Teaching Strengths
Dr Tom Porta
Lecturer
School of Education
College of Education, Behavioural and Social Science
Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.
Hey there, I’m Tom. I am an academic, educator, researcher, and author - I used to write these biographies in the third person, to serve the reader as being an observer of my life, however, I have abandoned this form in my bio. So, to that end, I will keep it brief. My world revolves around shaping inclusive education and differentiated instruction. Completing my PhD in Inclusive Education in 2023 was a milestone, and now, I'm weaving my expertise as a Lecturer and educator, into helping schools achieve inclusive education. With over a decade spent teaching in both primary and secondary settings, and another four years in tertiary education, I've dived deep into inclusive education, numeracy, learning difficulties, disabilities, and crafting programs for high support needs. I served as the Director of Inclusive Education, steering a local school toward a genuine culture of inclusion. It was a journey I'm incredibly proud of. I worked as a curriculum lead and project officer for the South Australian Government, supporting schools in curriculum implementation. Previously, I worked at Seymour College, teaching a range of subjects, heading the South Australian Certificate for Education, Vocational Education, and Learning Support. Previous to Seymour, I worked as Inclusive Education Coordinator for Mary Mackillop College in Kensington. My research delves into senior-secondary schooling, focusing on how teachers approach differentiated instruction and their attitudes towards it. Exploring curriculum frameworks across Australian states is another passion of mine, seeking ways to enhance instruction efficiency and effectiveness. I'm all about empowering educators through robust professional development, nurturing their skills and confidence in embracing diverse teaching approaches. I am the author of the book "The dance of differentiation", published by Amba Press in 2024. This book is a culmination of my learnings of a decade of teaching, in how to implement differentiation in the classroom.Beyond my academic pursuits, I'm a board member of the Australian Association of Special Education committee (SA Chapter), driven by the collective goal of enhancing educational practices for students with diverse needs. I am an avid golfer and love spending time with my partner and our fur baby, Flora.
My research focuses on inclusive education, specifically inclusive teaching pedagogies and philosophies. I have a deep love of differentiation and investigating teachers self-efficacy in implementing differentiation. Similarly, I enjoy researching the impact of inclusive curriculum in the senior-secondary education space (Years 10-12). My research is currently exploring the promise of inclusive backward planning for teachers, through a process called Inclusion by Design.
I am the author of "The Dance of Differentiation", published by Amba Press in 2024. This book details in the teaching philosophy of differentiation, serving as a guide for teachers to implement differentiation in their classrooms. Furthermore, I am the author of the SpringerBriefs book "Strengthening teacher self-efficacy for differentiated instruction: A framework for inclusive pedagogy" published in 2025. My latest book "Backward planning for inclusive classrooms: Inclusion by Design" is due for publication in October 2025.I am the 2024 recipient of the School of Education Early Career Researcher Award for excellence in research, the Faculty of ABLE grant commendation, and the 2025 recipient of the ACEL New voice in educational leadership research.
You can learn more about me through the following podcasts:
Kolber's Corner:
The Art of Teaching with Mathew Green:
Monday 26th of May Hayley and Max Mix 102.3
| Date | Position | Institution name |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 - ongoing | Director of Secondary Programs | Adelaide University |
| 2024 - 2025 | Program Director, Master of Education | University of Adelaide |
| 2024 - ongoing | Lecturer in Education | University of Adelaide |
| 2023 - 2024 | Lecturer in Initial and Continuing Teacher Education | Flinders University |
| 2023 - 2023 | Director of Inclusive Education | Woodcroft College |
| 2022 - 2022 | Curriculum Lead | Department for Education |
| 2021 - 2023 | Sessional Academic | Charles Sturt University |
| 2020 - 2023 | Sessional Academic | University of Southern Queensland |
| 2018 - 2021 | Head of SACE | Seymour College |
