Dr Matthew Thomas

Affiliate Researcher (School of Education)

Biography

"You'll soon come to a major intersection with a four-way stop sign."

These driving instructions were provided to me ahead of my interview at a rural secondary school, and though I didn't realise it at the time, foreshadowed the lessons I'd learn in my first job as a K-12 teacher and the questions I'd explore throughout my career.

Even though the secondary school I attended as a student was less than an hour away, at the time I found the driving instructions comical; to me, a 'major intersection' would have stoplights instead of stop signs. But this difference only scratched the surface, and sparked new lines of inquiry. Whilst teaching I was curious how perspectives of education might vary within and across communities; how teachers' roles, work, and pedagogies may be mediated by a range of factors; and how educational policies influence the lives and outcomes of students, teachers, and school leaders. In short, I started to question and compare educational processes in a new way.

Building on these early experiences, I have devoted the last 20+ years of my professional career to the systematic study, teaching, and improvement of education across diverse contexts. I have worked as a researcher, teacher, teacher educator, and international development practitioner across Australia, Indonesia, Mali, Nigeria, Tanzania, the USA, the UK, and Zambia. I have completed consultancies and research projects for a range of organisations, including Aga Khan Foundation, Mastercard Foundation, Open Society Foundations, UNESCO-IICBA, UNESCO-IIEP, VVOB, USAID, and more.

My research broadly examines education policies, pedagogical practices, and teacher and higher education. I commonly employ in-depth, qualitative methods to explore how local and global conditions enable or constrain quality teaching, though I also have experience with quantitative and mixed methods research and welcome collaborations. I conduct this research in both high-income and low-income countries to highlight what can be learned from studying and comparing different educational systems and experiences. This research yields significant insights into the nexus between policy and practice, generating insights for improving teaching and learning in schools and universities.

My publications can be found in a range of academic journals and books as well as on the occaisional blog or podcast. I am also the co-editor of Examining Teach For All (Routledge, 2021), the Handbook of Theory in Comparative and International Education (Bloomsbury, 2021), and Australian Universities (Sydney University Press, 2022). Most recently, I am the lead co-editor of the Handbook of Method in Comparative and International Education (Bloomsbury), due out in early 2025.

Currently, I am Head of Department for Educational Leadership and Policy within the School of Education, and Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in International and Comparative Education. I also convene the Glasgow Comparative and International Education Research (GLACIER) network. Previously I was an Associate Professor of Comparative Education and Sociology of Education at the University of Sydney and an Assistant Professor of Global and Multicultural Education at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. To be honest, I never thought I'd work at any of these institutions - it seems life can be quite funny and interesting if you give it some space to breathe.

So, thanks for taking the time to read this. If you'd like to learn more, you'd like to work on a project together, you'd like to study with me, or you just really love jazz drumming, drop me an email.

Qualifications:

PhD, Comparative and International Development Education (University of Minnesota)

MA, International Educational Development (Teachers College, Columbia University)

BS, Music Education with Honors (Messiah College)

Research interests

See here for a complete listing of my publications.

Publications

List by: Type | Date

Jump to: 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011

Number of items: 59.

2025

Thomas, Matthew A.M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726, Jules, Tavis D., Schweisfurth, Michele ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5511-4134 and Shields, Robin (Eds.) (2025) The Bloomsbury Handbook of Method in Comparative and International Education. Series: Bloomsbury handbooks. Bloomsbury: London. ISBN 9781350421257 (In Press)

DeLaquil, Tessa and Thomas, Matthew A.M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726 (2025) Critical and multimodal discourse analysis in comparative and international education: methodological considerations. In: Thomas, M.A.M., Jules, T.D., Schweisfurth, M. and Shields, R. (eds.) The Bloomsbury Handbook of Method in Comparative and International Education. Bloomsbury. (Accepted for Publication)

Luoto, Jennifer, Rodríguez-Gómez, Diana and Thomas, Matthew A.M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726 (2025) Observations in comparative and international education: from highly structured to ethnographic approaches. In: Thomas, M.A.M., Jules, T.D., Schweisfurth, M. and Shields, R. (eds.) The Bloomsbury Handbook of Method in Comparative and International Education. Bloomsbury. (Accepted for Publication)

