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Dr. Susan Pike

Assistant Professor (Education)
ARTS BUILDING

 SUSAN.PIKE@tcd.ie

 3531896 4858


Biography

Susan is an Assistant Professor in Geography Education in the School of Education. She leads Geography Education on the Professional Masters in Education and coordinates the Thesis on the Masters of Education. Susan is a qualified secondary teacher, and has worked at all levels of education over the past 30 years. She was awarded her EdD in 2008, with her doctoral thesis focussing on children's experiences of their local environments. Susan is Co-chair of the School's Research in School and Education (RISE) Research Group. Susan's current research focuses on teaching and learning in schools as well as in teacher education. She has a particular interest in the young people's experiences and learning in geography, citizenship and sustainability education, especially in fieldwork and outdoor learning through enquiry. Her role in teacher education has also initiated research in the process of becoming a teacher. She is currently writing up research on 'first in family' students teachers. Susan was President of the Geographical Association (2020-21), an organisation she continues to contribute to through charing the GA's Geography Research Special Interest Group, as well as writing and other advocacy roles. She is the schools' liaison office on the Geography Society of Ireland Committee. She is currently working as a member of the Organising Committee for the International Geographical Congress, and chairs the Geography Olympiad, both of which will take place in Dublin in August 2024.

Research Projects

 Geography Olympiad for Ireland
 Systematic Literature Review for the SEE (Geography, History and ERB) Primary Curriculum
 Encountering Place in Education
 International Geography Olympiad
 First in Family Teachers

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Representations

Details Date
St Columba's National School, North Strand, Dublin: Board of Management - Chair 2021-
Geography through the Ages - Event coordinator with Dr Ruth McManus (2015-2021) 2015-
BA Outdoor and Adventure Education at Coláiste Dhúlaigh & University of Chichester (2017-2020) - External Examiner 2017-
BA Education at the University of Roehampton - External Examiner 2018-
DCU Educational Disadvantage Centre - Deputy Director and Member 2000-
Editorial Board of International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education - Member 2017-
PGCE at the University of Exeter - External Examiner 2015-
Royal Geographical Society - Fellow, member of the Children, Young People and Families Research Group and the Geography and Education Research Group 2004-
Geography Society of Ireland - Schools' Liaison Committee Member, Member 2018-
Geography Teacher Educators - Conference Chair & Member 2020-
Geographical Association: Curriculum Framework Working Group - Member 2020-
International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education: Editorial Board - Member 2015-
Geographical Association: Geography Education Research SIG - Chair and Member 2022-
Irish Association for Social, Scientific and Environmental Education: Committee: Founding member, President, Conference Chair, Committee member and Member 2000-
Geographical Association: Governing Body - Trustee 2017-
Geography Education Research Collective (GERECO): Committee - Member 2015-2023
International Geographical Congress Conference: Organising Committee - Member 2022-
Geographical Association - President, Vice President and Past President 2017-
International Geography Olympiad: Organising Committee - Chair 2022-
Dublin North West Partnership: Board of Management - Member 2021-
Young People at the Crossroads - Member of Advisory Board 2020-
Irish Educational Studies - Reviewer 2018-

Memberships

Membership of Professional Institutions, Associations, Societies

Details Date From Date To
Royal Geographical Society (since 2002) 2001 Present
Geography Teacher Educators' Collective (since 2014) 2012 Present
Geographical Association (since 1993) 1993 Present
Geography Education Research Collective (GERECO) (since 2016) 2015 Present
Geographical Society of Ireland (since 2000) 2000 Present
Irish Association for Social, Scientific and Environmental Education (2000-2015) 2000 2015
Rawlings Smith, Emma and Pike, Susan, Encountering Place in Education, Abingdon, Routledge, 2024, Book, IN_PRESS
Home, place and young people's geographies in the classroom in, editor(s)Emma Rawlings Smith and Susan Pike , Encountering Ideas of Place in Education Scholarship and Practice in Place-based Learning, Abingdon, Roultedge, 2024, [Freeman, D. and Pike, S.], Book Chapter, IN_PRESS
Encountering Ideas of Place - Conclusion in, editor(s)Emma Rawlings Smith and Susan Pike , Encountering Ideas of Place: Scholarship and Practice in Place-Based Education, Abingdon, Routledge, 2024, [Susan Pike and Emma Rawlings Smith], Book Chapter, IN_PRESS
Pike, Susan, Geography for the Future? Curriculum Change in Ireland, EuroGeo Conference, Pedagogical University of Krakow, Poland, April, 2023, Conference Paper, PRESENTED
Pike, Susan, Resilient Geography? Geography in the Primary Curriculum, Conference of Irish Geographers, Talbot Hotel, Wexford, May, 2023, Conference Paper, PUBLISHED
Pike, Susan, Geography for the Future? Power and knowledge in the Geography Curriculum in Ireland, IGU-CGE Oxford Conference, University of Oxford, July, 2023, Conference Paper, PUBLISHED
Pike, S., McGuirk, N. and Whelan, P., Findings from the Literature Review to Inform the Curriculum for Social and Environmental Education (Geography, History and Education about Religion and Beliefs), NCCA Reimagining Curriculum Seminar , Gresham Hotel, March, 2023, Conference Paper, PUBLISHED
Pike, Susan, NCCA Literature Review for Geography, History and Education about Religion and Beliefs, NCCA Early Years and Primary Board, Marino Institute of Education, 7th September 2023, 2023, NCCA, Invited Talk, PRESENTED
Clarke, L. and Pike, S. , The impact of forming a community of practice on teachers" attitudes and approaches to primary geography, Irish Educational Studies, 2023, Journal Article, PUBLISHED
Pike, S., Austin, S., Greenwood, R. and Bacon, K., Inquiry in teacher education: Experiences of lecturers and student teachers, Irish Education Studies, 2023, Journal Article, PUBLISHED  DOI
  

