Leighann Ness Wilson

Biography

Leighann Ness Wilson is a Lecturer in Design and Technology Education at Southern Cross University. A qualified designer and registered teacher, she brings professional experience across the design industry, schools, and Initial Teacher Education to her research and teaching practice.

Research

Leighann's research spans education, design, and healthcare contexts, with a particular focus on Design and Technologies in Initial Teacher Education. Her doctoral research examines the perceptions, self-efficacy, and disciplinary capabilities of pre-service teachers. She is co-author of Taking Design Seriously in Education (Cambridge University Press, in press).

Community engagement

Leighann maintains active engagement with the Technologies education community through memberships with DATTA, ATEA, and ATTEN. She delivered a keynote at the 2025 DATTA Queensland State Conference and contributes regularly to professional learning and curriculum development across school and industry contexts.

Teaching

At SCU, Leighann teaches into the Secondary Design and Technologies specialisation in Initial Teacher Education. Prior to joining SCU, she taught across Technologies, Science, STEM, and Digital Pedagogies at ACU and QUT, and has experience envisaging and delivering design-led curriculum in schools and public programs.