Melanie Ní Dhuinn DEd

Contact

Rannóg

Department of English and Roinn na Gaeilge

Role

Senior Lecturer in Education.

Module Coordinator (Socheolaíocht agus Sochtheangeolaíocht  an Oideachais, (BOid3) Modhanna Taighde/Tráchtas (BOid 3, 4). Lecturer Research Methods.

School Placement lecturer/tutor.

Chair SERC (Student Ethics Research Committee) 23-24.

Biography

Dr. Melanie Ní Dhuinn is a Senior Lecturer in Education. Melanie works across Teacher Education programmes including; Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) and Baitisléir Oideachais (B.Oid) undergraduate programmes, Professional Master of Education (PME) postgraduate programme and the Bachelor of Education (BSc) undergraduate programme. Melanie also supervises postgraduate students on the Master of Education programmes in MIE.  She is also a doctoral supervisor in the School of Education in Trinity College and has supervised a number of Phd and D.Ed candidates to completion of their doctoral studies.

Melanie previously worked as an Assistant Professor of Teacher Education in the School of Education in Trinity College Dublin where she held the roles of Registrar of the Professional Master of Education Course and as Director of School Placement.  She designed and coordinated the Year 1 and Year 2 School Placement modules across all strands of the PME and lectured in Teaching Pedagogies (Gaeilge), School Placement, Research Methods and in the Sociology of Education.

Having graduated with a Doctor of Education award from the School of Education in Trinity College Dublin she has worked in Higher Education in Initial Teacher Education (ITE) since 2011. During this time, she has developed a broad pedagogical skillset spanning both synchronous and asynchronous modes. She has coordinated and led the professional accreditation process of reconceptualised ITE programmes in two HEIs and has also reviewed programmes in and for other HEIs. She has worked as an external examiner at a programme level and for PhD examination across several HEIs.

Her primary research interests are in the field of teacher education, including all aspects of the continuum of teacher education and how educational technology can support and enhance learning. She is also interested in looking at general educational issues through a sociological and social justice lens. Her research informs her teaching and her responsibilities. Specifically, she is interested in the following research areas; Initial Teacher Education, Sociology of Education, Technology in Education and Technologies for Digital Learning, Inclusive Education, Universal Design for Learning, Sociology of Education, Assessment and Curriculum Reform, Visual methodologies, ICT & Methodologies in Teacher Education, An Ghaeilge mar Mheán Teagaisc, Language Acquisition in Education.

Prior to working in Teacher Education Melanie worked as a Teacher of Physical Education and Gaeilge before being employed by the Department of Education and Skills.

Melanie was a member of the Teaching Council from 2018 to 2022, representing the Higher Education Institutions (post-primary).

She is a member of the steering group of the National Teacher Education and Teacher Educator Forum (Ireland), a member of the Centre for Research in IT in Education (CRITE) in TCD and a member of the Research in School Education (RISE) TCD research group.

Qualifications

D.Ed. Doctor of Education, Trinity College Dublin

MSc Health Education, South East Technological University (SETU)

BSc Physical Education and Gaeilge (Qualified Post-primary teacher), University of Limerick (UL)

Certificate in Exercise and Fitness, University College Dublin (UCD)

Teaching

ORCID iD

0000-0003-2150-6724

Publications and other outputs

Book Chapters 

Liston, J., Dhuinn, M. N., Prendergast, M., & Kaur, T. (2021). Chapter 12 Exploring Reflective Practice in an Initial Teacher Education Program in Ireland. In Recruiting and Educating the Best Teachers. Brill. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004506657_013

Ní Dhuinn, M., Byrne, C., & Prendergast, M. (2021). Teachers’ and Parents’ Perspectives on Curriculum Reform. In D. Murchan & K. Johnston (Eds.), Curriculum Change within Policy and Practice. Reforming Second-level Education in Ireland. Palgrave Macmillan/Springer Nature. https://www.palgrave.com/gp/book/9783030507060

Journal Articles

Ní Dhuinn, M., Uí Choistealbha, J., Hamilton, J., & Kaur, T. (2023). Meaningful methodologies in initial teacher education practicum research. Irish Journal of Education, 47(7), 76—98. www.erc.ie/IJE/special-issues 

