Gemma is the Deputy Head of School (Learning and Teaching) and Senior Lecturer in the Graduate School of Education at The University of Western Australia. 

At UWA, she coordinates the Bachelor of Education (Primary) (Honours) course in the Graduate School of Education.  She has been awarded two faculty awards for Excellence in Teaching (2018, 2020) and two institutional awards for Excellence in Teaching (2020, 2022). In 2022, Gemma was awarded a national citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning (an Australian Award for University Teaching, AAUT), by Universities Australia.  In 2025, Gemma was the recipient of the Mensa Richard Johns Research Grant to support research in the area of gifted education.  

Her research interests include inclusive education, differentiation, gifted education, teacher education, family-school partnerships, and parents' experiences of communication and interaction with teachers and school leaders. 

Gemma is a registered teacher with the Teacher Registration Board of Western Australia (TRBWA) (2000 → ), an executive member of the Australian Teacher Education Association (ATEA) (2022 - 2027), and the Western Australian representative on the Network of Associate Deans of Learning and Teaching in the Discipline of Education (NADLATE) (2026). Gemma is also a member of the Hollywood Primary School Board (2025 and 2026).  In 2026, Gemma is a member of the scientific committee for the London International Conference on Inclusive Education (LICIE), University College London (UCL) Institute of Education (https://www.licie.co.uk/scientific-committee).

Gemma is on the editorial board for the Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs (JORSEN) (2023 →), a reviewer for several peer-reviewed journals, including the Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, and the Co-editor of the JORSEN Special Issue: Differentiation for All (2026).  

Deputy Head of School, Learning and Teaching (Graduate School of Education at UWA) (2023 → )

Deputy Chair of the UWA Society and Culture Board of Studies (2026)

Editorial Board for the Research in Inclusive Education Journal (2026)

London International Conference on Inclusive Education (LICIE) Scientific Committee member, University College London (UCL) Institute of Education (2026)

NADLATE (Network of Associate Deans of Learning and Teaching in Education) Member (2023 →)

Graduate School of Education School Board Member (2021 →  )

Member of the Hollywood Primary School Board (2025 and 2026)

Australian Teacher Education Association (ATEA) Conference Co-convenor (2025)

Course Coordinator of Bachelor of Education (Primary) (Honours) at UWA (2024 → )

UWA Learning and Teaching Awards Selection Committee (October 2023 → )

Editorial Board for the Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs (JORSEN) (June 2023 →) 

UWA Ethics Low Risk Review Panel member (July 2023 → February 2026)

Chair of the Graduate School of Education Committee (2023 → )

Chair of the Graduate School of Education Board of Examiners Committee (2023 → 2026)

UWA University Learning and Teaching Committee member (2023 → )

UWA Board of Studies: Society and Culture Committee member (2023 →  )

UWA Working Party - Special Consideration (2023 → 2024)

Australian Teacher Education Association (ATEA) Executive member (2022-2027)

Disability Access and Inclusion Working Group (DAIWG): Academic representative (2021 → 2023)

Community of Practice (CoP): Evaluating your teaching (2021 → 2023)

Community of Practice (CoP): Higher Education Academy (HEA) Fellows (2022 → 2023)

Course Coordinator of Master of Teaching Primary (2020 → 2023)

Academic Conduct Essentials (ACE) Steering Committee: Academic representative (2019 - 2020)

UWA Learning and Teaching Committee: FABLE nominee representative (2019 - 2020)

National and international conference presentations

Porta, T., & Scarparolo, G. (2026, June). What's in a name?  Italian teachers' understanding, language and confidence in differentiated instruction. Keynote address at the International Conference, Educational differentiation: The essential path to inclusion. Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy. 

Scarparolo, G., Gibbs, K. & Porta, T. (2026, July).  Teachers' perceptions of how differentiation is talked about in schools. London International Conference on Inclusive Education (LICIE), University College London (UCL) Centre for Inclusive Education. 

