Dr Geraldine Townend
Lecturer

Dr Geraldine Townend

BSc (Hons)

Masters Gifted Education

PhD

PGCE

Dip TESOL

 

Arts,Design & Architecture
School of Education

Geraldine Townend is a published academic with over a decade of experience in the field of gifted education, having expertise in the area of twice exceptionality. In the UNSW Arts, Design and Architecture Faculty, Geraldine lectures and conducts research in GERRIC  (Gifted Education Research and Resource Information Centre) in the areas of gifted education, gifted with learning disability, and special learning needs. Her research interests focus on supporting gifted and twice-exceptional students to aspire to their potential in education, which includes the development of positive academic self-concept. 

Supervising Higher Degree research Students and running specialist courses each year, Geraldine works with around 600 students each year. She also works with on grant funded research linkage projects with, for example, The Department of Education and Autism Australia.

Geraldine’s research findings indicate that there are several sociological and psychological influences on academic self-concept, including a social comparison theory, and she is particularly interested in the interaction between teachers and their students. She has also focused on outcomes for pre- and post-graduate teachers’ understandings of diversity in education, including inclusive classroom practices and applications of National Curriculum. Her university teaching was recognised with the award of Teaching Excellence Commendation.  

Geraldine advises government around curriculum and education, and has been featured on national TV. She has been currently working in an advisory capacity with the Department for Education, New South Wales. Geraldine conducts professional development for schools in the identification of, and support for, gifted underachievers, and has featured on Australian National television.

She also provides advice for parents and families of gifted and twice-exceptional students, and works closely with State, National and International Associations. 

  • Book Chapters | 2021
    2021, 'Gifted Girls with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Provisions and Priorities in Australian School Settings', in Handbook of Giftedness and Talent Development in the Asia-Pacific, Springer Singapore, pp. 555 - 577, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-3041-4_26
    Book Chapters | 2021
    2021, 'Supporting Australian Gifted Indigenous Students’ Academic Potential in Rural Settings', in Handbook of Giftedness and Talent Development in the Asia-Pacific, Springer Singapore, pp. 709 - 726, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-3041-4_73
    Book Chapters | 2021
    2021, 'Supporting Australian Gifted Indigenous Students’ Academic Potential in Rural Settings', in Smith S (ed.), Handbook of Giftedness and Talent Development in the Asia Pacific, Springer International Handbooks of Education., Singapore, pp. 709 - 726, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-3021-6_73-1
    Book Chapters | 2016
    2016, 'No hugs required: University student perspectives on the relationship between excellent teaching and educational rapport', in Student Engagement and Educational Rapport in Higher Education, pp. 105 - 130, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-46034-5_6
  • Journal articles | 2022
    2022, 'Equity in Gifted Education: The Importance of Definitions and a Focus on Underachieving Gifted Students', Gifted Child Quarterly, 66, pp. 149 - 151, http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/00169862211037945
    Journal articles | 2022
    2022, 'The State of Knowledge in Rural Gifted Education: A Systematic Literature Review', Journal of Advanced Academics, 33, pp. 315 - 363, http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1932202X221076385
    Journal articles | 2020
    2020, 'A qualitative meta-analysis of research into the underachievement of gifted boys', Australasian Journal of Gifted Education, 29, pp. 6 - 22, http://dx.doi.org/10.21505/ajge.2020.0002
    Journal articles | 2019
    2019, 'Constants in context: an exploration of conciliar and post-conciliar documents on the Catholic school', JOURNAL OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION, 67, pp. 17 - 39, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s40839-019-00074-6
    Journal articles | 2019
    2019, 'Gifted Girls with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Provisions and Priorities in Australian School Settings', Gifted and Talented Development in the Asia Pacific, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-3021-6_26-1
    Journal articles | 2018
    2018, 'Hidden Expectations Behind the Promise of the Flipped Classroom', College Teaching, 66, pp. 49 - 59, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/87567555.2016.1189392
    Journal articles | 2016
    2016, 'Early career teachers’ beliefs about their preparedness to teach: Implications for the professional development of teachers working with gifted and twice-exceptional students', Cogent Education, 3, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2016.1242458
    Journal articles | 2016
    2016, 'Exploring a sociocultural approach to understanding academic self-concept in twice-exceptional students', International Journal of Educational Research, 80, pp. 15 - 24, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2016.07.006
    Journal articles | 2016
    2016, 'Museums, games, and historical imagination: Student responses to a games-based experience at the Australian national maritime museum.', Digital Culture and Education, 8, pp. 169 - 187
    Journal articles | 2016
    2016, 'Student voice: Listening and responding to the experiences of GLD students', TalentEd, 62, pp. 4 - 18
    Journal articles | 2015
    2015, 'Student voice: What can we learn from twice-exceptional students about the teacher's role in enhancing or inhibiting academic self-concept', Australasian Journal of Gifted Education, 24, pp. 37 - 51, http://dx.doi.org/10.21505/ajge.2015.0006
    Journal articles | 2014
    2014, 'Academic self-concept in GLD students: What the literature tells us.', TalentEd, 28, pp. 75 - 89

ASPECT Linkage 2020

Provost Award for teaching at Griffith University 2015 - awarded to top 1% of lecturers 

  • Linkage research - ASPECT Australia - gifted with Autism
  • South Australia CathEd - Gifted students
  • Impact of training for educators in specialist gifted programs
  • Big Fish Little Pond Effect - influences with twice-exceptional students

Publications

  • Townend, G., Hay, P., Jung, J. Y., & Smith, S. R. (2020). Supporting gifted Australian students’ academic potential in rural settings. Gifted and Talented Development in the Asia Pacific: Springer International Handbooks of Education.

 

  • Hately, S., and Townend, G. (2020). A qualitative meta-analysis of research into the underachievement of gifted boys. Australasian Journal of Gifted Education, Vol. 29, No. 1, Jun 2020: doi: 10.21505/ajge.2020.0002.

 

 

  • Townend, G., & Brown, R. (2016). Exploring a sociocultural approach to understanding academic self-concept in twice-exceptional students. International Journal of Educational Research, 80, 15- 24.

 

 

  • Ronksley-Pavia, M., & Townend, G. (2016). Student voice: Listening and responding to the experiences of twice-exceptional students. TalentEd, 62, 4-18.

 

  • Rowan, L., & Townend, G. (2016). Early career teachers’ beliefs about their preparedness to teach: Implications for the professional development of teachers working with gifted and twice- exceptional students. Cogent Education, 3(1), 1242458.

 

  • Townend, G., & Pendergast, D. (2015). Student voice: What can we learn from twice-exceptional students about the teacher's role in enhancing or inhibiting academic self-concept. Australasian Journal of Gifted Education,24(1), 37-51.

 

  • Townend, G., Pendergast, D., & Garvis, S. (2014). Academic self-concept in twice-exceptional students: What the literature tells us. Talented, 28(2014), 75-89.

 

  • Rowan, L., Townend, G., Beavis, C., Kelly, L., & Fletcher, J. (2016). Museums, games, and historical imagination: Student responses to a games-based experience at the Australian national maritime museum. Digital Culture & Education8(3), 169–187.

 

  • Sammel, A., Townend, G., & Kanasa, H. (2018). Hidden Expectations Behind the Promise of the Flipped Classroom. College Teaching, 1-11.

 

  • Hall, D., Sultmann, W., & Townend, G. (2019). Constants in context: an exploration of conciliar and post-conciliar documents on the Catholic school. Journal of Religious Education67(1), 17-39.