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Dr Ulrike Niens

Lecturer

Room 21
6 College Green
School of Education
Queen's University Belfast

Tel: 028 9097 5904
Fax: 028 9097 5099
Email: u.niens@qub.ac.uk

 

Leadership Roles

  • Leader of the Human Rights, Equality and Social Cohesion Cluster
  • Chair of the School of Education’s Research Ethics Committee
  • Member of the Editorial Board of  ‘Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education’, ‘Peace & Conflict Review’ and the ‘Journal of Social and Political Psychology’

 

Teaching/Co-ordination

  • Masters module: ‘Understanding inclusion’
  • Doctoral  modules
    • ‘Researching children and young people’
    • ‘Philosophical and ethical issues in research’ (with Andy Biggart)
  • Masters, EdD and PhD dissertation supervision

 

Research/Scholarship Interests:

My publications focus on educational strategies aimed at reducing societal divisions and promoting peace. In particular my research explored the role of social identities in promoting or hindering positive intergroup attitudes and thereby effective peace education.

Selected Research Projects:

  • Promoting reconciliation through a shared curriculum experience, Western Education and Library Board 2011-2013 (£97,763). Principal investigator, with P. Connolly
  • Opting out of religious education: the views of young people from minority belief backgrounds, AHRC/ESRC 2009-2010 (£82,000). Co-investigator, with A. Mawhinney & N. Richardson
  • Monitoring and evaluating the delivery and impact of the global dimension through the Northern Ireland curriculum, Department for International Development 2008-2010 (£45,000). Principal investigator, with J. Reilly
  • Evaluation of Local and Global Citizenship Education in N. Ireland, Council for Curriculum Examinations & Assessment 2003-2007 (£153,527). Grant held in UNESCO Centre, School of Education, University of Ulster. Co-investigator, with A. Smith and U. O’Connor
  • Understandings of citizenship education: Stakeholders in Ireland North and South, European Year of Citizenship Education 2005 (€ 5,000). Grant held in UNESCO Centre, School of Education, University of Ulster.  Principal investigator, with L. Heffernan from the National University of Ireland, Galway.
  • Review of human rights education and training in Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission 2004 (£9,800). Grant held in UNESCO Centre, School of Education, University of Ulster. Principal investigator with J. Reilly
  • Evaluation of the Bill of Rights in Schools Project, Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission & Department of Education Equality Unit 2003-2004 (£8,2000). Grant held in UNESCO Centre, School of Education, University of Ulster. Co-investigator with A. Smith & J. Reilly
  • Women’s political participation in Northern Ireland, Downtown Women’s Group/Women into Politics 2003 (£9,000). Grant held in UNESCO Centre, School of Education, University of Ulster. Co-investigator with J. Reilly

 

Selected publications:

  • Niens, U., O’Connor, U. & Smith, A. (forthcoming) Citizenship education in divided societies: Teachers’ perspectives in Northern Ireland. Citizenship Studies.
  • Richardson, N., Niens, U., Mawhinney, A. & Chiba, Y. (forthcoming) Religious education opt-out. British Journal of Religious Education.
  • Niens, U., Mawhinney, A., Richardson, N. and Chiba, Y. (2012) Acculturation and religion in schools: the views of young people from minority belief backgrounds. British Educational Research Journal. doi: 10.1002/berj.3016
  • Aboud, F., Tredoux, C., Tropp, L., Brown, C., Niens, U. & Noor, N.  (2012) Interventions to reduce prejudice and enhance inclusion and respect for ethnic differences in early childhood: a systematic review. Developmental Review, 32(4), 307-336.
  • Niens, U. & Reilly, J. (2012) Education for global citizenship in a divided society? Young people's views and experiences. Comparative Education, 48(1), 103-118.
  • McMurray, A. & Niens, U. (2012) The potential of citizenship education for building bridging social capital in a divided society. Education, Citizenship and Social Justice, 7(2), 207-221.
  • Mawhinney, A., Niens, U., Richardson, N. & Chiba, Y. (2012) Religious Education and Religious Liberty: Opt-Outs and Young People’s Sense of Belonging. In M. Hunter-Henin (ed.) Law, Religious Freedoms and Education in Europe (pp. 229–251). Aldershot: Ashgate.
  • Niens, U. & McIlrath, L. (2010) Understandings of citizenship education in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.  Education, Citizenship and Social Justice, 5(1), 73-87.