26 March 2025
Preparing Preservice and Career-Change Teachers for the Complexities of the Profession
Professor Susan Ledger
The ever-evolving demands of the teaching profession require targeted preparation strategies to ensure both preservice and career-change teachers are equipped for success. Professor Susan Ledger’s research explores the unique challenges faced by these educators and investigates innovative approaches to teacher preparation. By examining the intersection of theory and practice, her work identifies essential supports, including mentoring, contextual learning experiences, and reflective practices, that are critical for navigating the complexities of today’s classrooms. This presentation will explore research findings, highlighting evidence-based strategies that strengthen teacher readiness, build resilience, and foster adaptive expertise. Insights from this research aim to inform teacher education programs and school leaders on how best to support educators at the outset of their careers, contributing to sustainable professional growth and improved student outcomes.
Professor Susan Ledger is an advocate for the teaching profession and is committed to exploring education policies and practices relating to teaching and preparing to teach diverse students and diverse contexts. Susan has a broad experiential base in rural, remote and international school settings and diverse university contexts receiving a wide range of awards during this time including the Financial Review Award for her contribution to including technology in Higher Education. Her recent research endeavours focus on:
- critically analysing education policy reform,
- the affordances of simulation to prepare graduate teachers for placement, and
- addressing foundational learning domains – cognition, affective and psychomotor.
She is currently the President of the NSW Council of Deans of Education, Chair of Network of the Australian Council of Deans of Education Professional Experience Steering Committee and on the committee for the Global Network of Deans of Education.