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Pike, Susan, 'Young people geographies and the Geography Olympiad for Ireland', RTÉ Radio 1 Nine O'Clock Show, RTÉ Radio 1, RTÉ, 2023, -, Broadcast, PUBLISHED
Wilson, S. and Pike, S. , Sustainability in Teacher Education: St Mary's University and Trinity College Dublin, St Mary's University Teaching and Learning Festival, London, 20th June 2023, 2023, Invited Talk, PUBLISHED
Pike, Susan, Findings from the Literature Review to Inform the Curriculum for Social and Environmental Education (Geography, History and Education about Religion and Beliefs), NCCA Early Years and Primary Board Meeting, Marino Institute of Education, September, 2023, NCCA, Invited Talk, PRESENTED
Pike, S., Ní Cassaithe, C., McGuirk, N., Usher, J., Mallon, B. and Whelan, P., Findings from the Literature Review to Inform the Curriculum for Social and Environmental Education (Geography, History and Education about Religion and Beliefs), NCCA Seminar, Marino Institute of Education, February, 2023, NCCA, Invited Talk, PUBLISHED
Pike, Susan, 'The Eneable Project. Inquiry in Teacher Education', IoE Podcasts , 1, Dublin City University, 2022, -, Broadcast, PUBLISHED
Pike, Susan, 'The power of subject associations', Teachers' Talk Radio, Online, 2021, -, Broadcast, PUBLISHED
Pike, Susan, Presidential Keynote Lecture: Compassionate Geographies, Geographical Association Annual Conference , Sheffield Hallam University / Online , April , 2021, Geographical Association , Invited Talk, PUBLISHED
Pike, Susan, Theory and practice of outdoor Learning in the North East Inner City, NEIC Event , Dublin / Online, July, 2021, Department of Education. , Invited Talk, PUBLISHED
Pike, Susan, Healy, Grace and Wilson, Sophie, Geography Education and COVID-19, Geography Education and COVID-19, Institute of Education, University College London, January, 2021, IoE University of London and Geographical Association, Invited Talk, PRESENTED
Kinder, Alan and Pike, Susan, Policy Matters: Schools and COVID-19, Geographical Association News, (Spring), 2021, Journal Article, PUBLISHED

  

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Awards and Honours

Award Date
Geographical Association: Annual Award for Excellence 2016
Dublin City University: Teaching and Learning Award Won: 2001, 2014; Nominated: 2021
Teacher Training Agency: Bursary for Masters in Education 1996
University of Southampton: PGCE Prize for Highest Achievement on Placement 1994 1994

Research Interests

Description Of Research Interests

Susan's research focuses on teaching, learning and pedagogies in Geography, Sustainability and Outdoor Education in schools. She also researches in teacher education, specifically on the experiences and impact of teacher education on the process of becoming a teacher for students on initial teacher education programmes. Her book Learning Primary Geography: Ideas and Inspirations from Classrooms (Routledge, 2016) drew together theory, research and practice in Geography across a wide range on schools. She is Co-editor of Encountering Place in Education, an international cross-phase book to support all educators teach about, within and for place (Routledge, 2023). She is PI for the Literature Review for Geography, History and Education about Religion and Beliefs for the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), to provide the research basis for these subjects in the Primary Curriculum. Susan is currently working on research associated with the Irish and International Geography Olympiad,