Dr Catriona O'Toole
Gaeilge agus fáilte
Associate Professor
Biography
Dr Catriona O’Toole is Associate Professor in Maynooth University Department of Education and chartered psychologist with PSI.
Catriona’s research focuses on wellbeing and equity in education, she is particularly interested in the school experiences of children whose lives have been impacted by trauma and adversity. Her research incorporates lived experience and co-creation to gain a deeper understanding of complex issues and develop contextually relevant responses.
Catriona has collaborated with international organisations like UNESCO, on their Futures of Education Report. She developed a bespoke website (www.traumainformededucation.ie) with charity partner, Alcohol Action Ireland, and she is currently collaborating with Kyrie Therapeutic Farm on a potentially transformative initiative for Ireland’s mental health services.
Catriona is convenor of the European Health and Wellbeing Education Network, and an Executive Committee member of the International Network for School Attendance (INSA). She is representative on Kildare Children and Young People’s Services Committee (CYPSC). Her research has received funding from multiple sources including the Irish Research Council, Tusla, The Drug and Alcohol Task Force.
Her work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
Goal 3: Good Health & Wellbeing
Goal 4: Quality Education
Research Interests
- Wellbeing and mental health in school and community settings
- Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Trauma-Informed Practice
- Social Justice, equality and diversity
- Mindfulness and compassion
- Education for human flourishing and sustainable futures
Research Projects
Peer Reviewed Journal
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Phillips, B. , O'Toole, C., McGilloway, S. & Phillips, S. (2022) 'Montessori, the White Cross and Trauma-Informed Practice: Lessons for Contemporary Education'. Journal of Montessori Research, . | |
| 2021 | O’Toole C.; Simovska V. (2021) 'Same storm, different boats! The impact of COVID-19 on the wellbeing of school communities'. Health Education (Bradford, West Yorkshire, England), . [DOI] [Full-Text] | |
| 2021 | Devenney R.; O'toole C. (2021) '‘What Kind of Education System are We Offering’: The Views of Education Professionals on School Refusal'. International Journal Of Educational Psychology, 10 (1):24-27. [DOI] [Full-Text] | |
| 2021 | Mulholland M.; O'Toole C. (2021) 'When it matters most: a trauma-informed, outdoor learning programme to support children’s wellbeing during COVID-19 and beyond'. Irish Educational Studies, . [DOI] [Full-Text] | |
| 2021 | O'Toole, C (2021) 'When trauma comes to school: Towards a trauma-informed praxis in education'. International Journal of School Social Work, 6 (6). [Link] https://doi.org/10.4148/2161-4148.1076 [Full-Text] | |
| 2019 | O’Toole C. (2019) 'Time to teach the politics of mental health: Implications of the power threat meaning framework for teacher education'. Clinical Psychology Forum, 2019 (313):15-19. [Full-Text] | |
| 2017 | O'Toole C.; Furlong M.; Mcgilloway S.; Bjørndal A. (2017) 'Preschool and school-based mindfulness programmes for improving mental health and cognitive functioning in young people aged 3 to 18 years (Protocol)'. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2017 (1). [DOI] | |
| 2021 | Simovska, V & O'Toole, C (2021) 'The making of a wellbeing measurement: A (kind of) study protocol'. Outlines. Critical Practice Studies, . [Full-Text] | |
| 2017 | O’Toole C. (2017) 'Towards dynamic and interdisciplinary frameworks for school-based mental health promotion'. Health Education (Bradford, West Yorkshire, England), 117 (5):452-468. [DOI] [Full-Text] | |
| 2013 | O'Toole, C; Burke, N (2013) 'Ready, willing and able? Attitudes and concerns in relation to inclusion amongst a cohort of Irish pre-service teachers'. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 28 :239-253. [DOI] [Full-Text] | |
