DrSharon Horwood

Dr Sharon Horwood is a highly experienced educator and teaching leader in psychology, with sustained expertise in large enrolment teaching, across developmental and personality psychology, and the integration of research and teaching practice. Her work focuses on designing scalable, evidence-informed learning environments that centre students as active participants in their own learning and development.

Sharon has led large enrolment psychology units for over 15 years, including core first-year and third-year programs, and currently serves as Unit Chair of Personality Psychology. Through these leadership roles, she has developed a deep understanding of teaching at scale and has implemented innovative approaches to foster engagement, critical thinking, and authentic learning in complex educational environments. Central to this work is the design of an integrated system of personalised data provision, supporting more than 11,000 students to engage with tailored insights about their own learning and development.

Her teaching philosophy is grounded in cultivating a growth mindset, encouraging students to see their abilities as capable of development through effort, reflection, and active engagement. She creates opportunities for active learning and discovery, empowering students to develop critical life skills including self-reflection, communication, and self-directed learning. Sharon’s approach embeds complex ideas within personally meaningful contexts and authentic professional scenarios, enabling students to connect disciplinary knowledge with future career pathways. Her teaching and research integration positions students as the source of information about their own personality, drawing on multiple forms of data to support critical thinking, real-world application, and the development of empathy for future clinical and professional practice.

Sharon’s sustained contributions to teaching excellence have been recognised through prestigious institutional and national awards, including a Vice-Chancellor’s W.C. Banks Award for Distinguished Contributions to Teaching and Learning (2013) and an Office for Learning and Teaching (OLT) Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning (2014). These awards recognise significant, sustained contributions to enhancing student learning in higher education.

Her work reflects a clear commitment to advancing student learning through innovative, research-informed teaching practices that are impactful at scale and grounded in a strong pedagogical vision.