Contact
Rannóg/Department
Education for Sustainability, Diversity, and Intercultural Education
Master in Education Studies: Intercultural Learning and Leadership
Qualifications
B.Ed. (St. Patrick's College)
M.Ed. (University of Nottingham)
M.A. (Tavistock Clinic / University of East London)
Ed. D. (St. Patrick's College / Dublin City University)
Teaching
Director of Master in Education Studies (Intercultural Learning and Leadership)
Lecturing: Language Studies, teaching English as an additional language, intercultural education, global justice education, religious diversity and intercultural education, human rights education.
Research / Professional Interests
Intercultural education; anti-racism; global justice education; human rights education; religious diversity and intercultural education
Teacher education
Publications
Malone, T., O'Toole, B. & Mullally, A. (2020). 'The Family Project': investigating multi-belief learning in two Irish primary schools. British Journal of Religious Education, 42(3).
O'Toole, B., Joseph, E. & Nyaluke, D. (2020). (Eds.) Challenging perceptions of Africa in Schools: Critical approaches to global justice education. Oxon: Routledge.
Moloney, C. and O'Toole, B. (2018). 'Windows and mirrors' or 'closed doors'? Representations of diversity in early years' textbooks. Irish Teachers' Journal, 6(1), November.
Skinner, B. and O'Toole, B. (Eds.) (2018). Minority language pupils and the curriculum: closing the achievement gap. Marino Institute of Education and University of Ulster: E-book.
O'Toole, B. and Skinner, B. (2018). Closing the achievement gap: challenges and opportunities. In B. Skinner and B. O'Toole (Eds.), Minority language pupils and the curriculum: closing the achievement gap. Marino Institute of Education and University of Ulster: E-book.
O'Toole, B. (2015). 1831 to 2014: an opportunity to get it right this time? Some thoughts on the current debate on patronage and religious education in Irish primary schools. Irish Educational Studies, 34 (1).pp. 89-102.
Delaney, S., Ó Breacháin, A., Macken, S. and O'Toole, B. (2014). Innovation in practice: designing, implementing and evaluating course on approximations of practice. AERA annual meeting, Philadelphia PA (6 April).
Ryan, A., O'Toole, B. Quinn, F., Hagan, M. and Bracken, S. (2010). English as an Additional Language in Undergraduate Teacher Education Programmes North and South. Reflective Practice: Challenges for Teacher Education: 2009 Conference and Annual Reports (SCoTENS).
Bracken, S., Hagan, M., O'Toole, B. Quinn, F. and Ryan, A. (2009). English as an Additional Language in Undergraduate Teacher Education Programmes in Ireland: A Summary of the Report on Provision in Two Teacher Education Colleges. School Leadership Policy and Practice North and South: 2008 Conference and Annual Reports - (SCoTENS).
O'Toole, B. (2008). Separating 'Development and Intercultural Education' in Initial Teacher Education. In M. Fiedler and A. Perez-Pinan (eds.) Challenging Perspectives. Dublin: DICE e-book.
O'Toole, B. (2006). "What makes a Global Teacher?" Examining Student Responses to Development and Intercultural Education. Policy and Practice: A Development Education Review, Issue 3.
O'Toole, B. (2005). Using Fiction in Development and Intercultural Education. In L. Morris and S. Coghlan (Eds.). Cross-Currents: A Guide to Multicultural Books for Young People. Dublin: IBBY Ireland.
Conferences
2020: Inclusive Education and Society in a Time of Change, Trinity College, Dublin. 'Educating for Global Justice', with Dr Ebun Joseph, Dr David Nyaluke, and Dr Alice Feldman, August 2020.
2019: Development Studies Association Conference. With Dr David Nyaluke: 'Educating about trade justice in schools'. November 15th, 2019.
2019: Sociological Association of Ireland (SAI) Conference, NUIG. With Dr Ebun Joseph, Dr David Nyaluke, and Dr Alice Feldman. 'Educating for global justice: Connecting sociology to the pluriverse', Roundtable discussion, May 10th 2019.
2019: Intercultural Education Conference, DCU. 'Challenging the single story: Images of Africa in the primary school classroom. Findings from an action research study.' With Elaine Haverty, January 25th, 2019.
2017: European Conference on Educational Research (ECER), Copenhagen. 'From assistencialism to equality? Perceptions of the Global South in four primary school classrooms in Ireland'. With Paula Murphy and Elaine Haverty, August 2017.
2015: With Dr Barbara Skinner of University of Ulster at Coleraine at SCoTENS Conference, Limerick. Title: 'Teaching English as an Additional Language: perspectives from North and South'.
2013: RE21 - Religious Education in a Global-Local World, at University College Cork. Title: 1831 to 2014: an opportunity to get it right this time?
2012: With Dr Rory Mc Daid at Reading Association of Ireland (RAI) conference at Marino Institute of Education. Title: ‘Kicking off with English language skills’: an evaluation of a pilot programme to develop literacy skills through sport.
