Academic biography

Fiona Collins works with the DCU Changemaker SchoolsNetwork, which she conceptualised, designed, developed, and implemented. Fiona has taught both undergraduate and post graduate students in sociology, children’s rights, equalities and social justice. Fiona is currently developing a module on transformational leadership, agency and empowerment of teachers and leaders. Fiona is currently undertaking her PhD with the Children’s School Lives Study in the area of leadership and school culture for social justice.

Fiona’s research is underpinned by the importance of working with and listening to the views of children and young people. She is particularly passionate about inequities in education, which stems from her time working as a primary school teacher and principal in a DEIS school, located in one of the most socio-economically challenged areas in the country. Fiona believes in the transformative power of education not only in expanding the realms of possibility for students, but also in terms of the ripple effect to transform our society. She is particularly passionate about the emancipatory power of education for those most marginalised within our society and education system. Fiona believes in the power of the relational in education for realising such transformative aspirations for our children and young people underpinned by the critically of ensuring transformational agency to empower teachers and students to respond in a dynamic way to our increasingly diverse and dynamic world.