Rate My Professor Susan Ledger

Professor Susan Ledger serves as Head of School and Dean of Education at the University of Newcastle, while also holding the position of Pro Vice-Chancellor Student Experience. She earned her Diploma of Teaching from the Western Australian College of Advanced Education, Bachelor of Education from Edith Cowan University, Master of Education from Murdoch University, and Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Western Australia. Her extensive career includes roles as a classroom teacher, Head of Department, and Deputy Principal in government, independent, and international schools across regional, rural, remote areas in Australia, as well as in the Asia Pacific, UAE, Indonesia, and the UK. Previously at Murdoch University, she pioneered the introduction of SimLab (Mursion) simulation technology into Australian initial teacher education programs in 2017 and developed a unique 12-month internship program. At Newcastle, she oversees the implementation of simulation platforms including Sim School, SimTeach (Mursion), and SimCAVE to prepare preservice teachers for complex professional demands.

Ledger's research specializes in education policy and practices for teacher preparation in diverse contexts, such as rural, remote, multicultural, and low socio-economic settings, with a focus on equity, excellence, innovation, and the use of mixed reality simulations. Her key publications include 'Work-Integrated Learning Case Studies in Teacher Education' (2023), 'Australian initial teacher educators’ perspectives on artificial intelligence' (2026, co-authored), 'Using a Mixed-Reality Micro-teaching Program to Support “at Risk” Pre-service Teachers' (2023, co-authored), 'Global to Local Curriculum Policy Processes' (2014, co-authored), and 'Resilience Building for Pre-service Teachers: BRiTE, Micro-Teaching and Augmented Reality/Simulation (BRiTE-AR)' (2020). She has earned numerous awards, including the Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning from the Australian Awards for University Teaching (2022), Life Membership from the Society for the Provision of Education in Rural Australia (SPERA, 2017), Early Career Award from the Western Australia Institute of Educational Research (2015), and Australian Rural Educators Award for University School Partnerships (SPERA, 2014). As former Vice President of SPERA, Editor of the Australian and International Journal of Rural Education, and Chair of the Australian Council of Deans of Education Network of Professional Experience subgroup, her contributions have shaped national practicum policies, OECD global competency measures, and teacher preparation exemplars.