Nicola Mannion
Institution: Mary Immaculate College, Limerick, Ireland
Country: Ireland

Nicola Mannion is a lecturer in Inclusive and Special Education in Mary Immaculate College, Limerick, Ireland. She is also a Doctoral student completing a PhD in the Department of Educational Psychology Inclusive and Special Education, in Mary Immaculate College under the supervision of Dr. Johanna Fitzgerald and Dr. Fionnuala Tynan.
Having spent years as a Special Education Teacher is post-primary and special schools in Ireland, Nicola wishes to explore the experiences and perspectives of students with intellectual disabilities in post-primary schools in the Irish context. Recognising the challenges of researching with children, particularly children with intellectual disabilities, Nicola seeks to utilise an inclusive, participatory, visual methodology called photovoice to research with children as co-researchers, to provide insights to schools to enhance inclusive practice. Framed within the transformative paradigm and underpinned by Lundy’s Model of Participation (2007) this method provides the necessary space, voice, audience and influence for children to participate in the research process.
Having spent years as a Special Education Teacher is post-primary and special schools in Ireland, Nicola wishes to explore the experiences and perspectives of students with intellectual disabilities in post-primary schools in the Irish context. Recognising the challenges of researching with children, particularly children with intellectual disabilities, Nicola seeks to utilise an inclusive, participatory, visual methodology called photovoice to research with children as co-researchers, to provide insights to schools to enhance inclusive practice. Framed within the transformative paradigm and underpinned by Lundy’s Model of Participation (2007) this method provides the necessary space, voice, audience and influence for children to participate in the research process.