Lynch, A., Haals-Brosnan, M., McCauley-Lambe, S., Colum, M., Farrelly, M., Horn, C., Mc Daid, R., Minnock, M., Ní Dhuinn, M. & Ó Laighin, F. (2023). Placement during a pandemic? Exploring the experiences & perspectives of students completing educational placement during the COVID-19 pandemic. All Ireland Journal of Higher Education, 15(2). https://ojs.aishe.org/index.php/aishe-j/issue/view/61

Murphy, G., & Ní Dhuinn, M. (2022). The possibilities and potential of a pedagogical partnership between university and community-based initial teacher educators for LGBTQ+ specific inclusion and diversity. Frontiers in Education. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2022.913610

Young, A.-M., Ní Dhuinn, M., Mitchell, E., Ó Conaill, N., & Uí Choistealbha, J. (2022). Disorienting dilemmas and transformative learning for school placement teacher educators during COVID-19: Challenges and possibilities. Journal of Education for Teaching. https://doi.org/10.1080/02607476.2022.2082274

Ní Dhuinn, M., & Garland, S.A. (2022). Lockdown lessons learned: Reconceptualising a Sociology of Education module in ITE using a TPACK framework, optimizing pedagogy, enhancing student outcomes through the provision of inclusive and accessible opportunities for learning. Irish Educational Studies, 41(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/03323315.2022.2084607

Prendergast, M., Ní Dhuinn, M., & Loxley, A. (2021). “I worry about money every day”: The financial stress of second-level initial teacher education in Ireland. Issues in Educational Research, 31(2).

Devitt, A., Condon, J., Dalton, G., O’ Connell, J., Ní Dhuinn, M. An maith leat an Ghaeilge?  An analysis of variation in primary pupil attitudes to Irish in the Growing Up in Ireland study. International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism, 21, 1, 2018, 105 – 117. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13670050.2016.1142498

Educational Resources

Let’s Talk About Sociology of Education Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/lets-talk-about-sociology-of-education/id1560198605

Research Reports 

Ní Dhuinn, M., Uí Choistealbha, J., Hamilton, J., & Kaur, T. (2022). SHARED. Student Hopes: Achievement, Research, Equity, and Diversity. SCoTENS funded Shared Island project report. Report funded by the Standing Conference on Teacher Education, North and South (SCoTENS) and the Shared Island Unit. Retrieved from https://scotens.org/site/wp-content/uploads/SHARED-Research-Report.pdf

Uí Choistealbha, J., Ní Dhuinn, M. (2021) DEEPEN, (Droichead, exploring and eliciting perspectives, experiences and narratives). The Teaching Council https://www.teachingcouncil.ie/assets/uploads/2023/08/deepen-final-report_2021.pdf

Conference Contributions

Ní Dhuinn, M. & Will, K., (2024, March 27-30). Examining and exploring the standards in teacher preparation in Ireland and the United States: The commonalities, differences and the influences of standards in our practices. [Paper presentation]. Annual meeting of the Association of Teacher Educators on A Professional Educator’s Kuleana: Preparing for the Future through Accountability, Diversity, Advocacy and Celebration, Anaheim, CA.

Ní Dhuinn, M. & Ingle-Carey, Jeanne. (2024, March 27-30). Meeting them where they are at: Preparing teacher candidates to work with migrant and displaced children - A review of current research. [Paper presentation]. Annual meeting of the Association of Teacher Educators on A Professional Educator’s Kuleana: Preparing for the Future through Accountability, Diversity, Advocacy and Celebration, Anaheim, CA.

Young, A.M., Ní Dhuinn, M. Mitchell, E., Uí Choistealbha, J. & O Conaill, N. (2023, October 29). Learning from disorienting dilemmas on the practicum experience during COVID-19. [Paper presentation]. ATEE, Winter Conference, Braga, Portugal 

Ní Dhuinn, M., Uí Choistealbha, J. & Hamilton, J. (2023). SCoTENS SHARED. Student Hopes: Achievement, Research, Equity, and Diversity. [Paper presentation]. SCoTENS funded Shared Island project, SCoTENS annual conference 2023. 

Ní Dhuinn, M. & Dunne, C. (2023, May 18-19). Challenges and opportunities for immersion practitioner Teacher Educators in initial teacher education (ITE). [Paper presentation]. Trinity School of Education Language and Education Policy in Ireland Conference, Dublin.

