Sean James Manley
Biography
Sean Manley is an Assistant Lecturer at Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT), teaching modules across the Business and Hospitality department range of programmes. His teaching emphasises theory-informed applied learning through collaborative challenge-based learning.
Sean lectures at DCU Institute of Education, contributing to modules in online learning and professional practice, and supervises practitioner inquiry projects at undergraduate level, and entrepreneurship and research design at post-graduate level. His research work spans Erasmus+ projects and doctoral research on FET teacher roles and system change.
Teaching
BA (Hons) in Event Management
BA (Hons) in Hospitality Management
Bachelor of Business Studies (Honours)
MBS in Responsible Entrepreneurship
Qualifications & Awards
PhD in Education (ongoing), Dublin City University (2023–Present)
Research focuses on the changing role of Further Education and Training (FET) teachers within a reforming policy landscape, using mixed-methods approaches to explore professional identity and system change.
MSc in Education and Training Management (First Class Honours), Dublin City University (2019)
Focused on leadership, organisational management, and research design; the dissertation examined staff retention in Youthreach using a mixed-methods approach.
BA (Hons) Journalism and Media Communications, Griffith College Dublin (2003)
Developed expertise in communication, media, and organisational contexts, supporting later work in education, research, and stakeholder engagement.
Professional Skills for Research Leaders (PSRL), Dublin City University (2023–2024)
Advanced training in research leadership, project management, collaboration, and research impact within higher education contexts.
Postgraduate Training in Research Methods (2023–2024)
Completed advanced modules in qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods research, including training in NVivo and SPSS data analysis tools.
Research & Interests
Sean’s research focuses on the evolving role of Further Education and Training (FET) teachers within a reforming policy landscape. His PhD at Dublin City University adopts a mixed-methods approach to examine professional identity, system change, and collaboration across education and industry. His broader interests include Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), challenge-based learning, and the development of professional learning frameworks that support sustainability citizenship.
He is an active member of the Vocational Education and Training Network (VETNET) within the European Educational Research Association, contributing to international dialogue on VET policy, practice, and research.
Publications and Presentations
Farren, M. A., Crotty, Y. P., Manley, S. J., & Chaniotakis, E. (2026). From Zoom to Bloom: Developing the Self-Efficacy of Physics Teachers Through Collaborative Online Professional Development. In V. Kenon & J. Bartlett (Eds.), Navigating the Global Workforce Through Bold Workplace Learning and Professional Development (pp. 85–110). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-3338-9.ch004
Farren, M., Crotty, Y., & Manley, S. (2025). Synapses Teacher Academy Exemplary Professional Development Training Resources. Dublin City University. https://rgdoi.net/10.13140/RG.2.2.14994.57287
Manley, S., & Farren, M. (2024). Exploring Staff Retention in Youthreach: Ireland’s Response to Early School Leaving. The Irish Journal of Education, 48(2), 1–35. www.erc.ie/ije
Manley, S. (2024a, August 27). Exploring Staff Retention in Youthreach: Ireland’s Response to Early School Leaving [Conference Presentation]. European Conference on Educational Research, Nicosia, Cyprus. https://eera-ecer.de/ecer-programmes/conference/29/contribution/59557
Manley, S. (2024b, August 27). Professional Identity and Practice of Teachers in Ireland’s Reformed Further Education and Training Sector [Conference Presentation]. European Conference on Educational Research 2024, Nicosia, Cyprus. https://eera-ecer.de/ecer-programmes/conference/29/contribution/60063
Farren, M., Crotty, Y., & Manley, S. (2023, June 21). Facilitating teacher online collaboration in the development of media resources for the classroom [Conference Presentation]. Media and Learning Conference 2023, Leuven, Belgium. https://media-and-learning.eu/files/2023/07/21_June_1100_1230_Auditorium_Farren_Crotty_Manley.pdf
Manley, S. (2023, August 21). Understanding and Facilitating the Changing Role of Further Education and Trainining Teachers in Strategic Partnerships with Industry [Conference Presentation]. European Conference on Educational Research 2023, Glasgow, Scotland. https://eera-ecer.de/ecer-programmes/conference/28/contribution/56742
Farren, M., Crotty, Y., Manley, S., Chaniotakis, E., & Dempsey, J. (2021). FRONTIERS Intellectual Output 4 (Version 1). Dublin City University Institute of Education. https://zenodo.org/record/5725000
Publications
The publications listed below represent my 3 most recent works as recorded on ORCiD
17 June 2025
DOI: 10.4018/979-8-3693-3338-9.ch004
Type: Book chapter
Irish Journal of Education
30 April 2024
Type: Journal article
Dublin City University Institute of Education
24 November 2021
DOI: 10.5281/ZENODO.5725000
Type: report