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Dr Kieran Balloo

Dr Kieran Balloo
Name Kieran Balloo
Pronoun He/Him/His
Position Senior Lecturer (Pathways)
Section UniSQ College (Pathways)
Office A225
Location Springfield Campus
Phone +61 7 3470 4172
Extension 4172
Email
Qualifications BSc Surrey , MSc OpenUni UK , PhD Roehampton
Homepage https://research.usq.edu.au/researcher/80wx3/dr-kieran-balloo
The views expressed on staff homepages may not reflect the views of the University.

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 (see 'Supervision' section below for some of Kieran's research areas and example topics, as well as his research profile at https://research.usq.edu.au/researcher/80wx3/dr-kieran-balloo).


  • Higher Education ( 390303 )
  • Education Systems ( 390300 )
  • Inclusive Education ( 390407 )
  • Education Assessment And Evaluation ( 390402 )
  • Specialist Studies In Education ( 390400 )
  • Sociology Of Education ( 390203 )
  • Education Policy ( 390200 )
  • Educational Psychology ( 520102 )
  • Applied And Developmental Psychology ( 520100 )
  • Curriculum And Pedagogy Theory And Development ( 390102 )
  • Curriculum And Pedagogy ( 390100 )

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


Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA)
Member of the Society for Research into Higher Education (SRHE)
Member of the National Association of Enabling Educators of Australia (NAEEA)
Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia (HERDSA)


  • Centre for Health, Informatics and Economic Research (CHIER)

TPP0175 Introduction to Psychology and Counselling
TPP0122 Study Management
MDS1001 Navigating the University: Studying for Success


14 Years


Associate Head (Learning, Teaching & Student Success) (2024-Present)
Program Director (Undergraduate Certificate & Diploma Pathway Programs | Bachelor of Multidisciplinary Studies) (2022-2024)
Team Leader (Academic) (2022-2023)


  • Higher Education ( 390303 )
  • Education Systems ( 390300 )
  • Inclusive Education ( 390407 )
  • Education Assessment And Evaluation ( 390402 )
  • Specialist Studies In Education ( 390400 )
  • Sociology Of Education ( 390203 )
  • Education Policy ( 390200 )
  • Educational Psychology ( 520102 )
  • Applied And Developmental Psychology ( 520100 )
  • Curriculum And Pedagogy Theory And Development ( 390102 )
  • Curriculum And Pedagogy ( 390100 )