Associate Faculty
Orla is Associate Faculty in the Master of Education in School Counselling programme at City University in Canada. She teaches Introduction to Research Skills (ECC 501) and Research Methods for School Counsellors (ECC 512), and she supervises capstone projects. An elementary school trained teacher, Orla has taught and studied in Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, and Canada. She holds a Master of Education in Educational Leadership from the University of Auckland and a PhD in Education from the University of Sydney.
Research
Orla’s research examines how families and schools work together to support children’s literacy, particularly how parents can foster children’s interest, motivation, and success in learning to read. She also publishes research on educational leadership, coaching, and polyvagal-informed approaches that connect the neurophysiology of behaviour with everyday practice in classrooms, workplaces, and families.
Teaching
Orla’s teaching focuses on helping her students actively apply what they learn to their work in schools and counselling settings. Grounded in research on learning and polyvagal-informed practice, she uses a coaching approach, offering clear, ongoing feedback so students can see where and how to grow. Her courses invite students to step outside their comfort zone while feeling safe and supported, think critically about research, and link it to their work with schools and families. She uses a mix of teaching strategies, responsive to the needs of each cohort, to create an engaging and caring classroom environment.
Publications
- Colgate, O., & Colgate, M. (2026). Polyvagal-informed coaching: a conceptual framework for educational practice. International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education, 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJMCE-09-2025-0143
- Colgate, M., & Colgate, O. (2026). Designing for Trust, Progress, and Dignity: A Conceptual Framework for Reliability, Responsiveness, and Relational Quality in AI-Enabled Service Systems. Information, 17(5), 443. https://doi.org/10.3390/info17050443
- Colgate, O., & Colgate, M. (2025). The neurobiology of effective leadership: Integrating polyvagal theory with the coaching leadership style. Administrative Sciences, 15(12), 461.
- Colgate, M., & Colgate, O. (2025). Insights and Challenges for Educational Leaders Supporting Families in Home Reading Practices. Education Sciences, 15(3), 296.
- Colgate, O., Ginns, P., & Bagnall, N. (2017). The role of invitations to parents in the completion of a child’s home reading challenge. Educational Psychology, 31(1), 298-311.
- Colgate, O., Ginns, P. (2017). Nudging parents as literacy partners. Teacher Magazine.
- Colgate, O., & Ginns, P. (2016). The effects of social norms on parents’ reading behaviour at home with their child. Educational Psychology, 36(5), 1009-1023.
- Colgate, O., & Ginns, P. (2016). The effect of peer influence on parents’ reading behaviour at home with their child. Harvard Family Research Project, Research Digest.