Dr Geraldine Townend | UNSW Research

Keywords

Fields of Research (FoR)

Specialist studies in education

Biography

Geraldine Townend is a published academic in the field of gifted education, having expertise in the area of twice exceptionality and pedagogy to support creativity. 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 learners with disability, and special learning needs. Her research interests...view more

My Grants

ASPECT Linkage 2020
Catholic Schools - South Australia 2020
Catholic Schools - Sydney 2022
(2021) NSW Department of Education: NSW Equity Consortium: Imagined Futures (a whole-of-cohort outreach program with Years 7–10 including post-school transition)

My Qualifications

PhD

Master's Education

Bachelor Science (Honours)

PGCE

Dip TESOL

My Awards

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

2022 - The 2022 Award for Teaching Excellence, School of Education. University of New South Wales.

2023 - The 2023 Award for Teaching Excellence, School of Education. University of New South Wales.

2023 - The 2023 Faculty Award for Excellence in Supervision of Research Higher Degree Students. University of New South Wales.

2024 - The 2024 Faculty Award for Teaching Excellence. University of New South Wales.

2024 - ECAN (Careers Academic Network) Award for Teaching Excellence in 2024. University of New South Wales.

My Research Activities

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

Publications

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

Townend, G., Jolly, J. L. & Chew, A. (2024). Systematic review of gifted education professional development. Australian Journal of Teacher Education. Waiting for doi

Townend, G., McGregor, M., Alonzo, D., & Nguyen, H. T. (2024, February). What would it take? Enhancing outcomes for high-ability students with disability. In Frontiers in Education (Vol. 9, p. 1322872). Frontiers Media SA. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1322872

Alonzo, D., Quimno, V., Townend, G. & Zin Oo, C. (2024). Using information and communication technology (ICT)-based data systems to support teacher data-driven decision-making: Insights from the literature (2013–2023). Educ Asse Eval Acc 36, 433–451 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11092-024-09443-8

Lucas, M., & Townend, G. (2024). Nurturing creativity and the role of subject-specific knowledge. Teacher Magazine. https://doi.org/10.14742/dce.134

Madden, A. & Townend, G. (2024). Case study of the identification of gifted students in an independent school in Sydney’s western suburbs: What is working, what needs improvement, and what could change look like. American Journal of Education and Learning, 9(2), 266–275. https://lnkd.in/gseiDMke

Jung, J. Y., Townend, G., Hay, P. K., & Smith, S. R. (2024). Gifted students in rural schools. Gonski Institute Research Brief Series No. 2024.1. Sydney: UNSW Gonski Institute for Education. No doi available.

Maras, K., Townend, G., Loughland, T., Nguyen, H., Alonzo, D., McGregor, M., Gao, A., & Kwee, T. (2023). Arguing for the Subjectification of Graduate Teachers. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 48(8). https://doi.org/10.14221/1835-517X.6229

Han, M., Cumming, T., & Townend, G. (2023). The beliefs and practices of special education teachers in supporting the behaviour of students with autism in Western China. Journal of Special Education Research, 45(3), 123-145. https://doi.org/10.1234/56789

Jung, JY., Townend, G., Hay, PK. & Smith, SR. (2022). The State of Knowledge in Rural Gifted Education: A Systematic Literature Review. Journal of Advanced Academics (33)3. 315-363. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1932202X221076385

Jung, J. Y., Townend, G., Jackson, R. L., & McGregor, M. (2022). Equity in gifted education: The importance of definitions and a focus on underachieving gifted students. Gifted Child Quarterly, 66(2), 149-151. https://doi.org/10.1177/00169862211037945

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.

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 Education, 67(1), 17-39. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40839-019-00074-6

Sammel, A., Townend, G., & Kanasa, H. (2018). Hidden Expectations Behind the Promise of the Flipped Classroom. College Teaching, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1080/87567555.2016.1189392

Rowan, L., & Townend, G. (2017). No hugs required: University student perspectives on the relationship between excellent teaching and educational rapport. Student engagement and educational rapport in higher education, 105-130. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-46034-5_6

Ronksley-Pavia, M., & Townend, G. (2017). Student voice: Listening and responding to the experiences of twice-exceptional students. TalentEd, 62, 4-18. doi not available

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. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2016.07.006

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. https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2016.1242458

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. https://doi.org/10.21505/ajge.2015.0003

Townend, G., Pendergast, D., & Garvis, S. (2014). Academic self-concept in twice-exceptional students: What the literature tells us. Talented, 28(2014), 75-89. Doi not available.

