Maynooth University Department of Education
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Centre for Transformative Narrative Inquiry
The Centre is a joint initiative between the Department of Adult and Community Education and the Education Department, Maynooth University
Narrative Inquiry Stories have become the focus for interest in many sectors of the academic world and particularly in the area of research (Speedy 2008). They are valued not just for themselves but, among other things, as a rich social repository constituting windows on how individuals and groups experience themselves, attribute meaning to events and make sense of their world. As such they are a valuable research tool. By emphasising certain facts and by ignoring others, stories both reveal and conceal a wealth of information which relates to how individuals, organisations and societies construct their identity, as well as how they perceive and deal with threat, power, conflict and marginalisation. The central preoccupations of the emerging discipline are informed by phenomenology’s emphasis on seeking to understand lived experience.
Centre for Transformative Narrative Inquiry The Centre for Transformative Narrative Inquiry in the National University of Ireland, Maynooth explores the role of narrative inquiry in creating a transformative space of learning. It is an interdisciplinary research group drawn from the Departments of Education and Adult and Community Education.
Narrative Inquiry is concerned with researching lives and the stories people tell about them. Narrative methods have claimed an increasing place in academic research and are alive and well (if sometimes marginalised and contested) in various academic disciplines such as literature, history, sociology, anthropology, social policy and education as well as feminist and minority studies.
CONFERENCES, MASTERCLASSES AND EVENTS HOSTED
Centre Conferences
- 2018, 4th Irish International Narrative Inquiry Conference: Narrating Neo-liberalism in an Irish Context. IT Sligo, April 19/20, 2018 https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/education/events/4th-international-irish-narrative-inquiry-conference-april-19th-20th-2018
- 2016, 3rd International Irish Narrative Inquiry Conference Maynooth University, IT Sligo and NUIG, 10/11th March http://www.conference.ie/Conferences/index.asp?Conference=450
- 2014, 2nd International Irish Narrative Inquiry Conference, Field in the Making, Maynooth University, IT Sligo and NUIG, 19/20th March, * 2nd International Conference on Narrative Inquiry, Maynooth University, 2015
- 2013, 1st International Irish Narrative Inquiry Conference, Researching and Writing Irish Storyscapes, Sligo IT, Maynooth University and NUIG, 10th April, * 1st International Conference on Narrative Inquiry, Institute of Technology, Sligo, 2014
- 2010, Centre for Transformative Narrative Inquiry. Prof. Arthur W. Frank, University of Calgary, Canada. ‘Spirit in a Place of Strangers’, 10th June.
- 2010, Centre for Transformative Narrative Inquiry. Prof. Bronwyn Davies, University of New South Wales, Australia. ‘Collective Biography’, 24/25th February.
- 2009, Centre for Transformative Narrative Inquiry. Dr. Jane Speedy, Bristol Univeristy. ‘Narrative Inquiry and Transformation’, 9th October.
- 2009, Centre for Transformative Narrative Inquiry. Dr. Linden West, ‘Narrative Research as transitional space for learning’, 20th February.
- 2009, Centre for Transformative Narrative Inquiry. Gillie Bolton ‘Writing as Reflective Practice for Adult Educators’, 9th September.
- 2009, Centre for Transformative Narrative Inquiry. Prof. Kim Etherington, Btistol University. ‘Reflexivity in Narrative Research’, 22nd May.
Centre Masterclasses
- 2012, “Steps in Narrative Supervision” a masterclass presented by Dr Malcolm Reid, Bristol University, 30th
- 2011, “Supervising Narrative Inquiry” a masterclass presented by Professor Kim Etherington, Bristol University. 2nd December.
Other Narrative Conferences/Events
- 2018, New publication: Special Issue of the Journal of Irish Educational Studies. Engaging in Educational Narrative Inquiry: Making Visible Alternative Knowledge, June 2018. Click here for further details.
