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Dr Kate Smithers

Dr Kate Smithers

Professor

BTeach(Humanities)(Hons 1)(Newcastle); GCertTertTLP (Wollongong); PhD (Newcastle)

Arts, Design & Architecture (ADA)
School of Education

Dr Kathleen (Kate) Smithers is a Senior Lecturer at UNSW whose work focuses on education systems, academic labour, and issues of equity and justice in higher education. Her research explores topics such as precarious employment in academia, academic career structures, and the impact of institutional policies on staff. Dr Smithers collaborates with national and international scholars and is actively engaged in advancing critical scholarship that addresses contemporary challenges in education.
E-mail
kate.smithers@unsw.edu.au
  • Books | 2024
    Smithers K, 2024, Tourism, Philanthropy and School Tours in Zimbabwe: Problematising “Win-Win” Discourses, http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781003407980
  • Book Chapters | 2025
    Harris J; Smithers K; Blackmore J; Gurr SK; Spina N, 2025, 'UNPACKING AND RESPONDING TO ETHICAL DILEMMAS IN A PRECARIOUS LANDSCAPE', in Casualisation the Gig Economy and Piece Work in Education Dilemmas for Leaders in Times of Increasing Precarity, pp. 242 - 258, http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781003511144-20
    Book Chapters | 2025
    Heffernan T; Smithers K; Spina N; Harris J, 2025, 'A BOURDIEUSIAN ANALYSIS OF HOW PRECARIOUSLY EMPLOYED ACADEMICS GAIN PERMANENT EMPLOYMENT', in Casualisation the Gig Economy and Piece Work in Education Dilemmas for Leaders in Times of Increasing Precarity, pp. 162 - 177, http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781003511144-14
    Book Chapters | 2025
    Spina N; Gurr SK; Harris J; Blackmore J; Smithers K, 2025, 'Casualisation, The Gig Economy, and Piece Work in Education: Unpacking the ethical dilemmas of educational leaders in times of increasing precarity', in Casualisation the Gig Economy and Piece Work in Education Dilemmas for Leaders in Times of Increasing Precarity, pp. 1 - 16, http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781003511144-1
    Book Chapters | 2025
    Spina N; Gurr SK; Harris J; Blackmore J; Smithers K, 2025, 'Casualisation, the gig economy, and piece work in education', in Casualisation, the Gig Economy, and Piece Work in Education, Routledge, pp. 1 - 16, http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781003511144-1
    Book Chapters | 2024
    Smithers K, 2024, 'Breaking the fourth wall', in Tourism, Philanthropy and School Tours in Zimbabwe, Routledge, pp. 123 - 149, http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781003407980-7
    Book Chapters | 2024
    Smithers K, 2024, 'Building the set and producing ‘Africa’', in Tourism, Philanthropy and School Tours in Zimbabwe, Routledge, pp. 69 - 97, http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781003407980-5
    Book Chapters | 2024
    Smithers K, 2024, 'Conclusion', in Tourism, Philanthropy and School Tours in Zimbabwe, Routledge, pp. 150 - 156, http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781003407980-8
    Book Chapters | 2024
    Smithers K, 2024, 'How does tourism come to be in a school?', in Tourism, Philanthropy and School Tours in Zimbabwe, Routledge, pp. 14 - 30, http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781003407980-2
    Book Chapters | 2024
    Smithers K, 2024, 'Introducing Matopo School', in Tourism, Philanthropy and School Tours in Zimbabwe, Routledge, pp. 31 - 48, http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781003407980-3
    Book Chapters | 2024
    Smithers K, 2024, 'Introduction', in Tourism, Philanthropy and School Tours in Zimbabwe, Routledge, pp. 1 - 13, http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781003407980-1
    Book Chapters | 2024
    Smithers K, 2024, 'The starring role', in Tourism, Philanthropy and School Tours in Zimbabwe, Routledge, pp. 98 - 122, http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781003407980-6
    Book Chapters | 2024
    Smithers K, 2024, 'The white saviour complex', in Tourism, Philanthropy and School Tours in Zimbabwe, Routledge, pp. 49 - 68, http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781003407980-4
    Book Chapters | 2024
    Smithers K, 2024, '‘What is your name, where do you come from, what is your grade?’ Using art-based interviews to highlight the experience of children hosting school tours in Matabeleland North, Zimbabwe', in Critical Inclusive Tourism, Routledge, pp. 100 - 112, http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781003474029-9
    Book Chapters | 2023
    Heffernan T, 2023, 'Women in Higher Education', in The Marginalised Majority in Higher Education, Springer Nature Switzerland, pp. 129 - 153, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-41432-9_6
    Book Chapters | 2023
    Smithers K; Harris J; Goff M; Spina N; Bailey S, 2023, 'Ethical responsibilities of tenured academics supervising non-tenured researchers in times of neoliberalism and precarity', in Educational Leadership and Policy in a Time of Precarity, Routledge, pp. 37 - 53, http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781003451617-4
    Book Chapters | 2022
    Smithers K; Ailwood J, 2022, 'Developmentourism and school tours in Zimbabwe', in Handbook of Niche Tourism, pp. 345 - 356
  • Edited Books | 2025
    Harris J; Spina N; Smithers K; Blackmore J; Gurr SK, 2025, CASUALISATION, THE GIG ECONOMY, AND PIECE WORK IN EDUCATION: Dilemmas for Leaders in Times of Increasing Precarity, http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781003511144
  • Journal articles | 2026
    Gibbs L; Smithers K, 2026, 'What makes a sustainable career in Australian universities: advice for early career academics', Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 48, pp. 203 - 221, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1360080X.2025.2598893
    Journal articles | 2026
