Glenda Tinney

Senior Lecturer
Glenda Tinney headshot in nature

Background

Dr Tinney started her career as ân ecologist at Lancaster University and then moved to teaching in the further education and adult learning sector, teaching wellbeing, social care and science courses.

In 2002, Glenda combined her interest in wellbeing, outdoor learning and sustainability when she was appointed a lecturer at the University of Wales, Trinity Saint David delivering undergraduate and postgraduate programmes linked to environmental awareness, conservation and sustainable development.

In, 2007 she was appointed as a Senior Lecturer, School of Early Childhood, where she has been able to link her interest in sustainability and wellbeing with young children’s experiences of Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship (ESDGC) in Wales. She has a level 3 Forest School Leader qualification which supports her work with children and adults in the outdoors. She regularly volunteers in a local setting supporting outdoor learning.

Specialist Subjects

  • Outdoor Learning in Early Childhood
  • Science in Early Childhood
  • Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship in the Early Years
  • Research for Learning
  • Inclusion and Early Childhood
  • Leadership and Team Building in Early Childhood Settings
  • Literate Environments
  • Early Years Curriculum
  • Postgraduate research dissertations
  • Postgraduate supervision includes links to sustainability in early childhood and posthuman approaches

Professional and/or Research Experience

Dr Tinney continues to develop her research interests in the field of sustainability discourse and young children. She has also undertaken research exploring children’s early engagement with stories and books in the context of shared reading with young children and families. Her current interests are also linked to exploring science concepts through outdoor play.

Glenda is an Admissions Tutor, and this has supported her research interests in widening access and developing robust methods for attracting non-traditional students from different communities into higher education.

This also includes exploring student attitudes to Welsh-medium provision.

Qualifications

  • PhD Ecology / Biology Lancaster University, 1997
  • MA Early Years Education, University of Wales Trinity Saint David, 2013
  • PGCE Adult and Further Education University of Wales, Newport, 2005
  • BSc Pure Biology University of Wales, College Cardiff 1993
  • Level 3 Forest School Leader Certificate, 2015
  • Froebel Short Course Certificate Element 1-6 July 2025
  • Outdoors Thinking / Bod Tu Allan trainer

