Rate My Professor Una Byrne

Una Byrne serves as Mathematics Teacher and Assessment Manager within the Pathway programme at the University of Otago Language Centre and Foundation Year (UOLCFY) in Dunedin, New Zealand. Her responsibilities include teaching mathematics to foundation year students preparing for entry into undergraduate programmes at the University of Otago and managing assessments to maintain academic rigour. She is listed in the university's staff directory with direct dial +64 3 479 3729.

Una Byrne completed her Bachelor of Science degree in 1980 and Higher Diploma in Education in 1981 at University College Dublin (UCD), Ireland. She cherishes memories from her time at UCD, particularly her first day on campus at age 17, walking by the lake through Belfield to the Science building, where she felt an immediate sense of belonging. Having relocated to New Zealand, she now contributes her expertise to foundation studies at one of the country's leading universities.

Una Byrne's involvement in research centres on higher education pedagogy, specifically student engagement with lectures, attendance patterns, and the motivational contexts for learning. She is a co-author of the University of Otago project report titled 'Exploring Otago students’ perspectives on attending lectures and on the nature of an appropriate motivational context for learning,' alongside Arlene Allan, Antonie Alm, Sophie Briggs, Louie Claasen, Sean Connelly, Merilyn Hibma, Simon Horsburgh, Zihan Liu, Hoa Luong, and Anthony Robins. This study investigates student viewpoints on lecture participation and factors influencing motivation. Furthermore, she participated as part of the wider research group in the study 'University teachers’ perspectives on student attendance: a challenge to the identity of university teachers before, during and after Covid-19,' published on 28 May 2024 in Educational Research for Policy and Practice (Volume 24, pages 41–59). The research, drawing on interviews with University of Otago academics and framed by self-determination theory, highlights teachers' concerns over declining attendance, uncertainties in teaching efficacy, personal accountability, and a potential crisis of confidence in academic identity exacerbated by the pandemic.