Dr Neus Evans ~ Associate Dean, Teaching and Learning

Neus (Snowy) Evans (B.Ed. Hons, PhD) is the Associate Dean Learning and Teaching for the College of Arts, Society and Education at James Cook University. Her disciplinary and research background is in education and education for sustainability (EfS) in school and university settings, particularly within initial teacher education. Her early research investigated teacher learning through school-based EfS initiatives and social-ecological resilience to environmental changes within EfS in the Far North Queensland primary school context. 

Since taking up an academic position in 2013, her research interests have expanded to investigating EfS in initial teacher education, pedagogy, curriculum and assessment, and the systematic review methodology. These interests have led her to publish two books (Springer, co-authored), a number of journal articles and book chapters, and co-edit a book section on ChildhoodNature Pedagogies and Place in The International Research Handbook on ChildhoodNature (Springer). Currently, Snowy is working on a number of projects in EfS and initial teacher education. This includes leading an editorial team of researchers from Canada, Finland and Turkey in a spcial issue of the Australian Journal of Teacher Education on reorienting early childhood education for sustainability in initial teacher education, and co-editing a special issue of the Brock Education Journal on teacher environmental and sustainability education in Canada and the international field with Canadian researchers.   

Starting in 2017, Snowy has co-led JCU's response to a federal government mandate for graduate teachers to demonstrate classroom readiness. This has involved the development, benchmarking and management of the Graduate Teacher Performance Assessment (GTPA) at JCU. More recently, Snowy has began to publish on the GTPA. Snowy and colleagues' work has been recognised in a prestigeous 2021 Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning for curriculum renewal to strengthen evidence-informed practice of preservice teachers from novice to classroom-ready practitioners. 

Snowy currently serves as Associate Editor (Book Reviews) for the Journal of Environmental Education ISSN 0095-8964, EISSN 1940-892 ranked in the top 15 percent of education journals in the world and in the top third of environmental studies journals. Snowy is also a committee member of the Australian Association for Environmental Education Tropical Queensland Branch. 

 

 

 

Teaching

• ED2491: Planning for Engaging Learning (Level 2; CNS)
• ED3097: Reflective Teaching Cycles and Positive Learning Environments (ECE) (Level 3; CNS)
• ED3197: Improving Student Learning and Professional Practice: Using data and evidence (Primary) (Level 3; CNS & TSV)
• ED3297: Reflective Teaching Cycles and Positive Learning Environments (Secondary) (Level 3; CNS)
• ED4995: Education Across Culturally Diverse Contexts (Level 4; CNS)
• ED5970: Teachers as Leaders for Learning and Change (Level 5; CNS & TSV)
• ED5975: Teachers as Leaders for Learning and Change (Level 5; CNS & TSV)

Interests

Research

• Sustainability, Education, Pre-service teacher education, Pedagogy, Systematic review methodology, Education for sustainability, Professional practice

Experience

• 2022 to present - Associate Dean Learning and Teaching, James Cook University (Cairns - College of Arts, Society & Education)
• 2018 to present - Book Review Editor, The Journal of Environmental Education
• 2017 to present - Senior Lecturer, James Cook University (Cairns)
• 2021 - Student Services and Quality Coordinator, James Cook University (Cairns - College or Arts, Society & Education)
• 2017 to 2020 - Master of Teaching and Learning (Primary) Coordinator, James Cook University (Cairns)
• 2014 to 2017 - Assistant Editor, The Journal of Environmental Education
• 2013 to 2016 - Lecturer, James Cook University (Cairns)
• 2010 to 2013 - Managing Editor, The Journal of Environmental Education
• 2010 to 2012 - Senior Research Officer, The Cairns Institute and School of Education (Cairns)

Research Disciplines

• Specialist studies in education (3904)
• Curriculum and pedagogy (3901)
• Education systems (3903)

Socio-Economic Objectives

• Teaching and curriculum (1603)

Awards

• 2021 - JCU Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning for Curriculum renewal to strengthen evidence-informed practice of preservice teachers from novice to classroom-ready practitioners
• 2016 - JCU Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning for Responsive Pedagogies: A three-tiered approach that is responsive to students' needs, supports engagement, sustained learning and success for diverse students across subjects.
• 2016 - Finalist, 2016 Green Gown Awards in the category of Learning, Teaching and Skills for Mainstreaming Sustainability in Teacher Education Through a Systems Approach: 10 years in the Making
• 2013 - Common Ground International Award for Excellence for new research for the article “A systematic search of trends in rural development research, originating regions and engagement with sustainability”.
• 2012 - Faculty of Arts, Education and Social Sciences Research Performance Award 2012 (highest number of HERDC Points).

