Johanna Fitzgerald
Biographic Data
| ID | 4220147 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Johanna Fitzgerald |
| GIVEN NAMES | Johanna |
| FAMILY NAME | Fitzgerald |
| SIGNATURE | FITZGERALD J |
| AFFILIATIONS | Mary Immaculate College |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-0863-9162 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 9 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 3 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 9 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2020 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 1 |
‘Stretched… like butter scraped over too much bread ’—The Senco role in Sweden, England, Ireland and Austria: An ecosystemic analysis in evolving inclusive and special education policy landscapes
This paper offers a comparative analysis of the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) role or equivalent, across Sweden, England, Ireland and Austria. Framed by Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory, the study investigates how inclusive education is characterised in policy and practice, and how the SENCo role is defined, enacted and supported within each jurisdiction. A hybrid methodological approach, combining a Most Similar Systems…
An anatomy of special educational needs coordinators in primary schools in Ireland
Internationally, promotion of inclusive education agendas has brought about changes to policy and practice. This paper explores the implications of such agendas for the management and leadership of provision for students with Special Educational Needs (SEN). Specifically, the role of the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) is spotlighted. While such a role exists in other jurisdictions, it is not defined in Ireland. Framed by Bronfenbre…
An Examination of the Professional Learning Needs of Sencos as Strategic Leaders in Primary Schools in Ireland
This study aims to explore the professional learning and development needs of Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs) as strategic leaders in primary schools in Ireland. With the SENCO role lacking formal recognition in Irish policy, this research is important to identify the support structures necessary to enhance their effectiveness in leading inclusive education. Employing a mixed-methods sequential explanatory design, theoretically fr…
The first decade of teachers’ professional lives: A scoping review of research in the Republic of Ireland
Evidence points to the importance of teachers’ early career experiences in influencing their development, yet synthesised accounts that holistically capture evidence of teachers’ professional lives in the first decade of teaching is lacking. Framed by theoretical perspectives on teacher development, this scoping review sought to identify the extent and type of evidence in relation to primary, post-primary and further education teachers’ experienc…
Senco role in Ireland: Leaders within the primary school setting
This paper presents findings from interviews conducted with school leaders responsible for coordinating special educational needs (SEN) provision in primary schools across Ireland. Specifically, the experiences of Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs), principals who also serve as SENCOs, and principals without SENCO responsibilities were gathered regarding the SENCO role in Ireland. This research was framed through Bronfenbrenner's Bio…
Photovoice Reimagined: A Guide to Supporting the Participation of Students With Intellectual Disabilities in Research
Article 12 of the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) (1989) sets out the right for all children to be heard and for their opinions to be given due weight. However, the voices of children with disabilities often remain silenced as their perspectives are rarely consulted. This paper describes how a visual, participatory research method called Photovoice was used to elicit the voices of students with Intellectual Disabiliti…
‘Getting into the Nucleus of the School’: Experiences of Collaboration between Special Educational Needs Coordinators, Senior Leadership Teams and Educational Psychologists in Irish Post-Primary Schoo…
This research study explored barriers and facilitators to collaboration between National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) psychologists, Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators (SENCOs), and Senior Leadership Teams (SLT) in Irish post-primary schools (students aged between 12 and 18 years). NEPS’ role in facilitating collaboration is uncertain, exacerbated by the absence of policy outlining the SENCO role and tensions between special and …
Leading Inclusive Learning, Teaching and Assessment in Post-Primary Schools in Ireland: Does Provision Mapping Support an Integrated, School-Wide and Systematic Approach to Inclusive Special Education
A parallel system of inclusive and special education persists in Ireland despite attempts to move towards integrated provision for students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) along a flexible continuum of support. Even in mainstream schools, duality exists and discrete delivery of special education continues to create ‘siloed’ approaches to education for some students. This paper outlines a research and knowledge exchange init…
Leadership for inclusive special education: A qualitative exploration of Sencos’ and principals’ Experiences in secondary schools in Ireland
This paper explores factors influencing leadership for inclusive and special education in secondary schools (for students aged between 12–18 years) in Ireland. Specifically, it spotlights the role of the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO), the teacher often tasked with leading provision. A qualitative study involving interviews with principals and SENCOs in six schools was undertaken. The complexity of the SENCO role is revealed in fin…
Leadership for inclusive special education: A qualitative exploration of Sencos’ and principals’ Experiences in secondary schools in Ireland
This paper explores factors influencing leadership for inclusive and special education in secondary schools (for students aged between 12–18 years) in Ireland. Specifically, it spotlights the role of the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO), the teacher often tasked with leading provision. A qualitative study involving interviews with principals and SENCOs in six schools was undertaken. The complexity of the SENCO role is revealed in fin…
