Ilektra Spandagou

Associate Professor Ilektra Spandagou serves in the Sydney School of Education and Social Work, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, at the University of Sydney. She completed her PhD at the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom in the area of inclusive education and previously worked as a special teacher. Her career at the University of Sydney encompasses teaching and research roles, advancing to her current position as Associate Professor in Inclusive Education. Spandagou's academic interests center on research on teaching and learning, social structures, inequalities and social justice, and social work and social policy.

Spandagou's research specializations encompass inclusive education policies and practices, teacher-therapist collaborations in inclusive primary schools, occupational therapists' roles in school-based practice, differentiation in education, and parents' meaning-making regarding children with significant disabilities. Key publications include the co-authored book Inclusive Education: International Policy & Practice (2010) with Ann Cheryl Armstrong and Derrick Armstrong, and Inclusive Education in Schools and Early Childhood Settings (2020) with Cathy Little, David Evans, and Michelle L. Bonati. Recent works feature articles such as Inclusive education is another country; developments, obstacles and resistance to inclusive education (2021), Teacher-therapist collaboration in inclusive primary schools: A scoping review (2024), and Interprofessional collaboration: Measuring occupational therapists and teachers’ perceptions of collaborative practice in inclusive Australian primary schools (2025). Her publications have accumulated over 1,400 citations. She received the 2019 AASE Research Award with colleagues Dr Jessica Zanuttini, Dr Cathy Little, and Professor David Evans, along with a Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Teaching Award in 2018. Spandagou has contributed to initiatives like the Open Learning Environment on Disability Awareness and holds leadership roles in teacher education programs.

Professional Email: ilektra.spandagou@sydney.edu.au