Bio
Dr Erin Mahon lectures in courses in the Psychology of Education and Special and Inclusive Education and is the Coordinator of the Educational and Psychological Assessment Unit (EPAU). Her work focuses on creating equitable access to education for children with special educational needs across the Caribbean. With a background in psychology, teaching, and educational research, she has partnered with regional Ministries of Education, UNICEF, and the Caribbean Educational Research Centre to improve assessment, pedagogy, and inclusive practices. Dr Mahon’s current projects include school improvement through the identification of students with special educational needs, determining the perceived prevalence of students struggling in mainstream schools, and investigating parental involvement and engagement in education.
Qualifications
PhD in Education
University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Barbados (2021)
Master's in Counselling Psychology (Distinction)
University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Barbados (2009)
Honours Bachelor of Arts Psychology
Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario (2006)
Research Areas
Erin’s research focuses on inclusive education and assessment across the Caribbean. She has co-authored regional studies on student achievement with the Caribbean Educational Research Centre, led professional training for Special Education focal points across the region, and published on privacy and confidentiality, measurement, and parent involvement in the field of special education.
RISE Caribbean Initiative which included the establishment of the Caribbean Educational Research Centre funded by USAID (US $3.69 million, with UWI counterpart funding)
Establishment of the Educational and Psychological Assessment Unit funded by the CDB (US 200,000, with UWI counterpart funding)
Teaching Areas
Graduate
EDPS6111 - Psychology of Caribbean Children
EDPS6310 - Typica and Atypical Human Development and Learning
Select Publications
Mahon, E., Dedrick, R., & Kim, E. (2025). Measurement in Caribbean special and inclusive education: A systematic review. In C. Sunal (Ed.), The Education of Minorities in Africa, the Caribbean, and the Middle East (pp. 81-112). Emerald Publishing.
Mahon, E. (2024). Privacy in special and inclusive education research in the Caribbean. Caribbean Educational Research Journal, 9(1), 132-147.
Warrican, S.J., Leacock, C.J., Mahon, E., Bristol, L., Hyatt, T., Roberts, J., Auld, J., Alfred, C., Alleyne, J., Alleyne, P., Collins, D., Ferdinand, B., Frame, R., Howell, D., Mauricette-Philip, N., DaSantos, A., Walker, C., & Alleyne, M. (2024). An investigation into the factors that influence students' academic performance in the Caribbean: Home and school factors OECS Regional Report 2017-2022. (Report No. CERC_SAS 1a: OECS).
Warrican, S.J., Leacock, C.J., Mahon, E., King, S., Da Souza, D., & Pascal, S. (2024). An investigation of education factors that foster social and economic growth in Barbados. Caribbean Educational Research Centre, School of Education, University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus.
Blackman, S., & Mahon, E. (2016). Understanding teachers' perspectives of factors that influence parental involvement practices in special education in Barbados. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 16, 264–271. doi:10.1111/1471-3802.12083.
Additional Info
Keywords
Special Education, Inclusive Education, Parental Involvement, Parental Engagement, Assessment, Culturally Appropriate Measurement, Instrument Validation,