Dr Fiona O'Hanlon

Director of Ethics / Senior Lecturer in Language Education

Biography

Background

My research focuses on languages education at the primary and secondary school stages - encompassing both Gaelic-medium education and the learning of modern languages as a subject in English-medium education.  Key strands of this work relate to pupil and teacher experiences of language learning and teaching,  teacher initial and continuing education for language teaching, public attitudes towards languages and language learning, and the contribution of language education to language maintenance for lesser used languages (such as Gaelic in Scotland and Welsh in Wales).  I am a Board Member of SCILT (Scotland's National Centre for Languages), and represent Higher Education on this board (2018 - ongoing).  Between 2014 and 2017 I was a Board member of Bòrd na Gàidhlig, the executive non-departmental public body which works to promote the use and understanding of Gaelic language, education and culture.  As part of this role, I was a member of the Core Group for the development of the National Statutory Guidance on Gaelic education, required by the Education (Scotland) Act 2016. 

I am a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Qualifications

  • MA (Hons), First Class, English Language and English Literature (University of Edinburgh)
  • MSc in Education by Research, with Distinction (University of Edinburgh)
  • PhD in Education (University of Edinburgh)
  • Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (University of Edinburgh)  

Responsibilities & affiliations

  • I am the Moray House School of Education and Sport Ethics Lead.
  • I am a co-director of the Centre for Racial Equality in Scotland (CERES).  
  • I am a member of the University of Edinburgh Gaelic Language Plan Working Group.
  • I am the External examiner for the BA (le Urram) Gàidhlig agus Foghlam [BA (Hons) Gaelic and Education] at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, University of the Highlands and Islands (2017 - ongoing)

Undergraduate teaching

  • Foghlam agus Gaidhlig ann an Alba/Education and Gaelic in Scotland
  • Theory and Pedagogy of Bilingual and Immersion Education

 

Postgraduate teaching

  • MSc Dissertation supervision
  • PhD programme

Open to PhD supervision enquiries?

Yes

Areas of interest for supervision

I would welcome applications to supervise PhD projects in the research areas below:

  • Bilingual education
  • Languages education
  • Attitudes to language
  • Language policy
  • Language planning
  • Mixed methods research

At Moray House School of Education and Sport we have seven Thematic Research Hubs which provide academic and social communities for our Postgraduate Research Students and Staff - many of my PhD students are part of the Language(s), Interculturality and Literacies Hub.  For more information on our Thematic Hubs, please see: About our research | The University of Edinburgh.   

Moray House School of Education and Sport has a vibrant research community with over 150 research students.  For more information about this research community, and to watch videos in which current students reflect on their experiences, please see: Our students | The University of Edinburgh.   

Our Institute for Academic Development also offers a range of continuing professional development courses for our research students - for details please see:  Courses & events | Institute of Academic Development (ed.ac.uk)

For information on the programme structures of our research degrees (PhD and MScR), information about the application process, guidance on writing your research proposal, and information on fees and scholarships, please see our Postgraduate Research degree page:  Postgraduate research degrees | The University of Edinburgh.

Current PhD students supervised

PhD students: 

  • Daisy Bao - 'Investigating student-staff partnerships in research: the practices and policies of institutional student-staff partnership schemes in the UK.' (Co-supervised with Dr. Lorna Hamilton, Moray House School of Education and Sport)
  • Beatrice Clegg - 'The Use of English Hedging Devices by Chinese University Students' (Co-supervised with Dr. Seongsook Choi, Moray House School of Education and Sport)
  • Jesús Hernandez Gonzalez - "Academic literacies for deeper learning: a longitudinal study of CLIL in primary science classrooms." (Co-supervised with Professor Do Coyle, Moray House School of Education and Sport). 
  • Lisa MacDonald - “An t-ionnsachadh bòidheach: exploring opportunities, potentialities and challenges in Gaelic 0-5 education.” (Co-supervised with Dr Lynn McNair, Moray House School of Education and Sport).  
  • Anne Thirkell - 'A Study of the Pedagogical Practices used by Gaelic Medium Primary Teachers to Integrate Language and Content Learning.' (Co-supervised with Dr. Inge Birnie, School of Education, University of Strathclyde.)
  • Yuchong Zhang - Agents and agency in LOTE (Languages Other than English) education in higher education: a case study of LOTE programmes in a Chinese University. (Co-supervised with Professor Do Coyle, Moray House School of Education and Sport) 

MScR students: 

  • Fiona Bowie -  Initial teacher education for Gaelic-medium primary teachers.  (Co-supervised with Professor Do Coyle, Moray House School of Education and Sport) 
  • Alice Li - An exploration of the transmission of cultural values through Chinese Calligraphy. (Co-supervised with Professor Antonella Sorace, School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences)

Past PhD students supervised

Mary Andrew (EdD) - "Exploring Gaelic-medium teachers' perceptions of professional learning for teaching Gaelic in and through the curriculum." (Co-supervised with Professor Lindsay Paterson, University of Edinburgh School of Social and Political Sciences). Thesis available at: Exploring Gaelic-medium teachers’ perceptions of professional learning for teaching Gaelic in and through the curriculum