Thomas, Matthew A.M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726, Engel, Laura and Xu, Leo Ren-hao (2025) Interviews and focus groups in comparative and international education: more than merely talking. In: Thomas, M.A.M., Jules, T.D., Schweisfurth, M. and Shields, R. (eds.) The Bloomsbury Handbook of Method in Comparative and International Education. Bloomsbury. (Accepted for Publication)

Thomas, Matthew A.M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726 and Jules, Tavis D. (2025) Conclusion: musings on method in comparative and international education. In: Thomas, M.A.M., Jules, T.D., Schweisfurth, M. and Shields, R. (eds.) The Bloomsbury Handbook of Method in Comparative and International Education. Bloomsbury. (Accepted for Publication)

Thomas, Matthew A.M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726 and Schweisfurth, Michele ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5511-4134 (2025) Method matters: an introduction to method in comparative and international education. In: Thomas, M.A.M., Jules, T.D., Schweisfurth, M. and Shields, R. (eds.) The Bloomsbury Handbook of Method in Comparative and International Education. Bloomsbury. (Accepted for Publication)

2024

Thomas, Matthew A. M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726 and Lefebvre, Elisabeth E. (2024) Working from professional and political scripts: Teach For All and the globalization of a (domestic) teacher education model. In: Dumay, Xavier, Sorensen, Tore and Paine, Lynn (eds.) World Yearbook of Education 2025 - The Teaching Profession in a Globalizing World: Governance, Career, Learning. Series: World yearbook of education. Routledge, pp. 196-211. ISBN 9781032579450 (In Press)

Hand, Christopher J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1536-4005, Thomas, Matthew A.M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726, Chipindi, Janet Serenje, Boeren, Ellen ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2285-5814, Kim, Janice ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4336-0167 and Lynch, Paul (2024) A mixed-method evaluation of IT'S PLAY: Improving Teaching Skills on Playful Learning for Africa’s Youngest. Endline Report. Project Report. University of Glasgow. (doi: 10.36399/gla.pubs.350344).

Lefebvre, Elisabeth E. and Thomas, Matthew A.M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726 (2024) “I knew I had to leave”: a Bourdieusian analysis of why Teach For America teachers quit early. Teaching and Teacher Education, 142, 104520. (doi: 10.1016/j.tate.2024.104520)

Thomas, Matthew A.M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726 and Lefebvre, Elisabeth E. (2024) Learning, teaching, and researching with Bourdieu: a collaborative reflection on Bourdieusian encounters. In: Stahl, Garth, Mu, Guanglun Michael, Ayling, Pere and Weininger, Elliot B. (eds.) The Bloomsbury Handbook of Bourdieu and Educational Research. Bloomsbury Academic. ISBN 9781350349162 (In Press)

Hand, Christopher J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1536-4005, Thomas, Matthew A.M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726, Chipindi, Janet Serenje, Boeren, Ellen ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2285-5814 and Lynch, Paul (2024) A mixed-method evaluation of IT'S PLAY: Improving Teaching Skills on Playful Learning for Africa’s Youngest. Baseline Report. Project Report. University of Glasgow. (doi: 10.36399/gla.pubs.350343).

2023

Thomas, Matthew A.M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726, Serenje, Janet and Mwaka Chipindi, Ferdinand (2023) (Re)considering and teaching sociologies in Zambian teacher education: Seeking Mbuyi, Mulenga, and Munkombwe. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 44(7), pp. 1199-1215. (doi: 10.1080/01425692.2023.2256987)

Thomas, Matthew A. M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726 and Xu, Ren-Hao (2023) The emergence and policy (mis)alignment of Teach For Taiwan. Journal of Education Policy, 38(4), pp. 686-709. (doi: 10.1080/02680939.2022.2095036)

Chan, Stefanie Sze Wing, Thomas, Matthew A.M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726 and Mockler, Nicole (2023) Amplifying organisational discourses to the public: media narratives of Teach for Australia, 2008-2020. British Educational Research Journal, 49(2), pp. 231-247. (doi: 10.1002/berj.3840)

Thomas, Matthew A.M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726 and Boivin, Kelsey N. (2023) Teaching and teacher education: an overview of sociological perspectives. In: Maxwell, Claire, Yemini, Miri and Engel, Laura (eds.) Sociological Foundations of Education. Series: Educational foundations (3). Bloomsbury Academic. ISBN 9781350171022

