Dr Donna O’Donnell

 

DonnaODonnell@nzschooloftourism.co.nz

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About

Dr Donna O’Donnell is currently employed in Tourism training at the New Zealand School of Tourism (NZST). She is the Coordinator of Research at NZST and Representative for Tourism on the Yoobee Colleges Research Committee. Her passion for learning and teaching is demonstrated by her dedication to the tertiary education sector for over 25 years. In 2012, her achievements were recognised when she won the faculty award for Excellence in Teaching at Auckland University of Technology.

Donna is a grounded-theorist researcher, with a specialisation in Tourism education. She aspires to make training in the industry more inclusive and accessible for people with disabilities. This is reflected by her academic history, beginning with her Bachelor of Arts Honours study, which explored coping strategies for dyslexic students, and the role of education in supporting learning capabilities.

Donna’s postgraduate theses were also in the field of Tourism education. For her PhD, she investigated the long-term benefits of international study tours for secondary school students; whilst her Master of Tourism Studies, for which she was awarded first class Honours, examined eLearning and its effects on the travel agency sector. Overall, her research prioritises the perspectives of students, tourism educators, and associated stakeholders, to consider meaningful experiences.

Research Outputs

Publications

Theses (Open Access)

O’Donnell, D. M. (2021). Does it make a difference? An exploratory study into the reflections and perceptions of the longer-term effects of participation in New Zealand high school students’ overseas study tours [Doctoral thesis, Auckland University of Technology]. Tuwhera. https://openrepository.aut.ac.nz/items/36764971-3a48-4603-9211-acecf1c20069

O’Donnell, D. (2012). Trading places with interfaces: An investigation into online training for the travel agency sector within the United Kingdom [Master’s thesis, Auckland University of Technology]. Tuwhera. https://openrepository.aut.ac.nz/items/ecce62a2-69a9-4631-ba1a-7e1523e76340

Books

O’Donnell, D. (2022). Study tours. In D. Buhalis (Ed.). Encyclopedia of tourism management and marketing (pp. 285-288). Elgar Online. Print ISBN: 9781800377479. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781800377486

O’Donnell, D. (2020). Does it make a difference?: An exploratory study into the longer-term effects of participation in New Zealand high-school student overseas study tours. In Conference Proceedings of CAUTHE 2020. 20:20 Vision: New perspectives on the diversity of hospitality, tourism and events (pp. 358-361). ISBN (print):9780473509231

Andreassen, H., Roberts, R., O'Donnell, D., & O'Neill, S. (2016). Tourism education in New Zealand secondary schools: A teachers' perspective. In M. Scerri & L. K. Hui (Eds.). Conference proceedings of CAUTHE 2016. The changing landscape of tourism and hospitality: The impact of emerging markets and emerging destinations (pp. 867-873). Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School. ISBN (print): 9780987050793. https://search.informit.org/doi/epdf/10.3316/informit.922932462311232

eBooks

O’Donnell, D. (2022). Study tours. In D. Buhalis (Ed.). Encyclopedia of tourism management and marketing (pp. 258-288). Elgar Online. eISBN: 9781800377486. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781800377486

O’Donnell, D. (2020). Does it make a difference?: An exploratory study into the longer-term effects of participation in New Zealand high-school student overseas study tours. In Conference Proceedings of CAUTHE 2020. 20:20 Vision: New perspectives on the diversity of hospitality, tourism and events (pp. 358-361). eISBN: 9780473509224.

Journal Articles

O’Donnell, D. Orams, M., & Schänzel, H. (2023). Above and beyond: A grounded theory of Aotearoa/New Zealand high school teachers’ perspectives on international study tours. New Zealand Journal of Educational Studies. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40841-023-00291-6

Roberts, M. D., Andreassen, H., O’Donnell, D., O’Neill, S., & Neill, L. (2018). Tourism education in New Zealand’s secondary schools: The teachers’ perspective. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Education 30(1), 52-64.https://doi.org/10.1080/10963758.2017.1413380

Conferences

O’Donnell, D. (2023, October 25-27). The Kiwi experience: Adult reflections on the longer-term effects of participating in high school study tours [Conference paper presentation]. Retro-futuristic Visions: Looking Back to Look Forward. The 2nd International Academic Conference of Yoobee College of Creative Innovation, Wellington, New Zealand.

Way S., Schanzel H., & O'Donnell D. (2023, 13-17 February). Family group tourism experiences at Auckland Zoo: Exploring social and conservation outcomes for children [Conference paper presentation]. Critical Tourism Studies Conference Asia Pacific, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, Vietnam.

O’Donnell, D. (2020, 10-14 February). Does it make a difference? An exploratory study into the longer-term effects of participation in New Zealand high-school student overseas study tours [Conference paper presentation]. 20:20 Vision: New Perspectives on the Diversity of Hospitality, Tourism and Events. The 30th Annual CAUTHE Conference, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand.

Andreassen, H., Roberts, M., O'Donnell, D., & O'Neill, S. (2016). Tourism education in New Zealand secondary schools: A teachers’ perspective [Conference paper presentation]. The Changing Landscape of Tourism and Hospitality: The Impact of Emerging Markets and Emerging Destinations. The 26th Annual CAUTHE Conference, Wesley Conference Centre, Sydney, Australia.

Research Awards

O’Donnell, D. (2012). Winner of the 2012 Excellence in Teaching Award

Faculty of Culture and Society, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand