Queensland Brain Institute

Dr Azhar Potia

ARC Early Career Industry Fellow
Queensland Brain Institute
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Researcher biography

I am a recipient of the Australian Research Council (ARC) Early Career Industry Fellowship 2023 and currently a Research Fellow at the Queensland Brain Institute (QBI-UQ) and Life Course Centre (LCC-UQ). I previously held a post-doctoral research fellow position (2019-2022) at the Institute for Social Science Research (ISSR). I am a behavioural economist with a strong background in conducting economic, natural experiments (program and policy) and randomised control trial (RCT) evaluations. My research focuses on improving educational and well-being outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (First Nations) students, and I work closely and collaborate with social organisations to achieve these goals.

My research is grounded in prior experience living and working in regional and remote Indigenous communities in Far North Queensland (Aurukun, Cairns and Hope Vale), where I worked as a program designer and coach addressing community-based financial literacy. This gave me first-hand experience of the community strengths but also systemic barriers to health, education and social inclusion faced by First Nations peoples as specified in the Closing the Gap reform targets. This experience shaped my subsequent research agenda. I am applying my training in behavioural economics to improve student learning and redress social inequity. My focus is education as a mechanism to disrupt disadvantage. I apply experimental design methodologies to identify intervention points across the education pathway where support programs can best enable positive education outcomes. I have an 8-year track record of engagements with industry organisations in designing and evaluating education programs to support First Nations students.

These industry engagements have contributed to my receiving the ARC Industry Fellowship that supports successful educational pathways for First Nation students. The fellowship aims to develop strategies to prevent the steep drop in educational outcomes and disengagement of First Nations students as they transition from primary to secondary school. In collaboration with Indigenous communities, Former Origin Greats (FOGS) Achieving Results Through Indigenous Education (ARTIE) Academy and the Queensland Department of Education (DoE), the fellowship seeks to generate effective culturally embedded support strategies to avert this steep drop.

Publications

Journal Articles (5)
Conference Paper (1)
Generic Document (1)
Newspaper Articles (2)
Research Reports (22)
Working Papers (2)
Theses (2)

Journal Articles

Thorpe, Karen, Potia, Azhar Hussain, Searle, Bonnie, Van Halen, Olivia, Lakeman, Nicole, Oakes, Candice, Harris, Holly and Staton, Sally (2022). Meal provision in early childhood education and care programs: Association with geographic disadvantage, social disadvantage, cost, and market competition in an Australian population. Social Science & Medicine, 312 115317, 1-10. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.115317
Rankin, Peter Sheldon, Staton, Sally, Potia, Azhar Hussain, Houen, Sandy and Thorpe, Karen (2022). Emotional quality of early education programs improves language learning: A within‐child across context design. Child Development, 93 (6), 1680-1697. doi: 10.1111/cdev.13811
Kler, Parvinder, Potia, Azhar Hussain and Shankar, Sriram (2021). Nappies, books and wrinkles: how children, qualifications and age affect female underemployment in Australia. Economic and Industrial Democracy, 44 (1), 138-160. doi: 10.1177/0143831x211064335
Potia, Azhar Hussain, Page, Steven, Mooney, Rebeckah, Dennis, Phil, Menner, Ryan and Thorpe, Karen (2020). We didn't plan for this - but we led and learned: ARTIE Academy and COVID-19. Australian Educational Leader, 42 (3), 53-55.
Kler, Parvinder, Potia, Azhar Hussain and Shankar, Sriram (2018). Underemployment in Australia: a panel investigation. Applied Economics Letters, 25 (1), 24-28. doi: 10.1080/13504851.2017.1290770

Conference Paper

Jabran, D., Potia, A., Smith, S., Solomon, S., Fernandez, D. and Fatima, Y. (2022). Prevalence of poor sleep in First Nations peoples across the globe: A systematic review. 33rd annual scientific meeting of Australasian Sleep Association (ASA) & Australian and New Zealand Sleep Science Association (ANZSSA) Sleep DownUnder 2022, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 8-11 November 2022. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/sleepadvances/zpac029.130

Generic Document

Thorpe, K., Potia, A., Beatton, T., Rankin, P. and Staton, S. (2020). Outcomes of Early Education and Care Policy Investments in Queensland 2010-2020. Education Horizon Final Report, Brisbane: Queensland Government, Department of Education.

