Aishling Silke is an Assistant Professor at the School of Language, Literacy and Early Childhood Education at the Institute of Education, St Patricks Campus. Her background is in Early Childhood Education (ECE) and leadership. She focuses on advocacy to grow awareness of the critical role ECE graduates contribute to education as they support the establishment of foundations for lifelong learning in the first 1000 days of a child’s life. Through her advocacy for Early Childhood Teachers, she has become a leading union member supporting the development and expansion of the Early Years Union. She advocates for policy change at a government level and has entered the political arena to achieve this. She currently holds a position as a Councillor in Dublin City Council. Aishling’s external activities mirror her teaching and research approaches, as she believes strongly in academics' role in driving and supporting change to create a better society for all. 

Aishling brings an innovative approach to her role as an academic, taking time to reflect on her teaching and assessment and introduce new approaches to enhance student learning and experience. In her role as Placement Coordinator, she has created and implemented new models of placement that strengthen the connection between DCU and Early Years settings and enhance the student experience while on professional placement. 

Aishling’s research is deeply rooted in engaged research, where researchers use their position to facilitate minority groups who often find it challenging to engage in research on issues that directly impact them. Through her research and doctoral study, she has become a leader in facilitating an inclusive participation model, Jungk Futures Workshops. Aishling has developed and delivered training to researchers on using Futures Workshop as a research method.