Dr Camilla Fitzsimons

    Adult and Community Education

    Lecturer

    Maynooth University School of Education
    1st
    115
    (01) 708 3951

    Biography

    My name is Camilla, I am from Dublin and I have been working in adult and community education since the 1990s.  I have worked with women's groups, vocational groups, residents groups and campaign groups all as part of wider community development initiatives.  My practice is influenced by critical pedagogy and feminism and my research influence extends across the breadth of adult and community education where the emphasis is on equality, social justice and inclusive learning.  I have published extensively in community education, the professionalisation of adult and community education and the influence of policy on adult and community education.   When focusing on adult education practice, I seek to uncover dimensions of power in relation to gender, race, presumptions about ability, and other social and structural concepts.   At Maynooth I work across a range of programmes at under-graduate and post-graduate level.  I am currently the Course Coordinator of the Higher Diploma in Further Education.  Please feel free to contact me if I can be of assistance in any way.  

    Research Interests


    Education/Community Education
    The nature of knowledge 
    Teaching Practice
    Accreditation of Learning 
    Social Justice 
    Inequality 

    Research Projects

      Project Role Funding Body / Program Description Start Date End Date Award (€)
    Closure of community education projects PI AONTAS / Tender This short desk research assesses the closures of community education projects in Ireland since 2008. 09-NOV-18 31-DEC-18 8320.62
    FinALE - funding community education in ireland Principal Investigator AONTAS / Government State Bodies 03-APR-18 28-NOV-18
    precarious professionality co-researcher / 01-DEC-17 31-JUL-18
    A Community Education response to anti-Muslim Racism (Islamophobia) in Ireland Coordinator and Researcher / Government State Bodies 01-NOV-15 03-SEP-17
    Integrating cultural diversity into Higher Education (HE4u2) Researcher / Government State Bodies 07-JUN-15 01-JUL-17
    Unlocking Freedom through Adult and Community Education Researcher / Government State Bodies 01-JUN-15 02-JUN-18

    Books

      Year Publication
    2017 Community education and neoliberalism: Philosophies, practices and policies in Ireland.
    Fitzsimons C. (2017) Community education and neoliberalism: Philosophies, practices and policies in Ireland. [DOI] [Details]
    2017 Community Education and Neoliberalism; Philosophies, practices and policies in Ireland.
    Camilla Fitzsimons (2017) Community Education and Neoliberalism; Philosophies, practices and policies in Ireland. London: Palgrave MacMillan. [Details]

    Book Chapters

      Year Publication
    2014 'Further Education and Training, history politics and practice'
    Camilla Fitzsimons (2014) 'Further Education and Training, history politics and practice' In: Murray, M., Grummell, B. and Ryan, A (eds). “Worlds Apart? The disunity of FET policy directives and Community-based Education for social change”. Kildare, Ireland: MACE publications. [Details]

