Audrey O'Grady

Lecturer BSc Ed

 
researcher

Biography

Dr. Audrey O’ Grady is a lecturer in Biology and Science Education at the University of Limerick since 2010.  She is responsible for all of the Biology Pedagogy as well as being course director for the Science Education programme. She represents her department on the University Research Committee and is engaged in the screening of research proposals in the College of Science and Engineering. Her research expertise are in the fields of Science Education and Ecology (particularly Ant Ecology). She is currently supervising four postgraduate students and teaches on five undergraduate modules. She has been shortlisted for the Shannon Consortium Regional Teaching Excellence Award in both 2013 and 2014. At present she is the Irish PI on the Consus Tempus project Connecting Science- Society Collaborations for Sustainability Innovations.

                                             

Research Interests

My research focusses on misconceptions and active learning in Science Education and Ecology, particularly Ant Ecology.

   

Recent Graduates:

 

Elaine Feeney BSc(Ed.) MSc.

Thesis title: An Ecological Assessment of Rehabilitated Bauxite Residue to Determine Ecosystem Success

 

 

Current Students:

 

Elaine Galvin BSc.(Ed.). To determine and overcome misconceptions in Biology held by students and educators in the Irish schooling system. Funded by the Irish Research Council

 

Jennifer Butler BSc.(Ed.). Implementation of a Sustainable Health Framework into Science in Second Level Schools and its Integration in to Science Teacher Training. Funded by the Irish Research Council

Heather Merrick BSc.(Ed.). The identification of bat species and their prey items using PCR. Funded by the Department of Life Sciences Scholarship.  

 

Gerard Finnegan BSc.(Ed.). The Use of Ecosystem Function Analysis to Determine the Rehabilitation Success of Industrial Waste Sites. Funded by the Irish Research Council

 

 

                  

Peer Reviewed Journals

  Year Publication
2014 'An investigation into the prevalence of ecological misconceptions in upper secondary students and implications for pre-service teacher education'
Butler, J. ; Mooney Simmie, G. ; O'Grady, A. (2014) 'An investigation into the prevalence of ecological misconceptions in upper secondary students and implications for pre-service teacher education'. European Journal Of Teacher Education, :1-20 [DOI] [Details]
2014 'Why change to active learning? Pre-service and in-service science teachers' perceptions'
O'Grady, A. ; Mooney Simmie, G. ; Kennedy, T. (2014) 'Why change to active learning? Pre-service and in-service science teachers' perceptions'. European Journal Of Teacher Education, 37 (1):35-50 [DOI] [Details]
2014 'An ecological assessment of rehabilitated bauxite residue'
Courtney, R,Feeney, E,O'Grady, A (2014) 'An ecological assessment of rehabilitated bauxite residue'. Ecological Engineering, 73 :373-379 [DOI] [Details]
2015 'THE MITE (ACARI: ORIBATIDA, MESOSTIGMATA) ASSEMBLAGES ASSOCIATED WITH LASIUS FLAVUS (HYMENOPTERA: FORMICIDAE) NESTS AND SURROUNDING SOIL IN AN IRISH GRASSLAND'
Arroyo, J,O'Grady, A,Vance, H,Bolger, T (2015) 'THE MITE (ACARI: ORIBATIDA, MESOSTIGMATA) ASSEMBLAGES ASSOCIATED WITH LASIUS FLAVUS (HYMENOPTERA: FORMICIDAE) NESTS AND SURROUNDING SOIL IN AN IRISH GRASSLAND'. Biology And Environment-Proceedings Of The Royal Irish Academy, 115B :17-28 [DOI] [Details]
2015 'Identification of Misconceptions in the Teaching of Biology'
Galvin, E.; Mooney Simmie, G.; O'Grady, A. (2015) 'Identification of Misconceptions in the Teaching of Biology'. Higher Education of Social Science, 8 (1) [DOI] [Details]
2015 'An investigation into the prevalence of ecological misconceptions in upper secondary students and implications for pre-service teacher education'
Butler, J,Simmie, GM,O'Grady, A (2015) 'An investigation into the prevalence of ecological misconceptions in upper secondary students and implications for pre-service teacher education'. European Journal Of Teacher Education, 38 :300-319 [DOI] [Details]
2014 'Why change to active learning? Pre-service and in-service science teachers' perceptions'
O'Grady, A,Simmie, GM,Kennedy, T (2014) 'Why change to active learning? Pre-service and in-service science teachers' perceptions'. European Journal Of Teacher Education, 37 :35-50 [DOI] [Details]
2010 'Trophic relationships of grassland ants based on stable isotopes'
O'Grady, A; Schmidt, O; Breen, J (2010) 'Trophic relationships of grassland ants based on stable isotopes'. PEDOBIOLOGIA, 53 (4):221-225 [DOI] [Details]
2011 'Observations on mermithid parasitism (Nematoda: Mermithidae) in two species of Lasius ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)'
O'Grady, A; Breen, J (2011) 'Observations on mermithid parasitism (Nematoda: Mermithidae) in two species of Lasius ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)'. Journal Of Natural History, 45 :2339-2345 [DOI] [Details]
2013 'The seed bank in soil from the nests of grassland ants in a unique limestone grassland community in Ireland'
O'Grady, A,Breen, J,Harrington, TJ,Courtney, R (2013) 'The seed bank in soil from the nests of grassland ants in a unique limestone grassland community in Ireland'. Ecological Engineering, 61 :58-64 [DOI] [Details]