2022

Horne, Julia and Thomas, Matthew A.M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726 (Eds.) (2022) Australian Universities: A conversation about public good. Series: Public and Social Policy Series. Sydney University Press. ISBN 9781743328705

Lefebvre, Elisabeth E., Pradhan, Sahara and Thomas, Matthew A. M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726 (2022) The discursive utility of the global, local, and national: teach for all in Africa. Comparative Education Review, 66(4), pp. 620-642. (doi: 10.1086/721709)

Thomas, Matthew A. M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726 and Baxendale, Helen (2022) Wendy Kopp. In: Geier, Brett A. (ed.) The Palgrave Handbook of Educational Thinkers. Palgrave Macmillan: Cham. ISBN 9783030810375 (doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-81037-5_208-1)

Lefebvre, Elisabeth, Thomas, Matthew A.M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726 and Crawford-Garrett, Katherine (2022) The progressive neoliberalism of Teach For America. In: Sharma, Ajay, Schmeichel, Mardi and Wurzburg, Elizabeth (eds.) Progressive Neoliberalism in Education: Critical Perspectives on Manifestations and Resistance. Series: Routledge studies in education, neoliberalism, and Marxism. Routledge: London, pp. 135-150. ISBN 9781032123059 (doi: 10.4324/9781003224013-12)

Thomas, Matthew A. M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726 (2022) Curricular conundrums: internationalising teaching and teacher education in Wisconsin. Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, (doi: 10.1080/13540602.2022.2098270) (Early Online Publication)

Schweisfurth, Michele ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5511-4134, Thomas, Matthew A.M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726 and Smail, Amy (2022) Revisiting comparative pedagogy: methodologies, themes, and research communities since 2000. Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, 52(4), pp. 560-580. (doi: 10.1080/03057925.2020.1797475)

Anderson, Ashlee B., Thomas, Matthew A. M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726 and Brewer, T. Jameson (2022) Teach For America influence on non-TFA teachers in TFA-hiring schools. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 30, 98. (doi: 10.14507/epaa.30.6163)

Lefebvre, Elisabeth E. and Thomas, Matthew A.M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726 (2022) Alternative routes to teaching. In: Peters, Michael A. (ed.) Encyclopedia of Teacher Education. Springer: Singapore, pp. 32-37. ISBN 9789811686788 (doi: 10.1007/978-981-16-8679-5_49)

2021

Thomas, Matthew A. M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726 and Vavrus, Frances K. (2021) The Pluto problem: reflexivities of discomfort in teacher professional development. Critical Studies in Education, 62(4), pp. 486-501. (doi: 10.1080/17508487.2019.1587782)

Thomas, Matthew A.M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726 and Talbot, Debra (2021) Exploring epistemologies: deepening pre-service teachers’ ways of knowing through international professional experience. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 49(2), pp. 163-176. (doi: 10.1080/1359866X.2019.1695100)

Jules, Tavis D., Shields, Robin and Thomas, Matthew A.M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726 (Eds.) (2021) The Bloomsbury Handbook of Theory in Comparative and International Education. Bloomsbury Academic: London. ISBN 9781350078758

Thomas, Matthew A.M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726 and Schweisfurth, Michele (2021) Constructivism and learner-centeredness in comparative and international education: where theories meet practice. In: Jules, Tavis D., Shields, Robin and Thomas, Matthew A.M. (eds.) The Bloomsbury Handbook of Theory in Comparative and International Education. Bloomsbury Academic: London, pp. 299-312. ISBN 9781350078758 (doi: i10.5040/9781350078789.ch-017)

Thomas, Matthew A.M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726, Rauschenberger, Emilee and Crawford-Garrett, Katherine (Eds.) (2021) Examining Teach For All: International Perspectives on a Growing Global Network. Series: Oxford studies in comparative education. Routledge: Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY. ISBN 9780367523879

Crawford-Garrett, Katy, Oldham, Sam and Thomas, Matthew A. M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726 (2021) Maintaining meritocratic mythologies: Teach For America and Ako Mātātupu: Teach First New Zealand. Comparative Education, 57(3), pp. 360-376. (doi: 10.1080/03050068.2021.1885130)

Talbot, Debra and Thomas, Matthew A. M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726 (2021) Experience in another place: teacher learning from an overseas placement. Teaching Education, 32(2), pp. 109-126. (doi: 10.1080/10476210.2019.1650905)

