Dr Melissa Barnes is a lecturer in the Faculty of Education, working within the fields of teacher education, assessment, policy and TESOL. She teaches and leads research initiatives that focus on policy construction, interpretation and enactment, with a focus on how policies, including structures such as curriculum and assessments, impact and shape teaching and learning. She has published in journals such as Critical Studies in Education, Discourse and English for Academic Purposes, among others. Melissa has been a classroom teacher in the US, Germany, Vietnam and Australia, collectively shaping her understanding and approach to teaching and learning. 

Melissa's research interests include Policy, Assessment, Curriculum and Pedagogy, Sustainability, Teaching English as a Second Language (TESOL), English as an International Language and language and literacy development.