Researcher Details |

Majella Mcsharry

Contact Details

Spc M 110

T:Ext. 9232

E:Majella.McSharry@dcu.ie

Dr. Majella McSharry is a lecturer in Sociology at the School of Human Development. She is Chair of Postgraduate Studies by Research and former Chair of the Professional Master of Education (Post Primary). She is an executive member of the Regional Centre of Expertise in Education for Sustainable Development (RCE Dublin), a member of the Centre for Human Rights and Citizenship Education (CHRCE) and a member of the Centre for Collaborative Research Across Teacher Education (CREATE). She has worked as a secondary school teacher and previously as a lecturer at Maynooth University, the National College of Art and Design and St. Patrick's College Drumcondra. Majella currently teaches in the areas of Sociology of Education, Global Citizenship Education and Research Design. Her main research area is concerned with Teacher Identity, Initial Teacher Education and the interaction of school contexts with embodied praxis.

Book

	Year	Publication
	2009	Majella McSharry (2009) Schooled Bodies? Negotiating Adolescent Validation through Press, Peers and Parents. : Trentham Books.
	2017	Kamp, A.; McSharry, M. (2017) Re/Assembling the Pregnant and Parenting Teenager: Narratives from the Field(s). [Link] [DOI]

Book Chapter

	Year	Publication
	2023	McSharry, Majella (2023) 'School Uniforms in Ireland: The Intersection of Religion, Class and Gender' In: School Uniforms: New Materialist Perspectives. UK : Springer. [Link] https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-32939-5
	2017	McSharry, M. (2017) 'What's happening to my body?: The growing, glowing and grotesque teenage belly' In: Re/Assembling the Pregnant and Parenting Teenager: Narratives from the Field(s). [Link]
	2017	Kamp, A.; McSharry, M. (2017) 'Coda: The promise of re/assembling the pregnant and parenting teenager' In: Re/Assembling the Pregnant and Parenting Teenager: Narratives from the Field(s). [Link]
	2017	Ryan, Á.; Ging, D.; Kamp, A.; McSharry, M. (2017) 'Irish television and the assemblage of personal narratives of teenage pregnancy and abortion' In: Re/Assembling the Pregnant and Parenting Teenager: Narratives from the Field(s). [Link]
	2017	Kamp, A.; McSharry, M. (2017) 'Conceiving a re/assemblage of teenage pregnancy and parenting' In: Re/Assembling the Pregnant and Parenting Teenager: Narratives from the Field(s). [Link]
	2014	McSharry, M.; Walsh, B. (2014) 'Fostering complicit femininity: Epoch, education and the young female body' In: A Critical Youth Studies for the 21st Century. [Link] [DOI]
	2012	McSharry, M. (2012) 'The Role of Irish Secondary Schools in Teenage Obesity: Activism or Sizism' In: Towards Transformative Education: A Multidisciplinary perspective on research and practice in Bulgaria and Ireland. Bulgeria : University of Sofia Press.
	2012	McSharry, M., O’Hara, J., Lahart, J., Lovatt, J., and McNamara, G., (2012) 'Managing Stress in Initial Teacher Education: Challenges and Opportunities' In: Towards Transformative Education: A Multidisciplinary perspective on research and practice in Bulgaria and Ireland. : University of Sofia Press.
	2008	Majella McSharry (2008) 'Stuck in a Ruck: The Impact of Rugby on Social Belonging' In: Mary P. Corcoran and Perry Share(Eds.). Belongings: Shaping Identity in Modern Ireland. Dublin : Institute of Public Administration.
	2008	Majella McSharry (2008) 'Living with Contradictions: Teenagers' Experiences of Active Citizenship and Competitive Individualism' In: Gerry Jeffers and Una O'Connor(Eds.). Education for Citizenship and Diversity in Irish Contexts. Dublin : IAP.

