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Associate Professor David Evans

BEd(UniSA), GDSE(ECU), MA(SpecialEducation)(Macquarie), PhD(OU)

Associate Professor, Special Education

Course Coordinator, MEd(Special and Inclusive Education)

Director, Bachelor of Education Honours Program

Email:

Phone: +61 2 9351 8463

Fax: +61 2 9351 2606

Building.Room: A35.707

Research interests

Learning sciences; psychology of education

  • Learning, cognition and motivation

Research on teaching and learning

  • Special and inclusive education
  • Teacher education and professional learning

Keywords

Special education, inclusive education, universal design, literacy, numeracy


Professional biography

 

Dr Evans is Associate Professor of Special Education in the Faculty of Education and Social Work at eh University of Sydney. He is the convenor of the special and inclusive education designation in the Faculty; the Faculty delivers courses to more than 600 pre-service and postgraduate students each year. His research interests include design of curriculum to meet the needs of students with special education needs, and evidence-based practices in special education.


Professional and community roles


Current projects

  • Early numeracy: examining the development of early numeracy and how students experiencing difficulties learning engage with early numeracy (e.g., number sense), and the quality of instruction required to assist these students acquire early numeracy skills, knowledge and understanding.
  • Teacher education: Examination of how pre-service and in-service teachers construct knowledge, skills and values in the area of special and inclusive education.
  • Teacher attitudes to inclusion - International perspectives: Examination of attitudes of students, teachers and parents towards education of students with a disability in the mainstream classroom. Comparative data has been collected across years, and countries (e.g., China, Czech Republic, Singapore).
  • Literacy support: Examination of a range of variables (e.g. teacher attitudes, professional knowledge) relating to the development of literacy sills for students experiencing difficulties learning (e.g., learning support, handwriting).
  • Off to a Good Start: Enhancing Early Reading Skills for All Thai Children Project (Australia-Thailand Institute)

Current research students

Project title Degree Research student
Self-regulated Strategy Development (SRSD): a teaching framework to support the development of students' writing. MEd(Research) Robin Smith
Functionally indicated class-wide academic interventions for student problem behaviour in primary school settings. PhD Phillip Whitefield
Impact of text on decoding fluency and comprehension: an empirical investigation of the role of pictures. MEd(Research) Susanna Brikha
The dynamics of reading performance and motivation within a fluency-oriented reading program. PhD Marian Koo
The inclusion of students with a mild intellectual disability into mainstream schools. MEd Michele Langdon
Special education: teaching reading to all children. An examination of how teachers' measurement of their own knowledge required for teaching reading impacts on willingness and attitudes towards attending professional learning and students learning to read. PhD Criss Moore
Conceptualising the link between being black and being made disabled. MEd(Research) Danielle Narainsamy - Louis
Investigating the number sense challenge through the impact of teacher knowledge and practice on 'at risk' early mathematical learners. PhD Hannah Newman
Exploring how principals construct knowledge in support of students with disruptive behaviour in NSW primary schools. PhD Paul Wood
Effective literacy support: handwriting in the digital age - a study of instructional practices K-6. MEd(Res) Michiko De Solom
iAbility: Connecting Students with a Disability to Future Learning EdD Mariane Youness
Teachers' attitudes and understanding toward academically gifted and talented children in public primary schools. PhD Petra Carter
Participatory Action Approach: A Key to Constructing School’s Policy and Creating Culture of Inclusion in Targeted Primary Schools in Yogyakarta PhD Elga Andriana
Investigating attachment theory in young children with a hearing impairment and complex needs PhD Samantha Bernardo
General and special education teachers beliefs and attitudes toward collaboration in Saudi middle schools MEd (Research) Nora Alharthi

