Dr Johanna Fitzgerald
More information
Brief Biography
Johanna taught in various educational settings both in the UK and Ireland and in a variety of teaching roles for eleven years before being seconded to the SESS as an Assistant National Coordinator with responsibility for the post-primary sector. Since her secondment to the SESS in 2006, and her subsequent appointment to Mary Immaculate College in 2011, she has been involved in the design and delivery of initial teacher education and continuing professional development relevant to inclusive and special educational needs.
Teaching
- Bachelor of Education
- Professional Master of Education
- Master of Education in Special Educational Needs
- Postgraduate Diploma in Special Educational Needs
- Professional Doctorate in Educational and Child Psychology
Advisory/ Reference/ Expert Groups
- EPSEN Legislation Review: Steering Committee member.
- Joint Managerial Body (JMB), Chairperson of the SEN Advisory Group.
- ETBI Inclusive Education Task Group (Provision Mapping Project)
Community Engagement
- MIC SENCO Forum: In 2015 Johanna established the Forum with support from the Limerick Principals and Deputy Principals Association. Underpinned by evidenced-based frameworks supporting sustainable professional learning for teachers (Communities of Practice and Professional Learning Networks), the Forum provides networking and professional learning opportunities for SENCOs in the mid-west region.
- UCC/ MIC and CESC SENCO Forum for post primary SENCOs and SETs.
Postgraduate Supervision
Doctoral Research Supervision (currently not accepting new doctoral students)
Current
- Supervisor Sarah Gallagher: PhD Project Title: Leadership in Inclusive Education in Irish Primary Schools: An Exploration of the Role of the SENCO.
- Supervisor Deirdre Barry: Prof Doctorate in Educational and Child Psychology. Project Title: The Transition to Post-Primary School in Ireland from the Voices of Children with Specific Learning Disabilities or Mild General Learning Disabilities.
- Co-supervisor (lead) Katie Chapple: Structured PhD. Project Title: Enhancing a Culture of Learner Voice in the Irish Post-Primary School.
- Co-Supervisor (joint) Nicola Mannion: PhD Project Title: Making Children Visible: Using Student Voice to Shape Inclusive Pedagogy.
- Co-supervisor (joint) Emma O'Sullivan: PhD. Project Title: An exploration of the well-being of leaders of inclusion (Principals and SENCOs) in Irish primary schools..
Completed
- Holland, M. (Doctorate in Educational and Child Psychology 2022). ‘Getting into the nucleus of the school’: Experiences of collaboration between Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators, Senior Leadership Teams, and Educational Psychologists in Irish post-primary schools. Department of Educational Psychology, Inclusive and Special Education, Mary Immaculate College.
- O’Keeffe, A. (Doctorate in Educational and Child Psychology 2019). An examination of the effect of green exercise and nature connectedness on the psychological well-being and attentional capacity of primary school-aged children. Co-supervisor, Dr Paul Mulcahy, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, Mary Immaculate College.
- Walsh Hurley, D. (M Ed in SEN 2021). 'An investigation into the role of SENCOs in Leading and Managing a Systematic Whole School Approach to Special and Inclusive Education in Irish Post-Primary Schools'.
- Sweeney, E. (M Ed in SEN 2019). 'An exploration of ASD special class teacher perspectives of their role in Irish primary school contexts.'
- Mannion, N. (M Ed in SEN 2017). 'What is the impact of explicit teaching of wellbeing on students’ behaviour in a special school setting?'
- Delahunty, T. (M Ed in SEN 2016). 'How have the Quality and Qualifications of Ireland (QQI) Programmes Impacted on the Educational Experiences of Senior Students with Mild General Learning Disabilities in Irish Special Schools?'
- Daly, L. (MA in Educational Psychology 2016). 'Teachers’ Perspectives of Their Role and the Role of Educational Psychology in Supporting Student Mental and Emotional Well-Being: An Exploratory Study.'
- Higgins, E. (MA in Educational Psychology 2014). 'An Examination of the Impact of a Whole Class Literacy Intervention Programme ‘Literacy Lift-Off’ in an Irish Primary Classroom.'
- Sheehy, M. (M Ed in SEN 2015). 'Learning Pals: A study of Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) to support the development of mathematical skills in a multi-class rural Irish school.'
- McNamara, S. (M Ed in SEN 2014). 'What impact does an inclusive mathematics comprehension intervention have upon the levels of attainment in problem-solving with children of all abilities in second and third class in a rural mainstream primary school?'
- O’Connor, M. (M Ed in SEN 2012) An Investigation into how a positive Approach to Mathematics will Change the Attitudes of Children with Special Educational Needs and Their Parents Towards Maths in a Typical Rural Irish Primary School.
