Paul Evans is a Professor of Educational Psychology in the School of Education at UNSW Sydney. His areas of expertise include motivation, instruction, practice, and performance in educational settings. His research with schools, universities, and music programs focuses on how teaching strategies and learning environments contribute to student learning, motivation, and engagement. Paul supervises a team of research students and convenes the Cognitive Load and Motivation Lab at UNSW. He teaches educational psychology in undergraduate, postgraduate, and research degree programs, and is an active member of the Educational Psychology Research Group.

Research

My research studies people in educational contexts such as school classrooms, workplaces, universities, and music studios. Across these contexts, I examine sources of high-quality motivation and the kinds of behaviours and cognitions required for learning and improving expertise. I also study the effectiveness of various teaching approaches and strategies in relation to how the mind learns, including the following areas:

• Self-determination theory, a theory of motivation, development, and psychological needs.
• Cognitive load theory, a theory of instructional strategies based on human cognitive architecture
• Self-regulated learning, a framework of metacognitive and behavioural strategies that influence learning.
• Deliberate practice, an approach to studying the amount and quality of practice behaviours that lead to improvements in learning and performance.

This research ranges from theoretical and fundamental research to applied research as part of partnerships with schools and other educational organisations. It is published in a range of internationally recognised, peer-reviewed academic journals, books, and international conferences. I have collaborated with over 30 academic researchers nationally and internationally, and supervise a team of research students who belong to the Cognitive Load and Motivation Research Lab at UNSW. I hold editorial roles for major journal publications, and I am a regular peer-reviewer for journals in educational psychology, music psychology, and music education.

Research Supervision

I convene the Cognitive Load and Motivation Research Lab, a group of researchers and research students working in and across cognitive load theory, motivation, and related areas in educational settings (including schools, classrooms across a range of subjects, or with a focus on music). I have limited places available for research degree students (MEd, EdD, and PhD) who wish to work in these areas.

Current Research Students

• Hayley Dean (EdD)
• Jonathan Clipsham (EdD)
• Fiona Cooney (EdD)
• Yooie Choi (EdD)
• Stephen Lukins (PhD)
• Rebecca Birch (PhD)
• Leanne McLean (EdD)
• Penni Maher (EdD)
• Emerson Nottingham (PhD)
• Peter Perry (Grad Cert Ed)

Past Research Students

• Serena (Wei) Sun (PhD)
• Ranni Merli Safitri (PhD)
• Bronwyn Bell (PhD)
• Sijing (Fiona) Zhou (BEd Honours, 2021)
• Andrew Kingsford-Smith (MEd, 2019)
• Elisabeth Freer (PhD, 2018)
• Danny Carroll (MPhil, 2018)
• Tamica Grant (PhD co-supervisor, 2017)
• Siriwimon Na Chiangmai (PhD, 2016)
• Hamamah (PhD, 2015)
• Jennifer Fernandez (BEd Honours, 2013)

External Research Supervision

• Alicia Barksdale (DMA, Boston University, 2021)
• Byron Graves (DMA, Boston University, 2019)
• DuWayne Dale (DMA, Boston University, 2017)
• Mark Liu (DMA, Boston University, 2016)

Teaching

I teach classes in educational psychology and motivation, across pre-service teacher education programs and postgraduate professional development programs. I have previously taught classes in music psychology, music education, and creativity. My teaching philosophy is informed by my research in the area, and focuses on understanding students, their prior knowledge, and their interests, while developing evidence-informed teaching programs and strategies that engage students, develop their expertise, and maximise their potential.