Tracey Sanderson

Dr Tracey Sanderson is an Associate Lecturer in Curriculum and Pedagogy within the School of Education and Tertiary Access at the University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC), Queensland, Australia. With more than 30 years’ experience as a primary teacher in regional, remote and rural schools, she now dedicates her career to teacher education and research that champions rural education, parent engagement in literacy, and inclusive pedagogies.

Education

• MEd – University of Southern Queensland
• Graduate Diploma in Education (Primary) – Edith Cowan University
• Bachelor of Applied Science (Nursing) – Curtin University of Technology

Research Interests

Tracey’s research converges on four key themes:

• Parent engagement in reading: exploring how teachers can best support parents to cultivate a lifelong passion for reading in their children.
• Indigenous perspectives: embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledges and pedagogies into initial teacher education and classroom practice.
• Inclusive education: designing cooperative and differentiated approaches that respond to diverse learners in rural and remote contexts.
• Mathematics education: fostering positive dispositions and confidence toward mathematics among early-career and pre-service teachers.

Her scholarly output spans qualitative investigations using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, mixed-methods evaluations of innovative teacher-education programs, and collaborative reports that document the impact of rural professional-experience initiatives.

Grants & Projects

• Co-investigator on the Coast to Country project (2024), funded by the Queensland Department of Education’s Professional Experience Innovation grant, which immerses UniSC pre-service teachers in rural and remote schools to build workforce capacity.

Professional Memberships

• Australian Literacy Educators Association
• Australian Tertiary Educators Association

Teaching

Tracey coordinates and lectures in undergraduate and postgraduate units including:

• EDU 410/716: Embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Perspectives
• EDU 412/712: Diversity and Inclusivity
• EDU 308: Professional Experience – Differentiated Practice
• EDU 205 & EDU 202: Professional Experience – Individual Learner Needs
• EDU 209 & EDU 400: Teaching Mathematics in Early Childhood and Primary contexts

Her teaching philosophy centres on modelling culturally responsive, inclusive and research-informed practice, preparing graduates to meet the nuanced needs of rural and diverse learners.