Dr Aidan Cornelius-Bell

Dr Aidan Cornelius-Bell now works with UniSA. His academic background is in cultural studies, sociology, higher education and political philosophy. Recently, he has been researching active student participation, academic development in practice, students' role in assessment and policy, the politics of student inclusion, university governance structures, remote Australian schools and the role of extremism in media.

He completed his PhD with Flinders University, in which he focussed on students’ identity and reactions to higher education. Aidan’s PhD is titled ‘Student Activism in Higher Education: the possibility and politics of students’ role in hegemonic university change’. This political work focussed on, through ethnographic study, student activism, student identity, Gramsci's conception of hegemony, power, protest and partnership. It drew on historical and contemporary contexts to provide analysis of power and politics.

Aidan is passionate about supporting high-quality teaching that 'performs' in robust ways while enabling academic agency and creativity. Through working alongside staff he considers teaching innovation through a pragmatic radical lens, creating navigable and useful curriculum, supports for teaching and learning through co-design, and development of sound assessment which empowers students and staff in their learning/teaching experience.

Aidan is experienced in researching primary, secondary and tertiary education. He has worked in roles that include: use of research data for policy development, application and visualisation; applying qualitative research methods to emergent education practices; application of sociological research methods and diverse qualitative methodological frameworks and tools. He has also worked in the evaluation of school and university teaching practice as a data analyst.

He has worked in a range of research projects that: investigate the role of active student participation, student partnership and students as partners; involve teacher education students in STEM industry placements; support school-based teaching and learning in the context of industry; investigate students’ self-regulation of learning in STEM classrooms; and study the sociology of higher education in contemporary change.