UC Spark

Dr Veronica (Ronnie) O'Toole

School of Educational Studies and Leadership

Fields of Research

  • Emotional effects of Canterbury Earthquakes
  • Emotional Literacy/Emotional Intelligence
  • Emotion and well-being
  • Emotions in tertiary teaching and learning
  • Emotion and learning
  • Children’s experience of emotion in the classroom
  • Social and emotional learning (SEL)
  • Giving children their voice in education research
  • Adult education
  • Classroom based research

Researcher Summary

My current research project is looking into the emotional impact on Christchurch teachers of the Canterbury earthquakes. I am recording teachers' earthquake stories and asking them about how they are dealing with the ongoing impact of the earthquakes. Teachers are stil most welcome to contact me if they would like to be part of this research project. I am also interested in their emotional wellbeing and the ways that they are coping throughout this time. In the context of tertiary education (post secondary school including university), I am interested in tertiary teachers' emotions, the emotions of tertiary students and how this relates to their learning, how adults develop motivation for certain domains, and finally how they overcome any historically created emotional barriers to their present day learning. i have recently completed a pilot study funded by Ako Aotearoa, investigating emotions in tertiary teaching.  Research methods included daily diary recording, interviews and a series of online questionnaires about emotions, happiness and life satisfaction. My PhD research focused on children's emotions during classroom learning activities in the three year research project - The Project on Learning (Nuthall, 2002).

Subject Area: Disciplines


Research Projects


Future Research

  • Fulbright-Cogniiton Scholar in Educational Research, Visiting Scholar to the Health Emotion and Behavior (HEB) Lab, Yale University 2011
  • Fulbright-Cogniiton Scholar in Educational Research Visiting Scholar to Wichita State University 2011
  • School based project/s conducting research on the effects of an interventional professional development programme for teachers on their wellbeing and student outcomes

Key Methodologies

  • Multiple methods incorporating qualitative and quantitative
  • Video & audio-recorded data in classroom based research
  • Observational methods
  • Video-cued interviewing of children
  • Experience sampling methods
  • Qualitative analysis
  • Case studies
  • Structured and semi-structured interviewing with teachers and children
  • Diary Studies

Affiliations


Prizes and Awards

  • Recipient of the Fullbright-Cognition Scholar Award in Education Research (2011)
  • Inaugural recipient of the Sutton Smith Doctoral Excellence Award of the New Zealand Association for Research in Education (NZARE) (2006)
  • Recipient of the New Zealand Association for Research in Education (NZARE) International Travel Award - This was a contestable fund. (2008)
  • American Education Research Association (AERA) International Travel Award (2008)
  • Three year Marsden Funded PhD Scholarship for PhD research with the Project on Learning led by the late Professor Graham Nuthall (1999-2001)