Thomas, Matthew A.M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726, Crawford-Garrett, Katherine and Rauschenberger, Emilee (2021) A growing global network: the development of international research on Teach For All. In: Thomas, Matthew A.M., Rauschenberger, Emilee and Crawford-Garrett, Katherine (eds.) Examining Teach For All: International Perspectives on a Growing Global Network. Series: Oxford studies in comparative education. Routledge: Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY, pp. 36-59. ISBN 9780367336486 (doi: 10.4324/9780429331695-3)

2020

Thomas, Matthew A. M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726 and Banki, Susan (2020) Toward a framework for assessing the ‘global’ and ‘citizen’ in global citizenship education in Australia and beyond. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 42(5), pp. 732-748. (doi: 10.1080/01596306.2020.1843113)

Crawford-Garrett, Katherine, Rauschenberger, Emilee and Thomas, Matthew A. M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726 (2020) Examining Teach For All: an introduction. In: Thomas, Matthew A. M., Rauschenberger, Emilee and Crawford-Garrett, Katherine (eds.) Examining Teach For All: International Perspectives on a Growing Global Network. Routledge: Abingdon, pp. 3-12. ISBN 9780367336486 (doi: 10.4324/9780429331695-1)

Thomas, Matthew A. M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726, Rauschenberger, Emilee and Crawford-Garrett, Katherine (2020) Final thoughts on Teach For All. In: Thomas, Matthew A. M., Rauschenberger, Emilee and Crawford-Garrett, Katherine (eds.) Examining Teach For All: International Perspectives on a Growing Global Network. Routledge: Abingdon, pp. 267-275. ISBN 9780367336486 (doi: 10.4324/9780429331695-14)

Thomas, Matthew A. M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726, Serenje-Chipindi, Janet and Mwaka Chipindi, Ferdinand (2020) Comparing course syllabi from A to Z: examining the contexts, contents, and concerns for social foundations of education in Australia and Zambia. In: Mazawi, André Elias and Stack, Michelle (eds.) Course Syllabi in Faculties of Education: Bodies of Knowledge and Their Discontents, International and Comparative Perspectives. Bloomsbury Academic: London, pp. 38-50. ISBN 9781350094253 (doi: 10.5040/9781350094277.0008)

2019

Thomas, Matthew A. M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726 and Mosselson, Jacqueline (2019) Advancing the teaching of comparative and international education. In: Wiseman, Alexander W. (ed.) Annual Review of Comparative and International Education 2018. Series: International Perspectives on Education and Society, 37. Emerald Publishing, pp. 89-95. ISBN 9781838674151 (doi: 10.1108/S1479-367920190000037010)

Lefebvre, Elisabeth E. and Thomas, Matthew A. M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726 (2019) Alternative routes to teaching. In: Peters, Michael A. (ed.) Encyclopedia of Teacher Education. Springer Singapore: Singapore, pp. 1-6. ISBN 9789811311796 (doi: 10.1007/978-981-13-1179-6_49-1)

Lihwa, Flavian, Johnstone, Christopher J., Thomas, Matthew A. M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726 and Krause, Brooke (2019) Remoteness as a gendered construct. Development in Practice, 29(4), pp. 501-513. (doi: 10.1080/09614524.2019.1577358)

McCormick, Alexandra and Thomas, Matthew A. M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726 (2019) Teaching undergraduate comparative and international education: pedagogy, social justice and global issues in education. In: Freebody, Kelly, Goodwin, Susan and Proctor, Helen (eds.) Higher Education, Pedagogy and Social Justice: Politics and Practice. Springer International Publishing, pp. 137-156. ISBN 9783030264840 (doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-26484-0_9)

2018

Thomas, Matthew A. M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726 and Lefebvre, Elisabeth E. (2018) The dangers of relentless pursuit: teaching, personal health, and the symbolic/real violence of Teach For America. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 39(6), pp. 856-867. (doi: 10.1080/01596306.2017.1311298)

Crawford-Garrett, Katherine and Thomas, Matthew A. M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726 (2018) Teacher education and the global impact of Teach For All. In: Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Education. Oxford University Press. (doi: 10.1093/acrefore/9780190264093.013.417)

Thomas, Matthew A. M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726 (2018) “Good intentions can only get you so far”: critical reflections from Teach For America corps members placed in special education. Education and Urban Society, 50(5), pp. 435-460. (doi: 10.1177/0013124517713604)

