Bio
Dr. Shyam Barr helps educators foster students’ metacognition and self-regulated learning.
He has extensive professional experience in the education sector, with over 15 years of experience, including working as a secondary school science teacher (Psychology, General Science, and Mathematics), an educational leader (learning strategies, data regimes, and professional learning), and an education consultant and researcher. He has held roles nationally and internationally and is currently based in Canberra, Australia.
Shyam holds a Bachelor of Education (Secondary Education) and a Bachelor of Science, with a major in Psychology and minor in Biology. Additionally, he has completed a Master of Education, specialising in Leadership, Policy and Change, a second Master of Education, specialising in Cognitive Psychology and Educational Practice, and in 2021, he was awarded a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) for his thesis titled “Sustainable school improvement: Enhancing school middle-leaders epistemic cognition for teaching about self-regulated learning”.
To complement his work with organisations, he works as an Assistant Professor of Learning Sciences (Design & Pedagogy) in the Faculty of Education, University of Canberra. Shyam’s research explores professional learning approaches that support teachers’ thinking and practice about self‑regulated learning. He has published his research through different avenues, including scholarly books and journals, educator journals, guest interviews on podcasts, and via his personal blog.
In 2020, he was the largest prize-winner of the University of Canberra Big Research Pitch Competition, winning funding for his pitch “preparing young people for uncertain times”. In 2021, Shyam was awarded a Distinction in Engagement and Impact from the University of Canberra Faculty of Education for his contributions and partnerships with schools. Most recently, he also received a Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning acknowledging his implementation of innovative and evidence-informed approaches to tertiary education.
As an avid learner, Shyam understands the psyche and emotional heartbeat of what learners need to feel confident, and when they do, how critical that is to ultimate performance. This year, he is (1) partnering with organisations to rethink professional learning models and foster a culture of self-regulated learning, (2) supporting innovative teachers ready to enhance their practice, and (3) helping individuals understand the science of learning so they can achieve new levels of success.
We were born
to learn
– We learnt to walk, to talk, to read, to write etc., but how conscious were we in this process of learning?