Penny Round

Dr Penny Round serves as a Lecturer in the School of Curriculum, Teaching and Inclusive Education at Monash University, Australia. With three decades of dedicated work in special education, she specializes in supporting students with special needs within mainstream secondary schools, with particular emphasis on senior secondary levels and twice-exceptional learners. Dr Round actively supervises PhD students and contributes to national research initiatives addressing educational inclusion through her role as Chief Investigator on multiple projects including the current PASS Network Program.

Her academic credentials include advanced qualifications in both special education and gifted education, which form the foundation of her interdisciplinary research approach and informed teaching practices in inclusive educational settings. These dual specializations enable her unique perspective on intersecting educational needs.

Dr Round's research program investigates critical challenges in inclusive education, focusing on students with special needs and gifted learners in regular secondary schools. She examines the complexities of twice-exceptionality, teacher preparation for inclusive classrooms, and strategies for reengaging marginalized student populations. Her work integrates qualitative methodologies to capture nuanced student experiences and has significant implications for educational policy and practice, contributing to Sustainable Development Goals 4 (Quality Education) and 10 (Reduced Inequalities).

Analysis of her recent scholarly output (2024-2025) reveals evolving expertise across three interconnected domains: gifted education within low-SES contexts, inclusive practices using student-centered methodologies like Photovoice, and preservice teacher development for intellectual disability support. These publications demonstrate methodological consistency through qualitative inquiry while addressing systemic barriers across primary and secondary educational settings.

As an active PhD supervisor, Dr Round mentors students in inclusive education research. Her grant leadership includes the current PASS Network Program (2024-2026) examining post-pandemic educational recovery, and previously as Primary Chief Investigator for 'Setting up for success: reengaging young parents with education' (2019-2021). She has secured multiple research grants totaling seven projects, often collaborating with interdisciplinary teams on initiatives addressing educational equity, student wellbeing, and teacher development in inclusive contexts.