Thomas, Matthew A. M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726 (2018) Research capacity and dissemination among academics in Tanzania: examining knowledge production and the perceived binary of ‘local’ and ‘international’ journals. Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, 48(2), pp. 281-298. (doi: 10.1080/03057925.2017.1318046)

Thomas, Matthew A.M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726 (2018) ‘Policy embodiment’: alternative certification and Teach For America teachers in traditional public schools. Teaching and Teacher Education, 70, pp. 186-195. (doi: 10.1016/j.tate.2017.11.011)

Thomas, Matthew ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726 and Yehle, Ann (2018) A framework for enacting the metapedagogy method in teacher education: what, why, where, when, and how? In: Lopez, Ann E. and Olan, Elsie L. (eds.) Transformative Pedagogies for Teacher Education: Moving Towards Critical Praxis in an Era of Change. Series: Transformative Pedagogies in Teacher Education. Information Age Publishing. ISBN 9781641131094

Thomas, Matthew A. M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726 and Mockler, Nicole (2018) Alternative routes to teacher professional identity: exploring the conflated sub-identities of Teach For America corps members. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 26(6), (doi: 10.14507/epaa.26.3015)

Wolhuter, Charl C., Thomas, Matthew ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726, Mashau, Takalani S. and Steyn, Hennie J. (2018) Comparative and international education: a tool for powerful global impact available to South African scholars. In: Wolhuter, Charl C. (ed.) Raising the Impact of Education Research in Africa. AOSIS, pp. 253-284. ISBN 9781928396802 (doi: 10.4102/aosis.2018.bk53.12)

2017

Lefebvre, Elisabeth E. and Thomas, Matthew A. M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726 (2017) ‘Shit shows’ or ‘like-minded schools’: charter schools and the neoliberal logic of Teach For America. Journal of Education Policy, 32(3), pp. 357-371. (doi: 10.1080/02680939.2017.1280184)

Thomas, Matthew A. M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726 (2017) Teaching Comparative Education: Trends and Issues Informing Practice edited by Patricia K.Kubow and Allison H. Blosser. Oxford: Symposium Books Ltd., 2016. 212 pp.$72.00. ISBN 978-1-873927-82-3. Comparative Education Review, 61(1), pp. 217-220. (doi: 10.1086/690060)[Book Review]

Thomas, Matthew A. M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726 and Salema, Victorini (2017) Learning about teaching: a collaborative research exploration of learner-centered pedagogy in Tanzania. In: Smith, Cristine and Hudson, Katherine (eds.) Faculty Development in Developing Countries: Improving Teaching Quality in Higher Education. Series: Routledge research in international and comparative education. Routledge, pp. 64-85. ISBN 9781315732312

Shah, Ritesh, McCormick, Alexandra and Thomas, Matthew A. M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726 (2017) Shifting tides: reflecting on regional aspects of our roles as comparative and international educators. International Education Journal: Comparative Perspectives, 16(3), pp. 49-68.

Thomas, Matthew A. M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726 and McCormick, Alexandra (2017) Exploring equity gaps in education: toward unity, not uniformity. International Education Journal: Comparative Perspectives, 16(3), pp. 1-4.

2014

Thomas, Matthew A. M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726, Thomas, Carolyn M. and Lefebvre, Elisabeth E. (2014) Dissecting the teacher monolith: experiences of beginning basic school teachers in Zambia. International Journal of Educational Development, 38, pp. 37-46. (doi: 10.1016/j.ijedudev.2014.05.006)

Thomas, Matthew A. M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726 (2014) Whitman, J. (2012). Destination: Teach for America: Building leadership, mastering the application, acing the interviews. Philadelphia, PA: Pine Street Press. 196 pp. $29.95. ISBN: 9780988205208. Education and Urban Society, 48(5), pp. 527-529. (doi: 10.1177/0013124514536442)[Book Review]

2013

Bartlett, Lesley, Jose Bermeo, Maria, Boniface, Theresia, Mogusu, Emmanuel, Ngarina, Dorothy, Rugambwa, Allen, Salema, Victorini, Thomas, Matthew A. M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726, Vavrus, Frances and Webb, Tamara (2013) International collaboration. In: Bartlett, Lesley and Vavrus, Frances (eds.) Teaching in Tension: International Pedagogies, National Policies, and Teachers’ Practices in Tanzania. Series: Pittsburgh studies in comparative and international education. SensePublishers, pp. 169-193. ISBN 9789462092242 (doi: 10.1007/978-94-6209-224-2_10)

