Academic biography

I am an Assistant Professor in Drama Education within the School of Arts Education and Movement at the DCU Institute of Education.

My research and teaching are grounded in relational pedagogy informed by my doctoral research (University of Exeter) which interrogated the complexities of the child-teacher relationship in upper primary school contexts through a phenomenological lens. My master’s research (Trinity College Dublin) examined drama as a framework for curriculum integration in early years contexts. My background as a primary school teacher, combined with my time as an in-service advisor with Oide (formerly PDST), remains the foundation of my professional perspective. These experiences continue to inform my interest in the practice of teaching. 

I served as chairperson of the Association for Drama in Education in Ireland (ADEI) from 2017 to 2021 and continue to serve on the ADEI committee for curriculum matters. In April 2021, I joined the Board of Directors at The Ark, Ireland’s dedicated cultural centre for children, where I continue to serve and chair the research working group