| 2016 - 2017 | Inclusive Education Coordinator | Mary Mackillop College |
| 2015 - 2015 | Teacher | Westminster School |
| Date | Type | Title | Institution Name | Country | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Teaching Award | Executive Dean's Awards for Excellence in Teaching (Early Career). | The University of Adelaide | Australia | - |
| 2025 | Research Award | School of Education Researcher Award 2025 | University of Adelaide | Australia | - |
| 2025 | Scholarship | New Voice Scholar in Educational Leadership Research | Australian Council of Educational Leaders (ACEL) | Australia | - |
| 2024 | Research Award | Commendation for Grant Excellence | The University of Adelaide | Australia | - |
| 2024 | Research Award | School of Education Early Career Researcher Award | The University of Adelaide | Australia | - |
| Language | Competency |
|---|---|
| Italian | Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review |
| Date | Institution name | Country | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | University of New England | Australia | Diploma of Modern Languages (Italian) |
| 2019 - 2023 | University of Southern Queensland | Australia | Doctor of Philosophy |
| 2015 - 2019 | Flinders University | Australia | Master of Special Education |
| 2011 - 2014 | Flinders University | Australia | Bachelor of Education(MSS)/Bachelor of the Arts |
| Date | Title | Institution name | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Highly Accomplished Teacher | AITSL | - |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Adam, M., & Porta, T. (2025). Primary teachers’ perceptions of differentiated instruction:insights from Maldivian classrooms. Education 3-13: the professional journal for primary education, 1-13. |
| 2025 | Scarparolo, G., & Porta, T. (2025). Examining the Australian educational landscape of differentiation through document analysis. The Australian Educational Researcher, 52(3), 2137-2161. Scopus4 WoS3 |
| 2025 | Porta, T., & Hudson, C. (2025). ‘I don’t know how to properly deal with challenging and complex behaviour’: initial teacher education for pre-service teachers on behaviour management. Cogent Education, 12(1), 2464339-1-2464339-14. Scopus1 WoS1 |
| 2025 | Porta, T. (2025). Navigating dilemmas in inclusive education: An autoethnographic journey of a teacher in Australia. British Journal of Special Education, 12 pages. |
| 2025 | Porta, T., & Gaunt, L. (2025). Differentiated instruction in senior-secondary mathematics: Using the three A’s of differentiation. Australian Mathematics Education Journal, 7(1), 20-25. |
| 2025 | Quane, K., Gaunt, L., Porta, T., Trewartha, B., & Pasenidou, F. (2025). Building accessibility in mathematics: Supporting primary students who are Hard of Hearing or D/deaf in mathematics. Australian Primary Mathematics Classroom. |
| 2025 | Porta, T., & Gaunt, L. (2025). ‘Look at solutions’: Teacher self‐efficacy for differentiated instruction in senior‐secondary mathematics. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 25(4), 1089-1100. |
| 2025 | Binte Rahmat, R., Porta, T., & Thwe Phyo, K. (2025). The role of the higher education educator in times of conflict in Myanmar. Teaching in Higher Education, 1-20. |
| 2024 | Porta, T., Todd, N., & Gaunt, L. (2024). Australian senior-secondary teachers’ perceptions of leadership and policy for differentiated instruction. British Educational Research Journal, 50(3), 1022-1042. Scopus5 WoS4 |
| 2024 | Porta, T., & Todd, N. (2024). The impact of labelling students with learning difficulties on teacher self-efficacy in differentiated instruction. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 24(1), 108-122. Scopus7 WoS4 |
| 2022 | Todd, N., Gaunt, L., & Porta, T. (2022). Terminology and Provision for Students with Learning Difficulties: An Examination of Australian State Government Education Department Websites. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 47(7), 21-37. Scopus3 WoS2 |
| 2022 | Porta, T., Todd, N., & Gaunt, L. (2022). ‘I do not think I actually do it well’: a discourse analysis of Australian senior secondary teachers’ self-efficacy and attitudes towards implementation of differentiated instruction. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 22(3), 297-305. Scopus9 WoS7 |
| 2022 | Porta, T., & Todd, N. (2022). Differentiated instruction within senior secondary curriculum frameworks: A small-scale study of teacher views from an independent South Australian school. Curriculum Journal, 33(4), 570-586. Scopus15 WoS13 |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Porta, T. (2026). Backwards planning for inclusive classrooms: Inclusion by Design (IbD). Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan. |
