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Miss Seaneen Sloan

Research Fellow


Room 02.002
111 Botanic Avenue
School of Education
Queen's University Belfast

Tel: 028 9097 5981
Fax: 028 9097 5066
Email: s.sloan@qub.ac.uk

Seaneen joined the Centre for Effective Education in April 2012, as a research assistant on the Roots of Empathy evaluation - a cluster randomised controlled trial of a classroom-based programme aimed at improving social and emotional wellbeing outcomes among 8-9 year olds.  In addition, she is currently completing a Cochrane systematic review on parent training for autism (funded by a Cochrane Fellowship from the Northern Ireland HSC Research and Development Office), and is writing up a PhD thesis: a longitudinal study of parent-child mealtime interactions and feeding practices in the development of child obesity.

Seaneen has worked in research at QUB since 2004, and is experienced in the design and conduct of qualitative and quantitative research with children and families, employing a range of methodologies.  Previous research projects include a randomised controlled trial of a literacy intervention for young children and their parents in disadvantaged communities; a qualitative study of wellbeing among disabled adolescents; a longitudinal study of infant feeding, growth, development and parenting; and scoping and systematic reviews of service provision for disabled children and young people and their families and interventions to enhance social inclusion for children with autism.

Research interests include: evaluation in education; wellbeing in childhood; parenting and child development; childhood disability and ethical issues in disability research.

Publications

  • Healy, J., Dunne, L. & Sloan, S. (2012). Ready To Learn-working in partnership with schools and families to help raise achievement. Briefing paper for Barnardo’s NI.
  • Macdonald, G., Livingstone, N., Davidson, G., Sloan, S., Fargas, M. & McSherry, D. (2011). Improving the Mental Health of Northern Ireland’s Children and Young People. Priorities for Research. Bamford Implementation Rapid Review report to the HSC R&D Division of the Public Health Agency. Institute of Child Care Research, Queen’s University, Belfast.
  • Sloan, S., Stewart, M.C. & Dunne, L. (2010) The effect of breastfeeding and stimulation in the home on cognitive development in one year old infants. Child Care in Practice, 16(2), 101-110.
  • Sloan, S. (2010) Exploring the relationship between maternal concern about child weight, feeding practices, and child eating behaviours and BMI at age 5. Child Care Research Forum, Book of Research Abstracts, 2nd Edition, pgs 27-29.
  • Sloan, S. (2010) Does maternal responsiveness in infant feeding mediate the relationship between breastfeeding and weight gain? Appetite, 55(1), 172.
  • Gildea, A., Sloan, S. & Stewart, M.C. (2009) Where do parents go for feeding advice in the first year? Community Practitioner, 82(3), 30-34.
  • Sloan, S., Gildea, A., Stewart, M.C., Sneddon, H. & Iwaniec, D. (2008) Early weaning is related to weight and rate of weight gain in infancy. Child: Care, Health & Development, 34(1), 59-64.
  • Sloan, S., Stewart, M.C. & Dunne, L. (2008) Breastfeeding promotes infant cognitive development, independent of socioeconomic factors and stimulation in the home.  Archives of Disease in Childhood, 93, pw32.
  • Stewart, M.C., Iwaniec, D., Sneddon, H., Dunne, L., Sloan, S., Gildea, A., Allen, S.J. & McErlean, L. (2007) GLAD Study Summary and Recommendations. Child Care in Practice, 13(3): 271-280.
  • Sloan, S., Sneddon, H., Stewart, M.C. & Iwaniec, D. (2006) Breast is best: Reasons why mothers decide to breastfeed or bottlefeed their babies and factors influencing the duration of breastfeeding. Child Care in Practice, 12(3), 283-297.