These are the most recent publications associated with this author. To see a detailed profile of all publications stored at JCU, visit ResearchOnline@JCU. Hover over Altmetrics badges to see social impact.

Journal Articles

• Evans N and Acton R (in press) Narratives of teaching in outdoor and environmental education: What can we learn from a case study of outdoor education pedagogy? Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning,
• Evans N, Inwood H, Christie B and Ärlemalm-Hagsér E (2021) Comparing education for sustainable development in initial teacher education across four countries. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 22 (6). pp. 1351-1372
• Evans N (2020) Is this what good pedagogy looks like? Review essay of Diverse pedagogies of place: Educating students for local and global environments, edited by Peter Renshaw and Ron Tooth. Journal of Environmental Education, 51 (3). pp. 256-262
• Evans N and Ferreira J (2020) What does the research evidence base tell us about the use and impact of sustainability pedagogies in initial teacher education? Environmental Education Research, 26 (1). pp. 27-42
• Svane D, Evans N and Carter M (2019) Wicked wellbeing: examining the disconnect between the rhetoric and reality of wellbeing interventions in schools. Australian Journal of Education, 63 (2). pp. 209-231
• Tomas L, Evans N, Doyle T and Skamp K (2019) Are first year students ready for a flipped classroom? A case for a flipped learning continuum. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 16 (5).
• Lasen M, Evans S, Tsey K, Campbell C and Kinchin I (2018) Quality of WIL assessment design in higher education: a systematic literature review. Higher Education Research & Development, 37 (4). pp. 788-804
• Evans N, Stevenson R, Lasen M, Ferreira J and Davis J (2017) Approaches to embedding sustainability in teacher education: a synthesis of the literature. Teaching and Teacher Education, 63 (2017). pp. 405-417

Book Chapters

• Doyle T, Evans N and Salter P (2021) Opportunities and tensions in the experiences of collaborative professionalism during the enactment of the GTPA. In: Teaching Performance Assessment as a Cultural Disruptor in Initial Teacher Education: Standards, Evidence and Collaboration. Teacher Education, Learning Innovation and Accountability. Springer, Singapore, pp. 81-94
• Evans N (2019) Teacher education and education for sustainability. In: Learning to Embed Sustainability in Teacher Education. Springer Briefs in Education. Springer, Singapore, pp. 7-21
• Stevenson R, Mannion G and Evans N (2018) Childhoodnature pedagogies and place: an overview and analysis. In: Research handbook on childhoodnature: Assemblages of childhood and nature research. Springer International Handbooks of Education. Springer, Cham, Switzerland
• Whitehouse H, Evans N, Jackson C and Thorne M (2018) Children caring for the Australian wet tropics as a response to the anthropocene. In: Research Handbook on Childhoodnature: Assemblages of Childhood and Nature Research. Springer International Handbooks of Education. Springer, Cham, Switzerland

More

ResearchOnline@JCU stores 38+ research outputs authored by Dr Neus Evans from 2006 onwards.

Advisory Accreditation: I can be on your Advisory Panel as a Primary or Secondary Advisor.

These Higher Degree Research projects are either current or by students who have completed their studies within the past 5 years at JCU. Linked titles show theses available within ResearchOnline@JCU.

Current

• Planning for Sustainability using School-based Community Gardens: Growing Food and Community for a Post-COVID World (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• The Art of Wellbeing in the Classroom (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Education for Sustainability in the Civics and Citizenship Curriculum. (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
• Young peoples' disengagement from education: hearing parent voices (PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Children's Perceptions of Hope for our Future World (PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Leading for Social Justice in Conservative times (PhD , Advisor Mentor)

Completed

• Teaching academics and their approach for the engagement of their students: an Australian regional university qualitative case study (2021, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• A case study inquiry into the implementation of a professional learning intervention in cultural competence and culturally responsive pedagogy to support refugee students (2021, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• "What is going on here?" Challenges experienced by white teachers in a government school in a remote Aboriginal community (2019, PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Learning for environmental stewardship in the Anthropocene: a study with young adolescents in the Wet Tropics (2017, PhD , Primary Advisor)

The map shows research collaborations by institution from the past 7 years.
Note: Map points are indicative of the countries or states that institutions are associated with.