Sandra Austin PhD

 

Rannóg

Department of Global Diversity, Sustainability & Intercultural Education

Role

Head of Department

Biography

Sandra completed her undergraduate studies in Microbiology at Trinity College Dublin in 1989 and spent almost two decades as a cardiovascular research scientist in Ireland and the USA, receiving a Ph.D. (Pharmacology) in 2001 from the National University of Ireland.  From 2006 she retrained as a horticulturist, working at the Eden Project, Cornwall, UK and then as co-ordinator of Grow Your Own Future, a Dublin-based horticultural training and accreditation programme for lone parents.  From 2013-2016 she lectured in primary science education at St. Patrick’s College of Education, completing her Master of Education while there.  She was national co-ordinator for the RDS STEM Learning Project, a professional development programme for primary teachers, from 2015-2016. Since 2016 she has been lecturer in Social, Environmental and Scientific Education at Marino Institute of Education, Dublin.

Qualifications

PhD Pharmacology (UCD);

MEd Teaching & Learning (DCU);

BA Mod Natural Sciences (TCD);

FETAC 5/6 Horticulture (Teagasc).

Publications and other outputs

 

Book Chapters

 

Austin, S. (in press). Creating good memories: School gardens at the heart of school life. In Robinson, D. (Ed.), Living Ethos: Exploring the heart and practice of Catholic School Ethos.

Austin, S. (2021). Education about, through and for the environment: A scientific inquiry approach. In A. M. Kavanagh, F. Waldron & B. Mallon (Eds.), Teaching for social justice and sustainable development across the primary curriculum. Routledge.

Austin, S. (2020). Translating critical thinking into meaningful action. In B. O'Toole, E. Joseph & D. Nyaluke (Eds.), Challenging perceptions of Africa in schools; critical approaches to global justice education. (pp. 122-138). Routledge.

Austin, S. (2017). Finding my place: Reflecting on new beginnings as a geography educator. In Catling, S. (Ed), Reflections on Primary Geography. Register of Research in Primary Geography.

Austin, S. (2017). "We had plenty of ideas and it was very interesting to exchange", TEALEAF teachers as a community of practice. In Krnel, D. (Ed.) TEALEAF Academic book. University of Ljubljana.

 

Journal Articles

 

Pike, S. Austin, S. Greenwood, R. & Bacon, K. (2023). Inquiry in teacher education: experiences of lecturers and student teachers. Irish Educational Studies. https://doi.org/10.1080/03323315.2023.2189139

Austin, S. (2022). The school garden in the primary school: meeting the challenges and reaping the benefits. Education 3-13, 50(6), 707-721.

Greenwood, R., Austin, S., Bacon, K. & Pike, S. (2022). Enquiry-based learning in the primary classroom: student teachers’ perceptions, Education 3-13, 50(3), 404-418.

Austin, S. (2020). Inquiry about and being with the natural world in education for sustainable development. Constructivist Foundations, 16(1), 024-026.

 

Thesis

 

Austin, S. (2001). Prostacyclin and the response to vascular injury [Doctoral dissertation]. National University of Ireland (UCD).

Austin, S. (2017). Garden-based learning in primary schools: meeting the challenges and reaping the benefits [Unpublished Master's thesis]. Dublin City University.

 

Professional Journal Articles

 

O’Donnell, C., Austin, S., Kennedy, A. and Ní Chinneide, F. (2022). Paintings, Pigeons and Playful Inquiry: Our classroom is in the National Gallery of Ireland. In Touch, June 2022, 30-31.

Austin, S., & Nolan, A. (2021). Empowering environmental action through collaborative inquiry. InTouch, May 2021, 44-45.

Austin, S., & Bacon, K. (2021) Curiouser and curiouser: Local inquiry in the natural and built environment. InTouch, March/April 2021, 38-39.

Austin, S., & Kerr, K. (2020) Let's all go on a bug hunt! science learning in the local environment. InTouch, September 2020, 49.

 

Research Reports

 

Austin, S., Bacon, K., Greenwood, R. and Pike, S. (2020). Embedding and Nurturing Enquiry-based Learning: Exploring Multiplicities of Enquiry in Initial Teacher Education (ENEBLe). Final Report of the ENEBLe Project. SCoTENS.

