Susanne Francisco is a lecturer in Adult and Vocational Education as well as the Masters of Education. Prior to commencing with Charles Sturt University Susanne's background included: development of mentoring programs for a number of organisations; teaching in TAFE across a range of industries; educational leadership and management; professional development and policy development roles in the Commonwealth Public Service; teaching adult Year 12; and working with VET teachers as well as school principals to support their ongoing development throughout their teaching and leading career. Susanne has taught in universities, schools and Vocational Education and Training organisations, primarily as a teacher educator.

Susanne's research interests include: work based learning; mentoring; continuing professional learning; the learning of casual employees; quality teaching and learning in adult and vocational education; leadership in adult and vocational education; professional learning of teachers and of education leaders; and the professional learning of academics. Her PhD research looked at how novice vocational education and training teachers learn to become teachers.

Current research projects

2022-2024 (Chief Investigator) - Leading Pedagogical development in VET: Middle Leaders supporting teacher learning in the workplace

2022-2024 - (One of three co-researchers) Professional Learning for the development of critical praxis

2020-2024 - (Chief Investigator - Australia) Academics Learning in the time of coronavirus. 

Susanne teaches at undergraduate and post-graduate levels in a number of areas related to adult and vocational education as well as education more broadly. Teaching areas include mentoring and workplace learning; learning theories for post-compulsory education; high level facilitation skills; being a professional in adult and vocational education; reflective practice and lifelong learning; and issues in professional learning.