Ní Dhuinn, M. & Ní Lochlann, T. (2023, May 18-19). Communication skills beyond the Infant classroom: Using fairy tales, emojis and the wider community to playfully teach key vocabulary in English, Irish and Lámh. [Paper presentation]. Trinity School of Education Language and Education Policy in Ireland Conference, Dublin.

Young, A.-M., Ní Dhuinn, M., Mitchell, E., Ó Conaill, N., & Uí Choistealbha, J. (2023, April 14). Transformation within the Teacher Education Practicum: Breaking tradition, taking risks, embracing change using a Mezirow framework [Paper presentation]. American Educational Research Association (AERA) Conference, Division K, Teaching and Teacher Education, Chicago.

Ní Dhuinn, M., Will, K.,Pacheo-Guffrey, H. & Uí Choistealbha, J. (2023, March). SHARED- Student hopes: Achievement research, equity and diversity maximizing a social justice pedagogy. [Paper presentation]. Association of Teacher Educators Conference, USA. Ní Dhuinn, M., & Murphy, G. (2022, April 20-22). Pedagogical Practices and Partnerships promoting LGBTQ+ specific inclusion and diversity approaches in an Initial Teacher Education module. [Paper presentation]. Teaching and Learning for an Inclusive, Interconnected World Conference, ATEE, Sestri Levante, Italy.

Liston, J., Ní Dhuinn, M., Prendergast, M., & Kaur, T. (2022, April). Supporting student teachers’ reflective practice – Capturing the perspectives of School and University based teacher educators. [Paper presentation]. ATEE Conference, Marino Institute of Education, Dublin.

Ní Dhuinn, M. (2022, April). Let's Talk (and Tweet) About Sociology of Education. Using a podcast method and social media. Raising our voices through conventional and emerging media. [Paper presentation]. ATEE Spring Conference, Marino Institute of Education, Dublin.

Young, A.-M., Ní Dhuinn, M., Mitchell, E., Ó Conaill, N., & Uí Choistealbha, J. (2022, April). The COVID-19 practicum experience. A new means to an end. [Paper presentation]. ATEE Spring Conference, Marino Institute of Education, Dublin.

Ní Dhuinn, M., & Uí Choistealbha, J. (2022, April). Transitioning from Initial Teacher Education to Teacher Induction. End Game to New Beginning. [Paper presentation]. ATEE Spring Conference, Marino Institute of Education, Dublin.

Uí Choistealbha, J., & Ní Dhuinn, M. (2022, April). We need to talk about our relationship! An exploration of how the DEEPEN research has informed our understanding of the complexities of teacher induction. [Paper presentation]. ESAI conference.

Uí Chianáin, A., Haals Brosnan, M., McCauley Lambe, S., Colum, M., Farrelly, M., Horn, C., Mc Daid, R., Ní Dhuinn, M. & Ó Laighin, F. (2022, April). Placement in a Pandemic: Exploring the Impact of Covid-19 on Students' Experience of Educational Placement. [Paper presentation]. ESAI conference.

Ní Dhuinn, M., & Murphy, G. (2022, April). Pedagogy, possibilities and potential of a partnership between formal and informal teacher educators for LGBTQ+ specific inclusion and diversity. [Paper presentation]. ESAI conference.

Ní Dhuinn, M., & Murphy, G. (2022, March 26). Using a social justice lens to Un-pack and Un-pick a Sociology of Education module in an Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programme. [Paper presentation]. Sociology in Schools Conference, Marino Institute of Education, Dublin.

Ní Dhuinn, M., & Uí Choistealbha, J. (2021, December 9-11). All in this together? Unpacking the concepts of inclusion and diversity in the teaching profession in Ireland through the lens of a national teacher induction process research study. [Paper presentation]. Hong Kong Educational Research Association-APERA International Conference.

Ní Dhuinn, M. (2021). Global Citizenship in Education (GCE) and the Céim Standards for Initial Teacher Education. [Paper presentation]. Ubuntu Assembly Meeting.

Oldham, E., Bray, A., Ní Dhuinn, M., & Liston, J. (2021, September 9-11). An analysis of undergraduate mathematicians' reactions and reflections about issues in mathematics education. [Paper presentation]. ATEE Annual Conference 2020/2021: Re-imagining and remaking teacher education, Warsaw [online].

Ní Dhuinn, M., Liston, J., Prendergast, M., & Kaur, T. (2020, September). Capturing the Voice of the Teacher Educator on student-teacher reflective practice. [Paper presentation]. Opening Up Education, Options, Obstacles and Opportunities: Educational Studies Association of Ireland, Dublin City University.