| 2025 | Porta, T. (2025). Wellbeing and Inclusion in Education: A Critical Review of Unresolved International Challenges and Opportunities. |
| 2025 | Porta, T. (2025). Strengthening teacher self-efficacy for differentiated instruction: A framework for inclusive pedagogy (Vol. Part F227). Springer Singapore. DOI Scopus2 |
| 2020 | SACE 2 Business and Innovation Workbook 1st Edition (2020). . |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Porta, T., Scarparolo, G., Smit, R., Weingartner, E., Letzel-Alt, V., Woltran, F., . . . Careto, C. (2025). Macro and Micro-level variables that shape differentiated instruction. In EARLI Conference 2025. Graz, Austria. |
| 2025 | Porta, T., Scarparolo, G., & Gibbs, K. (2025). Where and how is differentiation addressed in Australian ITE: An Examination of Course Outlines Across Australia. In Teacher Education and Teaching: Making a difference. Perth. |
| 2025 | Green, M., & Porta, T. (2025). R.E.A.D. Reading engagement and differentiation: Transforming futures through adaptive reading instruction. In UKLA. Brighton, UK. |
| 2025 | Shearer, J., & Porta, T. (2025). Autism Professional Learning for Preservice Teachers. In Teacher education and teaching: Making a Difference. Perth. |
| 2025 | Gaunt, L., Quane, K., Trewartha, B., & Porta, T. (2025). Universal Design for Learning for Mathematics Education. In Unlocking Minds in Mathematics Education : Proceedings of the 47th Annual Conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia (MERGA, 2025) (pp. 46-49). Australia: Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia (MERGA). |
| 2025 | Anderson, J., & Porta, T. (2025). Differentiating when teaching explicitly: Juxtaposed mandates or complimentary approaches? The experiences of leaders and teachers. In BERA Conference. Brighton, United Kingdom. |
| 2025 | Gibbs, K., Scarparolo, G., & Porta, T. (2025). Now is the Time: Developing an Australian Research Model of Differentiation. In New Connections and Directions for Educational Research. University of Newcastle. |
| 2025 | Nawas, A., Porta, T., & Anderson, J. (2025). Adaptive teaching for equity and excellence in mathematics classrooms: The promise of a gender-inclusive approach in Australia. In New Connections and Directions for Educational Research. University of Newcastle. |
| 2024 | Porta, T., Quane, K., Thompson, M., Attard, C., Holmes, K., Gaunt, L., . . . Neill, B. (2024). Attending to Student Diversity in Mathematics Education in Inclusive Settings. In Surfing the waves of mathematics education. Gold Coast. |
| 2023 | Quane, K., Gaunt, L., Trewartha, B., & Porta, T. (2023). Inclusive Mathematics Education: Supporting Students who are Hard of Hearing or Deaf/deaf. In Proceedings of the 45th Annual Conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia: Weaving Mathematics Education From All Perspectives. Newcastle. |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Porta, T., & Anderson, J. (2025). Pre-service teachers' perceptions of their readiness to teach inclusively. Poster session presented at the meeting of European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction. |
| 2024 | Porta, T., & Scarparolo, G. (2024). Examining the Australian educational landscape of differentiation through document analysis. Poster session presented at the meeting of Abstracts of the Australian Teacher Education Association Conference (ATEA, 2024) : Myth-Busting: Confronting Debates and Creative Design in and for Initial Teacher Education. Newcastle, NSW: Australian Teacher Education Association. |
| 2024 | Anderson, J., Porta, T., & Boyle, C. (2024). Including into what? Reigniting the ‘good’ education debate in an age of diversity. Poster session presented at the meeting of Philosophy of Education Society of Australasia (PESA). |
| 2022 | Porta, T., & Todd, N. (2022). Australian senior-secondary teachers’ perceptions of differentiated instruction: implications for leadership and policy. Poster session presented at the meeting of Australian Association for Research in Education. Adelaide. |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Shearer, J., & Porta, T. (2025). Autism professional learning for SA preservice teachers: Interim Report. University of Adelaide. |