    Peer Reviewed Journals

      Year Publication
    2020 'Precarious professionality: graduate outcomes and experiences from an Initial Teacher (Further) Education programme in Ireland'
    O’Neill J.;Fitzsimons C. (2020) 'Precarious professionality: graduate outcomes and experiences from an Initial Teacher (Further) Education programme in Ireland'. Research in Post-Compulsory Education, 25 (1):1-22 [DOI] [Details]
    2019 'Funding community education in Ireland: Making the case for a needs-based approach'
    Magrath C.J.;Fitzsimons C. (2019) 'Funding community education in Ireland: Making the case for a needs-based approach'. Journal of Social Science Education, 18 (4):38-50 [DOI] [Details]
    2019 'Working as a white adult educator, using our own life stories to explore asymmetries of power and privilege'
    Fitzsimons C. (2019) 'Working as a white adult educator, using our own life stories to explore asymmetries of power and privilege'. Studies in the Education of Adults, [DOI] [Details]
    2020 'Funding community Education in Ireland – making the case for a needs-based approach'
    Camilla Fitzsimons and Conor Magrath (2020) 'Funding community Education in Ireland – making the case for a needs-based approach'. Journal of Social Science Education, [Details]
    2019 'Mapping out the research field of adult education and learning'
    Camilla Fitzsimons (2019) 'Mapping out the research field of adult education and learning'. Studies in the Education of Adults, [DOI] [Details]
    2017 'Rhetoric and reality: The Irish experience of Quality Assurance'
    Fitzsmons, C. (2017) 'Rhetoric and reality: The Irish experience of Quality Assurance'. The Adult Learner, [Details]
    2017 'Adult education responses to the ‘othering’ of Muslim identity: Perspectives from Ireland'
    Fitzsimons, C. (2017) 'Adult education responses to the ‘othering’ of Muslim identity: Perspectives from Ireland'. 23 (2):263-280 [DOI] [Details]
    2013 'Swimming in the Swamp, inquiry into accreditation, community development, and social change'
    Fitzsimons, C. and Dorman, P. (2013) 'Swimming in the Swamp, inquiry into accreditation, community development, and social change'. The Adult Learner, [full-text] [Details]
    2012 'Social Change Community Education – Where are we now?’'
    Camilla Fitzsimons (2012) 'Social Change Community Education – Where are we now?’'. Volume 1 (4) [full-text] [Details]
    2011 'Professionalism in Community Work and its implications for Radical Community Education’'
    Camilla Fitzsimons (2011) 'Professionalism in Community Work and its implications for Radical Community Education’'. The Adult Learner, [Details]

    Conference Contributions

      Year Publication
    2019 Adult education and curriculum tensions.
    Fitzsimons, C. & O'Neill, J. (2019) Adult education and curriculum tensions. [Oral Presentation], EuroACS 2019 conference: curriculum origins, trajectories and practices, Maynooth University [Details]
    2019 Being an adult educator in our contemporary world.
    Fitzsimons, C and O'Neill, J. (2019) Being an adult educator in our contemporary world. [Oral Presentation], Standing Conference on University Teaching and Research on the Education of Adults, Nottingham, UK [Details]
    2016 ESREA 8th Triennial European Research Conference.
    Fitzsimons, C. & O'Neill, J. (2016) ESREA 8th Triennial European Research Conference. [Other], Creative explorations of adult educators’ values, challenges and hope, Maynooth University [Details]
    2018 ESREA network on Interrogating Transformative Processes in Learning and Education Conference on “Contemporary Dilemmas and Learning for Transformation”.
    Camilla Fitzsimons (2018) ESREA network on Interrogating Transformative Processes in Learning and Education Conference on “Contemporary Dilemmas and Learning for Transformation”. [Oral Presentation], Adult Education and White Privilege - Untangling Dilemma of Power and Privilege, Milan, Italy, University of Milano-Bicocca [Details]
    2016 This workshop supported adult educators to explore the values and principles important to their work and to contextalise these within the challenges of neoliberal policy.
    Camilla Fitzsimons and Jerry O'Neill (2016) This workshop supported adult educators to explore the values and principles important to their work and to contextalise these within the challenges of neoliberal policy. [Oral Presentation], Values Challenges and Hope for Adult Educators, ESREA 8th Triennial European Research Conference, Imagining Diverse Futures for Adult Education [Details]
    2016 Introductory analysis of the challenges of cross-European research to determine the experiences of migrants within Higher Education.
    Fitzsimons, C, Grummell, B and Finn, J. (2016) Introductory analysis of the challenges of cross-European research to determine the experiences of migrants within Higher Education. [Oral Presentation], The Challenges of Researching Inclusive Learning in Higher Education across Europe: HE4u2 project, ESREA 8th Triennial European Research Conference, Imagining Diverse Futures for Adult Education [Details]