Publications


  • Carter, J.D., Crowe, M., Carlyle, D., Frampton, C.M., Jordan, J., McIntosh, V.V.W., O'Toole, V.M., Whitehead, L. and Joyce, P.R. (2012) Patient change processes in psychotherapy: Development of a new scale. Psychotherapy Research 22(1): 115-126. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2011.631195. (Journal Article)
  • O'Toole, V.M., Ogier-Price, A. and Hucks, A.D. (2011) Emotional intelligence and subjective well-being in tertiary teaching: A pilot study. Journal of Adult Learning Aotearoa New Zealand 39(1): 39-52. (Journal Article)
  • O'Toole, V.M. (2011) How Children Choose to Engage or Not Engage in Learning Tasks: Looking Afresh through an Emotion Regulation Lens. Social and Emotional Learning: Advances in SEL Research 5(1): 8-9. Newsletter Article. (Other)
  • O'Toole, V. (2011) Theoretical Perspectives on Adult Teaching and Learning. Christchurch, New Zealand: 64th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand (USANZ), 21-24 Feb 2011. (Conference Contribution - Oral presentation)
  • O'Toole, V. (2010) Bringing out the Best in Education: Enhancing Quality in Higher Education: A Tempus Survey. Journal of Adult Learning Aotearoa New Zealand 38(2): 103-106. Book Review. (Other)
  • O'Toole, V. and Grace, R.C. (2010) Developing a classroom-based methodology to identify children's emotions during learning task engagement. University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand: 3rd Educational Psychology Forum, 1-2 Nov 2010. (Conference Contribution - Full conference paper)
  • O'Toole, V., Ogier-Price, A. and Hucks, A. (2010) Diary Study of Tertiary Teachers' Emotions. Journal of Adult Learning Aotearoa New Zealand 38(1): 23-43. (Journal Article)
  • O'Toole, V. (2010) How children choose to engage in learning tasks: An emotion-regulation perspective on findings from multi-method classroom-based research. Christchurch, New Zealand: Graham Nuthall Classroom Research Trust International Symposium 2010, 16-18 Aug 2010. (Conference Contribution - Oral presentation)
  • O'Toole, V., Ogier-Price, A. and Hucks, A. (2010) Investigation into the role of emotions in tertiary teaching. AKO Aotearoa, Southern Regional Hub. (Report for External Body)
  • O'Toole, V. (2010) 'Paolo Freire in the 21st Century: Education, dialogue and transformation', by P. Roberts. New Zealand Journal of Educational Studies 45(2): 107-110. Book Review. (Other)
  • O'Toole, V. (2010) Tertiary teachers' perspectives on emotion regulation. Journal of Adult Learning Aotearoa New Zealand 38(2): 51-69. (Journal Article)
  • O'Toole, V. (2009) "Some People Don't Really Bother Asking You Questions Like That": Children's Theories About Emotion and Learning in the Elementary School Classroom. San Diego, CA, USA: American Educational Research Association (AREA) 2009 Annual Meeting, 13-17 Apr 2009. (Conference Contribution - Full conference paper)
  • Gray, W., Conner, L. and O'Toole, V. (2009) A framework for investigating the role of a teacher's emotions in teaching and learning science. Rotorua, New Zealand: NZARE Conference & Annual Meeting, 30 Nov-4 Dec 2009. (Conference Contribution - Full conference paper)
  • O'Toole, V.M. (2009) Involving Young People as Collaborators in Educational Research: Insights on Challenges and Opportunities in the New Zealand Context. San Diego, CA, USA: American Educational Research Association (AREA) 2009 Annual Meeting, 13-17 Apr 2009. (Conference Contribution - Other)
  • O'Toole, V. (2009) M. Zembylas, Teaching with emotion: A postmodern enactment. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing, 2006. Journal of Adult Learning Aotearoa New Zealand 37(1): 72-76. Book Review. (Other)
  • O'Toole, V.M. (2008) A New Method for Measuring the Emotions Experienced by Children During Learning Task Engagement in the Elementary School Classroom. New York, NY, USA: American Education Research Association 2008 Annual Meeting, 24-28 Mar 2008. (Conference Contribution - Full conference paper)
  • O'Toole, V.M. (2008) Some people don't really bother asking you questions like that: Children's theories about emotion and learning in the elementary school classroom. Palmerston North, New Zealand: New Zealand Association for Research in Education 2008 National Conference, 24-27 Nov 2008. (Conference Contribution - Full conference paper)
  • O'Toole, V.M., Sandretto, S., De Vocht-van Alphen, L. and Andreotti, V. (2008) What happens when education researchers listen to young people? Palmerston North, New Zealand: New Zealand Association for Research in Education National Conference, 24-27 Nov 2008. (Conference Contribution - Full conference paper)
  • Collins, S. and O'Toole, V.M. (2006) The use of Nuthall's unique methodology to better understand the realities of children's classroom experience. Teaching and Teacher Education 22(5): 592-611. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2006.01.003. (Journal Article)
  • O'Toole, V.M.E. (2005) The role of emotion in children's learning task engagement in the elementary school classroom. PhD, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand. (Thesis - Doctor of Philosophy)