| 2025 | James Relly, S., Shearer, J., & Porta, T. (2025). Autism professional learning for South Australian preservice teachers. |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Authors: Porta T. Title: The Dance of Differentiation: Choreographing Inclusive Learning in Schools. Extent: 200 pages. |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2023 | Porta, T. (2023). Differentiated instruction for students with learning difficulties in senior-secondary Australian schools: an inquiry of teacher attitudes and self-efficacy. (PhD Thesis, University of Southern Queensland). |
| Date | Project/ No. | Investigators | Funding Body | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2024 | Reading and differentiated instruction | Dr Tom Porta & Dr Mellie Green | ABLE ECR Grant | $4800 |
| July 2024 | Inclusive education and wellbeing | Dr Tom Porta, Professor Chris Boyle, Associate Professor Mathew White & Associate Professor Jo Anderson | School of Education | $5000 |
| January 2024 | ITE and Autism Project | Dr Tom Porta & Professor Susan Relly | State Government SA | $420,000 |
| May 2024 | Australia Awards PNG Graduate Certificate in Education | Professor Chris Boyle, Associate Professor Jo Anderson and Dr Tom Porta | Australia Awards | 1.5 Million |
| March 2025 | Feasibility of inclusion by design as backwards planning | Dr Tom Porta | School of Education | $3050 |
| June 2025 | Designing for Diversity: Teachers' Use of Universal Design for Learning in Mathematics Education | Dr Tom Porta and Dr Kate Quane | ABLE Horizons Grant | $4,584.98 |
| December 2025 | SSO Deployment Pilot: Efficacy in reducing teacher workload and work intensity for the Department of Education South Australia | Dr Tom Porta & Associate Professor Joanna Anderson | Department of Education SA | $50,000.00 |
| Year | Course | Role |
| 2024 | EDUC3006 Critical Pedagogies in the Secondary Years | Course Coordinator |
| 2024 | EDUC7558 Critical Pedagogies in the Secondary Years | Course Coordinator |
| 2024 | EDUC4712 Curriculum, Assessment and Policy | Tutor |
| 2025 | EDUC3006 Critical Pedagogies in the Secondary Years | Course Coordinator |
| 2025 | EDUC7558 Critical Pedagogies in the Secondary Years | Course Coordinator |
| 2025 | EDUC7013 Educational Leadership in Diverse Contexts | Course Coordinator |
| 2025 | EDUC7054 Research Design | Course Coordinator |
| 2025 | EDUC7055 Research Communication | Course Coordinator |
| 2025 | EDUC7060OL Mentoring for Teachers | Course Coordinator |
| 2026 | EDUC3066 Critical Pedagogies in the Secondary Years | Course Coordinator |
| 2026 | EDUC6063 Critical Pedagogies in the Secondary Years (PG) | Course Coordinator |
| 2026 | EDUCX103 Effective Pedagogical Practices | Course Coordinator |
| Date | Role | Research Topic | Program | Degree Type | Student Load | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Principal Supervisor | Evaluating the pedagogical advantages of self-paced, project-based learning in gifted and non-gifted secondary students. | Master of Philosophy | Master | Full Time | Jordan Box |
| 2025 | Co-Supervisor | Education for All: A social intervention to engage the disengaged | Master of Philosophy | Master | Part Time | Mr Thomas Patrick Carlson |
| 2025 | Co-Supervisor | A comparative policy analysis on inclusive education in Australia, Rwanda and Zambia: Alignment of policy with the principles of the UNCRPD | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Full Time | Ms Nchimunya Ng'andu |
| 2025 | Principal Supervisor | The research examines how the role and purpose of schooling in Australia is shifting alongside rising societal expectations, market-driven logic and declining student achievement | Master of Philosophy | Master | Part Time | Mrs Joanna Morrison Mayo |
| 2025 | Principal Supervisor | Exploring the Metacognitive Engine: how explicit instruction builds volition and self regulation In senior English classrooms and disrupts gender patterns of engagement | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Part Time | Miss Stefanie Monika Scherwitzel |
| 2025 | Co-Supervisor | From System Strategy to Site Impact: Activating Strategic Purpose for Impact Across Schools and Preschools - What It Takes to Activate Purpose for Educational Impact | Master of Philosophy | Master | Part Time | Heather Makris |
| 2025 | Co-Supervisor | Education for All: A social intervention to engage the disengaged | Master of Research | Master | Full Time | Mr Thomas Patrick Carlson |
| 2025 | Co-Supervisor | A comparative policy analysis on inclusive education in Australia, Rwanda and Zambia: Alignment of policy with the principles of the UNCRPD | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Full Time | Ms Nchimunya Ng'andu |