Languages Spoken

Welsh
English

Professional Membership or Roles

HEA Senior Fellow
Trustee Early Education
Outdoors Thinking trainer

Link to Orcid Profile

ORCID Research profile

Professional Publications

  • Jones, D. and Tinney G. (2025) 'It makes my legs go tired: The tricky matter of space and time'. in Listening to young children’s voices; Reflections and Impact on policy, practice and a sustainable future. London: Routledge.
  • Tinney, G. (2025) 'Woodlouse, spider, playdough, paint, mud, water, sand, scooters and more.... children sharing the significant aspects of their reception class environment'. in Listening to young children’s voices; Reflections and Impact on policy, practice and a sustainable future. London: Routledge.
  • Tinney, G. (2023) Big changes! The great outdoors and the Curriculum for Wales, FORUM Vol. 65, Issue 1 pp. 63‑75.
  • Tinney, G. (2022) Sense of place, affordance, new-materialism, systems thinking and sustainability. Sophia Centre Conference Proceedings, in press.
  • Tinney, G. (2022) Outdoor play In Waters-Davies J. (ed.) Introduction to play. London: Sage.
  • Tinney, G. (2020) ‘Early Years Education, Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship and the Principles of Harmony’, in Campion N. (ed.) The Harmony Debates: Exploring a practical philosophy for a sustainable future. Ceredigion: Sophia Centre Press.
  • Tinney, G. and Hirst, N. (2018) in 'Chapter 4 Early Childhood Education for Sustainability within Wales' Boyd, D. and Hirst, N. (eds) Understanding Sustainability in Early Childhood Education: Case Studies and Approaches from Across the UK. London: Routledge.
  • Tinney, G., Gealy, A. Macdonald, N. and Water, J. (2020) Too complicated for little ones….”: Developing a professional learning programme to support early years practitioners’ confidence in engaging science concepts in their practice. Early Education Journal, 90, pp.10-12.
  • Tinney, G., Gealy, A., Edwards, A., Gwyneth, G. (2018) A qualitative evaluation of BookTrust’s Letterbox Club Purple pilot offer in Wales 2018. This report was commissioned by BookTrust Cymru.
  • Tinney, G., Davies, G., Rees Edwards, A. and Gealy, A. (2016) A qualitative evaluation of Superbox 2015 in terms of delivering key Superbox outcomes.
  • Tinney, G and Gealy, A (2015) ‘Developing flexible learning degree programmes for early childhood practitioners: using students’ perceptions to inform programme development and promote widening access’, Practice and Evidence of Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education Vol. 9, No. 1, Special Issue - Future Directions Wales Conference, January 2015 pp.100-118
  • Tinney, G.W. (2010) A all plant ifainc newid y byd? Addysg ar gyfer datblygu cynaliadwy a’r Cyfnod Sylfaen in Siencyn, S. W. (ed) Y Cyfnod Sylfaen: Athroniaeth, Ymchwil ac Ymarfer. Caerfyrddin: Cyhoeddiadau Prifysgol Y Drindod Dewi Sant.
  • Gealy, A. and Tinney, G. and MacDonald, N. and Waters, J. (2020) ‘A socio-constructivist approach to developing a professional learning intervention for early childhood education and care practitioners in Wales’. Professional Development in Education. ISSN 1941-5265
  • Macdonald, N., Gealy, A. and Tinney, G. (2019) Exploring the effect of an attachment intervention in areas of multiple deprivation on adult-child interaction and the implications for children’s social, emotional and behavioural development. Early Child Development and Care [online]. DOI:10.1080/03004430.2019.1641704
  • Merriman, E., Rekers-Power, A., Tinney, G. and MacGarry, A. (2014) An Evaluation of the Eco-Schools Programme in Wales. Access at www.keepwalestidy.org
  • Welton, N., Tinney, G. and Saer, S. (2019) Enabling children’s rights in Wales with early years professionals: Policy and practice in Murray, J., Swadener, B.B., Smith, K. The Routledge International Handbook of Young Children’s Rights. London: Routledge.
  • Wilson, P., Russell, H., Julings, M., MacDonald, N., Waters-Davies, J., Tinney, G., Pitman, J., Young, N., Darby, P. (2023) Analysis of feedback on the Welsh Government public consultation process on draft assessment arrangements for funded non-maintained nursery settings. Cardiff: Welsh Government.
  • Conference Presentations
  • Tinney, G. (2024) Developing meaningful education for sustainability discourse with early years education and care students: reflections on students actively exploring the non-human world environment. Brighton, UK
  • Jones, D. and Tinney, G. (2024) How critical reflection through Scrapbook compilation became a methodological tool: Now let's talk action research in practice. Brighton, UK
  • Tinney, G., Rees-Edwards, A. a Jones, N. (2024) Dewch i chwarae! Dysgu gweithredol: cyfleodd am ddysgu ymarferol fel modd i gysylltu damcaniaeth gydag ymarfer addysg blynyddoedd cynnar’ Prifysgol Aberystwyth, (2/07/2024)
  • Tinney, G. (2022) Developing Education for Sustainability provision in higher education: reflecting on an environmental award as a possible tool to develop a post-humanist approach within an early years programme. BECERA conference Early Childhood Education and Ecological Sustainability. 22nd-24th February, 2022, Online.
  • Tinney, G. (2018) Engaging young children with a sense of place Rivers, Mountains, Sky and Sea: The Materiality of Spirit and Place, Sixteenth Annual Sophia Centre Conference, Faculty of Humanities and the Performing Arts, University of Wales Trinity Saint David, Lampeter 7-8 July 2018 http://sophia-project.net/conferences/Spirit-And-Place/speakers.php
  • Tinney, G., Macdonald, N., Gealy, A. and Waters, J., John, A., Darby, P. Jones, D. Rees-Edwards, A. and Saer, S. (2018). ‘The perception and interpretation of science by early years practitioners and designing training to support science concepts in the early year’. In: A Child's World – New shoes New direction. [online] Aberystwyth: University of Wales Aberystwyth. Available at: https://www.aber.ac.uk/en/media/departmental/sell/pdf/childconference/abstractpdfs/dayone/NATALIE-MACDONALD-&-GLENDA-TINNEY-WED-S1D-113.pdf [Accessed 19 Aug. 2018].
  • Tinney, G. (2018) Developing Meaningful ESDGC Experiences for Early Years Education and Care Students Teacher Education for Equity and Sustainability Network (TEESNet) Eleventh Annual Conference Getting to the Heart of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): The Role of Teacher Education in Prompting Critical Engagement and Action, Tuesday 11th September 2018, Liverpool Hope University.
  • Tinney, G. and Merriman, E. (2016) Education for sustainability and the early years- different sides of the same coin? Wales NEXUS Conference, March 23rd, 2016, UWTSD, Carmarthen.
  • Tinney, G. And Gealy, A. (2014) ‘Exploring the experiences and perceptions of students accessing a flexible learning degree programme and the impact on widening access, continuing professional development and up-skilling the early childhood workforce’, International Conference: A Child's World – Next Steps Aberystwyth University, 25-27th June 2014.
  • Tinney, G and Gealy, A. (2014) ‘Flexible learning for the early childhood sector. Developing flexible learning higher education for those already working with young children and families’, HEA Wales Futures Directions, Aberystwyth University, April 2nd-3rd 2014.
  • Tinney, G. and Gealy, G. (2017) Reflecting the opportunities and challenges of flexible provision in early years’ education and care in higher education training Nexus Conference, UWTSD, May 5th, 2017.
  • Tinney, G. Raising Awareness and Linking ESDGC with Early Years. Harmony Conference March 3rd, 2017.
  • Tinney, G. Darby, P. and Saer, S. (2017) Developing a fast track flexible programme for students working in the early years education and care sector. HEA Annual Conference, Manchester, July 4th, 2017.
  • Tinney, G. (2015) Early Years Education and ESDGC- two sides of the same coin? Education for Sustainability and Global Citizenship’ (ESDGC) conference at Swansea Business School 2nd of June 2015.
  • Welton, N., Saer, S. and Tinney, G (2017) Evaluation of UNCRC training. BERA Conference University of Sussex, Brighton, September 2017.
  • Podcast
  • Glenda Tinney and Natalie Macdonald. The Tapestry podcast- Early Years policy and training
  • https://fsf-podcasts.simplecast.com/episodes/early-years-training-and-policy?fbclid=IwY2xjawML59dleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETBTWGJsR01yUkplekFpY3FTAR6ZdferfWnBkV2_re4fdv29fO4yu3ueR229rPtbBohsNtyXB9AlSqIxgBZCYA_aem_CUMJhG9u3fOPQ1swYjiYew
  • Awe and wonder- science, mathematics and the outdoors. A podcast with Jan White, Jess Pitman and Glenda Tinney exploring how outdoor exploration and discovery supports mathematical and science thinking in the early years. https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/awe-and-wonder-science-mathematics-and-the-outdoors/id1503889648?i=1000552684565
  • Video
  • Cerebrating our Adults, experiences and environments Cwlwm resources file:///C:/Users/G.Tinney/Downloads/Enabling%20adults,%20Engaging%20experiences%20and%20Effective%20environment.pdf

Available to Supervise Doctoral Students

Yes