Dr, Shivaun O'Brien is an Associate Professor in the DCU Institute of Education, School of Policy and Practice and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. She is Associate Dean for Professional Development and Partnerships and is Chairperson of the Institute of Education Professional Development and Partnerships Committee and is the founder of the Institute of Education flagship engagement initiative, the DCU Partnership for Learning. Dr. O'Brien lectures on a range of programmes including: the Doctor of Education and the B.Sc. in Science Education, B.Sc in PE and Biology,
She is Director of Research in the DCU Centre for Evaluation, Quality and Inspection (EQI) and has expertise in the areas of quality assurance, school self-evaluation (SSE), school ethos evaluation, school improvement, student participation, data use in schools and teacher professional learning. From 20 years experience in supporting and training teachers/ educators to engage in and lead self-evaluation, she had developed an evidence-based, highly successful model of professional learning for teachers in how to lead school self-evaluation and has applied this approach in over 140 schools.
She has been commissioned by a number of school Patrons in Ireland to develop quality frameworks for a number of national networks of schools. In 2020 she completed the development of a national Ethos Quality Framework for Educate Together schools which has been adopted as policy for this network of schools, as outlined in an online event to mark this development. From 2020-2022 she developed an Ethos Quality Framework for the national network of Education and Training Board (ETBI) schools, including Community National Schools and post-primary schools. In 2023 she also completed the development of a 2-year research and development project which involved leading the development of an Ethos Quality Framework for the network of Jesuit schools in Ireland.
Each of these quality frameworks have been adopted as national policy by each school network. Each represent an historically significant and unprecedented development in the landscape of mainstream Irish education but together demonstrate a significant impact on Irish education policy and practice.
She is principal investigator in a number of research projects relating to her areas of expertise, as part of her work with the EQI including the following:
- The development of an ethos quality framework for Education and Training Board Ireland, including the ETBI Patron's Framework on Ethos;
- A national survey of ethos in Education and Training Board schools;
- The development of an ethos quality framework for the network of Jesuit schools in Ireland based on the Global Identifiers for Jesuit Schools;
- Student participation as a key aspect of wellbeing in Educate Together primary and post-primary schools: John Coolahan Research Support Framework.
- Survey of library provision in Irish post-primary schools.
Currently, she is facilitating and developing the '24-'27 Strategic Plan for Oide (the Support Service for Teachers and School Leaders in Ireland)
In 2015, she established the DCU Partnership for Learning Programme, which involves the coordination and provision of a wide range of evidence-based, professional learning opportunities for teachers in DCU Cooperating Schools. This has subsequently been adopted as an Institute of Education flagship programme for IOE partner settings, including early childhood education, primary, post-primary and further education and training.
Background
She was qualified as a post-primary teacher and worked in mainstream for a number of years. Having completed a Masters Degree in Adult Education and Community Development she worked in many aspects of adult and further education and specialised in work with disadvantaged youth. For 10 years she seconded to the Department of Education Further Education Section as National Coordinator of the Quality Framework Initiative, a quality assurance system for Centres of Education, which she established and coordinated. She worked for Louth and Meath Education and Training Board as Education Development Officer, for five years where she was part of the Senior Management Team, before taking up her position in DCU.