Ní Dhuinn, M., & Uí Choistealbha, J. (2020, September). Deep Dive into Teacher Induction Programmes - A Systematic Literature Review. [Paper presentation]. Opening Up Education, Options, Obstacles and Opportunities: Educational Studies Association of Ireland, Dublin City University.

Ní Dhuinn, M., Liston, J., Prendergast, M., & Kaur, T. (February 2020). Reflective Practice in Initial Teacher Education using a Brookfield’s lenses approach. [Paper presentation]. American Association of Teacher Educators (ATE) Conference, Atlantic City.

Liston, J., Ní Dhuinn, M., Prendergast, M., Kaur, T., (April 2020) Reflective Practice in ITE- Exploring the Perspectives of University and School Based Teacher Educators. American Educational Research Association (AERA). Accepted paper.

Ní Dhuinn, M. & Uí Choistealbha, J. (April 2020) The power and possibilities of an innovative research design: insights from the DEEPEN project. American Educational Research Association (AERA). Accepted paper.

Ní Dhuinn, M., Prendergast, M., MacPhail, A., Dolan, R., Young, A.M. (April 2019) Leveraging education research as an instrument in a “Post-Truth” Era to address national and infrastructural dilemmas in reconfiguring Initial Teacher Education programmes in Ireland. American Educational Research Association (AERA).

Ní Dhuinn, M., Prendergast, M., Loxley, A., (April 2019) ‘Minister can you spare a Euro?’: The financial and emotional costs of becoming a teacher. American Educational Research Association (AERA) Conference, Toronto.

Uí Choistealbha, J., Ní Dhuinn, M. (October 2019) Insight and Impact, leading a professional learning network (insights from the DEEPEN project). Standing Conference on Teacher Education North and South. (SCoTENS). Leadership across Boundaries: Challenges for Educators and Teacher Educators.

Liston, J., Ní Dhuinn, M., Prendergast, M., Kaur, T. (September 2019) Reflective Practice as a Space for Pre-Service Teachers to engage with Critical Ideology reflection. European Educational Research Association (ECER), Hamburg, Germany.

Ní Dhuinn, M., Mac Phail, A., Dolan, R. (October 2019) The development of an Irish National Teacher Education and Teacher Educator Forum: the next steps. SCoTENS. Leadership across Boundaries: Challenges for Educators and Teacher Educators.

Ní Dhuinn, M. "Perfect Storms" (2018 January) A Case Study of the introduction and implementation of a reconceptualised 120 credit Initial Teacher Education (ITE) consecutive programme utilising a reconceptualised Technology embedded Teaching, Learning and Assessment approach in an Irish Higher Education Institution (HEI).MiTE Conference, NUIG.

Ní Dhuinn, M. (2018 Feb 15-17) Maximising the blended benefits of an M-level Initial Teacher Education programme. ATEE Winter Conference, Utrecht, Netherlands.

Ní Dhuinn, M., Prendergast, M., Loxley, A. (2018 April 5-7) “We’re not in the money- Part Two, The Bigger Picture” Continuing to count the costs of being a PME student. Educational Studies Association of Ireland Annual Conference, University College Dublin.

Liston, J., Ní Dhuinn, M., Prendergast, M. (2018 May 17-19) Fostering Critical Reflection in Student Teachers. Teacher Education Policy in Europe (TEPE), Braga, Portugal, TEPE Scientific Committee.

Dineen, A., Ní Dhuinn, M. (2017 April) Video Observation of Self and Colleagues. Educational Studies of Ireland (ESAI) conference, University College Cork.

Ní Dhuinn, M., Prendergast, M., Loxley, A (2017 April). We’re not in the Money. Counting the costs of being a PME student. Educational Studies Association of Ireland (ESAI) University College Cork.

Ní Dhuinn, M., Prendergast, M., Loxley, A. (2017 October 23-25). "Making ends meet", the real costs of becoming a teacher in Ireland. Association for Teacher Education in Europe (ATEE) Annual Conference, Dubrovnik, Croatia.

Ní Dhuinn, M., Loxley, A.  (2015 April) Pixel Possibilities- tales of using visual research instruments in educational research. Educational Studies Association of Ireland, Educational Research and Practice in Times of Transition: Looking to the Future, Maynooth University.