 

Conference Contributions

 

Austin, S. (2025, February 21-23). Sustainability at the Heart of MIE, An action-packed story of positive change [paper Presentation]. The 27th Charney Manor Primary Geography Conference. Oxfordshire, United Kingdom.

Austin, S. (2025, March 10-12) Paintings, Pigeons and Playful Learning; My Primary School is at the National Gallery of Ireland [Paper Presentation]. At the ‘Wednesday is Museum-Day’: Annual Museum Education Conference 2025, Open-Air Museum of Kiekeburg, Hamburg, Germany.

Austin, S. (2024, February 26). Sacred Spaces, Common Places: Using local graveyards and cemeteries as resources to explore heritage, culture, and identity. [Paper presentation]. 26th Charney Manor Primary Geography Conference, Oxfordshire UK.

Austin, S. (2023, February 24-26). Paintings, Pigeons and Playful Inquiry: Our classroom is in the National Gallery of Ireland. [Paper presentation]. 25th Charney Manor Primary Geography Conference, Oxfordshire UK.

Austin, S. (2022, August 15-17). Inquiry-based learning in the local environment: curiosity, connection and action for sustainability. [Paper presentation]. 3rd Annual Education with Sustainability Conference, ATU Sligo.

Austin, S., Bacon, K., Greenwood, R. and Pike, S. (2022, April 7-9). Embedding and Nurturing Enquiry-based Learning: Exploring Multiplicities of Enquiry in Initial Teacher Education (ENEBLe).  [Paper presentation]. ESAI Annual Conference (online).

Austin, S., Bacon, K., (2021, March 25-27). Exploring the local environment through inquiry: community, connection, action and understanding.  [Paper presentation]. ESAI Annual Conference (online).

Austin, S. (2020, February 21-23). “A constant weave of reference from place, to object, to curriculum” – bringing the ‘My Primary School is at the Museum’ project to Ireland. [Paper presentation]. 23rd Charney Manor Primary Geography Conference, Oxfordshire UK.

Austin, S. (2019, February 22-24). Just connections, just trade: identifying actionable responses towards social justice in the primary classroom. [Paper presentation]. 22nd Charney Manor Primary Geography Conference, Oxfordshire UK.

Austin, S. (2019, February 19). Connecting with curriculum – SESE and beyond. [Paper presentation]. Heritage in Schools Annual Conference.

Austin, S. (2018, September 4-7). Garden-based learning in primary schools: Meeting the challenges and reaping the benefits. [Paper presentation]. European Conference on Educational Research.  Bolzano, Italy.

Austin, S. (2018, February 23-25). School gardens at the heart of school life. [Paper presentation]. 21st Charney Manor Primary Geography Conference, Oxfordshire UK.

Austin, S. (2017, November 26). Inquiry-based learning in the garden. [Paper presentation]. Invited workshop, Botanic Garden Education Network Annual Conference, Glasnevin, Ireland.

 

Webinar

 

Austin, S. and Bedford, A. (2021). Outdoor Learning: Inquiry in the Local Environment.  MIE Autumn Webinar Series (online) with Tralee Education Centre.  https://edcentretralee.ie/cpd-courses-tralee-kerry/primary-courses/1911-21tra573-outdoor-learning-inquiry-in-the-local-environment.html

 

Other Outputs

 

Austin, S. (2019). A world of wonder. [Invited workshop]. Creative Arts Summer School, MIE 25th June 2019.

Invited Speaker/Seminar: Early years inquiry in the outdoors. RDS STEM Learning Conference 26th Nov, 2016.

Research/Professional Interests

Education for sustainable development, outdoor Learning, garden-based learning, inquiry-based learning, primary science, primary geography, environmental education.

Membership

Irish Association for Primary Science Education (IAPSE) Executive Committee

Chartered Institute of Horticulture Ireland Branch Committee (Co-ordinator, Young Horticulturist of the Year competition Ireland)

My Primary School is at the Museum Research Network – Ireland co-ordinator