Luke Sweeney PhD

Rannóg

Department of Policy & Practice

Role

Assistant Lecturer in Education with expertise in Policy and Practice

Biography

Luke is a graduate of Mary Immaculate College, Co. Limerick. He has worked as a primary school teacher in variety of education settings in Ireland. Luke was seconded to the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST) for a number of years, supporting teachers and school leaders in a range of areas including Mathematics, Science, STEM and Inclusion through Team Teaching. He has completed a Master of Education in Educational Leadership and Management in Mary Immaculate College in Limerick. Luke completed his PhD research on the topic of educational policymaking and the associated role of stakeholders in the Irish primary school context.

Qualifications

PhD, Mary Immaculate College, Limerick, Ireland

M.Ed in Educational Leadership and Management, Mary Immaculate College, Limerick, Ireland

B.Ed. Hons Mary Immaculate College, Limerick, Ireland

Teaching

B.Ed: ED8214 – Curriculum and Assessment/Psychology of Education — Lecturer

B.Ed: ED8307 – Communicative Competence in English — Module leader and lecturer

B.Sc. Ed. Studies: ES8102 – Communication for Education — Module leader and lecturer

B.Sc. Ed. Studies: ES8301 – Assessment and Evaluation — Module leader and lecturer

B.Sc. Ed. Studies: ES8404 – Workplace Culture and Competency — Module leader and lecturer

ORCiD

https://orcid.org/0009-0005-2051-4142

Publications and other outputs

Books

Maths and Me, Third Class, Edco, Dublin: Ireland. (Co-author)

Maths and Me, Fourth Class, Edco, Dublin: Ireland. (Co-author)

Thesis

Sweeney, L. (2024) Policy Actors’ Experiences of the Decision-making Processes in Irish Primary Educational Policymaking 1990-2023: A Continuum from a ‘Cosy Consensus’ to a ‘Fight in the Ditch’ [PhD thesis]. Mary Immaculate College.

Sweeney, L. (2017). An Investigation into the Leadership and Management of School Self-Evaluation in the Irish Primary School Context. [Masters thesis]. Mary Immaculate College.

Educational Resources

Sweeney, L. (2023) Primary Mathematics Toolkit: Support Material (Fractions), National Council for Curriculum and Assessment, Dublin, Ireland.

Conference Contributions

Sweeney, L. (2025) Policy Actors’ Experiences of the Decision-making Processes in Irish Primary Educational Policymaking 1990-2023: A Continuum from a ‘Cosy Consensus’ to a ‘Fight in the Ditch’. Education Studies Association of Ireland (ESAI) Conference: Building Bridges and Making Connections: Education for Hope and Transformation, Athlone, Ireland, 10-12 April.

Sweeney, L. (2022) An Investigation into the role of stakeholders in Irish Primary Educational Policymaking: Initial Findings, Trinity College Conference: (Re)building Education: Begin Again, Begin Better, Dublin, Ireland, 20-22 May.

Research/Professional Interests

• Educational policymaking
• Curriculum development
• Mathematics and STEM
• The meaningful inclusion of pupil voice at Irish primary level