Keynote Speakers and Abstracts

Abstract

The ‘Well-th’ of the Bairns: Enacting a socially just and relational curriculum

This keynote presentation explores the interconnections between social justice, citizenship, and wellbeing, and their enactment through a school curriculum. It highlights the essential role these elements play in fostering an inclusive and supportive educational environment for the wellbeing of all children and young people. The presentation aims to provide educators, teacher educators, policymakers, and participants with insights from theory, research and policy that may act as an encounter in which to ‘think with’, in the creation of a curriculum for wellbeing for children and young people. The presenter will also draw from their experiences of wellbeing through the curriculum in Scotland, both as a teacher and as a teacher educator researcher. 

Biography

Donna Dey began her career teaching biology in secondary education in 1997 and subsequently undertook professional learning to collaborate and lead on Guidance and Pupil Support in various secondary schools in Scotland as principal teacher. Since 2013, Donna has been a part of the University of Dundee’s Teacher Education faculty. She has been actively involved in teaching and leading modules focused on social justice and health and wellbeing at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Currently, she serves as the Curriculum and Assessment Convenor for the M Ed Programme.

Donna’s research interests lie in the areas of social justice and health and wellbeing. Her work has primarily focused on embedding health and wellbeing within secondary education and evaluating policies in practice. Her interest in health inequalities has also led to her involvement in a national dental project with dental colleagues across the UK to develop classroom interventions to improve toothbrushing in adolescents. She is a member of Scottish Universities Inclusion Group and is an elected member of Scottish Education Research Association (SERA) executive team. Donna is a co-convenor of the SERA Inclusive Education Network, that organises professional learning opportunities for educators across Scotland and beyond. 

Currently, she is collaborating with colleagues to explore the enactment of the health and wellbeing policies within Initial Teacher Education across Scotland. In addition, her ongoing PhD study examines the development of teachers of social justice through Initial Teacher Education from a Scottish perspective. This research has deepened her interest in critical pedagogy and the role of care ethics in supporting the wellbeing of young people through learning. 

Abstract

Well what indeed! Where have we come from and where are we going in Irish education?: A critique of the history and development of Wellbeing in the curriculum

This keynote presentation explores the interconnections between social justice, citizenship, and wellbeing, and their enactment through a school curriculum. It highlights the essential role these elements play in fostering an inclusive and supportive educational environment for the wellbeing of all children and young people.  The presentation aims to provide educators, teacher educators, policymakers, and participants with insights from theory, research and policy that may act as an encounter in which to ‘think with’, in the creation of a curriculum for wellbeing for children and young people.  The presenter will also draw from their experiences of wellbeing through the curriculum in Scotland, both as a teacher and as a teacher educator researcher.

Biography

Dr Fionnuala Tynan is a lecturer in inclusive pedagogy in Mary Immaculate College, Limerick and won the Shannon Consortium Teaching Excellence Award in 2018. Her research interests span across and merge inclusive education and wellbeing. She is director of the Williams Syndrome Neuro Developmental Education Research (WoNDER) Centre, which promotes applied research into the education and wellbeing of people with this rare genetic condition, and is an internationally renowned researcher with the Williams Syndrome community.

She has also developed modules and presents lectures in the Master's of Education in the Leadership of Wellbeing. She works hand-in-glove with Dr Margaret Nohilly in the area of wellbeing; they co-authored the book Wellbeing in Schools Everyday, were co-leads of the NCCA systematic literature review on Wellbeing (April 2023), have published numerous papers on both Wellbeing policy and practice, presented nationally and internationally on these topics, as well as organising professional development for teachers and parents on wellbeing in education.