) children and the impact of those experiences on their transition into higher education (HE). | Principal Supervisor | Doctoral | 2024 |
| An exploration of Year 9 students lived experiences and perceptions of physical activity within their school context | Principal Supervisor | Doctoral | 2017 |
Completed Supervisions
| Research Title | Supervisor Type | Level of Study | Completed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goals and motivation: A study investigating the well-being of higher vocational education students in China | Associate | Doctoral | 2024 |
| Emotional problems among children and adolescents in Mauritius: An investigation of prevalence and prevention | Associate | Doctoral | 2021 |
| Project title | Details | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Democratising feedback literacy: Adapting the Developing Engagement with Feedback Toolkit for distance education | £19,990; funded by the University of Surrey Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Impact Acceleration Account: Impact Generation Fund (IGF). We will develop a version of the Developing Engagement with Feedback Toolkit for distance learners’ needs and evaluate its impact in carceral education in Australia as an extreme form of distance education requiring the highest level of student autonomy in feedback processes. | 2024 |
| Mental Health Researchers in Discovering Active Ingredients in longitudinal Datasets using Artificial Intelligence (MHR-DAIDAI) | £40,000; funded by the Wellcome Mental Health Data Prize. This project was part of an interdisciplinary collaboration with the University of Surrey and the University of East Anglia, as well as the mental health charity, Miricyl. We integrated lived experience approaches, computer science, and secondary data analysis, to work towards building and testing a digital tool that uses natural language processing to help mental health researchers decide what variables to use in longitudinal studies. There was a particular focus on how physical activity affects young people’s mental health during key periods of their school and university life. | 2022 |
| A multi-perspective analysis of university students’ personal mental health and well-being capital and its effect on their life outcomes | £271,976; funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Secondary Data Analysis Research Initiative. Known as the Student Wellbeing & Life Outcomes Project (StudentWellLives), we used an intersectional approach to investigate the extent to which the life outcomes of young people who go to university are affected by their social inequality groupings and mental health and well-being during adolescence. Additionally, this project also aimed to determine the characteristics of university environments that can improve the life outcomes of these young people depending on their social and mental health/wellbeing background. | 2020 |
| Date | Name | Awarding organisation | Underpinning research |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Seal of Excellence Award | Horizon 2020 | |
| 2023 | Editorial Board | Teaching in Higher Education |
| Item reviewed | Year |
|---|---|
| Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education | |
| Culture and Organization | |
| Journal of Educational Psychology | |
| PLOS ONE | |
| Higher Education | |
| Higher Education Research & Development | |
| Studies in Higher Education | |
| Teaching in Higher Education | |
| British Journal of Educational Psychology | |
| Innovative Higher Education | |
| SAGE Open | |
| Psychology Learning & Teaching | |
| Psychological Reports | |
| International Studies in Sociology of Education | |
| Frontiers in Education |