Annette Kearns

    Froebel Department of Primary and Early Childhood Education

    School of Education
    SE311
    (01) 474 7449

    Biography

    Annette Kearns began her early childhood career as an owner/manager of a sessional preschool and is passionate about ensuring all children are provided with the best possible learning opportunities in early years’ settings.  Having achieved a BSc in Education & Training, an MSc in Education and Training Management and a Post Graduate Diploma in Special Educational Needs and Inclusion, Annette worked as an Early Years Specialist with Early Childhood Ireland supporting practitioners throughout the country to achieve best practice.  Now, as the Placement Coordinator and Lecturer in the Froebel Dept. working primarily with Early Years educators, Annette believes the best way to ensure this quality provision is to provide a curriculum for the trainee educators that meets their needs in a relatively young and evolving sector.  To this end, Annette’s doctoral research is in the area of early language and literacy development.  Her particular interest is in researching how best to educate the educators in this area to ensure children are supported to develop the appropriate skills in preschool that will ensure they are primed to become good readers later on.

    Research Interests

    Play
    Inclusive practices
    Continuing Professional Development
    Early Literacy
    Communities of Practice

    Conference Contributions

      Year Publication
    2019 European Early Childhood Education Research Association (EECERA) Conference.
    Annette J. Kearns (2019) European Early Childhood Education Research Association (EECERA) Conference. [Oral Presentation], Perceived benefits for mature early years’ educators of degree level academic studies on their professional and pedagogical practice, Thessaloniki, Greece , 20-AUG-19 - 23-AUG-19 [Details]
    2019 EuroACS Conference.
    Annette J. Kearns (2019) EuroACS Conference. [Oral Presentation], Teaching informed mature students: A study of how the professional knowledge mature early years’ practitioners bring to a degree programme impacts on how the curriculum is taught, Maynooth University, Ireland [Details]
    2019 Early Childhood Ireland Research Conference.
    Annette J. Kearns (2019) Early Childhood Ireland Research Conference. [Oral Presentation], Teaching informed mature students: A study of how mature students link their practice with theory, Dublin, Ireland [Details]
    2016 Early Childhood Ireland Research Conference.
    Annette J. Kearns (2016) Early Childhood Ireland Research Conference. [Oral Presentation], Supporting Learning through Onsite Coaching in a Phonological Awareness Programme, Dublin, Ireland [Details]
    2015 OMEP: Organisation Mondiale pour l'Education Préscolaire (World Organization for Early Childhood Education).
    Annette J. Kearns (2015) OMEP: Organisation Mondiale pour l'Education Préscolaire (World Organization for Early Childhood Education). [Oral Presentation], Supporting Learning through Onsite Coaching in a Phonological Awareness Programme, Cork, Ireland [Details]
    2015 Supporting the Development of Phonological Awareness in Early Childhood Educators: Using an Onsite Coaching Strategy.
    Annette J. Kearns (2015) Supporting the Development of Phonological Awareness in Early Childhood Educators: Using an Onsite Coaching Strategy. [Oral Presentation], EECERA Conference, Barcelona, Spain [Details]
    2014 Early Childhood Ireland Research Conference.
    Annette J. Kearns (2014) Early Childhood Ireland Research Conference. [Oral Presentation], Documenting Children's Learning, Dublin, Ireland [Details]
    2011 European Early Childhood Education Research Association (EECERA) Conference.
    Annette J. Kearns (2011) European Early Childhood Education Research Association (EECERA) Conference. [Oral Presentation], The impact of provision and practice of the online informal Siolta Quality Programme, Geneva, Switzerland [Details]
    2010 European Early Childhood Education Research Association (EECERA) Conference.
    Annette J. Kearns (2010) European Early Childhood Education Research Association (EECERA) Conference. [Oral Presentation], Promoting participation in an on-line discussion forum, Birmingham, UK [Details]
    2007 European Early Childhood Education Research Association (EECERA) Conference.
    Annette J. Kearns (2007) European Early Childhood Education Research Association (EECERA) Conference. [Oral Presentation], Improving Language and Literacy Opportunities in an Early Years Setting, Prague, Czech Republic [Details]
    2006 European Early Childhood Education Research Association (EECERA) Conference.
    Annette J. Kearns (2006) European Early Childhood Education Research Association (EECERA) Conference. [Oral Presentation], Effect Teaching Strategies for Adult Learners, Reykjavik, Iceland [Details]
    2005 European Early Childhood Education Research Association (EECERA) Conference.
    Annette J. Kearns; Margaret Coogan; Marlene McCormack (2005) European Early Childhood Education Research Association (EECERA) Conference. [Oral Presentation], Delivering the PLN Programme in an early childhood setting, Dublin, Ireland [Details]
    2004 Annual Teachers Conference.
    Annette J. Kearns; Marion Brennan; Marlene McCormack (2004) Annual Teachers Conference. [Oral Presentation], The implementation of the Penn Literacy Network (PLN) programme in an Irish early years setting, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA [Details]
    2004 Comenius Programme Seminar.
    Annette J. Kearns (2004) Comenius Programme Seminar. [Oral Presentation], Preschool education and Lifelong Learning, Molde, Norway [Details]

    Published Reports

      Year Publication
    2019 Interim Evaluation of the Leadership for INClusion in the Early Years LINC programme.
    Ring, Kelleher, Breen, Mc Loughlin, Kearns, Stafford, Skehill, Campion, Comerford and O Sullivan (2019) Interim Evaluation of the Leadership for INClusion in the Early Years LINC programme. Department for Children and Youth Affairs, Dublin. [Details]

    Professional Associations

      Association Function From / To
    PLé Ireland PRO, Executive Committee /
    OMEP Ireland Member /
    Early Childhood Ireland Member /
    Kildare Infant Literacy Group Academic Input /

    Teaching Interests

    Play
    Supporting enquiry, enacting the curriculum
    Children's well-being
    Learning and Development Perspectives
    Learning and Development Challenges
    Inclusive Practices
    Literacy Numeracy and Scientific Enquiry
    Professional Practice
    Professional Placement
    Leadership & Mentoring in Early Years