Maura Coulter
Dr
Dr Maura Coulter is the former Associate Dean for Research at DCU Institute of Education (2019-Dec 2025) and Associate Professor in primary physical education in the School of Arts Education and Movement. Dr Coulter is the staff representative on the DCU Executive Committee (2023-2025). She is Chair of the DCU Open Research Steering Group. Dr Coulter represents DCU on the CoARA (Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment) National Chapter and the ECIU VP Research CoARA Working Group.
She completed her PhD in Professional Development in Physical Education at Dublin City University in 2012. She is a graduate of Ulster University, where she completed her undergraduate degree, BA (Hons) Sport and Leisure Studies, and postgraduate degrees, PGCE - Physical Education, and MSc - Sport Science and Health. Before the formation of the DCU Institute of Education, she was a member of the Education Department at St Patrick’s College (2000-2016). Before relocating to Dublin, Maura was a secondary school teacher and taught GCSE and A-Level physical education and GCSE religious education in Northern Ireland.
Her scholarly interests include teacher professional development, leadership and identity, outdoor risky play, outdoor education, critical pedagogies, including voice pedagogies and social justice pedagogies. She is currently engaged in international collaborative projects with a particular focus on international professional learning communities, leadership and teacher-educator identity, social justice pedagogies, and pedagogies of vulnerability. Dr Coulter is the invited chair of the inaugural Association Internationale des Écoles Supérieures d'Éducation Physique (AIESEP) Primary Physical Education SIG, a global professional organisation that promotes research, high-quality teaching, and knowledge sharing in physical education, sport pedagogy, and physical activity.
Dr Coulter is a member of the steering group of the DCU REACH (Research and Engagement Across Community Health) Centre, a joint partnership between the Health Service Executive (HSE) Community Healthcare Organisation for Dublin North City and County (DNCC CHO 9) and Dublin City University (Faculty of Science and Health and the Institute of Education) that aims to provide research support for the implementation of the national policy (Sláintecare) to reduce health inequalities.
She is Co-editor of the Irish Education Studies journal (2023-2027) and an invited editorial board member of Teacher and Teacher Education (TATE) and the European Physical Education Review. She has received two All-Island SCOTENS John Coolahan Awards (2017/2023) for outstanding research in Teacher Education and has received the DCU President's Gold Medal for Engagement (2021).
Peer Reviewed Journal
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | (2026) '‘So I have autism … ’: Exploring the experiences of autistic children who were availing of autism special class provision in mainstream Irish primary schools'. European Journal of Special Needs Education, . [DOI] | |
| 2025 | Scanlon, D.; Coulter, M.; Baker, K.; Iannucci, C.; Calderón, A.; Luguetti, C.N.; Crane, J.R.; Sweeney, T.; OLoughlin, N.M. (2025) 'Developing guiding principles for the Socially-Just Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility (SJ-TPSR) approach: lessons learned from a collaborative self-study'. Curriculum Studies in Health and Physical Education, . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2025 | Cardiff, G.; Ní Chróinín, D.; Sweeney, T.; Coulter, M. (2025) 'Growing voice: Insights from children's experiences of student voice practices in primary PE'. European Physical Education Review, . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2025 | Patton, K.; Coulter, M.; North, C. (2025) 'Changing Roles, Changing Clothes: Navigating the Thresholds and Crossing Boundaries into Academic Leadership'. Studying Teacher Education, . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2025 | Ní Chróinín, D.; Parker, M.; Coulter, M.; Sweeney, T. (2025) 'Teachers learning to use student voice in primary physical education – ready, steady, go!'. European Physical Education Review, 31 . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2025 | Kelly, O.; Whelan, J.; Coulter, M. (2025) 'A pedagogy of outdoor learning in the primary school–Insights from outdoor educators in Ireland'. Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2025 | Scanlon, D., Coulter, M., Baker, K., Iannucci, C., Luguetti C., Calderon, A., Sweeney, T. and Crane, J. (2025) 'Developing guiding principles for the Socially-Just Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility (SJ-TPSR) approach: Lessons learned from a collaborative self-study'. Curriculum Studies in Health and Physical Education, . | |