Peer Reviewed Journal

	Year	Publication
	2021	White, I.; McSharry, M. (2021) 'Preservice teachers’ experiences of pandemic related school closures: anti-structure, liminality and communitas'. Irish Educational Studies, 40 . [Link] [DOI]
	2017	McSharry, M. (2017) '‘It’s just because we’re girls’: How female students experience and negotiate masculinist school sport'. Irish Educational Studies, 36 . [Link] [DOI]
	2016	McSharry, M.; Cusack, M. (2016) 'Teachers’ stories of engaging students in controversial action projects on the Island of Ireland'. Journal Of Social Science Education, 15 . [Link] [DOI]
	2014	Holland, C., Mulcahy, C., Judge, M., Lovatt, J., Scanlon, G., Rami, J., Corrigan, T and McSharry, M. (2014) '‘A Case Study of Infusing Sustainability within Dublin City University, through engagement in the EU TEMPUS Reorienting University Curricula to Address Sustainability (RUCAS) project’ in International Journal of Reorienting University Curricula to Address Sustainability'. .
	2012	McSharry, M. and Mulcahy, C. (2012) 'The Changing Face of Teacher Education in Ireland: A Major overhaul or a cosmetic review? in 'Educational Research e-Journal''. 1 .

Conference Contribution

	Year	Publication
	2024	McSharry, M and White, I. (2024) British Educational Research Association Conference Policing Risky Bodies: The Embodied Work and Experiences of Preservice Teachers During the Covid-19 Pandemic Manchester, UK, .
	2024	McSharry, M, White, I and Kirwan, E (2024) Education Studies Association of Ireland Conference Becoming a Teacher Through Flexible Learning: Preservice Teachers Kildare, .
	2023	McSharry, M. (2023) Scottish Educational Research Association Uniforming Schools: Forming and Performing Disciplined (and Material) Identities Edinburgh, 22/11/2024-24/11/2024.
	2022	White, I. and McSharry, M. (2022) Teacher Education and Practice: Foresight and Hindsight '''Masks Up, Desks Apart!’’: Distance and Disjuncture in COVID-19 Restricted Classrooms' The Association for Teacher Education in Europe (ATEE), Dublin, .
	2022	McSharry, M and Shanks, R (2022) Education Studies Association of Ireland Conference 'The gender of school uniform in post-primary schools in Ireland and Scotland Dublin, .
	2021	White, I. and McSharry, M. (2021) British Educational Research Association Conference From Classroom to Zoom Room: Placement Related Challenges and Opportunities for Preservice Teach Online, .
	2019	Barry, M., Cusack, M., King, F., McSharry, M (2019) Get up and Goals: International conference on Migration and the SDGs Curriculum environment and classroom activities from Ireland: The role and potential of History within GCE Vienna, Austria, .
	2018	McSharry, M. and Kamp, A. (2018) ESAI Annual Conference Re/assembling insights into teenage lives: considering the legitimate interests of pregnant and parenting teenagers in the globalised context Dublin, 05/04/2018-07/04/2018.
	2015	McSharry, M (2015) European Sociological Association Male Domination in School Sport. What the girls have to say Prague, Czech Republic, 25/08/2015-28/08/2015.
	2012	McSharry, M. and Mulcahy, M. (2012) Conference on Teacher Education Policy ‘The Changing Face of Teacher Education in Ireland: A major overhaul or a cosmetic review? University of Granada, Spain, 09/02/2012-12/02/2012.
	2012	McSharry. M. (2012) Self, Selves and Sexualities: The Second Irish International Conference in Sexuality Studies The Role of Irish Secondary Schools in Teenage Obesity: Activism or Sizism? DCU, Dublin, 08/03/2012-10/03/2012.
	2011	McSharry, M. and Cusack. M. (2011) International Conference on Human Rights and Violent Behaviour: The Social and Educational Perspective ‘Irish Citizenship Education: Promoting Controversial or Conservative Student Action? University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus, 26/11/2011-27/11/2011.
	2011	McSharry, M. and Cusack. M. (2011) ESAI Annual Conference Enabling and Transforming Partnerships in Radical Action Projects Church of Ireland College of Education, Dublin, 07/04/2011-09/04/2011.
	2011	McSharry, M. and Cusack. M. (2011) Five Nations Network Conference ‘Investigating ‘Controversial Action’ in Citizenship Education Dublin, Ireland, 08/12/2011-09/12/2011.
	2009	McSharry, M. (2009) ESAI Annual Conference Active Citizenship Vs Competitive Individualism Kilkenny, 26/03/2009-28/03/2009.
	2008	McSharry, M. (2008) ENERCE Conference Do schools have time for Active Citizenship? Seville, Spain, 03/09/2008-06/09/2008.
	2008	McSharry, M. (2008) American Educational Research Association Embodied Stigmatisation in Adolescent School Communities New York, USA, 24/03/2008-31/03/2008.
	2008	McSharry, M. (2008) What Ivory Towers – Gender, the Body and Sexuality Too Fat or Too Thin to fit in? UCD, Dublin, 09/05/2008-09/05/2008.
	2007	McSharry, M. (2007) ESAI Annual Conference Are you a Man or a Mouse? The Role of the Body in Establishing Adolescent Peer Networks Cavan, 29/03/2007-31/03/2007.
	2007	McSharry, M. (2007) Dept. of Health and Children Public Lecture Schooled Bodies Dublin, 14/11/2007-14/11/2007.
	2006	McSharry, M. (2006) ESAI Annual Conference Bodily Control as a Solution to Social Insecurities NCAD, Dublin, 30/03/2006-01/04/2006.
	2005	McSharry, M. (2005) Annual Postgraduate Open Day The Embodied Influences of Family and Friends on Teenagers NUI Maynooth, 22/04/2005-22/04/2005.
	2004	McSharry, M. (2004) Sociological Imaginations Annual Conference The Projection of the Self Among Adolescents Queen’s University Belfast, 16/09/2004-18/09/2004.
	2004	McSharry, M (2004) Sociological and Anthropology Symposium Bad Body, Fat Friends? NUI Maynooth, 16/01/2004-18/01/2004.

