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Political Science & Sociology

Dr Tanja Kovacic

BA., MA

Contact Details

Post-doctoral researcher
E: tanja.kovacic@nuigalway.ie
 
researcher
 

Biography

Dr Tanja Kovacic works at the Office of the VP for Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion, with a lead responsibility in relation to decolonising the curriculum. Previously a post-doctoral researcher at the UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre, her work focused on a major evaluation of the educational programmes combatting educational inequality in Ireland. Her PhD explored generational growing-up experiences of youth in socialist and post-socialist Slovenia. Her research spans the sociology of youth and educational inequality, using qualitative methods like biographic and narrative inquiry, epistolary, photovoice and collaborative autoethnography. She has contributed to projects on alternative education in Ireland, the deinstitutionalisation of children in care and an EU-funded project on social robot assistance in dementia care. 

Tanja has extensive experience in teaching and supporting students. She has worked for years with both graduates, post-graduates and adult learners. She has worked as a tutor and lecturer with the School of Political Science & Sociology, Centre for Adult Learning and Professional Development and UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre. Tanja holds a Bachelor of Political Science from the University of Ljubljana (Slovenia), MA in Sociology from Lancaster University (Warsaw, Poland), an Interdisciplinary Research and Studies in Eastern Europe (MIREES) from the University of Bologna (Italy) and a PhD from University of Galway.

 

Research Interests

Sociology of childhood and youth, educational inequality, decolonising, life-course research, biographical and narrative research, epistolary inquiry, creative research methods. 

Peer Reviewed Journals

  Year Publication
(2024) 'They Give Us That Equal Kind of Level Playing Field to Do Whatever Someone in a Regular School Does.¿ An Exploration of Second-level Students¿ Experiences with an Alternative Education Programme in Supporting Their Education and Well-being in a DEIS School'
Kova¿i¿, T. and Forkan, C. (2024) 'They Give Us That Equal Kind of Level Playing Field to Do Whatever Someone in a Regular School Does.¿ An Exploration of Second-level Students¿ Experiences with an Alternative Education Programme in Supporting Their Education and Well-being in a DEIS School'. Child Care In Practice, [DOI] [Details]
(2024) 'Building upon the conceptualisation of alternative education in Ireland'
Kovacic, T. and Forkan, C. (2024) 'Building upon the conceptualisation of alternative education in Ireland'. Irish Educational Studies, 43 (4) [DOI] [Details]
(2020) 'Introducing the Social Robot MARIO to People Living with Dementia in Long Term Residential Care: Reflections'
Mannion, A., Summerville, S., Barrett, E., Burke, M., Santorelli, A. Kruschke, C., Felzmann, H., Kovačič, T., Murphy, K. and Casey, D. (2020) 'Introducing the Social Robot MARIO to People Living with Dementia in Long Term Residential Care: Reflections'. International Journal of Social Robotics, 12 :535-547 [Details]
(2020) 'The perceptions of people with dementia and key stakeholders regarding the use and impact of the social robot MARIO'
Casey, D., Barrett, E., Kovačič, T., Sancarlo, D., Ricciardi, F., Murphy, K., Koumpis, A., Santorelli, A., Gallagher, N. and Whelan, S. (2020) 'The perceptions of people with dementia and key stakeholders regarding the use and impact of the social robot MARIO'. International Journal Of Environmental Research And Public Health, 17 :1-19 [Details]
(2020) 'Conceptualising Coping and Resilience in the Context of Socio-Political and Economic Change: Generational Perspectives From Slovenia'
Kovacic, Tanja and Dolan, Pat (2020) 'Conceptualising Coping and Resilience in the Context of Socio-Political and Economic Change: Generational Perspectives From Slovenia'. Child Care In Practice, 26 (4):445-461 [DOI] [Details]
(2020) 'The effect of MARIO, a social robot, on the resilience of people with dementia: A multiple case study'
Whelan, S., Burke, M., Barrett, B., Mannion, A., Kovacic, T., Santorelli, A., Oliveira, B.L., Gannon,L., Shiel,E., Casey, D. (2020) 'The effect of MARIO, a social robot, on the resilience of people with dementia: A multiple case study'. Gerontechnology, [DOI] [ARAN Link] [Details]