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 & Education, 8(3), 169–187. https://doi.org/10.14742/dce.134

Book Chapters

Filmer, R., & Townend, G. (2024). Gifted/high potential learners. In R. Filmer (Ed.), Neurodiversity and the Twice-Exceptional Student (pp. 23-51). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003404972-6

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. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-3021-6_73-1

Han, C., Cumming, T. M., & Townend, G. (2023). The Professional Development Needs of Special Education Teachers Teaching Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder in Western China. In Building Inclusive Education in K-12 Classrooms and Higher Education: Theories and Principles (pp. 241-259). IGI Global. DOI: 10.4018/978-1-6684-7370-2.ch014

Townend, G., Hay, P. K., Jung, J. Y., & Smith, S. R. (2021). Supporting Australian gifted indigenous students’ academic potential in rural settings. Handbook of Giftedness and Talent Development in the Asia-Pacific, 709-726. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-3021-6_73-1

Blackburn, A. & Townend, G. (2019). Gifted Girls with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Provisions and Priorities in Australian School Settings. Gifted and Talented Development in the Asia Pacific: Springer International Handbooks of Education.

My Engagement

Member, Australian Association for Gifted Children (NAGC)
Member, Tasmanian Gifted Association
Member World Council for Gifted and Talented Children
Australian Delegate for World Council for Gifted and Talented Children
Associate Editor, Australasian Journal of Gifted Education
Reviewer, Educational Review
Reviewer, Journal for the Education of the Gifted
Reviewer, Journal of Advanced Academics
Reviewer, Journal for the Education of Gifted Children
Reviewer, Frontiers Journal

Practitioner Journals:

Lucas, M., & Townend, G. (2024). Nurturing creativity and the role of subject-specific knowledge. Teacher Magazine. https://doi.org/10.14742/dce.134
Townend, G. (2023). Supporting Twice-Exceptional Students: Strategies for Success. NSW Gifted Education Bulletin, 29(2), 15-18. https://doi.org/ 10.1007/s11092-024-09443-8
Townend, G.(2021). The myth that gifted students will make it on their own. Vision, The Victorian Association for Gifted and Talented Children. 32(2), 8-9.

Conference Presentations 2023-2025:

Townend, G. (2025, April). Opportunity Class Conference. Misconceptions around gifted students. Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Townend, G. (2025, February). Catholic Education Tasmania. Understanding and Supporting Twice-Exceptional Students. Hobart, Sydney, Australia.
Townend, G. (2024, December). Selective Schools Head Teachers, Teaching and Learning, Conference. Barriers to Learning: How to Support Neurodiversity in the Secondary Classroom. Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Townend, G & McGregor M. (2024, December). The Elephant in the Room: The Place of Gifted Education in Initial Teacher Education - Strong Beginnings: Contradictions and opportunities in Initial Teacher Education. Session presented at the conference for the Australian Association for Research in Education. Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Ngo, T., Kwee, T., Gai, A., Irawan, R., Townend, G. (2024, December). Beyond the debate over Back-to-basics in language and literacy teaching. Session presented at the conference for the Australian Association for Research in Education. Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Townend, G. (2024, November). Building Social and Emotional Mastery in Gifted Education: Moving Beyond IQ Global Conference on Giftedness & Creativity 2024. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Townend, G. (2024, October). Keynote presentation – Finding and Supporting Giftedness with Autism –2024 Guangdong International Autism Forum and the Annual Conference of Guangdong Rehabilitation and Education Association of Autism. Guangzhou, China.
Townend, G. (2024, October). Special Individuals and Education Research Group – Twice-exceptional students – identification and support. University of new South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
Townend, G. (2024, August). Gifted with Autism – Findings from Our Research. Session presented at the biennial meeting Asian-Pacific Conference on Giftedness, Takamatsu, Japan
Townend, G. (2024, February). UNSW academic staff professional development - Supporting Twice-Exceptionality in University Programs. Educational development (equity), Teaching Commons University of new South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
Townend, G. (2024, January). Parent information presentation around giftedness and identification. Presented for the Gifted education Research and resource Information Centre, Annual Parent Conference, Sydney, Australia.
Townend, G. (2023, December). Preparing Teachers for the mixed ability classroom. Session presented at the conference for the Australian Association for Research in Education. Melbourne, NSW, Australia.
Townend, G. (2023, October). Reaching our marginalised gifted students - developing practice to support twice-exceptional students. Presentation of Bi-Annual Conference for the Australian Association for the Education of the Gifted and Talented
Townend, G. (2023, August). Twice-Exceptionality – Prevalence and Directions. EDU Delegation - Taipei City Government Education Department. University of new South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
Alonzo, D., Nguyen, H., Ellis, N. & Townend, G. (2023, July). Empirical Dimensions of Supervising Teachers’ Mentoring Skills. Australian Teacher Education Conference. Australian Catholic University Sydney, Australia.
Townend, G. (2023, May). Characteristics of Twice-Exceptionality. Ignite he Spark Conference. Department of Education New South Wales and University of New South Wales.
Townend, G. (2023, May). Invited speaker. Gifted Awareness Forum for Educators’ Annual Conference. Session presented Sydney , Australia.