Joe Usher
Dr.
Dr Joe Usher is an Assistant Professor in Primary Geography Education and Social, Environmental and Scientific Education. He works in the area of Initial Teacher Education (ITE) and Professional Learning. He has previously worked as a primary school teacher in Co. Meath, Co. Louth and Co. Dublin. Prior to working as a primary teacher, Joe worked as a transport planner in the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport as well as a planning officer for the National Heritage Council.
Dr Usher's research interests include; exploring children's rights and participation in local decision making through primary geography (doctoral thesis completed on this area), using digital resources in the teaching of primary geography (including GIS, Google Earth, LEGO Education and Minecraft Education), enquiry-based teaching and learning in primary geography, and the development of educational resources for primary geography education.
He completed his Doctorate at Queen's University, Belfast which involved the first ever nationwide review of the teaching of primary geography in Ireland. Here he also worked with urban planners and senior class primary teachers to develop a framework through which children could be consulted on local planning decisions through primary geography lessons on their local areas.
Dr Usher is a member of the Geography Association (GA), the Geography Society of Ireland (GSI), and the European Association of Geographers (EUROGEO). He is a member of the steering committee for the Centre for Human Rights and Citizenship Education at DCU.
Dr Usher welcomes contact from organisations and individuals interested in all areas outlined above and all areas related to geography education.
Dr Usher's research interests include; exploring children's rights and participation in local decision making through primary geography (doctoral thesis completed on this area), using digital resources in the teaching of primary geography (including GIS, Google Earth, LEGO Education and Minecraft Education), enquiry-based teaching and learning in primary geography, and the development of educational resources for primary geography education.
He completed his Doctorate at Queen's University, Belfast which involved the first ever nationwide review of the teaching of primary geography in Ireland. Here he also worked with urban planners and senior class primary teachers to develop a framework through which children could be consulted on local planning decisions through primary geography lessons on their local areas.
Dr Usher is a member of the Geography Association (GA), the Geography Society of Ireland (GSI), and the European Association of Geographers (EUROGEO). He is a member of the steering committee for the Centre for Human Rights and Citizenship Education at DCU.
Dr Usher welcomes contact from organisations and individuals interested in all areas outlined above and all areas related to geography education.
Book Chapter
Peer Reviewed Journal
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | (2023) 'Conceptual framework for the participation of children in local area planning decision-making processes through primary geography education'. Irish Educational Studies, . [Link] https://doi.org/10.1080/03323315.2023.2260998 | |
| 2023 | Joe Usher (2023) '‘I hate when we learn off the mountains and rivers because I don’t need to know where they all are on a blank map?!’ Irish Pupils’ Attitudes Towards, and Preferred Methods of Learning, Primary Geography Education'. Irish Educational Studies, . [Link] https://doi.org/10.1080/03323315.2023.2196257 | |
| 2023 | Usher, J. (2023) 'Africa in Irish Primary Geography Textbooks: developing and applying a Framework to investigate the potential of Irish Primary Geography textbooks in supporting Critical Multicultural Education'. Irish Educational Studies, 42 . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2022 | Usher, J. (2022) 'How is geography taught in Irish primary schools? A large scale nationwide study'. International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education, 31 . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2021 | Joe Usher (2021) 'Africa in Irish Primary Geography Textbooks: developing and applying a Framework to investigate the potential of Irish Primary Geography textbooks in supporting Critical Multicultural Education'. Irish Educational Studies, . | |
| 2021 | Joe Usher (2021) 'How is geography taught in Irish primary schools? A largescale nationwide study'. International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education, . http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10382046.2021.1978210 | |
| 2021 | Joe Usher (2021) 'Powerful primary geography: a toolkit for 21st century Learning'. Irish Educational Studies, . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2021 | Joe Usher and Anne Dolan (2021) 'Covid-19: teaching primary geography in an authentic context related to the lived experiences of learners'. Irish Educational Studies, . | |
| 2021 | Usher, J.; Dolan, A.M. (2021) 'Covid-19: teaching primary geography in an authentic context related to the lived experiences of learners'. Irish Educational Studies, 40 . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2020 | Usher, J. (2020) 'Is geography lost? Curriculum policy analysis: finding a place for geography within a changing primary school curriculum in the Republic of Ireland'. Irish Educational Studies, 39 . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2015 | Enda Murphy and Joe Usher (2015) 'The Role of Bicycle-sharing in the City : Analysis of the Irish Experience'. International Journal of Sustainable Transportation, 9 (2):116-125. [Link] | |