Scarparolo, G., Gibbs, K., Porta, T. (2026, July).  How do Australian teachers and school leaders talk about differentiation in schools? Australian Teacher Education Association (ATEA) conference, Griffith University, Australia.  

Porta, T., & Scarparolo, G. (2025, August).  How is differentiation communicated in Australian publicly available documents. Symposium: "Macro and Micro-level variables that shape Differentiated Instruction".  Symposium.  EARLI Conference, University of Graz, Austria. 

Scarparolo, G. (2025, July). "We just want our children to have the opportunity to learn as every child should": A national qualitative survey of parents of intellectually gifted children in Australia.  London International Conference on Inclusive Education (LICIE), University College London Centre for Inclusive Education. 

Porta, T., Scarparolo, G., & Gibbs, K. (July, 2025).  Where and how is differentiation addressed in Australian ITE: An examination of course outlines across Australia.  Australian Teacher Education Association (ATEA) conference, Perth, Western Australia.  

Scarparolo, G. (2024, September 8-12).  Examining the experiences of parents of gifted children across Australia: What can we learn about effective family-school partnerships for gifted education? British Educational Research Association (BERA), University of Manchester.

Scarparolo, G., & Porta, T. (2024, July 10-12).  Examining the Australian educational landscape of differentiation through document analysis. Australian Teacher Education Association (ATEA) conference, University of Newcastle, Australia.

Scarparolo, G. (2024, June 24).  Quality inclusive practice: Maximising opportunities for student participation, engagement, and
achievement. Successful Learning Conference [Feature presentation]: Building executive functions for student success. University of Sydney, Australia.

Scarparolo, G., Chamlin, T., & Glasby, K. (2023, July 12-14).  Family-school partnerships, the educative process, and pre-service teachers: a systematic literature review.  Australian Teacher Education Association (ATEA) conference, ACU Sydney, Australia.

Scarparolo, G. (2023, August 22-25).  Parent-Teacher Communication: What are the experiences of parents of children with specific educational needs? European Educational Research Association (EERA), ECER (European Conference on Educational Research conference, Glasgow.  https://eera-ecer.de/ecer-2023-glasgow

Scarparolo, G. (2022, October 21-22).  What do gifted children want their teachers to know? Implications for policy and practice.  AAEGT (Australian Association for the Education of the Gifted and Talented) national conference. Future Focus: A Gifted Education Paradigm. https://www.aaegt.net.au/conference-2022 

Scarparolo, G. (2022, July 6-8).  Pre-service teachers learning from parents of children with disability. Australian Teacher Education Association (ATEA) conference [online]. 

Scarparolo, G. (2022, May 31-1 June).  Differentiation: A focus on student voice.  Keynote presentation at the DI Asia (Differentiated Instruction) Summit 2022. https://www.diasia.academy/speakers 

Scarparolo, G. (2022, May 31-1 June).  What's on the menu? A spotlight on the learning menu strategy.  Spotlight session at the DI Asia (Differentiated Instruction) Summit 2022. https://www.diasia.academy/speakers

Scarparolo, G. (2019, September).  Inclusive education: is it inclusive of gifted students' needs? Paper presented at the UKFIET conference at the University of Oxford, England.  

Scarparolo, G., & Mayne, F. (2019, July).  Using mixed-reality simulation technology with pre-service teachers to increase their self-efficacy for explaining differentiation to parents.  Paper presented at the Australian Teacher Education Association (ATEA) conference, Queensland, Australia. 

Scarparolo, G., & MacKinnon, S. (2018, December).  Differentiation: What do Year 6 boys think?  Paper presented at the London International Conference on Education at the University of Cambridge, England.  

Scarparolo, G., & Subban, P. (2018, July).  Teacher Education: Preparing teachers for diversity through the practice of differentiation.  Paper presented at the Australian Teacher Education Association (ATEA) / Teacher Education Forum of Aotearoa New Zealand (TEFANZ) conference, Melbourne, Australia.