Dr Lillian Byrne

I am dedicated to applied and evaluative research in Early Childhood Education and Social Care. Past projects focused on occupational identity formation and enculturation, bilateral relationship associated with interior knowledge transfer of knowledge between intellectual, technical, and phronetic aspects of self, academic literacy, and first-generation students’ college experience.  These have had an impact on shaping local and national educational practices and policies in the social care sector. 

Social justice and empowerment provide a strong foundation for research that contributes to academic knowledge but also have practical implications that benefit local services and society at large. Projects on occupational identity formation and academic literacy have provided valuable insights into the educational experiences of first-generation students and those preparing for entry into the helping professions.

Keenly interested in applied and evaluative research, projects focusing on the use of social pedagogy in an Irish context, inner world development, STEM, SDG 4 (Quality Education), and eco-art aligns with the global movement towards inclusive and sustainable education. The use of participatory approaches, narrative research, action research, and engaged research methods is particularly powerful and align with my directorship of Early Childhood and involvement in the Social Care programmes at SETU, Summer Hill Road.