Ms Fiona Byrne
Senior Lecturer
UCL Knowledge Lab
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School of Education and Communities
Water Lane
Stratford Campus
London
London
E15 4LZ - F.Byrne@uel.ac.uk
I am a Senior Lecturer in Early Childhood Studies at the School of Education and Communities.
I have practiced within early educational settings for almost a decade as a primary school teacher, a forest school leader and a Montessori teacher. This background accounts for my research interests in pedagogies which support creativity, the use of digital media and children’s rights.
I have practiced within early educational settings for almost a decade as a primary school teacher, a forest school leader and a Montessori teacher. This background accounts for my research interests in pedagogies which support creativity, the use of digital media and children’s rights.
Overview
My research concentrates on developing pedagogical strategies to support young children’s creative and critical thinking when using digital tools. I currently have ESRC funding for my doctorate “Guided interaction and creativity with tablets in pre-schoolers home environments”. This project draws upon multimodal methods and focussed ethnography to explore creativity during parent-child interactions with tablets in pre-schoolers home environments. As an output of my project, I am developing an innovative theory of learning to support parents and policymakers in their understanding of how children can engage creatively with tablets in the home environment.
Collaborators
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Research
Publications
Oct 2019- 2026: ESRC funding for PhD in Education. Title: “Guided interaction and creativity with tablets in pre-schoolers home environments”. Full Award, Part-Time (fees and stipend). Supervisors: Professor Sara Price and Professor Natalia Kucirkova. Location: UCL Knowledge Lab
Funding
My PhD within the UCL Knowledge Lab focuses on multimodality, touch screen technologies and creativity in the early years.
My external consultancy involves multimedia projects completed with artists: using art-based methods to deconstruct dominant theories of childhood and gender, with a central focus on children’s rights.
My external consultancy involves multimedia projects completed with artists: using art-based methods to deconstruct dominant theories of childhood and gender, with a central focus on children’s rights.
Interests
Portfolio
Module leader on ED4062: Emerging Research Communities and ED5003: Early Childhood Education and Care- Past Present and Future.
Seminar tutor on ED5004: Observing,Documenting and Researching with Children, Families and Practitioners.