Claire Nolan

Biography

Clare Nolan, (B. A., ECS, M.A.) graduated from University College Cork in 2002 with a B.A., (Hons) Early Childhood Studies Degree. During this time Clare also trained as a Family Support Worker with the Southern Health Board. In 2004, she was awarded a Masters research scholarship by Waterford Institute of Technology and graduated in October 2007. Her research Masters is entitled, ‘A Study of Shared Parenting Arrangements in Post Nuclear Irish Families’ included parent’s and children’s stories and experience of shared parenting post parental separation.She is currently reading for a PHD in Education from University College Cork which specifically focuses on Immigrant Family Systems in Ireland. This research explores parent’s and children’s perspectives of moving family life, parenting practices and the changing roles of mothers, father and children in such families.Clare has been lecturing in WIT since 2004 to date and currently lectures on the B.A. Early Childhood Studies Degree and the B.A. Social Care Degree Course in Waterford Institute of Technology. Clare is also placement tutor for Social Care and Early Childhood Studies students and supervises various thesis students topics relating to early childhood care and education and social care practice. She has also trained as part of the national facilitation team in 2008 for implementation of ‘Siolta’, The National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education. Clare has presented at various conferences nationally and internationally and has published in Journals relating to early childhood. She has also written about the Froebelian philosophy in early childhood care and education for the 2012 edition of ‘Early Childhood Education & Care: An Introduction for Students in Ireland’. Clare is a member of OMEP Ireland, which is a national committee of the international non-governmental World Organisation for Early Childhood Education.

Research Interest

Children’s rights, participation and voice in research, Exploring the ethics of research with children and families,Children’s experiences of family change, domestic violence/poverty/educational disadvantage, Immigrant family systems in Irleland, Child protection, family suppport and early intervention, Early childhood care and education research, policy and provision