Dr Jill Dunn

General Information

Teaching Responsibilities

• Teaching BEd (Primary), PGCE Early Years, MA Early Years
• Coordinator Year 1 course ‘Literacy and Communication’
• Coordinator Year 4 course ‘Working with Parents’
• Coordinator Year 4 course ‘Writing, Popular Culture and the Child’
• Coordinator PGCE course ‘Professional Experience One’
• Coordinator PGCE course ‘Professional Experience Two’
• Coordinator MA course ‘Critical Perspectives in Working with Parents’

External Interests / Community Service

• Member of the United Kingdom Literacy Association (UKLA)
• Member of Board of Governors Anahilt Primary School

Research Interests

• Digital technology and writing in the early years
• The voice of the child
• Popular culture and literacy.

Background & Qualifications

• BSc (QUB 1988)
• MSc (QUB 1990)
• PGCE (Stranmillis University College 1992)
• Primary School Teacher
• MEd (QUB 1997)
• Senior Lecturer Stranmillis University College

Research & Scholarship

Journal Articles
Dunn, J., Niens, U. and McMillan, D. (2014) “Cos he’s my favourite character!” A children’s rights approach to the use of popular culture in the teaching of literacy.  Literacy, 48(1), pp 23-31

Dunn, J. (2015) Insiders’ perspectives: a children’s rights approach to involving children in advising on adult-initiated research, International Journal of Early Years Education, 23(4), pp394-408.

Dunn, J., Gray, C., Moffett, P. and Mitchell, D. (2018) ‘It’s more funner than doing work’: children’s perspectives on using tablet computers in the early years of school, Early Child Development and Care, 188(6), pp819-831.

Dunn, J. and Sweeney, T. (2018) Writing and iPads in the early years: Perspectives from within the classroom, British Journal of Educational Technology, 49(5), pp859-869.

Research Reports
Purdy, N., Harris, J., Dunn, J., Gibson, K., Jones, S., McKee, B., McMullen, J., Walsh, G., and Ballentine, M. (2021) Northern Ireland Survey of Parents/Carers on Home-Schooling during the Covid-19 Crisis: 2021, Belfast: Centre for Research in Educational Underachievement

Book chapters
Purdy, N., Dunn, J. and McClelland, D. (2018) How can we build Positive Relationships with Children and Parents.  In: Carden, C. (ed) Primary Teaching: Learning and Teaching in Primary Schools Today, London: Sage.

Gray, C., Dunn, J., Moffett, P. and Mitchell, D. (2019) Digital inequality, access and provision: The experience of Irish Medium Schools in Northern Ireland. In: Gray, C. and Palaiologou, I. (eds) Early Learning in the Digital Age, London: Sage, pp121-135.

Gray, C., Dunn, J., Moffett, P. and Mitchell, D. (2019) Child Mentors, Virtual Tours and Adult Protégées: young children’s experiences with tablet devices.  In: Berson, I., Berson, M. and Gray, C. (eds) Participatory Methodologies to Elevate Children’s Voice and Agency, Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.

Book
MacBlain, S., Long, L. and Dunn, J. (2015) Dyslexia, Literacy and Inclusion.  London: Sage.

MacBlain, S., Dunn, J. and Luke, I. (2017) Contemporary Childhood, London: Sage.

Periodical Articles
Mitchell, D.; Dunn, J. and Leathem, T. (2015) The Popcorn Initiative: the Use of Kindles to motivate Boys to read.  Literacy News (Spring Newsletter), The Literacy Association of Ireland: Dublin, pp27-28.

Dunn, J. (2015) Using popular culture in the primary classroom: let’s ask the experts.  Literacy News (Autumn Newsletter),The Literacy Association of Ireland: Dublin.

Moffett, P., Gray, C., Dunn, J., & Mitchell, D. (2017). Benefits of mobile digital devices in early learning. Early Years Educator, 19 (5), 26-28.

Conference proceedings and papers

Mitchell, D.; Dunn, J. and Leathem, T. (2014) The Popcorn Initiative: the Use of Kindles to motivate Boys to read.  Paper presented at the Reading Association of Ireland Conference (RAI), Dublin, September.

Dunn, J. (2014) Involving a Children’s Research Advisory Group in gathering children’s views on using Popular Culture to teach Writing in the Primary Classroom.  Paper presented at the Reading Association of Ireland Conference (RAI), Dublin, September.

Dunn, J.; Gray, C.; Mitchell, D. and Moffett, P. (2015) Asking the Experts: Young Children’s Views on using iPads in Early Years Classrooms. Paper presented at the European Early Childhood Education Research Association (EECERA) Annual Conference, Barcelona, September.

Gray, C.; Dunn, J.; Mitchell, D. and Moffett, P. (2015) The integration of tablet devices into pedagogic planning in early years classrooms.  Paper presented at the European Early Childhood Education Research Association (EECERA) Annual Conference, Barcelona, September.

Dunn, J.; Gray, C.; Mitchell, D. and Moffett, P. (2016) The impact of resources on the literacy landscape: young children’s views on using iPads in early years classrooms.  Paper presented at The Literacy Association of Ireland (LAI) Conference, Dublin, September.

Dunn, J. and Sweeney, T. (2017) Writing and iPads in the Early Years –
Perspectives from Children and Teachers.  Paper presented at the European Early Childhood Education Research Association (EECERA) Annual Conference, Bologna, August.

Sweeney, T. and Dunn, J. (2018) Writing and iPads in the Early Years – Perspectives from Children and Teachers.  Paper presented at the Mobile Technology in Teacher Education (MiTE) Annual Conference, Galway, January.

Blog post
Dunn, J. (2018). https://www.bera.ac.uk/blog/writing-and-ipads-in-the-early-years-classroom. [Blog].