    Heffernan T; Smithers K, 2026, 'The rise of the pro-sessional: precarious employees taking on complex and faculty-critical roles', Discourse, 47, pp. 126 - 137, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01596306.2025.2493862
    Journal articles | 2026
    Smithers K; Andrews R; Cliff K; Eady M; Hay I; Hillyar K; Kohlhoff P; Monteleone C; Morrissey C; Winslade M; Gao X, 2026, 'The skills, knowledge, and attributes of the supervising teacher in initial teacher education: a framework for research and professional development', Asia Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 54, pp. 38 - 56, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1359866X.2025.2591871
    Journal articles | 2026
    Smithers K; Gurr S; Spina N; Harris J; Heffernan T, 2026, 'Just because you are staying does not mean you are ‘stuck’: conceptualisations of academic mobility for precarious academics', Discourse, 47, pp. 112 - 125, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01596306.2025.2483193
    Journal articles | 2025
    Gamage D; Ledger S; Smithers K; Karstadt L, 2025, 'The role of service-learning in the International Baccalaureate: a scoping review, 2014–2024', Social Sciences and Humanities Open, 12, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2025.102088
    Journal articles | 2025
    Heffernan T; Smithers K, 2025, 'Working at the level above: university promotion policies as a tool for wage theft and underpayment', Higher Education Research and Development, 44, pp. 585 - 599, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2024.2412656
    Journal articles | 2025
    Hillyar K; Smithers K; Deehan J; MacDonald A, 2025, 'What is known about simulation technologies and their application to Initial Teacher Education: A scoping review', Australian Educational Researcher, 52, pp. 1389 - 1406, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13384-024-00767-4
    Journal articles | 2025
    Monteleone C; Cliff K; Andrews R; Babic M; Smithers K; Winslade M; Hay I, 2025, 'Perspective of Supervising Teachers and Tertiary Supervisors on Professional Learning for Professional Experience', Education Sciences, 15, http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/educsci15101413
    Journal articles | 2025
    Smithers K; Harris J; Heffernan T; Gurr S, 2025, 'Decasualisation and the universities accord: an examination of university approaches', Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 47, pp. 282 - 298, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1360080X.2025.2462128
    Journal articles | 2025
    Smithers K; Syed S, 2025, 'A review of the Australian honours student experience: a new framework for understanding research supervision', Cogent Education, 12, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2025.2588538
    Journal articles | 2024
    Harper M; Smithers K, 2024, 'Fieldwork from A–Z? Exploring shifting identities in doctoral research in Australia and Zimbabwe', Australian Educational Researcher, 51, pp. 1469 - 1485, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13384-023-00649-1
    Journal articles | 2024
    Smithers K; Gibbs L, 2024, 'Challenges and opportunities for early career researchers: using the theory of practice architectures to unpack enabling and constraining conditions', Professional Development in Education, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19415257.2024.2386661
    Journal articles | 2024
    Smithers K; Hillyar K, 2024, 'Using Founder’s syndrome to explore leadership in one Zimbabwean school funded by tourism', Journal of Educational Administration and History, 56, pp. 374 - 389, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00220620.2024.2338063
    Journal articles | 2024
    Smithers K, 2024, 'Heterotopia and the ‘image of Africa’: school tours and philanthropy in a Zimbabwean school', Critical Studies in Education, 65, pp. 386 - 402, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17508487.2023.2286230
    Journal articles | 2024
    Smithers K, 2024, 'School tours and philanthropy in Zimbabwe', Annals of Tourism Research Empirical Insights, 5, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.annale.2024.100140
    Journal articles | 2023
    Harris J; Smithers K; Spina N; Heffernan T, 2023, 'Disrupting dominant discourses of the Other: examining experiences of contract researchers in the academy', Studies in Higher Education, 48, pp. 37 - 48, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2022.2105831
    Journal articles | 2023
    Smithers K; Spina N; Harris J; Gurr S, 2023, 'Working every weekend: The paradox of time for insecurely employed academics', Time and Society, 32, pp. 101 - 122, http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0961463X221144136
    Journal articles | 2023
    Smithers K, 2023, '‘What is your name, where do you come from, what is your grade?’ Using art-based interviews to highlight the experience of children hosting school tours in Matabeleland North, Zimbabwe', Tourism Recreation Research, 48, pp. 912 - 924, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02508281.2022.2133812
    Journal articles | 2022
    Smithers K; Ailwood J, 2022, 'School Tourism in Southern Africa', , http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190264093.013.1811
    Journal articles | 2022
    Smithers K; Harris J; Goff M; Spina N; Bailey S, 2022, 'Ethical responsibilities of tenured academics supervising non-tenured researchers in times of neoliberalism and precarity', Journal of Educational Administration and History, 54, pp. 37 - 53, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00220620.2021.1881458
    Journal articles | 2022
    Spina N; Smithers K; Harris J; Mewburn I, 2022, 'Back to zero? Precarious employment in academia amongst ‘older’ early career researchers, a life-course approach', British Journal of Sociology of Education, 43, pp. 534 - 549, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01425692.2022.2057925