| 2025 | Cardiff, G., Ní Chróinín, D., Sweeney, T. and Coulter, M. (2025) 'Advocacy for Student Voice in Primary PE: Lessons from Lived Experiences'. European Physical Education Review, . | |
| 2025 | Aylward, T., Coulter, M. and Farrelly, T. (2025) 'Adventure and power: A Self-Study of Practice (S-SP) teaching Adapted Physical Activity in the outdoors'. European Journal of Adapted Physical Activity, . | |
| 2025 | Patton, P., Coulter, M. and North, C. (2025) 'Changing roles, changing clothes: Navigating the thresholds and crossing boundaries into academic leadership'. Studying Teacher Education, . | |
| 2025 | Baker, K., Iannucci, C., Scanlon, D. and Coulter, M. (2025) 'Teacher Educators’ conceptualisation of vulnerability, being vulnerable, and associated risk in teacher education'. Teaching and Teacher Education, . | |
| 2025 | Aylward, T.; Coulter, M.; Farrelly, T. (2025) 'Outdoor learning on the edge of Europe: a systematic review of practice from Ireland'. Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2024 | Orla Kelly; Joan Whelan; maura coulter (2024) 'A pedagogy of outdoor learning in the primary school – Insights from outdoor educators in Ireland'. Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, . | |
| 2024 | Bryan, Audrey; Byrne, Delma; Coulter, Maura; Delahunty, Thomas; Keane, Elaine; Kitching, Karl; Ní Chróinín, Deirdre. (2024) '‘Bearing witness to negativity’: towards just futures of education. Irish Educational Studies, 43(3), 345–354. https://doi.org/10.1080/03323315.2024.2384675'. Irish Educational Studies, (43). [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2024 | Rafferty, R.; Coulter, M. (2024) 'An exploration of children’s learner identities while experiencing outdoor learning in the Irish primary school context'. Education 3 13, . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2024 | Scanlon, D.; Coulter, M.; Baker, K.; Tannehill, D. (2024) 'The enactment of the Socially-Just Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility (SJ-TPSR) approach in physical education teacher education: Teacher educators’ and pre-service teachers’ perspectives'. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2023 | Coulter, M.; Britton, Ú.; MacNamara, Á.; Manninen, M.; McGrane, B.; Belton, S. (2023) 'PE at Home: keeping the ‘E’ in PE while home-schooling during a pandemic'. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, 28 . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2023 | Kristy Howells., Alethea Jerebine., Wouter Cools., Eva D’Hondt., Kristine De Martelaer., Eline Coppens., Helena Sienaert., Nathan Hall., Jinxia Dong., Anne Soini., Christina O’Keeffe., Maura Coulter., Sinéad McNally., Patricia McCaffrey., Patrizia Tortella., Aldo M. Costa., Andrea Hernández-Martinez., Ann-Christin Sollerhed., Mark Urtel., Debra Vinci., Christopher Wirth., Carla Vidoni., and Arja Sääkslahti. (2023) 'Physical play - How do we inspire and motivate young children to be physically active through play? An International Analysis of Twelve Countries’ National Early Years Curriculum Policies and Practices for Physical Activity and Physical Play'. Journal of Early Childhood Education Research, 12 (1):253-276. [Link] | |
| 2023 | Scanlon, D., Coulter, M., Baker, K., Tannehill, D. (2023) 'Teacher Educators’ Explorations of Pedagogies that Promote Meaningful Experiences in Physical Education'. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, . | |
| 2023 | Baker, K.; Scanlon, D.; Tannehill, D.; Coulter, M. (2023) 'Teaching Social Justice Through TPSR: Where Do I Start?'. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, 94 . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2023 | Bowles, R.; Sweeney, T.; Coulter, M. (2023) 'Using Collaborative self-study to support professional learning in initial teacher education: developing pedagogy through Meaningful Physical Education'. European Journal of Teacher Education, . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2023 | Ní Chróinín, D.; Fletcher, T.; Beni, S.; Griffin, C.; Coulter, M. (2023) 'Children’s experiences of pedagogies that prioritise meaningfulness in primary physical education in Ireland'. Education 3 13, 51 . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2022 | Murphy, J., Coulter, M., Sweeney, M. R., & McGrane, B. (2022) '“You Get to…” a Qualitative Study of Perceived Influence of Physical Activity and Sport on Mental Wellbeing among Adolescent Girls'. Advances in Physical Education, 12 (2):87-105. [DOI] | |
