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    Dr Eibhlish O'Hara

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Dr Eibhlish O'Hara

Lecturer

Staff Member Details
Telephone: +61 8 6304 5496
Email: e.ohara@ecu.edu.au
Campus: Joondalup  
ORCID iD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9093-2746

Eibhlish is the Course Coordinator for the Bachelor of Education (Primary) in the School of Education.

Background

Eibhlish is an experienced teacher educator and researcher in the field of Health and Physical Education. A proud alumna of ECU, Eibhlish completed her PhD in 2020; her thesis investigated the educational and psychosocial development of adolescents from low SES backgrounds who participate in specialist sport programs.

Current teaching

  • HPE2240 – Health & Physical Education in Primary Schools
  • HPE2300 - Biological Foundations of Health and Physical Education

Professional associations

  • 2024 - present: Australian Council for Health, Physical Education, and Recreation (ACHPER) Board Member for the Western Australian branch

Research areas and interests

  • Psychosocial aspects of Health, Physical Activity, & Sport (e.g. sport as an agent of social change)
  • Health and Wellbeing
  • Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in HPE Teacher Education

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, Edith Cowan University, 2020.
  • Bachelor of Science Psychology with Upper Second Class Hons, Edith Cowan University, 2012.
  • Grad Dip of Psychology, Edith Cowan University, 2011.

Research Outputs

2025

Journal Articles

  • Sullivan, K., Main, S., Scott, J., Chin, KE., Boron, J., Byrne, M., O'Hara, E., Taylor, E., Dass, R., Singh, K., Adam, H., Berman, G. (2025). Specialisation in the primary education community. Issues in Educational Research, 35(2), 779-797.
  • Varea, V., O'Hara, E., Penney, D., Evans, V. (2025). Sport participation and the pursuit of active and healthy lifestyles: everyday athletes’ relationships with eating and exercise. Health Education, 2025(article in press), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1108/HE-09-2024-0108.
  • O'Connor, J., Penney, D., Jeanes, R., Magee, J., Spaaij, R., O'Hara, E. (2025). An Informal Sport Education: Integrating Informal Sport Through Negotiated Practice in Physical Education. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 2025(Article in press), 11 p.. https://doi.org/10.1123/jtpe.2025-0039.

2024

Journal Articles

  • Jeanes, R., O'Connor, J., Penney, D., Spaaij, R., Magee, J., O'Hara, E., Lymbery, L. (2024). A mixed-method analysis of the contribution of informal sport to public health in Australia. Health Promotion International, 39(3), Article number daae048. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daae048.
  • Jeanes, R., Penney, D., O'Connor, J., Spaaij, R., O'Hara, E., Magee, J., Lymbery, L. (2024). Spatial justice, informal sport and Australian community sports participation. Leisure Studies, 43(6), 946-960. https://doi.org/10.1080/02614367.2022.2085772.

2023

Journal Articles

  • Penney, D., O'Hara, E., Lund, R. (2023). Enhancing quality and equity? Performance assessment validation in examination physical education in Western Australia. Curriculum Studies in Health and Physical Education, 14(3), 288-305. https://doi.org/10.1080/25742981.2022.2136007.
  • Hogan, J., Penney, D., O'Hara, E., Scott, J. (2023). Stakeholder perceptions of the feasibility of e-portfolio-based assessment of physical literacy in primary health and physical education. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, 2023(Article in press), 17 pages. https://doi.org/10.1080/17408989.2023.2287523.

2021

Journal Articles

  • O'Hara, E., Harms, C., Ma'ayah, F., Speelman, C. (2021). Educational Outcomes of Adolescents Participating in Specialist Sport Programs in Low SES Areas of Western Australia: A Mixed Methods Study. Frontiers in Psychology, 12(May 2021), Article number 667628. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.667628.
  • Barwood, D., Spears, L., O'Hara, E., Penney, D. (2021). Deconstructing health and physical education teacher education: a mapping and analysis of programme structure and content in Australia. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, 26(4), 417-432. https://doi.org/10.1080/17408989.2020.1823958.

Reports

  • Penney, D., O'Hara, E., Atkin, J., Jeanes, R., Makopoulou, K. (2021). Schoolbased provision of physical activity for students with disability. Australia. NSW Department of Education.
  • Penney, D., O'Hara, E., Lund, R. (2021). SCSA Physical Education Studies Assessment Trial. Australia. School Curriculum and Standards Authority.

2020

Journal Articles

  • Barwood, D., Jones, A., O'Hara, E. (2020). Pre-Service teachers’ mobilising health literacy in sun safety education. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 45(5), 62-73. https://doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2020v45n5.4.

2019

Reports

  • Penney, D., O'Hara, E., Atkin, J., Schembri-Portelli, J. (2019). School Swimming and Water Safety Program Evaluative Assessment Final Report. Australia. NSW Department of Education.

Research Projects

  • More sport, Their way! Promoting women's informal sport participation in WA, Healthway (WA Health Promotion Foundation), Health Promotion Research - Exploratory Research Grants, 2024 ‑ 2026, $88,154.
  • Informal sport as a health and social resource for diverse young people, Australian Research Council, Grant - Linkage (Projects), 2019 ‑ 2024, $249,421.
  • PES Performance Assessment Validation Pilot 2023, School Curriculum and Standards Authority, Grant, 2023, $16,689.
  • School‐based provision of physical activity for students with disability, Department of Education NSW, Grant, 2020 ‑ 2021, $44,718.
  • Senior Physical Education Assessment Trial , School Curriculum and Standards Authority, Grant, 2021, $19,657.

Research Student Supervision

Current Supervisions

Principal Supervisor

  • Master of Education, Decreasing Mathematics Anxiety by Increasing Mathematical Resilience: A Mixed-Methods Study with Australian Primary School Children
  • Doctor of Philosophy, Exploring Physical Literacy Through Play in Early Childhood
  • Doctor of Philosophy, Changing assessment in senior secondary Physical Education: An investigation of pedagogical impact and possibilities

Associate Supervisor

  • Doctor of Philosophy, Exploring the application of a STEM Practices Framework to develop primary school teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge for mathematics teaching.

Completed Supervisions

Co-principal Supervisor

  • Doctor of Philosophy, Exploring School Stress: A Descriptive Phenomenological Study of Primary and Middle School Students’ Experiences

Associate Supervisor

  • Master of Education, The Feasibility of E-Portfolio-based Assessment of Physical Literacy in Primary Health and Physical Education: An Exploratory Study in Western Australia
  • Doctor of Philosophy, ‘Meeting Standards’: Initial teacher education and preparation of generalist pre-service teachers to teach Health and Physical Education.
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