Thesis Title/ Topic area: Curriculum Theory and Practice for Online Higher Education
Supervisor(s): Dr Keith Young & Dr Majella Dempsey
Short Biography: Sean McGagh is a Chartered Quantity Surveyor and Lecturer at the Atlantic Technological University Sligo with over 25 years of industrial and educational experience. He holds a Bachelor of Science (BSc) (Hons) in Quantity Surveying from Ulster University, a Master’s Degree in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education from Waterford Institute of Technology and is an associate member of the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI). He has developed and chaired Level 7 and 8 programmes in Quantity Surveying (QS) and Construction Management and developed modules for and lectures on online part-time programmes.
Sean’s research interests include curriculum theory, practice and development, learning theories, alternative pedagogical approaches, multidisciplinary collaborative learning, reflective practice and methods of remote learning using technology. His doctoral research concerns curriculum theory and practice for online higher education. Although online education is growing at an accelerating rate there does not appear to be any curriculum theory guiding the design and pedagogy of this recent phenomenon.
Thesis Title/ Topic area: Educating for Social Justice in programmes of Initial Teacher Education in Ireland
Supervisor(s): Dr. Joe Oyler, Dr. Suzanne O’Keeffe
Short Biography: Bríd Murphy is Head of Initial Teacher Education & Induction with the Teaching Council, where she oversees the professional accreditation of programmes of initial teacher education, the Council’s induction policy for newly qualified teachers, and the assessment of qualifications of teachers who qualify outside of the Republic of Ireland.
Bríd has a background in management and social sciences research. She holds a degree in Business Studies & Sociology, and a Masters in Applied Social Research, both from Trinity College Dublin. Bríd held managerial and research roles in private sector consulting and media production before joining the Teaching Council in 2016. Bríd has also previously acted as the Council’s Head of Teacher’s Learning & Research.
Bríd is particularly interested in the sociological and philosophical underpinnings of initial teacher education and the role of the teacher educator within ITE. Bríd is exploring what it means to educate for social justice in programmes of initial teacher education in Ireland.
Thesis Title/ Topic area: Enhancing Collaborative Professionalism in the Dyad of the Pre-Service teacher and Cooperating Teacher in the Mathematics classroom.
Supervisor(s): Dr Zerrin Doğança Küçük, Dr Celine Healy
Short Biography: Patricia Nunan is the Programme Director of the Professional Master of Education (PME) on the Post Primary programme in Hibernia College. Her background is as a Post Primary teacher of Mathematics and French. While on secondment to the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST), she worked across many areas including Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA), Numeracy and Modern Foreign Languages (MFL). During this time, she led the design of teacher Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for the newly revised curriculum in Mathematical Applications. Patricia holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Higher Diploma in Education in Mathematics and French. She previously completed two postgraduate programmes in Maynooth University, namely the Higher Diploma in Educational Management and Administration (2003) and the Postgraduate Diploma in Educational Leadership (2009). She graduated from Waterford Institute of Technology in 2019 with a Master of Arts Management in Education (MAME).
Patricia’s research interests include initial teacher education and the role both mentoring and reflective practice play within. In her doctoral studies, Patricia is exploring the potential of the collaborative relationship between a Pre-Service teacher and Cooperating teacher in the Mathematics classroom. Using a design-based research methodology, she explores the dialogic opportunities for reciprocity in this relationship.
Thesis Title/ Topic area: ‘Learning to teach student teachers in school’: An exploratory case study of the learning associated with the role of cooperating primary teacher in the Irish context.
Supervisor(s): Dr. Rose Dolan (Education), Dr. Fiona Nic Fhionnlaoich (Froebel)
Short Biography: Mark O’Sullivan is a primary school teacher, currently seconded to the teacher support services as an Advisor. He has research interests in the areas of teacher education across the continuum, professional development and learning, and inclusive education. He holds a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) and a Master of Education (M.Ed.) from Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick, a Postgraduate Diploma in Educational Leadership and Management (PGD ELM) from Maynooth University, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Special Educational Needs, specialising in Autism (PGD SEN) from the University of Galway. Mark has held a variety of roles in education, including in in-school management, as an Assistant Principal, in Initial Teacher Education, as a part-time Research Supervisor with Marino Institute of Education, and in Teacher Induction, as a part-time Associate with the National Induction Programme for Teachers (NIPT).
Mark is currently a doctoral student in Maynooth University’s Department of Education. His research is concerned with the professional development, preparation and learning experiences and needs of cooperating primary teachers who work with student teachers on school placement. In the current landscape of policy change and role reconceptualisation for cooperating teachers in Ireland, he is particularly interested in the learning experiences which inform cooperating teacher engagement with and enactment of the role, the spaces where this learning occurs, and the structures required to support this learning.
Thesis Title/ Topic area: An Evaluation of the Influence of Accountability Regimes on the Curriculum Policy-Practice Nexus at Higher Education
Supervisor(s): Dr Majella Dempsey, Dr Bernie Grummell
Short Biography: Tazila is the co-founder and Quality Assurance Director of a private educational institution in Dublin, where she oversees the QA and assists in academic affairs while liaising with accreditation bodies. Tazila has extensive experience in the Education sector, having occupied various roles.
With a BSc(Hons) in Biology from the University of Mauritius and multilingual abilities (English, French, Arabic, Urdu, Hindi and Creole), Tazila has had a distinguished professional career as Conservationist at the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation (MWF), Educator of Biology, Agriculture, Sciences, French, Numeracy and Statistics and International Business Communications while also having the privilege to occupy the position of Head of Biology Department at Secondary level. She earned her Masters in Higher Education from TU Dublin in 2017.
Tazila’s doctoral research involves understanding of the impact of accountability mechanisms applied to the curriculum policy implementation process at higher education. She holds the NUI Dr Mary L Thornton Scholarship in Education Award. Her interests encompass transformative strategies that contribute towards advancing knowledge of pressing issues underpinning educational practice, policy and research.
Thesis Title/ Topic area: How can adult educators work collaboratively to embed trauma-informed practices and pedagogies within an adult and community education organisation?
Supervisor(s): Dr Catriona O’Toole, Dr Bernie Grummell
Short Biography: Leslie Ann Webster is an Early Childhood Care and Education lecturer. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Teaching and Learning (BA) and a Master of Education (M.Ed.) from Maynooth University. Leslie-Ann is currently in year three of her Doctoral research at Maynooth University. Her research is focused on trauma informed practices and pedagogies. She brings a deep passion for fostering supportive learning environments. Leslie-Ann brings a wealth of experience in early education and a deep commitment to addressing the impact of trauma on the learning process. Her research is driven by the desire to contribute meaningful insights to the field of education, aiming to enhance educational practices that promote empathy, compassion, healing, and resilience for both educators and learners. Leslie-Ann’s interdisciplinary approach combines both education, psychology, and research on trauma to create a holistic understanding of trauma informed practices in educational settings. Leslie-Ann’s work reflects a commitment to positive change in the realm of education, placing a strong emphasis on the importance of empathy and trauma awareness in creating inclusive and nurturing learning environments.
