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Dr. Niamh Deignan

Assistant Professor (Education)
      
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Dr. Niamh Deignan

Assistant Professor (Education)

 ndeignan@tcd.ie

 


Dr. Niamh Deignan is an Assistant Professor in Educational Leadership and Policy at the School of Education, Trinity College Dublin. She leads the design and coordination of modules on the Master's in Education (M.Ed.) Leadership and Policy pathway. Prior to this role, she lectured at the University of Galway, where she contributed significantly to the Professional Master of Education programme as a module leader, supervisor, and school placement tutor. She also served as the University of Galway coordinator for the Postgraduate Diploma in School Leadership - a jointly awarded programme with the University of Limerick and University College Dublin. Niamh began her career as a post-primary teacher and school counsellor, experiences that continue to shape her teaching and research in educational leadership. She subsequently completed her PhD in Educational Leadership, focusing on mentoring in and for leadership in education. Alongside her academic work, she has contributed to European-funded projects on cultural responsivity in education, with a particular focus on data analysis and project evaluation. Niamh regularly presents her research at national and international conferences in areas related to educational leadership and leadership preparation. She is actively involved in international collaborations, including the World School Leadership Study, due for completion in 2026 and the ACT AI Erasmus project due for completion in 2028.
  Education policy   Educational Leadership and Management   Professional education and development
Details Date From Date To
International Congress of School Effectiveness and Improvement 2025
Education Studies Association of Ireland 2022
Teaching Council of Ireland 2006
Beyond Induction: Mentoring and the Making of Irish School Leaders in, Education Matters | Ireland's Education Yearbook, 2026, [Niamh Deignan], Book Chapter, ACCEPTED
Manuela Heinz, Niamh Deignan, School Leaders Perspectives on Teacher Diversity in Ireland: "It's a Cultural Shift, the Worst Thing Would Be to Push It", Educational Studies Association of Ireland, University of Galway, Ireland, May, 2026, Conference Paper, PRESENTED
Niamh Deignan, Manuela Heinz, Navigating the Complexities of Initiating Mentoring Relationships in Educational Leadership: Insights from Newly Appointed Principals and Their Mentors, Educational Studies Association of Ireland, University of Galway, Ireland, May 2026, 2026, Conference Paper, PRESENTED
Niamh Deignan, Mentoring for Sustaining Educational Leaders, International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement, Doha, Qatar, January, 2026, Conference Paper, PRESENTED
Niamh Deignan, Manuela Heinz, The complex beginnings of mentoring for new school leaders: "It's almost like a confession", Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 2026, Journal Article, PUBLISHED
Niamh Deignan, Gavin Murphy, Country Reports from West- and South-Europe, Handbook for Governance, Leadership, Administration, and Management in Education, 2026, Journal Article, ACCEPTED
O'Sullivan, J., Deignan, N., Murphy, G., Colum, M., Mac Ruairc, G & Sugrue, C., Country Report: Ireland, World School Leadership Study, International Handbook of Educational Leadership and Administration (Accepted for Publication), 2026, Journal Article, ACCEPTED
Niamh Deignan, Miriam Colum, Ireland Education Report; System, Policy and Practice, International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement, Melbourne, February, 2025, Conference Paper, PRESENTED
Niamh Deignan, School Leadership in Ireland: Critical Issues and Policy Directions for Sustaining Leadership Across Career Pathways, Department of Education and Youth, Education Research Summit, Dublin, Ireland, November, 2025, Published Abstract, PRESENTED
Niamh Deignan, Mentoring in educational leadership and mentoring for educational leaders: Experiences, motivations, and impact of engagement from the perspectives of Irish post-primary principals, University of Galway, Ireland, 2025, Thesis, PUBLISHED  DOI
  

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Niamh Deignan, Leadership Matters; Mentoring, Identity, and the Journey into School Leadership, "Hearing from the Experts", PDSL, University of Limerick, 22 April, 2026, University of Limerick, Invited Talk, PRESENTED
Niamh Deignan, The emotional architecture of inclusive leadership, Inclusive Leadership, Trinity College Dublin, 25 April, 2026, Invited Talk, PRESENTED