Conference Publications

  Year Publication
2005 15th Irish Environmental Researchers¿ Colloquium
O¿Grady, A. and J. Breen (2005) Ant species assemblages in the Burren in relation to vegetation characteristics . In: * eds. 15th Irish Environmental Researchers¿ Colloquium , 28-JAN-05 - 30-JAN-05 , pp.108-* [Details]
2005 3rd European Congress on Social Insects
O¿Grady, A. and J. Breen (2005) Ant communities in Ireland with special reference to those on limestone grassland . In: * eds. 3rd European Congress on Social Insects , 22-AUG-05 - 27-AUG-05 , pp.105-* [Details]
2015 NARST: A Worldwide Organization for Improving Science Teaching and Learning through Research, Chicago, USA
Erduran, S., Kaya, E., Cetin, P. S., O’Grady, A., Leahy, K., Uworwabayeho, A., & Mutarutinya, V. (2015) Research and Development on Argumentation in Pre-Service Teacher Education in Rwanda NARST: A Worldwide Organization for Improving Science Teaching and Learning through Research, Chicago, USA [Details]
2004 14th Irish Environmental Researchers’ Colloquium
O’Grady, A., Breen, J. (2004) Effects of nematode parasitism on the morphology of two species of ant, genus Lasius 14th Irish Environmental Researchers’ Colloquium [Details]
2005 15th Irish Environmental Researchers’ Colloquium
O’Grady, A., Breen J. (2005) Ant species assemblages in the Burren in relation to vegetation characteristics 15th Irish Environmental Researchers’ Colloquium [Details]
2005 Proceedings of the 3rd European Congress on Social Insects
O’Grady, A., Breen, J. (2005) communities in Ireland with special reference to those on limestone grassland Proceedings of the 3rd European Congress on Social Insects [Details]
2007 17th Irish Environmental Researchers’ Colloquium
O’Grady, A. Schmidt, O., Breen, J. (2007) Investigation of trophic relationships of grassland ants using stable isotopes 17th Irish Environmental Researchers’ Colloquium [Details]
2012 22nd Annual Irish Environmental Researchers Colloquium
Feeney, E. O’ Grady, A. Courtney, R. (2012) Use of soil organism activity to assess sustainability in rehabilitated industrial residue in Ireland 22nd Annual Irish Environmental Researchers Colloquium [Details]

Teaching Interests

Dr Audrey O'Grady Teaches on 5 Modules

BY4001- Biology 1
BY4023- Animal Diversity
BY4104- Ecology 1
SE4024- Teaching Science 1
SE4006- Science Teaching 3