- 2017, Workshop by Dr Jonathan Wyatt, University of Edinburgh "What has stand-up ever done for autoethnography ?" April 28th
- 2011, “Memory and Transformation: Transforming the Past”, Guest Speaker: Poet, Paula Meehan Counselling Studies Conference, 3rd December
- 2008, Maynooth University Counselling Studies Conference ‘Seeing in the Dark: Owning Mental Health in Difficult Times.’ Dr. Tony Bates, 6th December
- 2007, Counselling Studies Conference “Telling Tales”, Mary B. Ryan, 1st December
- 2006, Counselling Studies Conference: “Inner Treasure and Outer Wealth – Investing Wisely for Life”, Speaker – Jarlath Benson, 2nd December
- 2005, Counselling Studies Conference : ‘Something Understood - Creative Encounters with Everyday Mysteries’, Speaker – Prof. Brian Thorne and Paula Meehan 3rd December
Founding Directors:
Dr Grace O’ Grady (Education Department), Dr David McCormack, Dr Mary Ryan (Adult and Community Education Department)
Childhood Development Initiative
Transforming educational experience for children, parents and teachers consists of a publication and video based on the work of students who undertook the Action Research Masters Programme. This degree is an innovative collaboration between the Education Department and the Childhood Development Initiative (CDI).
Launching the publication CDI-Transforming Educational Experience and video in June 2014 the Director of the Teaching Council Tomás Ó Ruairc noted the ‘boldness’ of the title claiming to ‘Transform education’ but said we could trust this because the work was the result of practitioner research.
It was also very clear that Mr Ó Ruairc had read the publication in detail and his speech is replete with careful and insightful analysis of all of the students' contributions. He said that the publication and the students' work was in keeping with the Teaching Council's own aspiration to "make explicit what has been implicit for far too long, particularly in terms of teacher research, professionalism and reflection". "This collection of research" he added "is a great notch in the post of that process of explication".
The video about the students' Action Research projects was also screened at the launch event. In it a number of the graduates talk about their work and discuss the impact this locally based, practitioner-focused Masters degree has had on them.
The video also features contributions from Marian Quinn CEO of CDI, Dr Rose Malone the former Course Director for this partnership programme and Mr Anthony Malone (no relation!) who assumed the role of Course Leader on Dr Malone’s retirement.
ECER Conference
Maynooth University Department of Education was very well represented at the recent ECER Conference in Copenhagen recently.
Please click on the links below to view the list of papers/powerpoint presentations made at the conference.
Deconstructing environments of learning by Dr. Majella Dempsey
ECER Conference - Presentation by Dr. Majella Dempsey
Teacher Preparation Programmes: A Systems View by Dr. Rose Dolan
ECER Conference - Presentation by Dr. Rose Dolan
A Study of Pre-service Teachers’ Development through use of Action Research and Lesson Study
by Dr. Rose Dolan & Dr. Anthony Malone
ECER Conference - Presentation by Dr. Rose Dolan and Dr. Anthony Malone
What is the emerging story of the process of curriculum reform in the open complex system of lower secondary education in Ireland by Audrey Doyle
ECER Conference - Presentation by Audrey Doyle
The “Folly” of Learning: On Hearing Erasmus Afresh by Dr. Padraig Hogan
ECER Conference - Presentation by Dr. Padraig Hogan
A Reprive but not a Fix for Childhood Stresses: A Participatory Study of School based Mindfulness in an Irish Primary School by Dr. Catriona O’Toole
ECER Conference - Presentation by Dr. Catriona O'Toole
The challenge of leadership: ethnicity, culture, gender and class among school leaders in England, Malaysia and Pakistan by Dr. Victoria
Showunmi & Dr. Maria Kaparou
ECER Conference - Presentation by Dr. Victoria Showunmi
Ethical Curriculum in Ireland: The Question of the Other by Professor Sharon Todd
ECER Conference - Presentation by Professor Sharon Todd
Exploring Concepts of Children and Childhood in Ireland (1900-1940) from an Historical Education Policy Perspective by Dr. Thomas Walsh
ECER Conference - Presentation by Dr. Thomas Walsh