Commissioned

  • Australian Education Research Organisation, 2025, $30,200 - Co-Chief Investigator
  • NSW Council of Deans of Education/NSW Department of Education, 2023-2024, $98,000 - Co-Chief Investigator

 

  • ECR Faculty Early Career Researcher (ECR) Scheme Recipient (2025) 
  • Vice Chancellor’s Early Career Researcher Award, Faculty Citation, Charles Sturt University (2023)
  • African Postgraduate Students Association Best Presentation Prize: 2nd place (2021)
  • FEDUA HDR Student Engagement Award, University of Newcastle (2020)
  • Dean’s HDR Excellence Award, University of Newcastle (2020)
  • AARE Alison Lee ‘Theory in Educational Research’ Scholarship (2018)
  • Three Minute Thesis University Finalist, University of Newcastle (2018)
  • Australian Government Research Training Program Living Stipend (2017-2021)

My Research Supervision

  •  Dianne Gamage: Building bridges across borders: An exploration of service-learning in International Baccalaureate schools in Asia (University of Newcastle, Australia)
  • Kasey Hillyar: Simulation technologies as a learning tool to support authenticity and the preparation of Initial Teacher Education students for Work Integrated Learning opportunities (Charles Sturt University, Australia)
  • Suzanne Garrett: What is the social organisation of long day care educators' 'staying'? An institutional ethnographic study of long day care educators' work (Charles Sturt University, Australia)

My Teaching

Convenor:

  • EDST5307: Education Project 2