| 2015 | Joe Usher; Enda Murphy (2015) 'The Role of Bicycle-sharing in the City: Analysis of the Irish Experience'. International Journal of Sustainable Transportation, 9 (2):116-125. https://doi.org/10.1080/15568318.2012.748855 |
Other Journal
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Joe Usher; Denis Moynihan (2022) 'The future is mine: Geography Education and Minecraft Edcation' Primary Geography, 108 (2) :26-28. | |
| 2022 | Anne Dolan; Joe Usher (2022) 'The geography of COVID-19: a case study in geoliteracy' Teaching Geography, 47 (2) :50-52. | |
| 2022 | Joe Usher; Lesley Burnett (2022) 'Critical multicultural geography: moving beyond the ‘Four Fs’ of fairs, festivals, food and folktales' Primary Geography, 107 (1) :18-20. | |
| 2022 | Joe Usher; Anne Dolan (2022) 'Linking localities Teaching and learning about contrasting parts of Ireland' In Touch, 207 (1) :38-39. [Link] | |
| 2021 | Anne Dolan and Joe Usher (2021) 'Where in the world is Covid-19?' 104 (1) :10-13. [Link] | |
| 2021 | Anne Dolan and Joe Usher (2021) 'The geography of Covid 19: a case study in geo-literacy' . | |
| 2021 | Joe Usher (2021) 'Counties: Developing Sense of Space and Sense of Place with Google Earth' 105 (3) :43-44. [Link] | |
| 2020 | Anne Dolan and Joe Usher (2020) 'The Geography of Covid19' (3) :52-53. [Link] | |
| 2019 | Joe Usher (2019) 'Brexit and borders: topical geography' 44 (3) :111-114. [Link] |
Conference Contribution
Book
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Deirdre Butler; Nicola Broderick; Joe Usher; Denis Moynihan (2022) First LEGO League Explore Cargo Connect Teacher Guide for Ireland. Stevenage: The Institution of Engineering and Technology. [Link] | |
| 2022 | Deirdre Butler; Denis Moynihan; Joe Usher; Nicola Broderick (2022) SUPERPOWERED: FIRST LEGO League Explore Teacher Guide for Ireland. Stevenage: The Institution of Engineering and Technology. | |
| 2022 | Deirdre Butler; Nicola Broderick; Joe Usher (2022) SUPERPOWERED: FIRST LEGO League Explore Teacher Guide for Ireland. UK: Stevenage: The Institution of Engineering and Technology. | |
| 2022 | Deirdre Butler; Nicola Broderick; Joe Usher (2022) First LEGO League Explore Cargo Connect Teacher Guide for Ireland. UK: Stevenage: The Institution of Engineering and Technology. |
Certain data included herein are derived from the © Web of Science (2023) of Clarivate. All rights reserved.
Research Interests
Dr Usher's research interests include; exploring children's rights and participation in local decision making through primary geography (doctoral thesis completed on this area), using digital resources in the teaching of primary geography (including GIS, Google Earth, LEGO Education and Minecraft), enquiry-based teaching and learning in primary geography, and the development of educational resources for primary geography education.
He his Doctorate at Queen's University, Belfast which involved the first ever nationwide review of the teaching of primary geography in Ireland. Here he also working with urban planners and senior class primary teachers to develop a framework through which children could be consulted on local planning decisions through primary geography lessons on their local areas. Dr Usher's research interests include; exploring children's rights and participation in local decision making through primary geography, using digital resources in the teaching of primary geography, enquiry-based teaching and learning in primary geography, and the development of educational resources for primary geography education.
Teaching Interests
Joe teaches on a wide range of courses at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
Professional Master of Education (Primary) (Level 9)
PMEP1: ED8089 Science, History and Geography Education
PMEP1: ED9057 Primary Geography Elective
PMEP1: ED9047 School Placement and Reflection
PMEP1: School Placement Supervision
PMEP2: School Placement Supervision
PMEP2: ED8057 Research Project
Professional Master of Education (Primary) (Level 9)
PMEP1: ED8089 Science, History and Geography Education
PMEP1: ED9057 Primary Geography Elective
PMEP1: ED9047 School Placement and Reflection
PMEP1: School Placement Supervision
PMEP2: School Placement Supervision
PMEP2: ED8057 Research Project
Bachelor of Education (Level 8)
BEd1: ED1023 SESE and Teacher as a Person: Primary Geography Education
BEd1: ED1018 Teacher as Reflective Practitioner
B.Ed2: ED2026 SPHE, Ethics, Geography and History Education
B.Ed2: SG214 Geographical, Environmental and Outdoor Education: Spaces
B.Ed3: ED3053 Global Citizenship and Local Studies
B.Ed3: SG304 Geographical, Environmental and Outdoor Education: Agency and Action
B.Ed2: ED2026 SPHE, Ethics, Geography and History Education
B.Ed2: SG214 Geographical, Environmental and Outdoor Education: Spaces
B.Ed3: ED3053 Global Citizenship and Local Studies
B.Ed3: SG304 Geographical, Environmental and Outdoor Education: Agency and Action
B.Ed4: SG404 Subject Leadership within Geography Education
B.Ed4: ED4015 Research Project
BEd1, 2, 3 and 4 - School Placement Supervision