Rugambwa, Allen and Thomas, Matthew A. M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726 (2013) Teachers' conceptualizations and practices of inclusion. In: Bartlett, Lesley and Vavrus, Frances (eds.) Teaching in Tension: International Pedagogies, National Policies, and Teachers’ Practices in Tanzania. Series: Pittsburgh studies in comparative and international education. SensePublishers, pp. 115-131. ISBN 9789462092242 (doi: 10.1007/978-94-6209-224-2_7)

Thomas, Matthew A. M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726 and Rugambwa, Allen (2013) Gendered aspects of classroom practice. In: Vavrus, Frances and Bartlett, Lesley (eds.) Teaching in Tension: International Pedagogies, National Policies, and Teachers’ Practices in Tanzania. Series: Pittsburgh studies in comparative and international education. SensePublishers, pp. 133-148. ISBN 9789462092242 (doi: 10.1007/978-94-6209-224-2_8)

2012

Thomas, Carolyn M. and Thomas, Matthew A. M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726 (2012) Zambian teachers’ perceptions of expert teaching: resourcefulness, punctuality, and sobriety. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 25(5), pp. 583-600. (doi: 10.1080/09518398.2011.605077)

2011

Thomas, Matthew A. M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726 and Rugambwa, Allen (2011) Equity, power, and capabilities: constructions of gender in a Tanzanian secondary school. Feminist Formations, 23(3), pp. 153-175. (doi: 10.1353/ff.2011.0030)

This list was generated on Sun Jun 15 04:28:29 2025 BST.

Jump to: Articles | Book Sections | Book Reviews | Edited Books | Research Reports or Papers

Number of items: 59.

Articles

Book Sections

Book Reviews

Edited Books

Research Reports or Papers

Hand, Christopher J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1536-4005, Thomas, Matthew A.M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6950-5726, Chipindi, Janet Serenje, Boeren, Ellen ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2285-5814 and Lynch, Paul (2024) A mixed-method evaluation of IT'S PLAY: Improving Teaching Skills on Playful Learning for Africa’s Youngest. Baseline Report. Project Report. University of Glasgow. (doi: 10.36399/gla.pubs.350343).

This list was generated on Sun Jun 15 04:28:29 2025 BST.

Grants

Selected Grants

2024-2026 - Aga Khan Foundation (Schools2030 programme) - “Teacher Agency and Innovation in Tanzania: Exploring and Advancing Change." (PI, £117,780)
2022-2024 - VVOB / Lego Foundation - "A mixed-method evaluation of IT'S PLAY: Improving Teaching Skills on Playful Learning for Africa’s Youngest." (Co-I, £77,369)
2022-2024 - New South Wales Department of Education - "Mid-career Transition to Teaching Program." (co-I, £518,217)
2022-2023 - British Association of International and Comparative Education - “Surveying the uses of podcasts in higher education." (PI, £4,993)
2021-2022 - Office of Global Engagement, University of Sydney - "Global Development Award." (PI, £10,195)
2018-2019 - British Association of International and Comparative Education - "Revisiting Comparative Pedagogy." (co-I, £4,546)
2017-2020 - Australia Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade - "International Professional Experiences for Teacher Education Students." (co-I, £205,207)

Supervision

Research Supervision Areas

I welcome supervision inquiries from potential students who share my research interests, including but not limited to:

Global education policies
Teachers and teaching
Teacher education
Higher education
Comparative and international education
Sociology of education

Supervision Inquiries

If you are interested in studying with me, please email me the following:

Research proposal of approximately 3000 words (see here for guidance)
Recent CV
Transcripts of all academic degrees
Any books, articles, chapters, or reports you’ve published already
A 300-word description of how your research experiences/interests align with my research and why you’re interested in pursuing a PhD specifically with me (i.e., I would strongly recommend reading at least 2-3 of my papers/chapters).
A brief description of your funding situation (e.g., already in receipt of a scholarship, planning to apply to one, planning to self-fund, etc.)
A listing of other academics/programmes you have contacted at Glasgow and beyond as well as the status of those exchanges.