2011: With Dr Rory Mc Daid and Lorraine Connaughton at DICE conference at St Patrick's College, Drumcondra. Title: ‘My language - Pride in the skin I’m in’.
2009: Irish Learning Support Association (ILSA) conferences. Title: ‘Reading Different Worlds: Literacy approaches with EAL learners’.
Resource publication
Larkin, T., Morris, L., O'Caoimh, C., Muzanenhamo, P., Wilson, B. and O'Toole, B. (2021). Naisc Chóra, Trádáil Chóir: Acmhainn Teagaisc Faoin Afraic. Institiúid Oideachais Marino agus Proudly Made in Africa.
Larkin, T., Morris, L., O'Caoimh, C., Muzanenhamo, P., Wilson, B. and O'Toole, B. (2018). Just Connections, Just Trade: A teaching resource about Africa. Marino Institute of Education and Proudly Made in Africa (PMIA), with funding support from Irish Aid.
Awards
Funding received from Standing Conference on Teacher Education North and South (SCoTENS) in 2022, to support cross-border project with Dr Barbara Skinner at the University of Ulster at Coleraine. 'Home-school partnership with migrant families: a way forward on the island of Ireland.' Research team: NI - Dr Barbara Skinner and Dr Maria Stewart. ROI: Dr Barbara O'Toole and Ms. Richeal Ní Thiarnaigh.
Funding received under Irish Aid 2017 Annual Development Education Grants round, to support resource design and research project: Teaching about trade in the primary school.
Funding received from Standing Conference on Teacher Education North and South (SCoTENS) in 2017 to support joint project with Dr Barbara Skinner at University of Ulster in Coleraine, with funding for two seminars: 'Minority language students and the curriculum - closing the achievement gap'.
Supporting Inclusion and Diversity in Teaching (SIDiT)
SIDiT was a joint project between organisations, institutes and schools in Europe, with an expertise in education. It ran from 2020 to 2023, with partners located in Greece, Belgium, Ireland, Italy and Croatia. The goal of SIDiT was to create inclusive classrooms.
SIDiT was co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union and the Goethe Institut (Key Action 2).
All of the project materials, including the SIDiT handbook developed by colleagues in MIE, are available on the above link.
Minority language students and the curriculum: closing the achievement gap
E-book on teaching English as an additional language
Skinner, B. and O'Toole, B. (Eds.) (2018). Minority language pupils and the curriculum: closing the achievement gap. Marino Institute of Education and University of Ulster: E-book.
This 2018 e-publication is based on talks given at two seminars on teaching English as an additional language which were held at MIE and the University of Ulster in Coleraine in 2017, supported by funding from SCoTENS.
The e-book contains chapters by the following authors:
Barbara Skinner (University of Ulster), Barbara O'Toole (MIE), Piet Van Avermaet (Ghent University), Andrew Hancock (University of Edinburgh), Deirdre Kirwan (former principal of Scoil Bhríde Cailiíní, Dublin), Jean Conteh (Leeds University), and Rory Mc Daid (MIE).
Seminars on teaching English as an additional language
In April 2017, MIE held a one-day seminar entitled 'Minority language students and the curriculum: closing the achievement gap', which was supported by funding from SCoTENS. The initiative was organised in association with Dr Barbara Skinner at the University of Ulster in Coleraine. A one-day seminar on the same theme was held in Coleraine in February 2017.
Speakers at the MIE seminar included: Dr Piet Van Avermaet from the University of Ghent in Belgium, Dr Andrew Hancock from Edinburgh University, Dr Deirdre Kirwan, former principal of Scoil Bhríde Cailíní in Blanchardstown, Dublin, and Dr Jean Conteh from Leeds University. Dr Rory Mc Daid from MIE was the rapporteur for the day.
The seminars were filmed and the recordings have now been edited into a ten-minute digital resource:
Just Connections, Just Trade: A Teaching Resource about Africa (2018)
A collaborative project between Marino Institute of Education and Proudly Made in Africa (PMIA), with funding support from Irish Aid
Just Connections, Just Trade: A Teaching Resource about Africa has been written to support 5th and 6th class primary school teachers in teaching about the wider world and in developing global citizenship in relation to curricular areas such as SESE and SPHE. It examines topics such as interdependence and globalisation, trade relationships, and consumer choices, in child-friendly language, and through a range of active and participative methodologies designed to enable children to understand and engage with complex issues. It examines global trade issues while promoting a view of African countries as equal trade and economic partners.
The pack was written by: Tom Larkin, Liz Morris, Conall O'Caoimh, Penelope Muzenenhamo, Barbara Wilson, and Barbara O'Toole. The pack can be downloaded here.
The Irish-language pack: Naisc Chóra, Trádáil Chóir: Acmhainn Teagaisc Faoin Afraic can be downloaded here.
