Paula Lehane
Dr
Dr Paula Lehane is an Assistant Professor in the School of Inclusive and Special Education. She is the current chair of the Masters of Education in Specific Literacy Difficulties (SpLD/Dyslexia) and lectures in the areas of assessment, inclusive pedagogy and research methods. Her current research interests include assessment, inclusive pedagogy, literacy instruction and curriculum integration.
A graduate of the Education and Psychology programme at Mary Immaculate College Limerick, Paula started her career as a primary school teacher in a developing school in Dublin. During this time, she gained extensive experience in the areas of digital education, literacy, assessment and inclusive education. She also completed a Graduate Diploma in Special Educational Needs (GradDip SEN) and a Masters in Additional Support Needs (M.Ed ASN) with University College Dublin. Paula then worked with DCU’s Centre for Assessment Research, Policy & Practice in Education (CARPE), where her work focused on various issues relating to assessment and test development in educational and workplace settings. She received funding from the Irish Research Council (IRC) to complete her PhD in the field of digital tests and assessments for post-primary learners. This work was awarded the Kathleen Tattersall New Assessment Researcher Award in 2022.
Paula has been published in several peer-reviewed journals including the European Journal of Teacher Education, Technology, Pedagogy and Education and Irish Educational Studies, and she has presented at prestigious international conferences such as American Education Research Association (AERA). Her work has also been used by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) to inform policy and practice in educational assessment. She is currently working on a number of projects relating to assessment and education more broadly. For example, she recently completed a significant review of the research on curriculum integration, pedagogy and assessment, funded by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment to inform the redevelopment of the national primary school curriculum (NCCA; with Dr Patrick Burke).
Peer Reviewed Journal
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Fitzsimons, S., Sexton, P.J., Lehane, P., Donlon, E., McDonald, E., Karakolidis, A., & McKeever, C. (2024) 'Understanding pre-service teachers’ improvement in professional practice: a quantitative perspective'. Irish Educational Studies, . https://doi-org.dcu.idm.oclc.org/10.1080/03323315.2024.2330883 | |
| 2023 | Lehane, P., Scully, D. & O'Leary, M. (2023) 'Why multimedia might matter: The impact of animations and images on item performance and test-taker behaviour'. British Journal of Educational Technology, . https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.13369 | |
| 2023 | Lehane, P.; Lysaght, Z.; O’Leary, M. (2023) 'A validity perspective on interviews as a selection mechanism for entry to initial teacher education programmes'. European Journal of Teacher Education, 46 . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2022 | Lehane P., Scully, D., & O’Leary, M. (2022) 'Time to figure out what to do’: Understanding the nature of Irish post-primary students’ interactions with computer-based exams (CBEs) that use multimedia stimuli'. Irish Educational Studies, . https://doi.org/10.1080/03323315.2021.2022517 | |
| 2021 | Pitsia, V., Karakolidids, A. & Lehane P. (2021) 'Investigating the use of assessment data by primary school teachers: Insights form a large-scale survey in Ireland'. Educational Assessment, 26 (3):145-162. https://doi.org/10.1080/10627197.2021.1917358 | |
| 2021 | Scully, D., Lehane, P. & Scully, C. (2021) ''It is no longer scary': digital learning before and during the Covid-19 pandemic in Irish secondary schools'. Technology, Pedagogy And Education, 30 (1):159-181. [DOI] | |
| 2020 | Nigam, Y., Humphries, I. & Lehane, P. (2020) 'Could Maggot Therapy be taught in Primary Schools?'. Journal of Biological Education, . https://doi.org/10.1080/00219266.2020.1748686 | |
| 2019 | Lehane, P. (2019) 'What Makes a Difference for Candidates Taking Computer-based Tests? Issues Surrounding Device Comparability and User Interface Modifications'. CLEAR Exam Review, . [Link] | |
| 2019 | Lehane, P. & Senior, J. (2019) 'Collaborative teaching: Exploring the impact of co-teaching practices on the numeracy attainment of students with and without special educational needs'. European Journal of Special Needs Education, . https://doi.org/10.1080/08856257.2019.1652439 |
Published Report
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Burke, P. & Lehane, P. (2023) Weaving the Literature on Integration, Pedagogy and Assessment: Insights for Curriculum and Classrooms. National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, . [Link] https://ncca.ie/media/6371/weaving-the-literature-on-integration-pedagogy-and-assessment.pdf | |
| 2023 | Burke, P. & Lehane, P. (2023) Conceptualising Curriculum Integration: A Synthesis of Theory, Research and Practice. National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, . [Link] https://ncca.ie/media/6370/conceptualising-curriculum-integration.pdf | |
| 2021 | Lehane, P., Butler, D & Marshall, K. (2021) Building a new world in education: Exploring Minecraft for Learning, Teaching and Assessment [White Paper]. Dublin City University, . [Link] | |
| 2019 | O' Leary, M., Lysaght, Z., Craith, D., & Scully, D. (2019) Standardised testing in English reading and Mathematics in the Irish primary school: A survey of Irish primary teachers. (contributing author). Centre for Assessment Research, Policy and Practice in Education and the Irish National Teachers' Organisation, . [Link] | |
| 2019 | Lehane, P. (2019) Leaving Certificate Computer Science - Factors to consider when developing a computer-based exam. National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, . [Link] | |
| 2019 | Lehane, P., Lysaght, Z., & O’Leary, M. (2019) The Interview as a Selection Mechanism for Entry into Initial Teacher Education: A Review of the Literature and Recommendations for Practice. Committee for the Heads of Institutes of Education in Ireland, . |
Conference Contribution
Blog
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Lehane, P. (2021) ‘It is no longer scary’: digital learning before and during the Covid-19 pandemic in Irish secondary schools. BLOG [Link] |
Honors and Awards
Outreach Activities
Research Interests
- Educational & Workplace Assessment
- Classroom Assessment
- Curriculum Integration
- Inclusive literacy teaching
- Literacy Difficulties
- Inclusive Education
- Digital Technology
- Assessment literacy
Teaching Interests
Assessment
Inclusive Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment
Assessing Literacy Difficulties
Planning for Literacy Teaching
Research-Informed Practice
Research Methods in Education
Academic Writing
Collaboration and Leadership in Schools