Joanne Casey

Dr Joanne Casey serves as a Lecturer in Curriculum and Pedagogy at the School of Education and Tertiary Access, University of the Sunshine Coast. With extensive cross-sector experience across government, Catholic, and independent education systems, she bridges research, policy, and practice in primary, secondary, and tertiary contexts while advocating for contextually responsive educational approaches.

Her academic qualifications include:

• PhD in Curriculum Studies (University of the Sunshine Coast)
• Master of Education and Teaching (University of Southern Queensland)
• Graduate Diploma in HRM & Industrial Relations (Griffith University)
• Bachelor of Education (Mary Couper College)
• Diploma of Teaching (Mary Couper College)

Dr Casey's research centers on the intersection of social brain theory and educational leadership, examining how cognitive limitations and organizational structures impact collaboration in school improvement initiatives. Her work extends to rural and remote education contexts, investigating leadership strategies for attracting and retaining quality teachers through place-conscious partnerships and community engagement. This dual focus reveals how silo mentality in secondary schools interacts with cognitive constraints to hinder meaningful collaboration.

Analysis of her publications shows consistent exploration of leadership connectedness in teacher preparation programs, particularly for regional, rural, and remote (RRR) schools. Her scholarship demonstrates how school leaders' intentional relationship-building with pre-service teachers and communities can transform staffing challenges into sustainable recruitment pipelines, while her foundational work on social brain theory provides critical frameworks for understanding collaboration limits in complex educational environments.

Her recognition includes:

• The Research in Educational Leadership and Management Award (2023) from the Australian Council for Educational Leaders Queensland

Dr Casey actively contributes to teacher education through courses including Junior Secondary English and Pedagogical Curriculum Leadership. She leads significant research partnerships such as the Kelvin Grove Teacher Enhancement Centre initiative, which develops 'real world work readiness' programs for pre-service teachers targeting RRR school placements. Her current projects focus on optimizing leadership strategies for school improvement while addressing the cognitive demands of collaborative work in educational settings.

As a core member of the School of Education and Tertiary Access research community, she collaborates extensively with Susan Simon, Catherine Thiele, and Shelley Dole on projects addressing Australia's rural teacher shortage. Her ongoing work with the Indigenous and Transcultural Research Centre explores culturally responsive leadership approaches for diverse educational contexts.