| 2009 | O'Toole, C; Barnes-Holmes, D (2009) 'THREE CHRONOMETRIC INDICES OF RELATIONAL RESPONDING AS PREDICTORS OF PERFORMANCE ON A BRIEF INTELLIGENCE TEST: THE IMPORTANCE OF RELATIONAL FLEXIBILITY'. Psychological Record, 59 :119-132. [Full-Text] | |
| 2009 | O'Toole C.; Barnes-Holmes D.; Murphy C.; O'Connor J.; Barnes-Holmes Y. (2009) 'Relational flexibility and human intelligence: Extending the remit of skinner's verbal behavior'. International Journal of Psychology and Psychological Therapy, 9 (1):1-17. [Full-Text] | |
| 2009 | O'Toole, C; Barnes-Holmes, D (2009) 'ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY GENERATED DURING THE IMPLICIT ASSOCIATION TEST: A STUDY USING EVENT-RELATED POTENTIALS'. Psychological Record, 59 :207-219. [Full-Text] | |
| 2007 | O'Toole, C; Barnes-Holmes, D; Smyth, S (2007) 'A derived transfer of functions and the implicit association test'. JOURNAL OF THE EXPERIMENTAL ANALYSIS OF BEHAVIOR, 88 :263-283. [DOI] [Full-Text] |
Other Journal
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | O'Toole, C., and Byrne, D. (2015) 'A Whole New Spectrum of Queries, Concerns and Anxieties' Children's Research Digest, 2 (2) :9-14. [Full-Text] |
Book Chapter
Published Report
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | O'Toole, C & Darlington, E. (2021) State-of-the-art in school mental health promotion. Schools for Health in Europe Network Foundation, . [Link] | |
| 2020 | O'Toole C & Dobutowitsch D (2020) Committed, Caring and Compassionate: Co. Kildare Workforce Wellbeing, Attitudes toward Trauma-informed Care, COVID concerns and Ongoing Training Needs. Kildare CYPSC, . [Full-Text] | |
| 2018 | O'Toole, C., Maher, M. & Showunmi, V. (2018) ‘Somewhere to Go; Someone to Talk to’ A Report on the Outcome of a Consultation with Young People in West Wicklow. Kildare Youth Services, . [Full-Text] | |
| 2015 | Byrne, D. and O'Toole, C. (2015) The Influence of Childcare Arrangements on Child Well Being from Infancy to Middle Childhood. TUSLA in association with Maynooth University, . [Full-Text] | |
| 2015 | O'Toole, C. & Daly, M. (2015) Having a disability makes me a better teacher!” Experiences of disability and systems of support in initial teacher education (final report). Centre for Teaching and Learning, . |
Editorial
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Hall T.; Byrne D.; Bryan A.; Kitching K.; Chróinín D.N.; O’Toole C.; Addley J. (2021) COVID-19 and education: positioning the pandemic; facing the future. [Editorial] [DOI] |
Invited papers
Invited Seminars
Blog
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Catriona O'Toole (2021) Why Schools need resources to support traumatised children. [Blog] [Link] |
Conference Publication
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Catriona O'Toole (2021) American Educational Research Association Culturally responses approaches to mental health in schools Online conference, | |
| 2021 | McKernan, R. & O'Toole, C. (2021) Psychological Society of Ireland, Annual Conference Supporting schools to co-design and self-assess trauma-informed practices | |
| 2021 | Catriona O'Toole (2021) Educational Studies Association of Ireland Wellbeing promotion in education: Forging new insights and practices Online conference, | |
| 2021 | Phillips, B. , O'Toole, C., & McGilloway, S. (2021) Educational Studies Association of Ireland “New Light Through Old Windows: Seeing new possibilities in education for trauma-informed practice, by looking through a historical lens at Montessori's early ‘healing’ schools” | |
| 2020 | Dobutowitsch, M & O'Toole, C (2020) Educational Studies Association of Ireland Teachers' wellbeing matters: Exploring quality of life, secondary traumatic stress and levels of self-compassion amongst Teachers in Ireland Online conference, | |
| 2020 | O'Toole (2020) Educational Studies Association of Ireland Toward a trauma-informed praxis in education Online conference, [Full-Text] | |
| 2019 | O'Toole, C (2019) European Educational Research Association, Hamburg Wellbeing and education: Mind/body attunement and situated ethical actions for a better world | |