Book Review

	Year	Publication
	2016	McSharry, M (2016) The Critical Global Educator: Global Citizenship Education as Sustainable Development. BELFAST: BREV

Professional Associations

	Association	Function	From / To
	State Examinations Commission	Advising Examiner for CSPE	28/01/2008 - 28/01/2014
	Teaching Council of Ireland	Assessor for CSPE	03/02/2009 - 02/03/2011

Honors and Awards

Date	Title	Awarding Body
01/03/2025	Shortlisted for the President's Award for Engagement	DCU
01/04/2024	Shortlisted for the President's Award for Excellence in Teaching	DCU
01/05/2022	Nominated for the President's Award for Excellence in Teaching	DCU
01/01/2010	Career Start Award	DCU
01/05/2009	Nominated for the President's Award for Excellence in Teaching	DCU
01/01/2006	National University of Ireland Maynooth Postgraduate Scholarship	Maynooth University
01/01/2002	The National Children's Office Doctoral Scholarship	Department of Health and Children

Committees

	Committee	Function	From / To
	Academic Council, DCU		02/09/2024 -
	Civic Engagement Forum, DCU		01/09/2023 -
	DCU Futures, Transversal skills Expert Panel for Sustainable Literacy		01/10/2022 -
	Academic Council, DCU		01/09/2019 - 01/09/2022
	RCE Dublin		29/01/2013 -
	Ubuntu Network		01/02/2011 -
	DCU Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Research Committee		08/04/2015 - 01/09/2016
	National Anti Bullying and Resource Centre		28/01/2014 - 30/12/2016
	St. Patrick's College Research Ethics Committee		08/02/2011 - 01/09/2016
	Educational Studies Association of Ireland		29/01/2008 - 01/06/2012

Education

	Start date	Institution	Qualification	Subject
	01/10/2020	DCU and Epigeum	Professional Skills for Research Leaders	Leadership
	01/10/2016	Advance HE	Aurora Leadership Programme	Leadership

Languages

	Language	Reading	Writing	Speaking
	Irish	Functional	Functional	Functional
	French	Functional	Functional	Functional