| 2022 | North, C.; Patton, K.; Coulter, M. (2022) 'Negotiating tensions in identity: from physical education teacher educator to academic leader'. SPORT EDUCATION AND SOCIETY, 27 . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2021 | North, C., Patton, K., & Coulter, M., (2021) 'Negotiating tensions in identity: From physical education teacher educator to academic leader'. Sport, Education and Society, DOI: 10.1080/13573322.2021.1907326 . | |
| 2021 | Marron, S.; Coulter, M. (2021) 'Initial teacher educators’ integrating iPads into their physical education teaching'. Irish Educational Studies, 40 . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2021 | Faulkner, J.; O'Brien, W.J.; McGrane, B.; Wadsworth, D.; Batten, J.; Askew, C.D.; Badenhorst, C.; Byrd, E.; Coulter, M.; Draper, N.; Elliot, C.; Fryer, S.; Hamlin, M.J.; Jakeman, J.; Mackintosh, K.A.; McNarry, M.A.; Mitchelmore, A.; Murphy, J.; Ryan-Stewart, H.; Saynor, Z.; Schaumberg, M.; Stone, K.; Stoner, L.; Stuart, B.; Lambrick, D. (2021) 'Physical activity, mental health and well-being of adults during initial COVID-19 containment strategies: A multi-country cross-sectional analysis'. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 24 . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2021 | Murphy, F.; Marron, S.; Coulter, M. (2021) 'Primary field experiences: Critical for primary generalist physical education teachers?'. European Physical Education Review, 27 . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2020 | Coulter, M.; Kealey, F.; Langan, S.L.; McGarvey, J.; Padden, S. (2020) 'Seeing is believing: Primary generalist pre-service teachers’ observations of physical education lessons in Ireland and Switzerland'. European Physical Education Review, 26 . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2020 | Coulter, M.; Scanlon, D.; MacPhail, A.; O’Brien, W.; Belton, S.; Woods, C. (2020) 'The (mis)alignment between young people’s collective physical activity experience and physical education curriculum development in Ireland'. Curriculum Studies in Health and Physical Education, 11 . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2020 | Parker, M.; Ní Chróinín, D.; Coulter, M.; McFlynn, P.; Walsh, C. (2020) '‘Finding the image’: using photos to give voice to teacher educator professional learning'. Curriculum Studies in Health and Physical Education, 11 . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2020 | Chróinín, D.N.; Coulter, M.; Parker, M. (2020) '“We took pictures”: Children’s meaning-making in physical education'. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 39 . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2020 | Coulter, M.; McGrane, B.; Woods, C. (2020) '‘PE should be an integral part of each school day’: parents’ and their children’s attitudes towards primary physical education'. Education 3 13, 48 . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2019 | Marron, S., & Coulter, M. (2019) 'Initial Teacher Educators’ Integrating iPads into their Physical Education Teaching'. Irish Educational Studies, . | |
| 2013 | Coulter, M.; Ní Chróinín, D. (2013) 'What is PE?'. SPORT EDUCATION AND SOCIETY, 18 . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2012 | Coulter, M.; Woods, C.B. (2012) 'Primary teachers' experience of a physical education professional development programme'. Irish Educational Studies, 31 . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2012 | Ní Chróinín, D.; Coulter, M. (2012) 'The impact of initial teacher education on understandings of physical education: Asking the right question'. European Physical Education Review, 18 . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2011 | Coulter, Maura; Woods, Catherine B. (2011) 'An Exploration of Children's Perceptions and Enjoyment of School-Based Physical Activity and Physical Education'. Journal of physical activity & health, 8 (5). |
Book Chapter
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Coulter, M., Baker, K. and Scanlon, D. (2026) 'Using the Socially Just - Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility approach in Outdoor and Adventure Activities in Primary/Elementary schools' In: Reimagining Outdoor Spaces: Promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. London : Routledge. | |
| 2025 | Baker, K., Coulter, M. and Scanlon, D. (2025) 'Empowering change: Teaching (and learning) for social justice in K-12 and higher education physical education through the socially-just Teaching Personal and Social Responsibility (SJ-TPSR) approach' In: Developing Inclusive Physical Education Programs in the 21st Century. London : Routledge. | |