Book Chapters

  Year Publication
(2020) 'Walking a mile in Viktorija's shoes. Resilience, (Post-) Memory and Affordances'
Kovačič, T. and Prieto-Blanco, P. (2020) 'Walking a mile in Viktorija's shoes. Resilience, (Post-) Memory and Affordances' In: Gegen/Dokumentation: Operationen – Foren - Intervention. :213-234 Bielefeld: Transcript Verlag. [ARAN Link] [Details]
(2017) 'The Relevance of Youth Civic Engagement for Child Welfare: Lessons Learnt from Socialist and Post-Socialist Slovenia'
Kovacic, Tanja and Dolan, Pat (2017) 'The Relevance of Youth Civic Engagement for Child Welfare: Lessons Learnt from Socialist and Post-Socialist Slovenia' In: The Routledge Handbook of Global Child Welfare. London: Routledge. [Details]
(2014) '‘Those Letters Keep Me Going: tracing resilience processes in US soldier to sweet heart war correspondences, 1942-1945’'
Anne Byrne and Tanja Kovacic (2014) '‘Those Letters Keep Me Going: tracing resilience processes in US soldier to sweet heart war correspondences, 1942-1945’' In: Constructing narratives of continuity and change: a transdisciplinary approach to researching learning lives. UK: Routledge. [ARAN Link] [Details]

Published Reports

  Year Publication
(2021) Enabling an inclusive and equitable quality education for all, through the implementation of a new, evidence-based model on educational progression and education.
Kova¿i¿, T., Forkan, C., Dolan, P. and Rodriguez, L. (2021) Enabling an inclusive and equitable quality education for all, through the implementation of a new, evidence-based model on educational progression and education. UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre, Galway. [Details]
(2019) Identifying Innovative Models for Supporting Vulnerable Learners achieve Educational Progression; Early findings from an Evaluation of Social Innovation Fund Ireland’s Education Fund.
Kovačič, Tanja, Forkan, Cormac, Dolan, Pat, Canavan, John, Furey, Eamonn, Shaw, Aileen, & Dolan, Brendan (2019) Identifying Innovative Models for Supporting Vulnerable Learners achieve Educational Progression; Early findings from an Evaluation of Social Innovation Fund Ireland’s Education Fund. UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre, NUI Galway, Galway. [Details]
(2012) Foróige Citizenship Programme: Evaluation Report.
Brady, B., Conway, R., Canavan, J. & Kovačič, T. (2012) Foróige Citizenship Programme: Evaluation Report. Foróige Best Practice Unit, Dublin. [Details]

Conference Contributions

  Year Publication
(2018) Memory Books; Viktorija's Story,
Kovačič, T., Prieto-Blanco, P. and Byrne, A. (2018) This contribution discussed the link between autograph book and affordances. [Oral Presentation], Memory Books; Viktorija's Story, University of Oxford, Wolfson College, Oxford , 15-MAY-18 - 15-MAY-18. [Details]
(2015) Narratives of Risk, Coping and Resilience in the Context of Social Change: Generational Experiences with Growing Up in Socialist and Post-socialist Slovenia,
Kovačič, T. (2015) presenting paper on PhD research. [Oral Presentation], Narratives of Risk, Coping and Resilience in the Context of Social Change: Generational Experiences with Growing Up in Socialist and Post-socialist Slovenia, University of Maynooth, Ireland , 03-JUN-15 - 03-JUN-15. [Details]
(2014) Narrating resilience: What can we learn from people’s experiences across cultures and contexts,
Kovacic, T. (2014) narrative inquiry. [Conference Organising Committee Chairperson], Narrating resilience: What can we learn from people’s experiences across cultures and contexts, The American University of Paris, Paris, France , 05-JUN-14 - 05-JUN-14. [Details]
(2013) International Conference on Narrative,
Anne Byrne, Emma Brannlund, Aura Lounasmaa, Tanja Kovacic (2013) A Trialogue in/of Translation: The use of Narrative Inquiry in Cross-Cultural Research. [Chaired Session], International Conference on Narrative, Manchester Metropolitan University , 27-JUN-13 - 29-JUN-13. [Details]
(2012) Those Letters Keep Me Going“: The Role of Epistolary Narratives in Resilience Research,
Kovačič, T. (2012) epistolary narrative research. [Oral Presentation], Those Letters Keep Me Going“: The Role of Epistolary Narratives in Resilience Research, Canterbury Christ Church University, Canterbury, UK , 15-MAY-12 - 15-MAY-12. [Details]
(2011) Life in the War Theatre: The Role of Human Agency in Dealing with Risk and Resilience,
Kovačič, T. (2011) letters, Second World War, resilience. [Oral Presentation], Life in the War Theatre: The Role of Human Agency in Dealing with Risk and Resilience, University College Cork, Cork , 03-MAY-11 - 03-MAY-11. [Details]