| 2018 | Devanney, R & O'Toole, C. (2018) Psychological Society of Ireland, 48th Annual Conference, Athlone, November 7 – 10 Exploring Current Perceptions in School Refusal | |
| 2018 | O'Toole, C & Simovska, V. (2018) the European Conference of Educational Research, Bolzano, Italy, September 4th, 2018 Reclaiming wellbeing as an educational goal: Embodied wellbeing and post-critical Bildung | |
| 2018 | O'Toole, C (2018) Mind and Life European Summer Research Institute (ESRI), August, Lake Chiemsee, Germany Mindfulness, Contemplative Pedagogies and Trauma-informed Praxis in Education | |
| 2017 | O'Toole, C & O'Connor, C. (2017) Paper presented as part of the symposium: ‘Wellbeing and Schooling: Cross cultural and Cross disciplinary Perspectives A Reprieve but not a Fix for Childhood Stresses: A Participatory Study of School-based Mindfulness in an Irish Primary School European Conference of Educational Research, Copenhagen, | |
| 2008 | O'Toole, C & Barnes-Holmes, D (2008) Paper presented in the symposium, Intelligence, educational and socially relevant research using the IRAP as a methodology, held during the 34th Annual Convention for the Association of Behavior Analysis, in Chicago, Illinois Relational Flexibility and the WAIS-III: An investigation using the IRAP | |
| 2016 | O'Toole, C (2016) Annual Childhood Studies Conference, held in Turku, Finland, 6th-8th June Exploring the promise and perils of mindfulness practices with children | |
| 2013 | Byrne, D & O'Toole, C (2013) 'Learning experiences in early years: an investigation using the Growing up in Ireland dataset | |
| 2012 | Byrne, D & O'Toole, C (2012) New Perspectives on Family Change in Ireland, NUIM, 12th December 2012 Using Growing Up in Ireland to Explore Family Employment and Childcare Dynamics in a Context of Child Well-Being | |
| 2011 | Dr Catriona O'Toole (2011) Paper presented at the Division of Behaviour Analysis Annual Conference, Trinity College, Dublin. Behavioural Interventions in Mainstream Schools: A Contextual Approach | |
| 2016 | O'Toole C (2016) 'Interventions to Promote Wellbeing: Schools and Community’ symposium, held at the European Conference of Educational Research, Dublin, 22nd-26th August Opening the Conversation about Children's Well-being: Tensions, Confluences and Possibilities in School-based Mental Health Promotion Dublin, | |
| 2015 | Dr Catriona O'Toole (2015) Paper presented at the Educational Studies Association of Ireland, Carton House, Maynooth, 9-11th April, 2015 Mindful schools? Exploring the potential of mindfulness programmes for enhancing resilience and wellbeing in children and adolescents | |
| 2015 | O'Toole, Furlong, M, McGilloway, S. & Bjørndal, A. (2015) Paper presented at the symposium: Wellbeing and Mental Health Promotion in Schools, held at the European Conference of Educational Research (ECER), in Budapest, Sept 8th-12th School-based mindfulness programmes: Transforming children's lives or merely a passing fad? | |
| 2015 | Dr Catriona O'Toole (2015) Presented at a Maynooth University Research Seminar entitled, Sustaining Resilient Families, Households and Communities, on May 28th Fostering resilience through education: Creating opportunities for meaningful participation, belonging and cognitive engagement | |
| 2014 | Dr Catriona O'Toole (2014) Paper presented at the Child Development in School and Community Conference, held in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, June 27th-29th Associations between childcare type and children's cognitive development: Results from the National Longitudinal Study of Children in Ireland | |
| 2014 | Dr Catriona O'Toole (2014) Paper presented at Education Studies Association of Ireland Annual Conference, held in Athlone, April, 10th-12th Accessing Initial Teacher Education: An exploration of best practice in the support of student teachers with disabilities on school placement. | |
