Books

Smithers, K. (2024). Tourism, Philanthropy and School Tours in Zimbabwe: Problematising “Win-Win” Discourses. Routledge.

Articles

Smithers, K., Gurr, S., Spina, N., Harris, J. & Heffernan, T. Just because you are staying does not mean you are ‘stuck’: Conceptualisations of academic mobility for precarious academics. Discourse: Studies In the Cultural Politics of Education.

Smithers, K., Harris, J., Heffernan, T. & Gurr, S. (2025). Decasualisation and the Universities Accord: A critical examination of university approaches. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management.

Smithers, K. (2024). School tours as a philanthropic venture: Using heterotopia to explore discourses of the ‘image of Africa’ in a Zimbabwean school. Critical Studies in Education, 65(4), 386-402.

Smithers, K. (2024) School tours and philanthropy in Zimbabwe. Annals of Tourism Research Empirical Insights,5(2), 100140.

Smithers, K., & Gibbs, L. (2024) Generational challenges and opportunities for Early Career Researchers. Professional Development in Education

Heffernan, T. & Smithers, K. (2024). Working at the level above: University promotion policies as a tool for wage theft and underpayment. Higher Education Research and Development, 44(3), 585-599.

Smithers, K and Hillyar, K. (2024). Using founder’s syndrome to explore leadership in one Zimbabwean school funded by tourism. Journal of Educational Administration and History, 56(3), 374-389.

Harper, M. & Smithers, K.  (2024) Lessons from Australia and Zimbabwe: Using fieldnotes to explore shifting roles in doctoral research. The Australian Education Researcher, 51, 1469-1485 

Hillyar, K., Smithers, K., Deehan, J., & MacDonald, A. (2024) What is known about simulation technologies and their application to Initial Teacher Education: A scoping review. The Australian Educational Researcher 

Smithers, K. (2023). “What is your name, where do you come from, what is your grade?” Using art-based interviews to highlight the experience of children hosting school tours in Matabeleland North, Zimbabwe. Tourism Recreation Research, 48(6), 912-924.

Smithers, K., Harris, J., Spina, N., & Gurr, S. (2023) Working every weekend: The paradox of time for insecurely employed academics. Time & Society, 32(1), 101-122.

Smithers, K., Harris, J., Goff, M., Spina, N. & Bailey S. (2022). Ethical responsibilities of tenured academics supervising non-tenured researchers in times of neoliberalism and precarity, Journal of Educational Administration and History, 54(1), 37-53.

Harris, J., Smithers, K., Spina, N. & Heffernan, T. (2023). Disrupting dominant discourses of the Other: Examining experiences of contract researchers in the academy. Studies in Higher Education, 48(1), 37-48.

Spina, N., Smithers, K., Harris, J., & Mewburn, I. (2022).  Back to, Zero? Precarious employment in academia amongst ‘older’ early career researchers, a life-course approach, British Journal of Sociology Education, 43(4), 534-549.

Chapter

Smithers, K. (2024). What is your name, where do you come from, what is your grade?’ Using art-based interviews to highlight the experience of children hosting school tours in Matabeleland North, Zimbabwe. In C. Khoo, P. Thakur, P. Mura, K. Sanggeyong Je, & M. Yang (Eds.), Critical Inclusive Tourism: Empowering Marginalised Groups (1^st ed.) Routledge.

Smithers, K., Harris, J., Goff, M., Spina, N., & Bailey, S. (2024). Ethical responsibilities of tenured academics supervising non-tenured researchers in times of neoliberalism and precarity. In A. Heffernan, & J. Wilkinson (Eds.), Educational Leadership and Policy in a Time of Precarity Routledge

Heffernan, T. & Smithers, K. (2023). Women in higher education. In The Marginalised Majority in Higher Education. (pp. 129-154). Palgrave MacMillan UK

Smithers, K. & Ailwood, J. (2022). Developmentourism and school tours in Zimbabwe. In M. Novelli, J.M. Cheer, C. Dolezal, A. Jones and C. Milano (Eds.), Handbook of Niche Tourism (pp. 345-356). Edward Elgar 

Smithers, K. & Ailwood, J. (2022). School Tourism in Southern Africa. In George Noblit (Ed.), Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Education. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acrefore/9780190264093.013.1811

Southgate, E., Grimes, S., Scevak, J., Smithers, K., Saxby, S., Kolham, J., … Summerville, D. (2020). ‘It makes you actually interact with the things you are learning about’. In Virtual Reality in Curriculum and Pedagogy: Evidence from secondary classrooms. Routledge.

Thesis

Smithers, K. (2021).“They have got so much love, they are in love with the children”: an exploration of the educational impact of school tours as part of a safari itinerary in Matabeleland North, Zimbabwe. Doctoral dissertation submitted to The University of Newcastle, Australia.

Reports

Harris, J., Knipe, S., Smithers, K. & Ross, A. (2020). Transitions from Remote Delivery to Reopening: A review of evidence on school improvement for schools impacted by COVID. Report commissioned by Integration and Evidence Unit, Victorian Department of Education and Training.

Harris, J., Smithers, K., Knipe, S & Ross, A. (2020). School Improvement: A review of empirical research into the drivers and practices of school improvement (2015 – 2020). Report commissioned by Integration and Evidence Unit, Victorian Department of Education and Training.

Southgate E, Blackmore K, Pieschl S, Grimes S, Smithers K, McGuire J, ‘Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies in Schools Research Report’, Australian Department of Education (2019). https://docs-edu.govcms.gov.au/documents/ai-schools-report 

Langridge, R., Smith, S. P., Smithers, K., and Southgate, E. (2017). Participatory design with children and young people: An annotated bibliography. DICE Report Series, Number 5. Newcastle: DICE Research.

Southgate, E., Smith, S. P., Smithers, K. & Budd, J. (2016). Serious games and learning: An annotated bibliography. DICE Report Series, Number 1. Newcastle: DICE Research. [PDF]

Software

Smith S, Southgate E, Langridge R, Gruppetta M, Smithers K, ‘Robo WordQuest (Android)’, 1.1, Google, Google Play App Store (2019)

Smith S, Southgate E, Langridge R, Gruppetta M, Smithers K, ‘Robo WordQuest (iOS)’, 1.1, Apple, iTunes App Store (2018)

Research translation activities

Smithers, K. (2024). Happy smiling African children: why school tourism in Zimbabwe shouldn’t be encouraged. The Conversation

Smithers, K., & Harper, M. (2023). Want to do a PhD now? Here’s what you should know. EduResearch Matters Blog

Smithers, K, Harris, J., Spina, N. (2023) Australian unis could not function without casual staff: it is time to treat them as ‘real’ employees. The Conversation

Smithers, K. (November 30, 2022) The emotional labour of academic labour – it’s all related. EduResearch Matters Blog

Smithers, K. (November 28, 2022)  The last blog for the night – reading, shadow education in China, time poverty among teachers, philanthropy in schools. EduResearch Matters Blog

Harris J., Spina, N., & Smithers, K. (2020) More than 70% of academics at some universities are casuals. They’re losing work and are cut out of JobKeeper, The Conversation, May 15th 2020

Harris, J., Spina, N., & Smithers, K. (June 1, 2020). Research with precarity in precarious times, Sentry Magazine, 1(2), 8-9