Book Review

  Year Publication
(2015) Book Review: Inside Concentration Camps: Social Life at Extremes.
Kovačič, T. (2015) Book Review: Inside Concentration Camps: Social Life at Extremes. The Irish Journal of Sociology Book Review [Details]
(2011) Book Review: Inclusion and Exclusion of Young Adult Migrants in Europe.
Kovačič, T. (2011) Book Review: Inclusion and Exclusion of Young Adult Migrants in Europe. Journal of Contemporary European Studies Book Review [Details]

Other Journals

  Year Publication
(2021) 'Meditating about epistolary spaces and the Covid-19 Pandemic: How is the journey ¿home¿ (if there is home) going to look like?'
Kova¿i¿, T. (2021) 'Meditating about epistolary spaces and the Covid-19 Pandemic: How is the journey ¿home¿ (if there is home) going to look like?' Sociological Observer, . [Details]
(2023) 'The Multidimensionality of Everyday Experiences of Internationalisation using Collaborative Autoethnography (CAE): Narratives of Belonging and Crossing Borders of Two Female Sociologist'
Moran, L. and Kova¿i¿, T. (2023) 'The Multidimensionality of Everyday Experiences of Internationalisation using Collaborative Autoethnography (CAE): Narratives of Belonging and Crossing Borders of Two Female Sociologist' Socioloski pregled, 57 (4) . [DOI] [Details]
(2013) 'Narratives In/Of Translations: A Trialogue on Translating Narratives Cross-Culturally'
Brännlund, E, Kovačič, T, Lounasmaa, A. (2013) 'Narratives In/Of Translations: A Trialogue on Translating Narratives Cross-Culturally' Narrative Works: Issues, Investigations & Interventions, 3 (2) :72-91. [Details]
(2010) 'Balkanism and the Erased: Nation-state and identity building in Slovenia'
Kovačič, T. (2010) 'Balkanism and the Erased: Nation-state and identity building in Slovenia' The South Slav Journal, 29 (111-112) . [Details]
(2006) 'The Erased: The Consolidation of the Slovenian National Identity through the Discourse of Balkanism. A Case Study of The Television Shows Tarča and Trenja'
Kovačič, T. (2006) 'The Erased: The Consolidation of the Slovenian National Identity through the Discourse of Balkanism. A Case Study of The Television Shows Tarča and Trenja' Časopis za kritiko znanosti (ČKZ), 224 . [Details]

Professional Associations

  Association Function From / To
Sociological Association of Ireland Member /

Employment

  Employer Position From / To
Centre for Adult Learning and Professional Development, NUI Galway Community Education Officer 13-APR-15 / 17-MAY-16
UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre Research Fellow /

Education

  Year Institution Qualification Subject
2015 NUI Galway, School of Political Science and Sociology PhD Sociology

Languages

  Language
Slovenian
Italian
Croatian
English

Modules Taught

  Term/Year Module Title Module Code Subject / Desc
2020/2021 Connecting Research, Policy and Practice 2 SP4119
2020/2021 The Sociology of Identity and Belonging SP1115
2020/2021 Communities in Focus SP242
2019/2020 Qualitative Research Methods SP237
2019/2020 Children, Families & Vulnerable Adults SP606
2019/2020 Project Planning & Evaluation SPL310
2019/2020 Social Inclusion, Civic Engagement and the Modern State SP3114
2019/2020 Communities in Focus SP242
2018/2019 The Sociology of Identity and Belonging SP1115
2018/2019 Social Inclusion, Civic Engagement and the Modern State SP3114
2017/2018 Social Inclusion, Civic Engagement and the Modern State SP3114
2016 Family and Societal Interactions 1516-SP190
2016 Community and Family Studies: Independent Research Project SP192
2016 Social Inclusion, Civic Engagement and the Modern State SP3114
2014-2016 Work Based Project ECS305
2014-2016 Social Research Methodologies ECS304
2013-2014 The Power of Story and Narrative: Researching Our Lives SP694 Teaching Assistant
2013-2014 Introduction to Politics and Sociology SP158 Tutor