Reviews

	Journal	Role
	Policy and Practice: A Development Education Review	Reviewer
	Irish Educational Studies	Reviewer
	International Journal of Bullying Prevention	Reviewer

Enterprise Engagement

Year	Engagement Type	Client	Description
2024	Consultancy	South East Technological University	External Examiner
2023	Consultancy	Vilnius University	Design and development of curricular content in the area of Power, Privilege, Rights, Responsibilities within the Anthropocene
2021	Consultancy	Project 21	Design and development of content for digital game based on democracy and citizenship

Outreach Activities

	Year	Engagement Type	Organisation	Description
	2022	Advisory Work	Teaching Council of Ireland	Researcher in Residence

Media

	Title	Year	Type	Authors
	School Uniform Policy and Research in Ireland and Scotland. https://open.spotify.com/episode/3hkAabgZDJ34idmtv8CiY0?si=dm2KgMqZRsGScXsnuHkzYg	2024	Podcast	McSharry, M and Shanks, R.

Research Interests

Embodied Work and Praxis

School Uniforms

Gender Identity and Expression

Men in Teaching

Teacher Identity

Career Change Teachers

Equality and Quality in Education

Initial Teacher Education

Global Citizenship Education

Education for Sustainable Development

Current Doctoral Students:

Evan Kirwan; Tracy McElheron; Vivek Da Silva; Briana Fitzsimons; Gerard Elwood; Clare Hogan; Helen Concannon

Research Projects

Title	Role	Description	Start date	End date
Teaching PATHways Programme	Principal Investigator	The focus of this project is to design and produce a programme of learning for lower second level students. The programme contains individual strands, each containing bespoke curricula, materials, resources, activities and carefully selected case studies. The programme aims to provide students with access to experiential and decoded information about Initial Teacher Education, allowing them to explore ITE as a tangible career option. In 2023-24 the Teaching PATHways Programme was implemented in over 40 post primary schools around Ireland. https://www.dcu.ie/create/teaching-pathways	01/09/2020	31/12/2024
Intersex - New Interdisciplinary Approach (INIA)	Co-Investigator	Responsible for Project 5: The inculcation of awareness of intersex in education in Ireland and Sweden. https://research.hud.ac.uk/institutes-centres/ccid/projects/current_projects/intersex-inia/ The practical focus of this programme is on developing topical and original applied outputs of relevance to stakeholders concerned to support the well being and rights of intersex people. The project, thanks to the unique competencies of the consortium partners, is responsible for training a cohort of highly skilled researchers who will enable fast-track developments of intersex studies, policies and practices, working in a multidisciplinary and transectoral network bringing together 21 organisations from 10 countries.	01/09/2020	01/09/2024
Improving Equality of Access to Higher Education	Co-Investigator	Improving access to initial teacher education for students from socially and economically excluded rural and urban areas	01/09/2017	31/08/2020
Engagement with the Professional Master of Education: A Flexible Delivery Model	Co-PI	The purpose of this research is to explore how students and teacher educators working on the Professional Master of Education (PME) programme at DCU engage with a flexible model of Initial Teacher Education. It explores students’ relevant prior learning experiences, as well as their experiences of and attitudes towards teacher education at various points during the programme. It seeks to understand the practical challenges faced by students and teacher educators following the consecutive model of Initial ITE. The research is particularly interested in the experiences and motivations of students who come to teaching from other careers and sectors.	01/09/2019	31/08/2023

Current Postgraduate Students

Student Name	Degree	Supervision
Kirwan ,Evan	PhD	Supervisor
Da Silva ,Caesar Vivek	PhD-track	Supervisor
Mcelheron ,Tracy	PhD-track	Supervisor

Teaching Interests

Sociology of Education

Schooling and Society

Global Citizenship Education

Education for Sustainable Development

Teacher Identity

Research Design

Modules Coordinated

Term	Title	Subject
2024	Schooling and Society	ES544
2024	Access, Disadvantage, Equality in Education	ES477
2024	Teaching and Learning in Citizenship Education	HD596/A