Bachelor’s Degree: Preschool Education, Boğaziçi University (2004)
Master’s Degree: Educational Sciences (Adult Education), Boğaziçi University (2008)
PhD: Educational Sciences (Adult Education), Boğaziçi University (2022)
Research Interests: Orff-Schulwerk-based music and movement pedagogy, teachers’ personal and professional development, teacher well-being, inclusive education, parenting from a gender equality perspective, transformative learning, and critical pedagogy
Dr. Işık Sabırlı started her professional career in 2004 as a teacher at Boğaziçi University’s Preschool Education Unit, then served as a Research Assistant in the Department of Primary Education between 2008 and 2015, and worked as an Educational Coordinator at the Preschool Education Unit between 2015 and 2018 at the same institution. Since 2015, she has taught a wide variety of courses as a part-time lecturer at primarily Boğaziçi University, Bahçeşehir University, and Maltepe University, and from 2022 to 2025, she worked as an Assistant Professor at the Department of Primary Education, Istanbul Medipol University. In May 2025, she participated in the Erasmus+ Academic Staff Teaching Mobility program at Maynooth University (Ireland). She has presented papers at academic conferences in Türkiye, Germany (ESREA2008), United Kingdom (EECERA2010), Greece (ICCE2011), and United States (RECE2024), and has taken roles on the organizing and scientific committees of various national and international conferences. She is also a member of the publication council of the Eleştirel Pedagoji (Critical Pedagogy) and the college of reviewers of the EECERJ (European Early Childhood Education Research Journal).
Dr. Sabırlı prioritizes interdisciplinary approaches in education, the transformative power of arts-based learning, participatory and inclusive learning environments, and critical thinking. She has participated in training courses and summer schools on various topics for her professional and academic development in Türkiye, Austria, Germany, Czech Republic, Finland, and Denmark, primarily on Orff-Schulwerk Music and Movement Pedagogy. She has also received scholarships from Carl Orff Foundation and Roskilde University. With extensive experience in the field, Dr. Sabırlı has been invited by various educational institutions, associations, and organizations such as AÇEV, MEB, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, and Şişli Municipality to participate as an instructor and speaker in numerous workshops, seminars, and in-service trainings, providing consultancy support, contributing to the professional development of educators from different disciplines.
In July 2025, she began working as a full-time faculty member at Özyeğin University to coordinate and conduct the TRL 202 Responsible Citizenship course offered by OLTE and to take an active role in educational design projects at the center.