| 2018 | Marron, S.; Coulter, M. (2018) 'Experiences of using iPads in physical education teacher education' In: Digital Technology in Physical Education Global Perspectives. [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2016 | Coulter, M.; Woods, C.B. (2016) 'Modeling: An effective method for enhancing the teaching of physical education by primary school generalist teachers' In: Global Practices and Training in Applied Sport Exercise and Performance Psychology A Case Study Approach. [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2023 | Patton, K., Coulter, M., & North, C. (2023) 'Navigating the Thresholds and Crossing Boundaries Into Academic Leadership' In: Pausing at the Threshold. USA : Equity Press. [Link] | |
| 2023 | Sweeney, T., Bowles, R., & Coulter, M. (2023) 'Looking Back to Move Forward: Identifying Value in Collaborative Self-Study' In: Pausing at the Threshold. USA : Equity Press. [Link] | |
| 2022 | Coulter, M. & Ní Chróinín, D. (2022) 'The possibilities and challenges in primary Physical Education' In: An Introduction to Primary Physical Education (2nd ed). London : Routledge. | |
| 2020 | North, C., Coulter, M., and Patton, K., (2020) 'Identity theft on the way to an administrative role' In: Textiles and Tapestries: Self-Study for Envisioning New Ways of Knowing. Herstmonceux, UK : S-STEP. | |
| 2021 | Coulter, M.; Bowles, R.; Sweeney, T. (2021) 'Learning to teach generalist primary teachers how to prioritize meaningful experiences in physical education' In: Meaningful Physical Education an Approach for Teaching and Learning. [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2020 | Sweeney, T., Bowles, R., & Coulter, M. (2020) 'Shared learning, different contexts: Understanding teaching for meaning in pre-service physical education teacher education' In: Textiles and Tapestries: Self-Study for Envisioning New Ways of Knowing. Herstmonceux, UK : S-STEP. | |
| 2019 | Coulter, M. (2019) 'Primary Physical Education Teacher Educators Professional Learning' In: Encyclopedia of Teacher Education. Singapore : Springer. [Link] https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-1179-6_338-1 | |
| 2019 | Coulter, M. & Duff, C. (2019) 'Physical Activity Recommendations for Early Childhood - Irish Perspective' In: Physical Education in Early Childhood Education and Care: Research–Best Practice-Situation. Slovakia : Fédération Internationale D’Éducation Physique. | |
| 2016 | Parker, M., Ní Chróinín, D., Coulter, M., Walsh, C., & McFlynn, P., (2016) 'Teacher educator professional learning shaping teacher educator practices' In: Enacting self-study as methodology for professional inquiry. New Zealand : Self-study of Teacher Educationn Practices Community. [Link] | |
| 2016 | Marron, S. & Coulter, M. (2016) 'Start with one module, one group, one ipad and one app' In: Physical Education and New Technologies. Zagreb : Croatian Kinesiology Association. | |
| 2015 | Stiel, J., Parker, M.,and Coulter, M., (2015) 'Standards-based Physical Education Curriculum Development' In: Outdoor Education. New York : Jones & Barlett Publishers. |
Other Journal
Conference Publication
Conference Contribution
Published Report
Commissioned Report
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Rami, J., Pennycook, C., Coulter, M., Tiernan, P. (2022) Volunteering during COVID-19 Lessons for the Future (Research Report). Ireland: COMMREP [Link] |
Other Publication
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Scanlon, D.; Baker, K.; Coulter, M. (2025) Reimagining teaching personal and social responsibility (TPSR) within health and physical education curriculum: exploring the transformative potential of the socially-just TPSR approach. [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2025 | Butler, Michelle; Timon, Claire; Warters, Austin; Marshall, Neil; Lambert, Veronica; O'Dea, Ellen; Downes, Paul; Coulter, Maura (2025) An investigation of research capacity, research support needs and research priorities amongst staff in Community Healthcare Organisation 9. [DOI] |
Professional Associations
Honors and Awards
Committees
Employment
Reviews
Other Activities
Enterprise Engagement
Research Interests
- Enacting the Socially Just-TPSR approach in physical education
- Exploring Pedagogies of Vulnerability
- Learning about Meaningful Experiences in Physical Education.
- Leadership and Teacher Educator Identity.
- Teachers' experiences having completed a major specialism in physical education.
- Physically Active Play Outdoors and Adventurous Play