glenda tinney

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Dr Glenda Tinney BSc, PGCE, MA, PhD

Senior Lecturer

Tel: +44 (0) 1267 676605
E-mail: g.tinney@uwtsd.ac.uk



  • Admissions Tutor for Early Years programmes
  • Module co-ordinator
  • Marketing Lead for Childhood, Youth and Education Studies
  • Accreditation of Prior Learning (RPEL Officer)
  • Member of HEA Panel
  • Member of the Early Years Centre for Research and Innovation (CRI)
  • Postgraduate Supervision including PhD level.

I started my career as a biologist 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, I combined my interest in wellbeing, outdoor learning and sustainability when I 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 I was appointed as a Senior Lecturer School of Early Childhood  where I have been able to link my interest in sustainability and wellbeing with young children’s experiences of Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship (ESDGC) in Wales. I have a level 3 Forest School Leader qualification which supports my work with children and adults in the outdoors.  I regularly volunteer in a local setting supporting outdoor learning.

  • Senior Fellow Higher Education Academy
  • BERA
  • Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol
  • Book Trust Wales panel member

My academic interests include outdoor play and learning, learning in nature, sustainability and global citizenship and science concepts in early childhood.

I teach on several undergraduate and postgraduate courses including subjects such as :

  • 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 posthumanism approaches

I continue to develop my research interests in the field of sustainability and young children. I also have a responsibility for Admissions to Early Years courses and this has supported my 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. I have also undertaken research  exploring children’s early engagement with stories and books in the context of shared reading with young children and families. My current interests are also linked to exploring science concepts through play.

  • Outdoor learning and learning in nature.
  • Sustainability and global citizenship.
  • Science concepts in early education.
  • Level 3 Forest School Leader.
  • Developing accessible higher education provision
  • Organising recruitment and admissions events and resources.
  • Gold Standard = Sustained Shared Thinking and Emotioanl Wellbeing  Scale.

 I have been involved in delivering training to external groups including:

  • Wellbeing in the early years.
  • Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship in the early years.
  • Outdoor learning in the early years.
  • Creative thinking in the early years.
  • Involved in delivering Welsh Government UNCRC training across Welsh public sector including education, childcare and police  
  • Spoken at conferences and events including, Booktrust Cymru, NDNA Cymru and Early Years Wales.
  • Book Trust- ‘A qualitative evaluation of Superbox 2015 in terms of delivering key Superbox outcomes - project lead.
  • JIGSO ‘An evaluation of the effectiveness of the Canolfan Plant Jig-So Children’s Centre -‘Cegin Prydiau Plant’ Project.’ – research team member.
  • A qualitative evaluation of BookTrust’s Letterbox Club Purple pilot offer in Wales, 2018- project lead.

Tinney, G. (2021) Sense of place, affordance, new-materialism, systems thinking and sustainability. Sophia Centre Conference Proceedings, in press.

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

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., 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 years’. 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. (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., 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. 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., Davies, G., Rees Edwards, A. and Gealy, A. (2016) A qualitative evaluation of Superbox 2015 in terms of delivering key Superbox outcomes. This report was commissioned by BookTrust Cymru as part of the Bookstart Dechrau Da programme. Bookstart is funded in Wales by the Welsh Government.

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.

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 (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. 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.W. (2011) Time Travelling Caerfyrddin: Peniarth UWTSD. ISBN: 978-1-908395-38-2

Tinney G.W. Nature’s Sounds (2011) Caerfyrddin: Peniarth UWTSD. ISBN: 978-1-908395-32-0 

Tinney G.W. (2011) What is that Sound? Caerfyrddin: Peniarth UWTSD. ISBN: 978-1-908395-10-8

Tinney G.W. (2011) Teithio Trwy Amser Caerfyrddin: Peniarth UWTSD. ISBN: 978-1-908395-37-5 

Tinney, G.W. (2011) Beth yw’r sŵn yna? Caerfyrddin: Peniarth UWTSD. ISBN 978-1-908395-12-2

Tinney, G.W. (2011) Seiniau Natur Caerfyrddin: Peniarth UWTSD. ISBN 978-1-908395-31-3

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.

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    

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.

Welton, N., Saer, S. and Tinney, G (2017) Evaluation of UNCRC training. BERA Conference University of Sussex, Brighton, September 2017.

Merriman, E., Rekers-Power, A., Tinney, G. and MacGarry, A. (June 2014). An Evaluation of the Eco-Schools Programme in Wales. Report commissioned by Natural Resources Wales, produced by a team of researchers led by The University of Wales Trinity Saint David.

  • Early Education Trustee