Newspaper Articles

Fatima,Yaqoot, Potia, Azhar, Ward, James and Kinghorn, Mina (2023, 06 19). The first sleep health program for First Nations adolescents could change lives The Conversation
Thorpe, Karen, Potia, Azhar, Rankin, Peter, Staton, Sally and Houen, Sandy (2022, 06 21). 'Greatest transformation of early education in a generation'? Well, that depends on qualified, supported and thriving staff The Conversation

Research Reports

Povey, J., San Martin Porter, Macarena, Kennedy, E., Hussain Potia, A., Bellotti, M., Cook, S. and Austerberry, S. (2023). Building capacity for quality teaching in Australian schools: Queensland replication study - final report (Feb 2023). Building capacity for quality teaching in Australian schools Brisbane, Australia: Institute of Social Science Research, The University of Queensland.
Potia, Azhar Hussain , Rankin, Peter and Thorpe, Karen (2022). Transitions to secondary school: Risky and resilient trajectories in educational outcomes. Brisbane, Australia: The University of Queensland, Institute for Social Science Research.
Povey, Jenny, Kennedy, E., Hussain Potia, Azhar, Tomaszeski, W., Staton, S., Bellotti, M., Cook, S., San Martin Porter, M. and Austerberry, S. (2022). Building capacity for quality teaching in Australian schools: Queensland replication study progress report - Number 3 (Sep 2022). Building capacity for quality teaching in Australian schools Brisbane, QLD, Australia: Institute for Social Science Research, The University of Queensland.
Potia, Azhar Hussain, Wolf, Lohan, Rankin, Peter and Thorpe, Karen (2022). Education Queensland's student-level administrative database (2007 - 2019). Brisbane, QLD Australia: Life Course Centre.
Potia, Azhar Hussain , Rankin, Peter and Thorpe, Karen (2022). Successful transitions: Identifying predictors of resilient trajectories of transition into secondary school. Brisbane, Australia: The University of Queensland, Institute for Social Science Research.
Azhar Hussain Potia and Karen Thorpe (2022). Closing the (policy) gap and attendance cliff of First Nations students. Brisbane: Life Course Centre.
Povey, Jenny, Kennedy, Lizzie, Potia, Azhar, Tomaszewski, Wojtek, Staton, Sally, Cook, Steffi, Bellotti, Melindy, Austerberry, Sophie and San Martin Porter, Macarena (2022). Building capacity for quality teaching in Australian schools: Queensland replication study progress report - Number 2 (Feb 2022). Building capacity for quality teaching in Australian schools Brisbane, QLD, Australia: Institute for Social Science Research, The University of Queensland.
Povey, J., Kennedy, E. , Potia, A. H., Bellotti, M., Cook, S., Tomaszewski, W. and Staton, S. (2021). Building capacity for quality teaching in Australian schools: Queensland replication study progress report June 2021. Building capacity for quality teaching in Australian schools Institute for Social Science Research (ISSR): The University of Queensland.
Potia, Azhar Hussain, Brown, Richard and Smith, Simon (2021). BeYou Value for Money (VfM) conceptual framework. Brisbane, QLD Australia: Institute for Social Science Research.
Potia, Azhar Hussain, Brown, Richard and Smith, Simon (2021). Emerging Minds Value for Money (VfM) conceptual framework. Brisbane, QLD Australia: Institute for Social Science Research.
Potia, Azhar Hussain , Beatton, Tony , Tomaszewski, Wojtek , Moran, Mark and Thorpe, Karen (2021). Quantitative evaluation of the Beyond the Broncos Girls Academy program. Brisbane, Australia: Institute for Social Science Research.
