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Staff Profiles

Dr Deirdre O'Neill

PhD

Contact Details

Lecturer - Contract Type B
School of Education
University of Galway
E: Deirdre.ONeill@universityofgalway.ie

Biography

Deirdre's research interests focus on transition in teacher education, physics teacher education and education outside the classroom. She was involved in leading the monitoring and evaluation of the EU-funded OTTER project and implementation of the pilot studies in Ireland. She has also facilitated professional learning workshops for Department of Education and Skills, Reginal Education Centers and schools (principals and teachers).

Research Interests

Deirdre's research interests currently investigate ways of embedding innovative pedagogical approaches to integrate education for sustainable development. Adopting Education Outside the Classroom practices to learn about the current global issues and engage students (of all ages) to become responsible consumers and citizens is the focus of her research today.

Deirdre's research is also centered on the teacher voice (pre-service and in-service) and their role in empowering students to be the change agents of today. Her research gives voice to novice and experienced teachers by tailoring supports to their educational needs in the ever-changing landscape of education for sustainable development. Deirdre's past involvement in research also considers unconscious bias, gender stereotyping, fostering professional learning communities and research practice partnerships.

Research Projects

Project	Start Date	End Date
Improving Gender Balance in Ireland
MathsMinds: Inspiring STEM Futures
OTTER - Learning science outside the classroom for a sustainable future	01-OCT-22	01-APR-24

Peer Reviewed Journals

	Year	Publication
	(2023)	'Identifying the type of transition experienced by newly qualified physics teachers entering the workplace' Oâ€™Neill ,Deirdre,McLoughlin ,Eilish (2023) 'Identifying the type of transition experienced by newly qualified physics teachers entering the workplace'. Irish Educational Studies, 42 (4):841-860 [Details]

Books

	Year	Publication
	(2022)	Insights into the professional learning of physics teachers: an examination of Novice teachers¿ experiences of transition. Deirdre O'Neill (2022) Insights into the professional learning of physics teachers: an examination of Novice teachers¿ experiences of transition. Dublin City University: Doras. [Details]

Book Chapters

	Year	Publication
	(2022)	'What Do Novice Physics Teachers Identify as Their Problems of Practice?' Deirdre O'Neill & Eilish McLoughlin (2022) 'What Do Novice Physics Teachers Identify as Their Problems of Practice?' In: Physics Teacher Education. Challenges in Physics Education. Switzerland: Springer, Cham. [DOI] [Details]
	(2020)	'Enhancing the Teaching and Learning of Physics at Lower Second Level in Ireland' Deirdre O¿Neill, Eilish McLoughlin (2020) 'Enhancing the Teaching and Learning of Physics at Lower Second Level in Ireland' In: Research and Innovation in Physics Education: Two Sides of the Same Coin. :239-247 Switzerland: Springer Nature. [DOI] [Details]

Conference Publications

	Year	Publication
	(2019)	*ESERA: The beauty and pleasure of understanding: engaging with contemporary challenges through science education* Deirdre O'Neill & Eilish McLoughlin (2019) Supporting Professional Learning Communities to Develop Content Knowledge for Teaching and Learning Physics at Lower Secondary Level ESERA: The beauty and pleasure of understanding: engaging with contemporary challenges through science education [Details]
	(2019)	*Journal of Physics: Conference Series, Volume 1929, GIREP-ICPE-EPEC-MPTL 2019* Deirdre O'Neill & Eilish McLoughlin (2019) Examining Students' Interest in Physics at Second Level in Ireland Journal of Physics: Conference Series, Volume 1929, GIREP-ICPE-EPEC-MPTL 2019 Budapest, [DOI] [Details]

Published Reports

	Year	Publication
	(2020)	Improving Gender Balance in Ireland: Final Report (2017-2019). Eilish McLoughlin & Deirdre O'Neill (2020) Improving Gender Balance in Ireland: Final Report (2017-2019). Dublin City University, Ireland. [Details]

Conference Contributions

	Year	Publication
	(2023)	Connecting Science Education with Cultural Heritage, Deirdre O'Neill; Eilish McLoughlin (2023) Novice Physics Teachers' Experiences of Transition into the Workplace. [Oral Presentation], Connecting Science Education with Cultural Heritage, Cappadocia, Turkey , 01-OCT-23. [Details]
	(2023)	Connecting Science Education with Cultural Heritage, Deirdre O'Neill; Nathália Helena Azevedo; Orla McCormack; Regina Kelly (2023) Bringing Education Outside the Classroom; Benefits, Challenges and Pathways Forward. [Poster Presentation], Connecting Science Education with Cultural Heritage, Cappadocia, Turkey , 28-AUG-23. [Details]
	(2021)	ESERA: Fostering scientific citizenship in an uncertain world, Deirdre O'Neill & Eilish McLoughlin (2021) Identifying the problems of practice of novice secondary physics teachers. [Oral Presentation], ESERA: Fostering scientific citizenship in an uncertain world, Portugal , 22-SEP-21. [Details]
	(2021)	European Conference on Educational Research, Deirdre O'Neill (2021) Supporting Teacher Professional Learning in Embedding Strategies to Address Unconscious Bias and Gender Stereotypes at Second Level. [Conference Organising Committee Chairperson], European Conference on Educational Research, Geneva , 14-SEP-21. [Details]

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Professional Associations

Association	Function	From / To
American Association of Physics Teachers	Member	/
Teaching Council of Ireland	Teacher	/
European Science Education Research Asociation	Member	/

Employment

Employer	Position	From / To
University of Limerick	Postdoctoral Researcher	01-OCT-22 / 31-DEC-24
University of Limerick	Assistant Professor in Education	01-JAN-24 / 01-JUN-24
University of Galway	Lecturer	01-JUN-24 /
International School of Choueifat	Secondary School Teacher	01-AUG-15 / 01-AUG-17
University of Limerick	Lecturer	01-MAY-21 / 31-OCT-22
Dublin City University	Project Officer	16-AUG-17 / 15-OCT-20

Education

	Year	Institution	Qualification	Subject
	2015	Dublin City Univesity	BSc Science Education	Mathematics, Physics & Science
	2022	Dublin City University	PhD	Physics Education

Community Engagement

	Title	Type	From / To
	Outreach	Institute of Physics Busking	/

Reviews

	Journal	Role
	European Journal Of Teacher Education	Reviewer
	Irish Educational Studies	Reviewer

Teaching Interests

Deirdre has a keen interest in observing and gaining a deep understanding the issues of learners (both as a second-level teacher and as a university lecturer).
Reflective practice is a key component of Deirdre's teaching approach as she draws on several models for reflection to facilitate student growth and self-awareness. Her teaching exhibits a scaffolded approach to reflection that is embedded in every lecture enhancing students descriptive writing skills, critical thinking and focusing on key learnings to improve their teaching.