Dr Neus Evans ~ Senior Lecturer, Curriculum and Pedagogy

I am currently a Senior Lecturer in Education at James Cook University, Cairns. My disciplinary and research background is in education and education for sustainability (EfS) in school and university settings. My 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, my research interests have expanded to investigating EfS in teacher education, pedagogy, assessment and the systematic review methodology. These interests have lead me to publish a book (Springer, co-authored with Lasen & Tsey) and a number of book chapters and journal articles. Most recently, I have co-edited a book section on ChildhoodNature Pedagogies and Place in The International Research Handbook on ChildhoodNature (Springer). At present, I am working on publishing a book on embedding sustainability into teacher education (Springer, co-authored with Ferreira, Davies and Stevenson). I also serve in the Executive Committee of the Australian Association of Environmental Education and on the editorial board of the Journal of Environmental Education and review articles forEnvironmental Education Research, the Australian Journal of Environmental Education and the Australian Journal of Teacher Education.

Currently, I am working on a number of projects in EfS and initial teacher education. This includes applying the systematic review methodology to the literature pertaining to sustainability pedagogy, children's perceptions of ecological and social environments, and student wellbeing in schools. With a group of colleagues I am also investigating development of pre-service teacher identity through an electronic portolio (ePortfolio). Moving forward, I am interested in investigating the intersection of EfS, teacher identity and professional practice. 

 

 

 

Teaching

• ED2491: Planning for Engaging Learning (Level 2; CNS)
• ED3193: Teaching for Learning 2 (Primary) (Level 3; CNS & TSV)
• ED4190: Teaching for Learning 3 (Primary) (Level 4; CNS & TSV)
• ED4293: Teaching for Learning 3 (Secondary) (Level 4; CNS)
• ED5097: Research Design and Proposal (Level 5; CNS & TSV)
• ED5970: Teachers as Leaders for Learning and Change (Level 5; CNS & TSV)
• ED5973: Science and Sustainability Education for Primary Teachers (Level 5; CNS)
• ED5975: Teachers as Leaders for Learning and Change (Level 5; TSV)

Interests

Research

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

Research Disciplines

• Specialist Studies in Education (1303)
• Education Systems (1301)
• Curriculum and Pedagogy (1302)

Socio-Economic Objectives

• Education and Training (9399)
• Curriculum (9303)
• Teaching and Instruction (9302)

Awards

• 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

• 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
• Whitehouse H, Taylor M, Evans N, Doyle T, Sellwood J and Zee R (2017) A sea country learning partnership in times of anthropocenic risk: offshore coral reef education and our story of practice. Australian Journal of Environmental Education, 33 (3). pp. 160-170
• Evans N, Tomas L and Woods C (2016) Impact of sustainability pedagogies on pre-service teachers' self-efficacy. The Journal of Education for Sustainable Development, 10 (2). pp. 1-19
• Evans N, Ferreira J, Davis J and Stevenson R (2016) Embedding EfS in teacher education through a multi-level systems approach: lessons from Queensland. Australian Journal of Environmental Education, 32 (1). pp. 65-79
• Evans N, Lasen M and Tsey K (2014) A systematic search of trends in rural development: type of research, originating regions and engagement with sustainability. International Journal of Environmental, Cultural, Economic and Social Sustainability: Annual Review, 9. pp. 1-18
• Evans N, Whitehouse H and Hickey R (2012) Pre-service teachers' conceptions of education for sustainability. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 37 (7). pp. 1-12

Books

• Evans N, Lasen M and Tsey K (2015) A Systematic Review of Rural Development Research: characteristics, design quality and engagement with sustainability. SpringerBriefs in Public Health. Springer, Cham, Switzerland

Book Chapters

• Whitehouse H, Evans N, Jackson C and Thorne M (in press) 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
• Evans N (2016) Implementing education for sustainability in higher education through student-centred pedagogies. In: Routledge Handbook of Higher Education for Sustainable Development. Routledge Handbooks. Routledge, Abingdon, UK, pp. 445-461
• Lasen M, Tomas L, Whitehouse H, Sorin R, Evans N and Stevenson B (2015) A case study of an Australian university embedding EfS in a pre-service teaching program. In: Educating Science Teachers for Sustainability. ASTE Series in Science Education. Springer Internationl Publishing Switzerland, Switzerland, pp. 323-346
• Stevenson R, Ferreira J, Evans N and Davis J (2015) Beyond science education: embedding sustainability in teacher education systems. In: Educating Science Teachers for Sustainability. ASTE Series in Science Education. Springer, Cham, pp. 381-398

More

ResearchOnline@JCU stores 26+ 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

• The promotion of meaningful student engagement by teaching academics: A regional Australian university qualitative case study. (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• An inquiry into the relationship between professional development in intercultural competence and teachers' attitudes and practice with English as an Additional Language (EAL) students of refugee background. (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Young peoples' disengagement from education: hearing parent voices (PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Education for Sustainability in a Difficult Political Climate: A Social Learning Model (PhD , Primary Advisor)
• “What is going on here?” Challenges experienced by white teachers in a government school in a remote Aboriginal community;; (PhD , Primary Advisor)

Completed

• Learning for environmental stewardship in the Anthropocene: a study with young adolescents in the Wet Tropics (2017, PhD , Primary Advisor)