Maggie Mroczkowski (PhD) - 2023 - Teachers’ and pupils’ beliefs about using English and target language in the Scottish secondary modern language learning context.  (Co-supervised with Dr Angela Gayton, School of Critical Studies, University of Glasgow)

 

 

 

Research summary

I am interested in language and equity issues and how these are taken forward in education and in educational policy.  Specific areas of interest include:

  • Bilingual education
  • Languages education
  • Attitudes to language
  • Language policy
  • Language planning
  • Mixed methods research

Current projects include a comparative study of the language use, identities, and patterns of civic participation of young people who are in Gaelic-medium or Welsh-medium education or are learning Gaelic or Welsh in secondary school (together with colleagues from the University of Edinburgh and the University of Aberystwyth), and a study of the implementation of the 1+2 languages policy in practice in six primary-secondary school pairs in central Scotland (together with Prof. Do Coyle and Thomas Chaurin).

Knowledge exchange

I am a member of the Scottish Council of Deans of Education 1+2 Languages group, which developed a National Framework for Languages to inform initial teacher education and continuing professional development for teachers in Scotland with regard to languages education.  The National Framework identifies key values, practices and reflective questions for colleagues designing initial teacher education programmes or continuing professional development for teachers and student teachers, and provides summaries of research papers relating to key aspects of languages education. It is available at: http://www.nffl.education.ed.ac.uk 

I am currently working with Prof. Do Coyle, Thomas Chaurin and colleagues from Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian, Borders and Fife councils to develop a self-evaluation tool for modern languages.  This self-evaluation tool is based on the findings of the 1+2 languages research project above, and will support colleagues to self-assess, and plan next steps in relation to the teaching of modern languages in the Broad General Education phase. 

Affiliated research centres

  • CERES
  • Higher Education Research Group

Current project grants

- Language, identity and civic participation: the role of the school and voluntary organisations in Scotland and Wales (2016-2020).  Funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. In partnership with Lindsay Paterson and Kirstie MacLeod (University of Edinburgh), and Rhys Jones, Elin Royles, and Dyfan Powel (University of Aberystwyth). This project is part of the suite of research conducted by the ESRC-funded WISERD (Wales Institute of Social and Economic Research, Data and Methods) Civil Society Research Centre. Wales Institute of Social and Economic Research, Data and Methods.
-Developing excellence in 1+2 languages: working together for success (2018-2019). In partnership with Prof. Do Coyle & Thomas Chaurin (University of Edinburgh) and Ann Robertson, Bethan Owen and Tamsin Frost (Local Authority languages advisors). Funded by a consortium of local authorities.
- Developing excellence in 1+2 languages: working together to create a self-assessment tool for schools. (2019-2020) In partnership with Prof. Do Coyle & Thomas Chaurin (University of Edinburgh), Ann Robertson & Bethan Owen (East Lothian and Edinburgh Councils), and primary and secondary teachers from central Scotland. Funded by a College of Humanities and Social Sciences Knowledge Exchange and Impact Grant and a consortium of local authorities.

Past project grants

- Creating a National Framework for Language Learning (2017-2018). In partnership with the Scottish Council of Deans of Education 1+2 Languages group (a group consisting of representatives of each of the Schools of Education in Scotland.) Funded by a consortium of Local Authorities.
- The implementation of the 1+2 Languages Strategy (2016). In partnership with Bruce Robertson, John Christie and John Stodter (Association of Directors of Education in Scotland). Funded by the Scottish Government.
- Transformative pedagogies for language revitalisation. In partnership with Joanna McPake, Ann MacDonald & Mona Wilson (University of Strathclyde) and Mary Andrew (University of Edinburgh). Funded by Soillse.
- Gaelic in the 2011 Census (2015).  In partnership with Stephen Sharp (National Records of Scotland) and Lindsay Paterson (University of Edinburgh). Funded by Soillse.
- Public attitudes to language learning in schools in Scotland. In partnership with Fhiona Fischer (SCILT). Funded by SCILT and the Scottish Government.
- Professional development programmes for teachers moving from majority to minoritised language medium education: a comparative study. (2013). Funded by Bòrd na Gàidhlig.  In partnership with Joanna McPake (PI), Mona Wilson, Giovanna Fassetta (University of Strathclyde) and Wilson McLeod (University of Edinburgh).
- Public Attitudes to Gaelic in Scotland (2012-2014).  In partnership with Prof. Lindsay Paterson (PI, University of Edinburgh) and ScotCen Social Research.  Funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.
-Language use in Gaelic-medium nursery, primary and secondary education (2011-2012). In partnership with Prof. Lindsay Paterson and Prof. Wilson McLeod (University of Edinburgh). Funded by Soillse and the Scottish Government.
-Gaelic-medium education in Scotland: choice and attainment at the primary and early secondary school stages. (2009-2010) In partnership with Prof. Lindsay Paterson and Prof. Wilson McLeod. Funded by Bòrd na Gàidhlig.

This article was published on