Book
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | O'Brien, Shivaun. (2023) National Guidelines for an Ignatian Review Process. Dublin: Jesuit Education Desk. | |
| 2022 | O'Brien, Shivaun (2022) Education and Training Board Ireland Patrons' Framework on Ethos. Naas: ETBI. [Link] | |
| 2021 | O (2021) National Guidelines for the Self-evaluation of Ethos in Education and Training Board Schools. Naas: Education and Training Board Ireland. | |
| 2020 | O (2020) National Guidelines for the Self-Evaluation of Ethos in Educate Together Primary and Post-Primary Schools. Dublin: Educate Together. | |
| 2019 | O'Brien, Shivaun (2019) Guidelines for teachers on a pragmatic approach to school self-evaluation. Dublin: Centre for Evaluation, Quality and Inspection. | |
| 2017 | Brown, M., McNamara,G., O'Hara, J., O'Brien, S., Poole, P,, and Burns, D. (2017) Evaluation of the PDST ePortfolio initiative: Integrating ePortfolios in Education. Dublin: EQI. |
Book Chapter
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | O'Brien, S. (2022) 'Old ribbons, new bows: The historical development of internal improvement processes in Irish schools' In: Education Policy in Ireland Since 1922. [Link] https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-91775-3_7 | |
| 2017 | Faddar, J., Brown, M., O'Brien, S., McNamara, G., and O'Hara, J. (2017) 'De inbreng van externe partijen in schoolzelfevaluaties : de Republiek Ierland als casus' In: De rol van externen bij kwaliteitszorg : vreemde ogen doen spreken. Brussels : Politeia:UITGEVERIJ. [Link] | |
| 2016 | Brown, M., McNamra,G., Hara, J. and O'Brien,S. (2016) 'Striking a balance? The continuing evolution of Inspection and school self-evaluation in Ireland' In: School inspectors: operational challenges in National Policy Contexts. London : Springer. |
Peer Reviewed Journal
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Brown, Martin; McNamara, Gerry; O'Hara, Joe; O'Brien, Shivaun (2017) 'Inspectors and the Process of Self-Evaluation in Ireland'. SCHOOL INSPECTORS: POLICY IMPLEMENTERS, POLICY SHAPERS IN NATIONAL POLICY CONTEXTS, . [DOI] | |
| 2023 | O'Brien, B., O'Brien, S., and O'Hara, J. (2023) 'School library provision in the Republic of Ireland'. School Libraries Worldwide, 28 (1). [Link] https://journals.library.ualberta.ca/slw/index.php/slw/article/view/8516/5187 | |
| 2023 | Shivaun O’Brien; John O’Hara; Gerry McNamara; Joe O’Hara (2023) 'Quality assuring an ethical education curriculum for schools in Ireland'. SN Social Sciences, . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2022 | O'Brien, Shivaun; McNamara, Gerry; O'Hara, Joe; Brown, Martin; Skerritt, Craig (2022) 'Teacher leadership in school self-evaluation: an approach to professional development'. Irish Educational Studies, . [DOI] | |
| 2022 | O'Brien, Shivaun; McNamara, Gerry; O'Hara, Joe; Brown, Martin; Skerritt, Craig (2022) 'Students as co-researchers in a school self-evaluation process'. Improving Schools, 25 (1). [DOI] | |
| 2022 | O'Brien, Shivaun; McNamara, Gerry; O'Hara, Joe; Brown, Martin (2022) 'Learning by doing: evaluating the key features of a professional development intervention for teachers in data-use, as part of whole school self-evaluation process'. Professional Development in Education, 48 (2). [DOI] | |
| 2021 | McNamara, G.; Brown, M.; Gardezi, S.; O’Hara, J.; O’Brien, S.; Skerritt, C. (2021) 'Embedding Self-Evaluation in School Routines'. SAGE Open, 11 . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2021 | Brown, Martin; McNamara, Gerry; Cinkir, Sakir; Fadar, Jerich; Figueiredo, Maria; Vanhoof, Jan; O'Hara, Joe; Skerritt, Craig; O'Brien, Shivaun; Kurum, Gul; Ramalho, Henrique; Rocha, Joao (2021) 'Exploring parent and student engagement in school self-evaluation in four European countries'. European Educational Research Journal, 20 (2). [DOI] | |
| 2022 | Skerritt, Craig; O'Hara, Joe; Brown, Martin; McNamara, Gerry; O'Brien, Shivaun (2022) 'Student voice and the school hierarchy: the disconnect between senior leaders and teachers'. Oxford Review of Education, 48 (5). [DOI] | |
| 2021 | Skerritt, C., O'Hara,J., Brown, M., McNamara,G. and O'Brien,S. (2021) 'Enacting school self-evaluation: the policy actors in Irish schools'. INTERNATIONAL STUDIES IN SOCIOLOGY OF EDUCATION (PRINT), . [Link] https://doi.org/10.1080/09620214.2021.1886594 | |