    Published Reports

      Year Publication
    2018 Precarious professionality: A review of the experiences and employment status of graduates of the Higher Diploma in Further Education at Maynooth University’s Department of Adult and Community Education (2013-2017).
    O'Neill, J. and Fitzsimons, C. (2018) Precarious professionality: A review of the experiences and employment status of graduates of the Higher Diploma in Further Education at Maynooth University’s Department of Adult and Community Education (2013-2017). Executive Briefing. Maynooth University, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, Ireland, http://eprints.maynoothuniversity.ie/10205/. [full-text] [Details]
    2017 HE4u2 survey findings – Integrating cultural diversity in higher education.
    Fitzsimons, C., Grummell, B. and Noone, M. (2017) HE4u2 survey findings – Integrating cultural diversity in higher education. EUCEN, http:/he4u2.eucen. eu/outputs. [full-text] [Details]
    2010 Supporting the Recreational Needs of Young Travellers in Bray and Surrounding Areas.
    Camilla Fitzsimons and Sarah Connors (2010) Supporting the Recreational Needs of Young Travellers in Bray and Surrounding Areas. Bray Traveller Action Group, Wicklow, Ireland. [Details]
    2008 Assessing the need for a Network of Educators in Ballymun and Surrounding Areas.
    Camilla Fitzsimons (2008) Assessing the need for a Network of Educators in Ballymun and Surrounding Areas. Ballymun Partnership, Dublin, Ireland. [Details]

    Editorial

      Year Publication
    2019 Participation in non-formal education and community education implications for civic and political capital.
    Caramelo J.;Fitzsimons C.;Menezes I. (2019) Participation in non-formal education and community education implications for civic and political capital. Editorial [DOI] [Details]

    Research Paper

      Year Publication
    2017 HE4u2 survey findings – Integrating cultural diversity in higher education.
    Fitzsimons, C., Grummell, B. & Noone, M (2017) HE4u2 survey findings – Integrating cultural diversity in higher education. Barcelona: Research Paper [Details]

    Report

      Year Publication
    2018 A review of the experiences and employment status of graduates of the Higher Diploma in Further Education at Maynooth University’s Department of Adult and Community Education (2013-2017).
    O'Neill, J. & Fitzsimons, C. (2018) A review of the experiences and employment status of graduates of the Higher Diploma in Further Education at Maynooth University’s Department of Adult and Community Education (2013-2017). Report [Details]
    2017 The Foundation Certificates: a summary review of Maynooth University’s Foundation Certificate Programme from 2002-2014.
    Fitzsimons, C. & O'Neill, J. (2017) The Foundation Certificates: a summary review of Maynooth University’s Foundation Certificate Programme from 2002-2014. Maynooth University: Report [Details]

    Curriculum design / Support materials

      Year Publication
    2018 Facilitating Inclusive Learning: A Continuous Professional Development Programme (CPD) for staff working with adults with diverse learning abilities in adult, further and community education.
    Burke, L., Finn, J., Fitzsimons, C., Gannon, M., Grummell, B., O’Neill, J., Smith, M. (2018) Facilitating Inclusive Learning: A Continuous Professional Development Programme (CPD) for staff working with adults with diverse learning abilities in adult, further and community education. Maynooth University: Curriculum design / Support materials [Details]

    Honours and Awards

      Year Title Awarding Body
    2014 PhD Adult and Community Education Maynooth University

    Outreach Activities

      Description

    Board of Directors. Partners is a community education organisation working from principles of social justice and equality. Our approach to education is participatory, experiential and hands-on. Link

    Steering Committee member. The Spectacle of Defiance & Hope is a broadly based Creative Resistance movement founded in 2010 by the Community, Youth & Voluntary Sector. Link

    Board of Directors DDCI wants, - a fair and just society for everyone. - financial system that serves the needs of all people, rather than just some people, and which does not take the planet for granted. - We critically engage people to understand the structural causes of global inequality and power relations. We aim to empower people in Ireland to take informed action for greater economic justice globally. Tackling inequality and achieving a fairer society requires critiquing power structures in our society and globally - highlighting the causes of inequality, rather than the symptoms. Link

    Teaching Interests

    Co-Coordinator and Lecturer Masters in Adult and Community Education 
    Co-Coordinator and Lecturer Higher Diploma in Further Education 
    Academic adviser- Community Education History and Policy 
    Lecturer Doctorate in Adult and Higher Education 
    Lecturer PhD in Adult and Community Education 

    External Collaborators

      Name Role / Description Country
    Three Pillars collective sharing expertise, influencing policy direction. IRELAND
    Journal of Social Science Education Guest Editor on special edition PORTUGAL
    Partners, Training for Transformation civil society partnership IRELAND
    Social and Health Project (SHEP) civil society partnership IRELAND