Marie McLoughlin

Marie McLoughlin began her career as a primary school teacher having graduated from Carysfort College of Education in Blackrock, Co Dublin. Subsequently, she worked in a number of Irish and international schools and spent her latter teaching years as Vice Principal of a DEIS school (i.e. designated as educationally disadvantaged) in St Patrick's Boys' National School, Carndonagh, Co. Donegal. In 2000, she was seconded to the Primary Curriculum Support Programme (PCSP) - an organisation tasked with providing in-service teacher education to all primary school teachers in the Republic of Ireland in the newly published Primary School Curriculum (1999). During her eight years with the PCSP, she embraced a range of roles including Curriculum Trainer, Advisor, Assistant National Co-ordinator culminating in 2004 with her appointment as National Co-ordinator of the organisation leading a team of c.150 seconded teachers.

In 2008, Marie McLoughlin was appointed President of the Froebel College of Education, a unique institution which prided itself in producing high-quality primary school teachers based on Froebelian values and principles. Her foresight and leadership in initiating and facilitating the merger of the College with Maynooth University (MU) placed the newly established Froebel Department of Primary and Early Childhood Education firmly at the centre of Irish teacher education. The transfer of Froebel College to Maynooth University now means that the entire spectrum of teacher education exists, for the first time in the history of the State, within one centre of excellence. This forms a potent critical mass of teacher educators and researchers working in education disciplines from early childhood education to adult and community education in one location. 

Marie's research interests are in areas related to mergers within higher education. Specifically, she has explored the influences of cultural and structural factors on staff and student teachers within the context of college-university mergers. She teaches on subjects such as change agency in teachers, the teaching of reading to children, early childhood studies and reflective practice.