Keynote Speakers
Professor James P. Spillane
We are delighted to welcome Professor James P. Spillane, the Spencer T. and Ann W. Olin Professor in Learning and Organizational Change at Northwestern University’s School of Education and Social Policy, as a keynote speaker for ATEE 2025. Professor Spillane, who began his career as a primary school teacher at St. Mary’s on the Hill N.S. in Cork, Ireland, is now internationally recognised for his pioneering research on educational policy, school reform, and leadership.
With extensive experience in examining the complex interactions between education policy and classroom practice, Professor Spillane’s work shines a light on critical issues that resonate deeply with the ATEE 2025 themes. His keynote will explore the re-imagination and redesign of education systems to support teacher learning and development across the career span, addressing the nuanced challenges that face both novice and more experienced teachers.
Professor Spillane’s research, particularly his studies on distributed leadership and organisational change in schools, offers a transformative perspective on school leadership. His work emphasises the importance of organisational structures that not only support instructional advice-seeking and collaborative learning but also cultivate authentic teacher identities—a theme at the heart of this year’s conference. By focusing on how leadership and policy can create an environment that nurtures teacher growth and professional identity, Professor Spillane’s insights are invaluable for educators and policy makers in the pursuit of high-quality, resilient and adaptable education systems.
Having been elected to the US National Academy of Education and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Professor Spillane’s contributions have shaped the fields of education policy and school leadership worldwide. His keynote will invite attendees to reflect on how we can make explicit connections between teacher education, teacher development and identity formation, encouraging a systemic approach to empowering educators at every stage of their careers.
Join us at ATEE 2025 for an inspiring keynote with Professor Spillane, where his insights will drive discussions on supporting teacher identity, fostering authentic leadership, and building educational systems that prioritise lifelong professional growth.
Professor Anne Looney
Professor Anne Looney is the Executive Dean of Dublin City University’s Institute of Education, Ireland’s largest faculty of education. From 2001 until 2016 she was the CEO of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment. She also held the position of Interim CEO at the Higher Education Authority before joining DCU in 2017.
Her current research interests include assessment policy and practice, curriculum, teacher identity and professional standards for teachers and teaching. She has also published on religious, moral and civic education, and education policy. She has been a team member for reviews for the OECD on school quality, curriculum, and assessment systems, and acts as a technical expert for the European Commission on projects in initial teacher education. She is the current president of the International Professional Development Association.
Professor Cathrine Edelhard Tømte
Cathrine Edelhard Tømte is full professor at Dep. of Information Systems at University of Agder, deputy director of CeDIT, Centre for Digital Transformation, and visiting professor (professor II) at SLATE, Centre for the Science of Learning and Technology, University of Bergen.
She has a PhD (Dr. Art) from Norwegian University of Technology and Science, NTNU. Her research interests include technology, society, and education. Tømte's work has been published in international journals such as Computers & Education, European Journal of Teacher Education, Teachers and Teaching, and Quality of Higher Education, to mention some. She has also co-edited books at Palgrave and Edward Elgar. At University of Agder, she is responsible for courses on professional digital competences for student teachers, teachers, and school leaders.
Pre-conference workshops
Kickstart your ATEE 2025 experience with our pre-conference workshops, designed to deepen engagement with the conference themes and offer hands-on learning opportunities for educators, researchers, and policymakers alike. These workshops will feature interactive sessions led by experts in fields such as teacher identity, AI in education, and innovative pedagogy. Attendees will gain practical insights, collaborate on solutions to current educational and societal challenges, and connect with peers from around Europe and further afield. Join us for these immersive workshops to set the stage for a transformative conference experience.
Full details and instructions for registration will be announced shortly.