Smith, Simon, Salom, Caroline, Edmed, Shanon, Marrington, Shelby, Mamun, Abdullah, Huda, M. Mamun, Potia, Azhar Hussain, Thorpe, Karen, Cross, Donna and Runions, Kevin (2021). Final report for the overarching evaluation of the National Support for Child and Youth Mental Health Program. Canberra, Australia: Department of Heath and Aged Care.
Thorpe, Karen, Potia, Azhar Hussain, Beatton, Tony, Rankin, Peter and Staton, Sally (2020). Educational outcomes of Queensland's investment in early childhood education and care (2007- 2020). Brisbane, QLD Australia: Institute for Social Science Research, The University of Queensland.
Thorpe, Karen, Potia, Azhar Hussain, Beatton, Tony, Rankin, Peter and Staton, Sally (2020). The most disadvantaged students: prep and educational outcomes. Brisbane, QLD Australia: Institute for Social Science Research.
Thorpe, Karen, Potia, Azhar Hussain, Beatton, Tony, Rankin, Peter and Staton, Sally (2020). Queensland State School students: Prep and NAPLAN results. Brisbane, QLD Australia: Institute for Social Science Research.
Thorpe, Karen, Potia, Azhar Hussain, Beatton, Tony, Rankin, Peter and Staton, Sally (2020). Queensland State School students: prep and educational outcomes. Brisbane, QLD Australia: Institute for Social Science Research.
Thorpe, Karen, Potia, Azhar Hussain, Beatton, Tony, Rankin, Peter and Staton, Sally (2020). Indigenous students: prep and educational outcomes. Brisbane, QLD Australia: Institute for Social Science Research.
Thorpe, Karen, Potia, Azhar Hussain, Beatton, Tony, Rankin, Peter and Staton, Sally (2020). The most disadvantaged students: prep and NAPLAN results. Brisbane, QLD Australia: Institute for Social Science Research.
Thorpe, Karen, Potia, Azhar Hussain, Beatton, Tony, Rankin, Peter and Staton, Sally (2020). Indigenous students: prep and NAPLAN results. Brisbane, QLD Australia: Institute for Social Science Research.
Potia, Azhar Hussain, Brown, Richard and Smith, Simon (2020). Evaluation of the National Support for Child and Youth Mental Health Program: value for money literature review. Brisbane, QLD Australia: Institute for Social Science Research.
Thorpe, Karen, Potia, Azhar Hussain, Rankin, Peter, Beatton, Tony and Staton, Sally (2019). Test cases for using Goodstart data. Brisbane, QLD Australia: Institute for Social Science Research, The University of Queensland.
Thorpe, Karen, Azhar Hussain Potia, Rankin, Peter, Beatton, Tony and Staton, Sally (2019). Measuring Goodstart children’s progress and outcomes. Brisbane, QLD Australia: Institute for Social Science Research, The University of Queensland.

Working Papers

Potia, Azhar Hussain, Silva-Goncalves, Juliana, Torgler, Benno and Dulleck, Uwe (2019). Rewarding commitment to attend school: a field study with Indigenous Australian high school students. LCC Working Paper Series. 2019-27. Institute for Social Science Research, The University of Queensland.
Kler, Parvinder, Potia, Azhar Hussain and Shankar, Sriram (2019). Nappies, books and wrinkles: how children, qualifications and age affect female underemployment in Australia. LCC Working Paper Series. 2019-24. Institute for Social Science Research, The University of Queensland.

Theses

Potia, Azhar H. (2019). Improving educational outcomes using commitments and unconditional incentives: three empirical essays. PhD Thesis, School of Economics and Finance, Queensland University of Technology. doi: 10.5204/thesis.eprints.125476
Azhar Hussain Potia (2010). Discussion on the clean development mechanism, environmental research joint ventures and international emission trading mechanism. Master's Thesis, School of Economics, The University of Queensland.