Dr Lorraine Crean
Froebel Department of Primary and Early Childhood Education
Biography
Lorraine Crean is a lecturer in Language and Literacy at the Froebel Department of Primary and Early Childhood Education. Her areas of teaching include literacy, multilingual and plurilingual education and English as an additional language. Her research interests are in the area of literacy and language development, family language policy among migrant and transnational families, multilingual children's Irish language learning, and inclusive and special education.
She qualified as a primary school teacher and has taught across all class levels within mainstream and special educational settings. She has developed particular expertise in teaching English as an additional language, teaching foreign languages in the primary school and promoting multilingual children's home language learning and development. Lorraine has been previously seconded to the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST) and as an Advisor for Literacy, she contributed to the design and delivery of curriculum-based professional development for school leaders and teachers, and provided school support in the areas of literacy teaching and language learning. She also worked as an Education Officer in the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) where she contributed to the development of the Primary Language Curriculum (PLC) and associated Teacher Toolkit.
Lorraine has carried out extensive research with multilingual children in various settings, including the home and school. She completed her PhD under the supervision of Professor Pádraig Ó Duibhir, DCU. This thesis examined the family language policy of Polish families in Ireland and a particular focus of the research was on children’s agentic capabilities regarding their language practices. She has held two postdoctoral positions in DCU researching the CPD needs of teachers for teaching children with special educational needs in Irish-medium schools and educational provision for children for whom English is an additional language in Irish-medium schools. She is a current member of the NCCA Primary Language Development Group and is currently involved in the development of the new Modern Foreign Languages curriculum specification for 3rd to 6th classes in primary schools.
Research Projects
Conference Publication
Conference Contribution
Peer Reviewed Journal
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Connaughton-Crean, L. & Ó Duibhir, P. (2024) '‘We are always planning trips to Poland’: The influence of transnational family life on the family language policy of Polish speaking families in Ireland'. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, . [Full-Text] | |
| 2023 | Nic Aindriú, S; Connaughton-Crean, L; Ó Duibhir, P & Travers, J (2023) 'The Design and Content of an Online Continuous Professional Development Course in Special Education for Teachers in Irish Immersion Primary and Post-Primary Schools'. Education Sciences, 13 (3). https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13030281 | |
| 2023 | Ní Dhiorbháin, A.; Nic Aindriú, S.; Connaughton-Crean, L.; Ó Duibhir, P. (2023) 'It’s more the invisible benefits–multilingual parents’ experiences of immersion education and their reasons for choosing immersion'. Language and Education, . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2022 | Nic Aindriú S.; Ó Duibhir P.; Connaughton-Crean L.; Travers J. (2022) 'The CPD Needs of Irish-Medium Primary and Post-Primary Teachers in Special Education'. Education Sciences, 12 (12). [DOI] | |
| 2017 | Connaughton-Crean, L & Ó Duibhir, P (2017) 'Home language maintenance and development among first generation migrant children in an Irish primary school: An investigation of attitudes'. Journal of Home Language Research, . [Link] [Full-Text] |
Published Report
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Ní Dhiorbháin, A; Connaughton-Crean, L. & Ó Duibhir, P. (2023) Soláthar an Oideachais Lán-Ghaeilge agus Ghaeltachta do Pháistí a bhfuil Béarla mar Theanga Bhreise acu. COGG, . [Link] | |
| 2022 | Nic Aindriú S.; Connaughton-Crean L.; Ó Duibhir P. & Travers J. (2022) Ag tacú le daltaí a bhfuil riachtanais speisialta oideachais acu i scoileanna Gaeltachta agus lánGhaeilge. An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta, . [Link] |