| 2014 | O'Toole, C & Daly, M. (2014) Presented at the seminar, Enhancing a Positive School Culture through Restorative Practice, on 9th May , hosted by Maynooth University Edward M Kennedy Institute Seeing Things Differently: Restorative Practice in Second Level Education | |
| 2014 | Maeve Daly, Dr Catriona O'Toole (2014) Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the Psychological Society of Ireland, held in Kilkenny, 12-15th November Having a disability makes me a better teacher” Experiences of disability and systems of support in initial teacher education | |
| 2013 | Byrne, D & O'Toole, C (2013) 43rd Annual Conference of the Psychological Society of Ireland, 6-9th November 2013, Radisson Blu Hotel and Spa, Sligo Childcare and Child Development at Age Three: A Cross Sectional Analysis of Growing up in Ireland Data | |
| 2013 | Dr Catriona O'Toole (2013) Education Studies Association of Ireland Student-teachers’ attitudes and concerns about inclusive education: The importance of the emotional climate of the placement school | |
| 2013 | Byrne, D, & O'Toole, C (2013) Early Childhood Ireland Conference ‘Today’s Children, Tomorrows World, Turning Points? 17th-19th October 2013, Aviva Stadium, Dublin The Impact of Childcare on Children’s Well-Being and Development: An Analysis using the Growing up in Ireland Dataset | |
| 2013 | Byrne, Delma, Dr Catriona O'Toole (2013) Growing up in Ireland Annual Conference, 27th November, Croke Park Conference Centre, Dublin 'Working out? Family Employment and Childcare Arrangements and their Influence on Child Well Being from Infancy to Middle Childhood | |
| 2011 | Dr Catriona O'Toole (2011) Educational Studies Association of Ireland Annual Conference, in Dublin A Three tier Model of Positive Behaviour Support: Partnerships to facilitate its adoption in Irish Schools | |
| 2010 | O'Toole, C & Dench, C (2010) Paper presented in the symposium Positive ABA interventions: Conceptual and Empirical Issues, at the 36th Annual Convention for the Association of Behaviour Analysis in San Antonio, Texas. Exploring Social Validity in the context of Multi- Element Behavior Support (MEBS) Interventions | |
| 2009 | O'Toole, C., McPeake, K, & Connolly, J. (2009) Paper presented at the Psychological Society of Ireland Annual Conference held in Wexford The Informed Consent Meeting: Making the Most of the Initial Meeting with Prospective Clients | |
| 2007 | O'Toole, C & Barnes-Holmes D. (2007) Paper presented at the symposium: Applications of Relational Frame Theory: Alternative psychological measures, held during the British Psychological Society Annual Conference, in Dublin. Are you smart enough to get it wrong? The importance of relational flexibility in human intelligence |
Newspaper Articles
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Dr Catriona O'Toole (2013) Concerns over practices in early years’ settings: Advice for parents. [Newspaper Articles] [Link] | |
| 2013 | Dr Catriona O'Toole (2013) 'Poor investment in Early Years care will cost us dear'. [Newspaper Articles] |
Online Multimedia
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | O'Toole, C & Darlington, E. (2021) State-of-the-art in school mental health promotion: Video animation. [Online Multimedia] [Link] |
Certain data included herein are derived from the © Web of Science (2023) of Clarivate. All rights reserved.
Professional Associations
Honors and Awards
Teaching Interests
Catriona teaches across the Department's Initial Teacher Education programmes, as well as the Postgraduate Diploma in School Guidance and Counseling, and the M.Ed and Doctoral degree programmes.
Her teaching is in areas of psychology of education, including child/adolescent development, learning, mental health and wellbeing, childhood adversity and trauma-informed practice.
Catriona incorporates mindfulness and other contemplative practices into her classes, providing opportunities for students to intimately connect with their own experience, and
to engage with the perspectives and experiences of others.