| 2025 | Principal Supervisor | Exploring the Metacognitive Engine: how explicit instruction builds volition and self regulation In senior English classrooms and disrupts gender patterns of engagement | Doctor of Philosophy | Doctorate | Full Time | Miss Stefanie Monika Scherwitzel |
| 2025 | Principal Supervisor | The research examines how the role and purpose of schooling in Australia is shifting alongside rising societal expectations, market-driven logic and declining student achievement | Master of Research | Master | Full Time | Mrs Joanna Morrison Mayo |
| 2025 | Principal Supervisor | Evaluating the pedagogical advantages of self-paced, project-based learning in gifted and non-gifted secondary students. | Master of Research | Master | Full Time | Jordan Box |
| 2025 | Co-Supervisor | From System Strategy to Site Impact: Activating Strategic Purpose for Impact Across Schools and Preschools - What It Takes to Activate Purpose for Educational Impact | Master of Research | Master | Full Time | Heather Makris |
| Date | Role | Research Topic | Location | Program | Supervision Type | Student Load | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 - 2024 | Principal Supervisor | Crisis and Education: Voices from Myanmar Higher Education Teachers | Flinders University | Master of Education | Master | Full Time | Kay Thwe Phyo |
| 2023 - 2024 | Principal Supervisor | Maldivian School Teachers’ Perceived Understanding and Planned use of Differentiated Instruction | Flinders University | Master of Education | Master | - | Muna Adam |
| Date | Role | Board name | Institution name | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 - ongoing | Director | St Dominic's Priory College | St Dominic's Priory College | Australia |
| 2023 - 2025 | Vice-President | Australian Association of Special Education (SA Chapter) | Australian Association of Special Education | Australia |
| Date | Role | Committee | Institution | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 - 2025 | Board Member | HREC Committee (High Risk) | The University of Adelaide | Australia |
| 2024 - ongoing | Board Member | ABLE Low Risk HREC Committee | The University of Adelaide | Australia |
| Date | Role | Membership | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 - ongoing | Member | Philosophy of Education Society of Australasia | Australia |
| 2024 - ongoing | Member | ATEA | Australia |
| 2022 - ongoing | Member | AARE | Australia |
| Date | Institution | Department | Organisation Type | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 - ongoing | Deloitte | Inclusive Education | Business and professional | Australia |
| 2025 - 2025 | Prince Alfred College | Preparatory School | School or college | Australia |
| 2025 - 2025 | Scotch College Oakburn | Whole School | School or college | Australia |
| Date | Role | Editorial Board Name | Institution | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 - ongoing | Board Member | Humanities & Social Sciences Communications | Nature | United Kingdom |
| 2024 - ongoing | Board Member | The Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs | National Association of Special educational Needs | United Kingdom |
| Date | Engagement Type | Partner Name |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 - ongoing | Collaboration | ITE University Project |
| Date | Topic | Presented at | Institution | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 - 2025 | The dilemmas of inclusive education | SA HALT Network Pinot & Pedagogy Evening | SA HALT Network | Australia |
| 2025 - 2025 | Diving into differentiation with Dr Tom Porta | Unley High School | Unley High School | Australia |
| 2025 - ongoing | Diving into differentiation for School Leaders with Dr Tom Porta | Reynella East College | Reynella East College | Australia |
| 2024 - 2025 | Diving into differentiation with Dr Tom Porta | Pulteney Grammar School | Pulteney Grammar School | Australia |
| 2024 - 2024 | Differentiation and the Australian professional Standards for Teacher | SA HALT Network writing workshop | SA HALT Network | Australia |
| 2024 - 2024 | Examining the Australian educational landscape of differentiation through document analysis. | ATEA | University of Newcastle | Australia |
| 2024 - 2024 | The Dance of Differentiation | School Inclusion Network | School Inclusion Network | Australia |
| 2024 - 2024 | Differentiation | PYP Network Meeting South Australia | PYP Coordinators | - |
| 2022 - 2022 | AARE Conference: Australian senior-secondary teachers’ perceptions of differentiated instruction: implications for leadership and policy | AARE | UniSA City West Campus | - |
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