Selected publications

Book chapters

  • Little, C., & Evans, D. (2012). Conceptualizing social inclusion within teacher education.. In C. Forlin (Ed.), Future directions for teacher education for inclusion. (pp. 141–150), London: Routledge.
  • Evans, D. (2012). Curriculum adaptations. In A. Ashman & J. Elkins (Ed.), Education for inclusion and diversity (4th ed., pp. 193–224), Frenchs Forrest: Pearson.
  • Wong, M., & Evans, D. (2011). Assessing student’s understanding of fraction equivalence. In J. Way & J. Bobis (Ed.), Fractions: Teaching for understanding (pp. 76–84), Adelaide: AAMT.
  • Moore, C., & Evans, D. (2011). Univesity-school partnerships: Literacy and students with additional learning needs - Following up. In A. Simpson (Ed.), Proceedings from the Future Directions in Literacy Conference. (pp. 1–16), University of Sydney: Faculty of Education and Social Work.
  • Evans, D., & Strnadova, I. (2008). Examining the range of strategies mothers use to cope when caring for a child with an intellectual disability. In Bottrell D and Meagher G (Eds.), Communities and change: selected papers (pp. 141–164), Sydney: Sydney University Press.
  • Ishimine, K., & Evans, D. (2007). Quality of childcare and its impact on children’s social skills in disadvantaged areas in Sydney, Australia. In Alan France, Ross Homel (Ed.), Pathways and Crime Prevention: Theory, Policy and Practice (pp. 319–336), Cullompton, UK & Oregon, USA: Willan Publishing.
  • Evans, D, Moore, C, Strnadova, I. (2007). University-school partnerships: Literacy and students with additional learning needs. In Alyson Simpson (Ed.), Future directions in literacy: International conversations conference 2007 (pp. 57–71), Sydney: University of Sydney Press.

Journal articles

  • Strnadova, I., & Evans, D. (in press). Schooling transitions and transitions to post-school options within the life span of people with intellectual disabilities: Perceptions and recommendations of ageing mothers.. Australasian Journal of Special Education .
  • Wood, P., Evans, D., & Spandagou, I. (in press). Attitudes of principals towards students with disruptive behaviour: An Australian perspective. Australasian Journal of Special Education.
  • Arciuli, J., Villar, G., Colmar, S., Evans, D., Einfeld, S., & Parmenter, T. (2013). Home-based reading between mothers and their children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Australian Journal of Learning Difficulties . DOI:10.1080/19404158.2012.74718
  • Vibulpatanavong, K., & Evans, D. (2012). Investigating phonological awareness in Thai children. Journal of Research and Development in Special Education, 1(1), 77–97.
  • Wood, P., Spandagou, I., & Evans, D. . (2012). Principals confidence in managing disruptive student behaviour: Exploring geographical context in NSW primary schools. School Leadership & Management, 32(4), 375–395. DOI:10.1080/13632434.2012.708329
  • Strnadová, I., & Evans, D. (2012). Subjective quality of life of women with intellectual disabilities: The role of perceived control over own life in self-determined behaviour. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 25, 71–79. DOI:10.1111/j.1468-3148.2011.00646.x
  • Carter, M., Roberts, J., Williams, K., Evans, D., Parmenter, T., Silove, N., Clarke, T., & Warren, A. (2011). Interventions used with an Australian sample of preschool children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 5(3), 1033–1041. DOI:doi:10.1016/j.rasd.2010.11.009
  • Roberts, J., Williams, J., Carter, M., Evans, D. Parmetner, T., Silove, N., Clarke, T., & Warren, A. (2011). A randomised controlled trial of two early intervention programs for young children with autism: Centre-based with parent program and home-based. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 5(4), 1553–1566. DOI:10.1016/j.rasd.2011.03.001
  • Hwang, Y., & Evans, D. (2011). Attitudes towards inclusion: Gaps between belief and practice. Journal of International Special Needs Education, 26(1), 136–146.
  • Ishimine, K., Wilson, D. & Evans, D. (2010). Quality of Australian childcare and children’s social skills. International Journal of Early Years Education, 18(2), 159–175. DOI:10.1080/09669760.2010.494430
  • McDougall, M., Evans, D., & Spandagou, I. (2009). Teaching phonics and sight words to Year One through the medium of "working with words" and "games". Special Education Perspectives, 18(1), 35–46.
  • Wong, M, Evans, D. (2007). Improving basic multiplication fact recall for primary school students. Mathematics Education Research Journal, 19(1), 89–106.
  • Evans, D. (2007). Developing mathematical proficiency in the Australian context: Implications for students with learning difficulties. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 40(5), 420–426.
  • Strnadova, I., & Evans, D. (2007). Coping strategies in mothers of school-aged children with intellectual disabilities. Australasian Journal of Special Education, 31(2), 159–170.
  • Hwang, Y., Evans, D., & Mackenzie, J. (2007). Theory-of-mind continuum model: Why mind matters in philosophy, psychology and education. International journal of the interdisciplinary social sciences, 2(3), 249–258.
  • Moore, C., Evans, D., & Dowson, M. (2005). The intricate nature of phonological awareness instruction. Special Education Perspectives, 14(1), 37–54.

