Rate My Professor Sam Fowler

Dr. Sam Fowler is a lecturer in the School of Education at Adelaide University, part of the College of Education, Behavioural and Social Sciences. He earned his Doctor of Philosophy from the University of South Australia between 2020 and 2023. Fowler brings extensive practical experience to his academic role, having served as a primary school teacher for Catholic Education South Australia from 1999 to 2019. He commenced his lecturing career in 2018, initially at the University of South Australia, and continues to collaborate with schools and education systems to enhance teachers' pedagogical reasoning and foster holistic teaching practices. Fowler is eligible to co-supervise Masters and PhD students and currently supports doctoral candidates in areas such as cognitive load theory, self-regulated learning, and in-service teacher development in Pacific Island countries.

Fowler's research centers on the implicit psychological aspects of learning, including epistemic beliefs, metacognition, motivation, and self-regulated learning, aiming to develop meaningful and authentic learning experiences for teachers and students. His research interests include education systems, educational psychology, learning, motivation and emotion, primary education, and teacher education and professional development. He has received notable recognition, including the Ian Davies Research Thesis Prize in 2023 for the most outstanding research thesis and the 2024 Ian Davies Research Thesis Prize worth AUD 5000 from the University of South Australia. Key publications include 'Perceptions and perspectives of Australian school leaders on the integration of artificial intelligence in schools' (2025, School Leadership & Management), 'Professional learning communities to facilitate professional development for using digital technology in the classroom' (2025, Frontiers in Education), 'Exploring the effect of teacher ontological and epistemic cognition on engagement with professional development' (2025, Professional Development in Education), 'Self-determined learning in a virtual makerspace: a pathway to improving spatial reasoning for upper primary students' (2023, International Journal of Technology and Design Education), and 'Designing maker initiatives for educational inclusion' (2023, International Journal of Technology and Design Education). Fowler has secured grants such as the Self Regulated Learning RCT from the Department for Education (2023-2029) and the High Achieving Teachers Program Phase 2 Expansion Pilots from the Commonwealth Department of Education (2024-2028), contributing to evidence-based interventions in South Australian primary schools and teacher professional development.