Devitt, A., Dalton, G., Ní Dhuinn, M., O'Toole, J., & Condon, J. (2015 April) "Is maith liom Gaeilge". An analysis of variation in primary pupil attitudes to Gaeilge in the Growing up in Ireland study, focusing on the Teacher factor. Educational Studies Association of Ireland. Educational Research and Practice in times of Transition: Looking to the Future, Maynooth University.

Devitt, A., Ní Dhuinn, M.,  MacMahon, B. (2015 April 16-20). Multilingualism challenges and opportunities in the Irish Post-primary education sector. American Educational Research Association (AERA) Conference, Chicago, US.

Devitt, A., Condon, J., Dalton, J., O'Connell., Ní Dhuinn, M. (2014 November 26) An maith leat Gaeilge?: An analysis of variation in primary pupil attitudes to Gaeilge in Growing Up in Ireland study. Growing Up in Ireland Annual Research Conference, Dublin, Ireland.

Podcasts

Melanie Ní Dhuinn, Podcast. 17-episode podcast; "Let's Talk about Sociology of Education" creator, producer and presenter.

Webinar 

Ní Dhuinn, M. (2022, March). Presentation on SHARED project. SCoTENS Research Webinar. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPjnIMdzhNQ&t=18s

Blog

Melanie Ní Dhuinn, InfoTed Blogpost. March 2020, Teacher educator conversations prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic: opportunities and responsibilities. https://info-ted.eu/author/mnidhuim/

Research/Professional Interests

Teacher Education, Reflective practice, ITE, Induction, Visual Methodologies, UDL

Professional Activities

Clinical Fellows (ATE) 

Melanie Ní Dhuinn is a Clinical Fellow and has facilitated sessions at Clinical Fellows symposiums, at the Association of Teacher Educators (United States), Annual Conference, 2019 (Atlanta, Georgia, US); 2020 (Atlantic City, New Jersey, US); 2022 (Chicago, Illinois, US); 2023 (Jacksonville, Florida, US); 2024 (Anaheim, California, US).

Conference Organising Committees 

AEA-Europe (Dublin, November 2021)

International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement (2024 January) Marino Institute of Education and School of Education, Trinity College Dublin

National Teacher Education and Teacher Educators Forum,

Biannual meetings: April 2018 (Maynooth University); October 2018 (Trinity College Dublin); April 2019 (National University Galway); November 2019 (Dublin City University); November 2020 (online).

Invited Guest Keynote Speaker Association of Secondary Teachers of Ireland (ASTI) Annual Congress 2018 

Grants

1. (PI) Disorienting dilemmas and transformative learning in school placement during COVID-19: the perspectives of school leaders and cooperating teachers’ project. Marino Institute of Education seed funding, 2023. (€3,000)
2. (PI) SHARED SCoTENS and Shared Island funding, December 2021, (€25,000): https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/645ff-shared-island-research/#standing-conference-on-teacher-education-north-and-south ; https://scotens.org/shared-student-hopes-achievement-research-equity-and-diversity/
3. (PI) Ubuntu Development Education project for post graduate student teachers (post-primary) 2020-2021 (€6,000)
4. (Research Team member) Global Citizenship in Education Research project with colleagues in Mary Immaculate College Limerick and Global Education Network (GENE) 2021-2022.(€10,000)
5. (PI) TCPID (2020) INPhysEd, EIT Health 2021-2022 (€20,000) https://www.tcd.ie/tcpid/assets/docs/2019/eit-summer-school-flyer.pdf
6. (Co-PI)DEEPEN, Teaching Council (2018-2021) (€78,000) https://www.teachingcouncil.ie/assets/uploads/2023/08/deepen-final-report_2021.pdf
7. (Co-PI) Weaving the Thread of School-University Partnership to Support Student Teachers’ Reflective Practice; John Coolahan Research Support Funding Bursary. Croí Research Support Framework (2018) (The Teaching Council) €4,000

Membership

Teaching Council of Ireland, representing Higher Education Institutions, April 2018-April 2022

• Disciplinary Committee
• Education Committee
• Evidence of Character Committee
• Qualifications panel
• Cosán Committee
• Registered Teacher (Teaching Council) RN 41553

Educational Studies Association of Ireland (ESAI)

Association of Teacher Educators (ATE) US

Association for Teacher Education in Europe (ATEE)