School of Teacher Education

• Professional Experience
• Faculty of Education

• Email the School
• General CSU Inquiries

I currently lecture in undergraduate and postgraduate Inclusive Education courses. 

My philosophy of teaching involves the use of a practical meta-theory necessary to fill the space between intent and action in subject design. The approach is based upon theoretical work related to self-organization and complex adaptive systems as these theories provide an explanation of how agents in systems work at all levels together to produce solutions to their needs and drivers. Those individual agents or participants generate collaborative solutions by working together and in doing so, they transcend their individual capacities.

As part of the inclusive education team I have utilised the six common theoretical principles derived from the field of self-organization and complex adaptive systems (Kauffman, 1995; Prigogene & Stengers, 1984; Waldrop, 1993). Those principles are: Simple Rules, Embedded Design, Emergent Feedback, Similarity at Scale, Dispersed Control and the Common Schema, (Bain 2007). When used together these principles generate what is known as a self-generating capability that makes it possible for the parts of a system to work together so that the system can make itself (Urry, 2005).

My research interests are firmly embedded within the area of inclusive education for students who have special learning needs as well as teaching these subjects to students in undergraduate and postgraduate courses.

I am currently enrolled in part time PhD through Charles Sturt University.

Grants

• Bain,A. (CI), Lancaster,J., Parkes,R. and Zundans,L CELT Scholarship in Teaching (2004). Technology Tools for Inclusion: The role of curriculum authoring and feedback tools in preparing inclusive education teachers. $10,000.00
• Bain,A., Lancaster,J., McDonagh,S. and Zundans,L. Faculty of Education Research and Development Fund (2005). Inclusive Education research and Development Grant $20,000.00.

Inclusive education / Special education:

• Teaching students with high support needs
• Teaching use of AAC systems
• Behaviour management
• Use of research based teaching strategies

Awards

• Bain, A., Lancaster,J., McDonagh,S., Zundans,L. & Newell,C. (2006). Faculty of Education Teaching Excellence Award (Inclusive Education Team's course design of the new Masters Degree in Inclusive Education)

• Australian Association of Special Education (AASE)
• Australian Association of Research in Education (AARE)
• Australian Teacher Education Association (ATEA)

Refereed Papers and Conference Proceedings

• Lancaster, J; & Auhl, G. (in submission) Encouraging Pattern Language development in a Pre-Service Inclusive Education Course: A Comparative Study. 
  
• Bennet, M. & Lancaster, J. (in submission). Improving literacy through community partnerships. 
• Lancaster, J; & Bain, A. (2010). The design of pre-service teacher education courses and their effects on Self-Efficacy: A comparative study. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education. 38 (2), 117-128 
• Samimi-Duncan, S., Duncan, G. & Lancaster, J. (2010).  The factors that facilitate and impede collaboration between pre-service teachers during a paired-practicum in a school-based environment.  The International Journal of Learning, 17(3). 
• Bain, A., Lancaster, J., & Zundans, L. (2009). Pattern language development in the preparation of inclusive educators. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 20(3), 336-349.
• Bain, A., Lancaster, J., Zundans, L. & Parkes, R. J. (2009). Embedding Evidence-Based Practice in Pre-Service Teacher Preparation. Teacher Education and Special Education 32,3,215-225 
• Lancaster, J., & Bain, A. (2007). The design of inclusive education courses and the self-efficacy of preservice teacher education students. The International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 54(2), 245-256. 
• Lancaster, J. (2006). Mentoring Matters. CPEC Auckland, New Zealand conference proceedings, 19th - 20th April. 
• Bain, A., & Lancaster, J. (2006). Inclusion and Comprehensive School Reform: Lessons from the Field. The Australasian Journal of Special Education. 30(1) 39-50.
• Lancaster, J. (2005). Is it really possible? Can students with LD ever achieve higher levels of self-efficacy? Special Education Perspectives. 14(2)6-61. 
• Bain, A., Zundans, L., Lancaster, J., Hollitt, J. (2004). Collaborative Course Design and mapping: A Team-based Approach to Course Development and Review. ATEA Bathurst conference proceedings. 
• Lancaster, J. (2004). Component Analysis: Let's be more efficient. ATEA Bathurst conference proceedings. 
• Lancaster, J. (2004). Pedagogical spaces and memory traces. ATEA Bathurst conference proceedings. 
• Lancaster, J. (2002). Teaching receptive and expressive use of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Special Education Perspectives. 11(1) 31-50.