Conference papers

  • Briand-Newman, H., Wong, M., & Evans, D. (2012). Teacher subject matter knowledge of number sense. In J. Dinyal, L. Cheng, & S. Ng (Eds.). Mathematics education: Expanding horizons (pp. 130–137). Singapore, 2-6 July, 2012.
  • Evans, D., Little, C., Spandagou, I., Atkinson, S., Boon, R., & McInnes, L. (2012). Developing a framework for including all teachers: The implications for design and delivering a comprehensive in-service teacher education program.. In P. Lam Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on eLearning (pp. 532–535). Hong Kong, 21-22 June, 2012.
  • Hoskin, C., Evans, D., Little, C., & Spandagou, I. (2011). Examining the tensions of professional practice: Preparing quality special educators. In W. Beamish 2011 AASE National Conference: Tensions in Competing Agendas. Gold Coast, 28-30 September, 2011.
  • Spandagou, I., Evans, D., & Little, C. (2009). Primary education preservice teachers' attitudes and prceptions on preparedness to respond to classroom diversity. In Paper presented at the AARE2008 International Education Research Conference. Brisbane, Australia, 30 November-4 December 2008.
  • Wong, M., & Evans, D. (2008). Fractions as a measure. In Goos M, Brown R, Makar K Navigating Currents and Charting Directions. Proceedings of the 31st Annual Conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia (pp. 597–603). Adelaide, 28 June-1 July 2008.
  • Wong, M., & Evans, D. (2007). Assessing students' understanding of fraction equivalence. In LC Sam, F Saleh, M Ghazali, H Sulaiman, H M Yunus, GW Ling, H T Yong Proceeding: Fourth East Asia Regional Conference on Mathematics Education (EARCOME4) Theme: Meeting Challenges of Developing Quality Mathematics Education (pp. 119–127). Penan, Malaysia, 18-22 June 2007.
  • Wong, M, Evans, D. (2007). Students’ Conceptual Understanding of Equivalent Fractions. In j Watson & K Beswick Mathematics: Essential Research, Essential Practice, Vol 1. Proceedings of the 30th Annual Conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia (pp. 824–833). Hobart, Australia, 2-6th July, 2007.
  • Evans, D., Strnadová, I., & Wong, M. (2007). Examining number sense: An exploratory study Of students with additional learning needs. In J. Novotna;P. Dvorak;M. Kratka;H. Morsova;M. Sulista International Symposium Elementary Mathematics Teaching, Prague, the Czech Republic, Charles University, Faculty of Education, August 19-24, 2007, Proceedings (pp. 101–108). Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic, 19-24 Aug 2007.
  • Strnadová, I., & Evans, D. (2007). The quality of life of ageing people with intellectual disability as viewed by their parents. In Festival Proceedings 2007, Abstracts and Full Papers. Toronto, Canada, June 16 - 19, 2007.
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