Smita Nepal

Smita Nepal is a Lecturer in the School of Education within the Faculty of Creative Industries, Education & Social Justice at Queensland University of Technology. Her research focuses on inclusive education practices, teacher preparation for diverse classrooms, and evidence-based approaches for supporting autistic students in mainstream educational settings.

Her primary research interests include differentiated instruction, inclusive pedagogy, educational policy analysis, and autism education. Nepal's work examines how pre-service teachers conceptualize inclusion and diversity, with particular attention to practical implementation barriers and effective strategies for creating equitable learning environments across multiple educational contexts.

Nepal's research output demonstrates consistent thematic development from her 2021 Master of Philosophy thesis on differentiated instruction through to her 2024 publications examining international comparative perspectives on inclusive education policy. Her work frequently addresses the intersection of teacher knowledge, classroom practice, and systemic policy frameworks.

She has contributed significantly to national policy discussions through her involvement with Autism CRC, producing influential reports that analyze current trends, identify gaps, and provide actionable recommendations for removing educational barriers for autistic students in Australian schools.

Nepal collaborates extensively with leading researchers in inclusive education internationally, as evidenced by her co-authorship on cross-national comparative studies examining inclusive education frameworks across England, Australia, the United States, and Canada.