Martin Westwell

Chief Executive of the South Australian Department for Education

Professor Martin Westwell became Chief Executive of the South Australian Department for Education in April 2022, after leading the SACE Board for 4 years. He has extensive experience using evidence to shape education policy, practice, and innovation. Martin was a Chief Investigator at the ARC Science of Learning Research Centre and worked with UNESCO on education strategy in the Asia-Pacific. In 2018, he received the ACEL Gold Medal for his contributions to educational leadership. He holds a PhD from Cambridge University and was a Research Fellow at Oxford University in biological chemistry.

2 total results

AI in education: A system that learns with its students

May 12,2025

'In embracing EdChat, we chose responsiveness over rigidity, learning over waiting, and trust over control.’ In his latest column, Professor Martin Westwell – Chief Executive of the South Australian Department for Education – shares the thinking behind a generative AI chatbot that has been custom-built for teaching and learning, and its initial impact.

artificial intelligence, digital technology, education resources, curriculum implementation, expertise, long reads

The power of professional judgement

Mar 17,2025

In his first Teacher column Professor Martin Westwell, Chief Executive of the South Australian Department for Education, discusses a worrying trend in education and PISA 2022 evidence that ‘our greatest strength in education is the professional judgement of our teachers’.

expertise, effective teaching methods, evidence-based practice, mathematics, student welfare, long reads

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