Current PhD Supervision

Research Supervision Summary

I recieved a Supervisor of the Year Award from the Sydney University Postgraduate Representative Association in 2019, and to date I have supervised and supported 4 PhD completions as well as 9 Masters and 9 Undergraduate Honours students.

Past PhD Supervisions

Leo Ren-hao Xu (2023) - Problematising higher education enrolment policy: A comparative case study of Australia and Taiwan. (First supervisor; University of Sydney).

John Iromea (2022) - School leaders' and teachers' perceptions of leadership, cultural knowledge and school effectiveness: A case study of five Solomon Islands urban secondary schools. (First supervisor; University of Sydney).

Lipei Wang (2021) - Global citizenship education in Chinese secondary schools: Intentions and practices from a curriculum perspective. (Third supervisor; University of Sydney).

Rosaria Indah (2021) - Community-based medical education: Exploring doctor-patient interactions in post-disaster Aceh, Indonesia. (First supervisor; University of Sydney).

Past PhD Examinations

Barton, A. (2024). Making sense of educational change: A longitudinal mixed-methods study of how students and teachers come to understand and enact school reform in Brazil. University of Cambridge.

Fernández Ugalde, R. A. (2024). Labouring to teach: Accounting for policy transformations in teachers' labour and institutional regimes in Chile between 1980-2021. University of Cambridge.

Tolkah Adityas, M. (2022). The self in struggle: Indonesian secondary school teachers’ multiplicity of voices amidst competing discourses of tolerance. University of Auckland.

Penn, S. (2019). "How do they do it?" An investigation into the practices of Australian teachers and principals working in low SES schools. Murdoch University.

Iddy, H. (2018). Girls and secondary education in rural Tanzania: Perceptions, obstacles, and future possibilities. The University of Newcastle.

Yin, Y. (2018). From university graduates to teachers in disadvantaged schools: A sociological study of participation in an alternative teacher recruitment program. Queensland University of Technology.

Teaching

Current Teaching and Leadership

I contribute lectures and support pedagogical activities for various programmes, including but not limited to the MSc in International and Comparative Education, the MSc in Education, Public Policy, and Equity, and the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master in Education Policies for Global Development (GLOBED).

Previous Teaching and Leadership

I was the inaugural Programme Leader for the MSc in International and Comparative Education at the University of Glasgow, and served at the University of Sydney as Acting Programme Director for the Master for International Education and Deputy Programme Director for the Initial Teacher Education Foundations Suite. I have also supported a number of curriculum reform projects in Wisconsin (USA), Sydney (Aus), and Glasgow (UK).

My teaching and programmatic work has been formally recognised as: 1) an Outstanding Faculty for Internationalization Award (2020), Study Abroad & International Students SIG of the Comparative and International Education Society; 2) a Teaching Excellence Award (2019) and Dean's Commendation for Excellence in Teaching (2017) from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Sydney; 3) a Finalist for the Provost’s Excellence in Teaching Award (2015), University of Wisconsin-La Crosse; and a Teaching Award (2005), Newport Public High School.

I have led courses of different levels (undergraduate to doctoral), formats (in-person, hybrid, entirely asynchronous virtual), and sizes (from 3 to 439 students), including hiring, training, and mentoring a team of up to ten tutors.

Doctoral: Education Policy

Masters: Research Seminar in Comparative Education & International Development; Globalization and Education; International Trends in Education Policy; Global Actors and International Education Policies; School and Society; Human Relations: Applied Skills for School and Society; Educational Psychology

Bachelors: Education in a Global Society; Social Perspectives of Education (Sociology of Education); Human Relations: Applied Skills for School and Society; Understanding Human Differences; Foundations of U.S. Public Education; Professional Experience; Student Teaching Seminar

Secondary: Music Theory; High School Concert Band; Middle School Concert Band; Marching Band; Jazz Band; Pit Orchesta; Girls' Indoor Soccer

Additional information

Journal Serivce

Editorial Board Member, British Journal of Sociology of Education (Taylor & Francis)
Editorial Board Member, Curriculum Journal (Wiley)
Editorial Board Member, International Studies in the Sociology of Education (Taylor & Francis)
Editorial Board Member, Zambian Journal of Educational Management, Administration and Leadership (University of Zambia)
International Advisory Board Member, Comparative Education Review (University of Chicago Press)
College of Reviewers, Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education (Taylor & Francis)

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