Rate My Professor Simone Blom

Dr. Simone Blom serves as Senior Lecturer and Director of Professional Experience in the Faculty of Education at Southern Cross University. She holds the qualifications SFHEA, BSc from the University of Melbourne, BTeach from Deakin University, BEd (Hons) from Southern Cross University, and PhD from Southern Cross University, awarded in 2022 for her thesis titled ReTurning learning: exploring childhoodnature through posthumanism. With over two decades of experience in education, Blom has taught and held leadership positions across primary, secondary, and tertiary levels, specializing in environmental and science education. Recognized nationally and internationally as an educational leader, she excels in high-impact project roles, workshop facilitation, and translating complex concepts into accessible solutions. Her contributions align with UN Sustainable Development Goals through collaborations with community groups and government departments to develop award-winning programs enhancing student engagement in science and nature.

Blom's academic interests encompass environmental education pedagogies and practices, posthuman theories grounded in quantum mechanics, creative and innovative methodologies, science education, STEM teaching and learning, teacher education, post-qualitative methodologies, and boosting pre- and in-service teacher confidence. Notable publications include Entanglements of matter and meaning: The importance of the philosophy of Karen Barad for environmental education (Australian Journal of Environmental Education, 2020, with S.L. Brown and L. Siegel); Education in a changing climate: Reconceptualising school and classroom climate through the fiery atmos-fears of Australia’s Black summer (Children's Geographies, 2022, with B. Verlie); Staying-with the traces: mapping-making posthuman and indigenist philosophy in environmental education research (Australian Journal of Environmental Education, 2020, with A. Cutter-Mackenzie-Knowles et al.); Where is the love in environmental education research? A diffractive analysis of steiner, ecosomaesthetics and biophilia (Australian Journal of Environmental Education, 2020); and Diffractive ethnography: a divergent methodology in educational research (2025, with A. Lasczik and A. Cutter-Mackenzie-Knowles). She received the 2023 Australian Awards for University Teaching Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning, recognizing sustained improvements in student confidence and success in science education via inclusive, enjoyable content, and a Vice Chancellor’s Citation for excellence in Student Engagement.