Photovoice Reimagined: A Guide to Supporting the Participation of Students With Intellectual Disabilities in Research
Article 12 of the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) (1989) sets out the right for all children to be heard and for their opinions to be given due weight. However, the voices of children with disabilities often remain silenced as their perspectives are rarely consulted. This paper describes how a visual, participatory research method called Photovoice was used to elicit the voices of students with Intellectual Disabiliti…
Leadership for inclusive special education: A qualitative exploration of Sencos’ and principals’ Experiences in secondary schools in Ireland
This paper explores factors influencing leadership for inclusive and special education in secondary schools (for students aged between 12–18 years) in Ireland. Specifically, it spotlights the role of the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO), the teacher often tasked with leading provision. A qualitative study involving interviews with principals and SENCOs in six schools was undertaken. The complexity of the SENCO role is revealed in fin…
Leading Inclusive Learning, Teaching and Assessment in Post-Primary Schools in Ireland: Does Provision Mapping Support an Integrated, School-Wide and Systematic Approach to Inclusive Special Education
A parallel system of inclusive and special education persists in Ireland despite attempts to move towards integrated provision for students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) along a flexible continuum of support. Even in mainstream schools, duality exists and discrete delivery of special education continues to create ‘siloed’ approaches to education for some students. This paper outlines a research and knowledge exchange init…
‘Getting into the Nucleus of the School’: Experiences of Collaboration between Special Educational Needs Coordinators, Senior Leadership Teams and Educational Psychologists in Irish Post-Primary Schoo…
This research study explored barriers and facilitators to collaboration between National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) psychologists, Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators (SENCOs), and Senior Leadership Teams (SLT) in Irish post-primary schools (students aged between 12 and 18 years). NEPS’ role in facilitating collaboration is uncertain, exacerbated by the absence of policy outlining the SENCO role and tensions between special and …
Photovoice Reimagined: A Guide to Supporting the Participation of Students With Intellectual Disabilities in Research
Article 12 of the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) (1989) sets out the right for all children to be heard and for their opinions to be given due weight. However, the voices of children with disabilities often remain silenced as their perspectives are rarely consulted. This paper describes how a visual, participatory research method called Photovoice was used to elicit the voices of students with Intellectual Disabiliti…
An Examination of the Professional Learning Needs of Sencos as Strategic Leaders in Primary Schools in Ireland
This study aims to explore the professional learning and development needs of Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs) as strategic leaders in primary schools in Ireland. With the SENCO role lacking formal recognition in Irish policy, this research is important to identify the support structures necessary to enhance their effectiveness in leading inclusive education. Employing a mixed-methods sequential explanatory design, theoretically fr…
The first decade of teachers’ professional lives: A scoping review of research in the Republic of Ireland
Evidence points to the importance of teachers’ early career experiences in influencing their development, yet synthesised accounts that holistically capture evidence of teachers’ professional lives in the first decade of teaching is lacking. Framed by theoretical perspectives on teacher development, this scoping review sought to identify the extent and type of evidence in relation to primary, post-primary and further education teachers’ experienc…
Senco role in Ireland: Leaders within the primary school setting
This paper presents findings from interviews conducted with school leaders responsible for coordinating special educational needs (SEN) provision in primary schools across Ireland. Specifically, the experiences of Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs), principals who also serve as SENCOs, and principals without SENCO responsibilities were gathered regarding the SENCO role in Ireland. This research was framed through Bronfenbrenner's Bio…
‘Stretched… like butter scraped over too much bread ’—The Senco role in Sweden, England, Ireland and Austria: An ecosystemic analysis in evolving inclusive and special education policy landscapes
This paper offers a comparative analysis of the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) role or equivalent, across Sweden, England, Ireland and Austria. Framed by Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory, the study investigates how inclusive education is characterised in policy and practice, and how the SENCo role is defined, enacted and supported within each jurisdiction. A hybrid methodological approach, combining a Most Similar Systems…
An anatomy of special educational needs coordinators in primary schools in Ireland
Internationally, promotion of inclusive education agendas has brought about changes to policy and practice. This paper explores the implications of such agendas for the management and leadership of provision for students with Special Educational Needs (SEN). Specifically, the role of the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) is spotlighted. While such a role exists in other jurisdictions, it is not defined in Ireland. Framed by Bronfenbre…
Pedagogy (6 works) · Teacher Education and Leadership Studies (6 works) · Psychology (5 works) · Sociology (5 works) · Collaborative Teaching and Inclusion (4 works) · Special education (4 works) · Educational and Psychological Assessments (3 works) · Irish (3 works) · Mathematics education (3 works) · Medical education (3 works)