Teaching • Curriculum • Inclusion

Psychology, education, and the conditions for every learner to thrive

My teaching brings psychology into conversation with education, policy, and professional practice.  Across university teaching, programme leadership, and inclusive higher education, I work to create learning that is rigorous, welcoming, and connected to the lives and work of learners.

01 · Learning and teaching

A clear, inclusive, and intellectually ambitious learning experience

I see learning as relational and co-constructed.  My teaching combines clear structure and high expectations with enquiry, guided discovery, formative dialogue, and opportunities for choice.  I want learners to build confidence as critical thinkers, reflective practitioners, and independent scholars.

Equity, participation, belonging, and the opportunity to thrive guide my approach.  I draw on equity, equality, diversity, and inclusion (EEDI), Universal Design (UD) and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to anticipate learner diversity throughout the learning journey.  This means making learning goals, materials, and assessment more accessible from the outset, while supporting individual needs where they arise.

Structure with purpose

Clear organisation, aligned learning outcomes, and transparent assessment help learners focus on meaningful learning.

Dialogue and reflection

Questions, formative feedback, and reflective activity help learners connect theory, evidence, and practice.

Choice and access

Accessible, reusable resources, and purposeful choices support participation and growing independence.

02 · Programme and curriculum leadership

Building connections across psychology and education

I co-developed and led Trinity College Dublin’s M.Ed. in Psychology of Education, bringing psychological theory into sustained dialogue with education policy and professional practice.  I continue to teach across the M.Ed., the Professional Master of Education (PME), and research-methods provision.

My curriculum leadership spans module and programme design, validation, review, and quality assurance.  Through academic governance and quality assurance (and quality enhancement) roles, including work with Trinity’s Associated Colleges and Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI), I have supported strong, coherent programmes and learning experiences across the higher-education sector.

03 · Teaching areas

Bringing psychological perspectives into educational practice

My teaching connects individual development with family, school, community, and wider social contexts.  Across postgraduate and initial teacher education, it supports learners to apply psychological evidence thoughtfully and critically in educational settings.

M.Ed. Psychology of Education

Teaching across the individual in context, including:

  • the individual in the family context;
  • the individual in educational and school community contexts;
  • the individual in broader societal and temporal contexts;
  • dissertation and independent research.

Professional Master of Education

Teaching and learning in areas including:

  • developmental and lifespan psychology;
  • applied psychology in education;
  • research methods for educational enquiry;
  • using evidence to inform professional practice.

04 · Inclusive higher education

Designing for access, participation, and belonging

EEDI, UD, and UDL inform my teaching and wider work on inclusive higher education.  I co-authored Adopting a UDL Attitude within Academia (2024), which advances UDL as a whole-institution approach.  At Trinity, I contribute to UD and UDL advisory and institutional strategy work.

As Director of the Trinity Centre for People with Intellectual Disabilities (TCPID), I support the academic oversight of the two-year Certificate in Arts, Science and Inclusive Applied Practice (ASIAP) course, a NFQ Level 5 programme.  Its curriculum and assessment are designed to support accessibility, student voice, work-integrated learning, independence, belonging, and progression.

05 · Student and researcher development

Supporting independent scholars and reflective practitioners

Supervision is part of my teaching practice.  I have supported 26 doctoral researchers, helping them develop as independent scholars and contribute to research, policy, and practice.  I use regular dialogue, clear milestones, and constructive feedback to help candidates make progress while taking ownership of their work.

I was nominated for Trinity’s Excellence in Research Student Supervision Award in 2022 and 2024.  My teaching and supervision are shaped by ongoing learner feedback, with attention to clear organisation, accessible materials, alignment between learning outcomes and assessment, and timely formative guidance.

Selected recognition

My teaching and professional contributions have been recognised through the Psychological Society of Ireland’s Personal Recognition Award (2011) and a nomination for Trinity’s Excellence in Teaching Award (2024/25).

Explore related work

Discover my research, publications, and doctoral supervision, or get in touch about teaching and collaboration.