| 2022 | McNamara, G.; Skerritt, C.; O’Hara, J.; O’Brien, S.; Brown, M. (2022) 'For improvement, accountability, or the economy? Reflecting on the purpose(s) of school self-evaluation in Ireland'. Journal Of Educational Administration And History, 54 . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2020 | Brown, M.; McNamara, G.; O’Brien, S.; Skerritt, C.; O’Hara, J. (2020) 'Policy and practice: including parents and students in school self-evaluation'. Irish Educational Studies, 39 . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2019 | O'Brien, Shivaun; McNamara, Gerry; O'Hara, Joe; Brown, Martin (2019) 'Irish teachers, starting on a journey of data use for school self-evaluation'. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 60 . [DOI] | |
| 2019 | Brown, M., McNamara, G., O’Brien, S., Skerritt, C., O’Hara, J., Faddar, J., Cinqir, S., Vanhoof, J., Figueiredo, M., Kurum, G. (2019) 'Parent and student voice in evaluation and planning in schools'. Improving Schools, . https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1365480219895167 | |
| 2018 | Poole, P.; Brown, M.; McNamara, G.; O'Hara, J.; O'Brien, S.; Burns, D. (2018) 'Challenges and supports towards the integration of ePortfolios in education. Lessons to be learned from Ireland'. Heliyon, 4 . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2018 | Brown, Martin; McNamara, Gerry; Ohara, Joe; O'Brien, Shivaun; Young, Cornelius; Faddar, Jerich (2018) 'Integrated co-Professional Evaluation? Converging Approaches to School Evaluation across Frontiers'. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 43 (12). | |
| 2017 | O'Brien, S., McNamara, G., O Hara, J., and Brown, M. (2017) 'External specialist support for school self-evaluation: Testing a model of support in Irish post-primary schools'. EVALUATION: INT. JOURNAL OF THEORY, RESEARCH & PRACTICE, 23 (1):61-79. [DOI] | |
| 2017 | O'Brien, S., McNamara, G., O'Hara, J., & Brown, M. (2017) 'External specialist support for school self- evaluation: Testing a model of support in Irish post-primary schools'. EVALUATION: INT. JOURNAL OF THEORY, RESEARCH & PRACTICE, 23 (1):61-79. | |
| 2016 | Brown, M., McNamara, G., O'Hara, J. and O'Brien, S. (2016) 'Exploring the changing face of school inspections'. EURASIAN JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH, . | |
| 2015 | O’Brien, S.; McNamara, G.; O’Hara, J. (2015) 'Supporting the consistent implementation of self-evaluation in Irish post-primary schools'. Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability, 27 . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2014 | O'Brien, Shivaun; McNamara, Gerry; O'Hara, Joe (2014) 'Critical facilitators: External supports for self-evaluation and improvement in schools'. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 43 . [DOI] |
Conference Contribution
Published Report
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Ní Bhroin, Ó., O’ Brien, S., Balfe, T., Brennan, A., & Pennycook, C. (2020) Quality Assessment System of In-Service Teacher Training provided by the Education and Teacher Training Agency (QA-INSETT-ETTA). DCU Institute of Education, . | |
| 2020 | Brown, M., Cinqir, S., Faddar, J., Figueiredo, M., Kurum, G., Vanhoof, J., Gardezi, S. McNamara, G., O'Hara, Skerritt, C., Ramalho, H. O'Brien, S., and Rocha, J (2020) The Co-existence of Parent and Student Voice in School Self Evaluation – Final Report: Erasmus Plus Distributed Evaluation and Planning in Schools (DEAPS). EQI, . | |
| 2020 | Brown, M., Gardezi, S. Cinqir, S., Faddar, J., Figueiredo, M., Kurum, G., Vanhoof, J., McNamara, G., O'Hara, Ramalho, H. Skerritt, C., O'Brien, S. and Rocha, J, (2020) Training Module to Enhance Distributed Evaluation and Planning in European Schools. Centre for Evaluation, Quality and Inspection, . | |
| 2019 | Ní Bhroin, Ó., O’Brien, S., Brennan, A., Balfe, T. & Pennycook, C. (2019) Literature Review of Factors Contributing to the Quality Professional Development Experiences for Teachers. DCU Institute of Education, . | |
| 2019 | Brown, M., Cinqir, S., Faddar, J., Figueiredo, M., Kurum, G., Vanhoof, J., McNamara, G., O'Hara, Ramalho, H., Skerritt, C., O'Brien, S., and Rocha, J (2019) Making meaning of Distributed Evaluation and Planning in Schools. EQI, . | |
| 2019 | O’Brien, Shivaun (2019) . Evaluation of the SFI funded Physics Busking initiative. Centre for Evaluation, Quality and Inspection, . | |
| 2017 | Brown, M., McNamara, G., O’Hara, J. O'Brien, S. and Skerritt, C. (2017) Evaluation and Distributed Evaluation and Planning Strategies (DEAPS) in Irish Schools (Working Paper No.1). EQI, . [Link] | |
| 2018 | Brown, M., McNamara, G., O’Hara, J. O'Brien, S. and Skerritt, C. (2018) The limitations, practical realities and conditions necessary for stakeholder voice in school self-evaluation (Working Paper No.5). Centre for Evaluation, Quality and Inspection, . [Link] | |
| 2016 | O'Hara, J, Brown, M., McNamara, G. and O'Brien, S. (2016) Notes on a small island: national survey results of Principals attitudes towards school self-evaluation. Centre for Evaluation, Quality and Inspection, . |