IPDA Ireland Committee
IPDA Ireland
Committee
This page features information and biographies for the IPDA Ireland Committee. If you are interested in joining IPDA Ireland or being on the committee please get in touch.
Dr Aoife Brennan
Chair
Affiliation: Dublin City University
Aoife Brennan is a lecturer and Head of School of Inclusive and Special Education at Dublin City Univeristy Institute of Education. She previously worked as a primary teacher and as an Advisor with the National Professional Development Service for Teachers in Ireland. Aoife teaches across a number of undergraduate and postgraduate teacher education programmes up to and including doctoral level. Aoife’s research focuses on professional learning and inclusion, professional learning communities and leadership for professional learning. She is Chair of International Professional Development Association (IPDA) Ireland and an Advisory Board Member for the International Symposium on Leadership for Professional Learning.
Eimear Holland
Vice-Chair
Affiliation: Dublin City University
Nicola Broderick
Hon. Treasurer
Affiliation: Dublin City University
Nicola Broderick is a lecturer in Science Education and works in the area of Teacher Education in the School of STEM Education, Innovation and Global Studies (SEIGS), Institute of Education, Dublin City University (DCU). Currently her main responsibilities include researching, developing and facilitating Initial Teacher Education and Continuous Professional Development (CPD) courses in science education.
Nicola has developed educational resources and published research in science education. Her research interests include teaching and learning through inquiry in primary science, CPD, Nature of Science, Socio-Scientific Issues, Policy Analysis and Education for Sustainable Development. She is currently in her third year of the Doctorate of Education, DCU. Nicola is a member of the Centre for the Advancement STEM Teaching and Learning (CASTeL).
Carrie Archer
Affiliation: City of Dublin Education and Training Board
Carrie Archer has worked in the Further Education and Training Sector in Ireland for the past 12 years. Stemming from her degree in Psychology and Sociology, she has further completed Post Graduate awards in both 21st Century Teaching and Learning, and in Inclusive and Special Education in addition to an MSc in Education and Training Management (eLearning).
Carrie is currently employed as the Professional Development Coordinator for the City of Dublin Education and Training Board. CDETB operates 23 schools and colleges (16 of which are Colleges of Further Education), 10 Youthreach Centres, an education service in seven Prisons, two Training Centres, 17 Local Training Initiatives and an Adult Education Service.
Carrie’s interests are Universal Design for Learning and supporting inclusion and diversity within the FET sector. She currently facilitates a Professional Learning Network for Special Education teachers in PLC colleges. She mentors FET teachers in Technology Enhanced Learning and works as an associate faculty lecturer in the National College of Ireland on a Certificate for FET practitioners in TEL.
Rachael Byrne
Affiliation: Dublin City University
Rachael Byrne is a practicing primary school teacher who received specialist training in music education whilst studying at the Kodály Institute of the Liszt Academy of Music in Kecskemét, Hungary. She is particularly interested in the design and facilitation of professional learning opportunities for teachers in relation to primary school music education. Currently, she is a part-time doctoral student within Dublin City University. Her research is focused on supporting and enhancing the teaching of music by non-specialist teachers in Irish primary schools.
Rachael is an active member of the Professional Support Team (PST) within her own school context. In this role, she is responsible for supporting newly qualified teachers completing the induction process in keeping with the Droichead framework, placing emphasis on teachers’ professional learning and development during this phase of their career.
Kathleen Foley
Kathleen Foley is a practising primary teacher with extensive experience in the area of SEN. She has a particular interest in the areas of special education, early intervention, inclusion, collaboration and teachers’ professional learning. She has been actively working with the Teaching Council of Ireland in the development and roll out of the Cosán framework (the national framework for TPL) since 2019. Kathleen is currently completing her PhD within the School of Education in UCC. Her research is in the area of TPL, collaborative, reflective practices and teacher agency.
Niamh Hickey
Niamh Hickey is currently completing her doctoral studies in the School of Education at the University of Limerick. She is a graduate of the University of Limerick, with a Bachelors in Science Education, specialising in Biology and Chemistry. Niamh’s PhD is funded by the Irish Research Council and comprises an analysis of distributed leadership in Irish post-primary schools. She is expected to graduate from her doctoral studies in 2023.
Niamh has taught on a variety of undergraduate and postgraduate modules within initial teacher education and professional development courses. She currently lectures on postgraduate educational leadership professional development courses at the University of Limerick. Her research interests include educational leadership, professional development, and organisational behaviours.
Siobhan Kavanagh
Dr. Siobhán Kavanagh is Chair of ESCI, a representative group for the 21 Full time and 7 Part Time Education Support Centres.
Siobhán is currently on secondment as Director of Kildare Education Support Centre. Siobhán is a Post Primary; Home Economics, Religion and SPHE teacher with a keen interest in promoting positive Mental Health in the whole school community. She was a local facilitator for the MHAI (Mental Health Awareness Initiative) co-ordinated through Education Centres. Siobhán has 22 years classroom experience, 20 of which she spent very happily in Ardscoil Rath Iomgháin in Rathangan. Prior to the Directors role, She was a middle leader, an AP1 post holder. The opportunities for development and potential experienced in this Middle Leadership role prompted her to undertake research in this area.
Siobhán has a master’s in educational leadership and Management and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Evaluation. Her doctoral thesis explored the Professional Development needs of Appointed Middle Leaders in ETB schools.
Carmel Kearns
Carmel Kearns is Head of Teachers’ Learning and Research in the Teaching Council. She supports the work of the Council’s Education Committee, and has played a key role in the development of a range of landmark policy documents, including the first Code of Professional Conduct for Teachers, the Council’s Policy on the Continuum of Teacher Education and Droichead, An Integrated Induction Framework. She was instrumental in the development of the Council’s professional accreditation criteria for reconceptualised ITE programmes, and led the process by which all programmes in Ireland were reviewed for accreditation purposes for the first time. More recently, she played a lead role in the development of Cosán, the national framework for teachers’ learning in Ireland, and she is currently collaborating with the Department of Education in supporting the growth of Cosán nationally, through the Cosán Action Plan. She is also leading the implementation of the Council’s CROÍ research series, aimed at enhancing the connections between research, policy and practice.
Fiona King
Affiliation: Dublin City University
Fiona King is an Associate Professor in the School of Inclusive and Special Education, Institute of Education, Dublin City University (DCU), Ireland. Fiona began her career as a primary teacher and spent 25 years teaching in a variety of contexts including mainstream primary schools both in Ireland and the U.S. and a special school. She moved into teacher education in 2011 as an advisor with the Professional Development Service for Teachers (funded by the Department of Education and Science in Ireland).
In January 2014 she moved into Higher Education where she specialises in the following areas: teachers’ professional learning, leadership and teacher leadership, inclusive practice and social justice, collaboration and collaborative practices. Fiona is Programme Chair for the Professional Doctorate in Education (EdD) in the Institute of Education.
Fiona was appointed as a critical friend to the Teaching Council’s Cosán Working Group looking at teachers’ learning and development. Fiona is an Associate Editor of the fully refereed SSCI Rated international journal, Professional Development in Education and of the sister journal PRACTICE. Fiona is Chair of IPDA Ireland and a member of the IPDA International committee.
