Jones Irwin

Dr.

Contact Details


Spc M 104

School of Human Development
T:Ext. 9227

E:Jones.Irwin@dcu.ie
Profile Photo

I am Associate Professor in Philosophy and Education at the IOE and Chair of the Postgraduate Diploma in Education. My original undergraduate/postgraduate work in Philosophy and Politics was at University College, Dublin and my PhD at University of Warwick, England. More recently, I have held a Visiting Professorship at the Faculty of Education, University of Catania, Italy, 2022-23, and 2023/24 am Visiting Fellow in Philosophy and Religious Studies, University of Hertfordshire, England. I am also Subject Leader at DCU for Philosophy on the Open Education programme. From 2015-2019, I was seconded as Project Officer on the first state curriculum in values and multi-belief education for primary schools in Ireland (there are currently 29 such Community National Schools). In 2023/24, this will connect with the CHANGEMAKER programme at DCU and its network of schools (with a particular connection to the multi-denominational and pluralist sector of schools). I have co-supervised with colleagues at the Institute ten doctoral students to graduation in recent years in areas of education, philosophy and pluralism, and currently have five doctoral students working in related areas. New teaching work for 2023/24 is as module co-ordinator of both the Disciplines Specialism in 4TH BEd and Transformative Leadership Across Diverse Contexts module as part of the new PG Certificate in RSE/SPHE. I am also taking up a new role in the Centre for Educational Disadvantage as Thematic Co-Ordinator for Critical Theory and Community Development.

Book Chapter

Year Publication
2021 Jones Irwin (2021) '‘Authority and Freedom in Freire: Freire’s Significance as an Educational and Political Philosopher’' In: Irwin, J. and Todaro, L. (2021) [Eds.] Paulo Freire’s Philosophy of Education in Contemporary Context – From Italy to the World. Geneva/Oxford : Peter Lang.
2021 Jones Irwin (2021) ''Derrida and Educational Research - An Introduction''' In: Social Theory and Education Research. Understanding Foucault, Habermas, Bourdieu and Derrida. 2nd Edition (Original 2013). London, UK : Routledge/Taylor Francis.
2020 Jones Irwin (2020) 'Dewey And Postmodernism - A Progressivist Critique of Standardisation in Education' In: The Contemporary Relevance of John Dewey’s Theories on Teaching and Learning: Deweyan Perspectives on Standardization, Accountability, and Assessment in Education. London, UK : Routledge/Taylor Francis.
2020 Jones Irwin and Stephen Cowden (2020) ''Preface - A Critique of False and Destructive Altruism In the Educational and Political Spheres'' In: 'Giving with an agenda: New Philanthropy’s Labour in “Glocal” Education Networks of Governance' by Marina Avelar. Oxford, UK. Geneva, Switzerland : PETER LANG.
2020 Jones Irwin (2020) ''Radicalising Philosophy of Education - The Case of Jean-Francois Lyotard'' In: Philosophical Models of Education. London, UK : Routledge/Taylor Francis.
2020 Jones Irwin (2020) '‘Ethos and Eros: Lacan Wandering Amongst the Presocratic Philosophy’' In: Studying Lacan’s Seminar VII. Routledge, 2020. In Preparation. London and New York : Routledge.
2019 Jones Irwin (2019) '‘Post-Truth in the Age of Trump - Ideology From Right to Left After Fascism and Althusser’' In: On the Question of Truth in the Era of Trump. Koninklijke Brill NV, PA Leiden, The Netherlands : Brill, Leiden.
2018 Jones Irwin (2018) '‘Et Après?’ - The 1970s Philosophical Fallout from May ’68 and Its Contemporary Significance’' In: Globalizing the student rebellion in the long ’68. Salamanca: FahrenHouse : FahrenHouse. [Link]
2018 Jones Irwin (2018) 'Alternative Genealogies of Resistance - Lyotard, Rancière and ‘68 Before and After' In: The Practice of Equality: Jacques Rancière and Critical Pedagogy. Geneva, Switzerland and Oxford,UK : Peter Lang.
2017 Jones Irwin (2017) ''Theatre of Breath – An Artaud-Derrida Existential Conflict'' In: Atmospheres of Breathing: Respiratory Questions in Philosophy. New York, USA : State University of New York Press, SUNY, USA.
2016 Jones Irwin (2016) ''Existential Thought Between Ethics and Religion As Related to Curriculum – From Kierkegaard to Sartre’' In: Does Religious Education Matter?. London : Routledge. [Link]
2015 Jones Irwin (2015) 'The Philosophy of Paulo Freire' In: Readings for Reflective Teaching in Early Education. Bloomsbury, London, 2015. London : Bloomsbury, London.
2015 Jones Irwin (2015) '' Reading the World” – Freire, Lyotard and A Critique of Literacy Education under the Postmodern Condition’' In: Improving Literacy Skills Across Learning. CIDREE YearBook 2015. Hungary : HIERD. Budapest, Hungary.
2023 Jones Irwin (2023) 'Jones Irwin (2023 forthcoming) ‘An Incredulity to Meta-Narratives: Postmodern Philosophical Perspectives’ in Arts Education in Ireland: From Pedagogy to Practice' In: Arts Education in Ireland: From Pedagogy to Practice. London, UK : Intellect Books.
2023 Jones Irwin (2023) 'Jones Irwin (2023) ‘Whither the Situationist University After Late Capitalism?’ in On Liberal Education and the Autopoiesis of Universities' In: On Liberal Education and the Autopoiesis of Universities. Czech Republic : Karolinum Books.
2023 Jones Irwin (2023) 'Jones Irwin (2023) ‘Ethics Contra Morality In Lacan’s Seminar VII (And Implications For Contemporary Education)’ in Carol Owens (ed.) Studying Lacan’s Seminar VII: the ethics of psychoanalysis' In: Carol Owens (ed.) Studying Lacan’s Seminar VII: the ethics of psychoanalysis. London, UK : Taylor and Francis.
2023 Jones Irwin; Stephan Cowden (2023) 'Jones Irwin (with Stephen Cowden) (2023 forthcoming) ‘Levinas, Teaching and Education From a Critical Pedagogical Perspective’. Series Editors’ Preface in Susan Bailey The Levinasian Teacher (Peter Lang, Geneva/Oxford, 2023)' In: Susan Bailey The Levinasian Teacher. Geneva/Oxford : Peter Lang, Geneva/Oxford.
2023 Jones Irwin (2023) 'Irwin, Jones (2023) ‘More Lateral Than Didactic – Unobvious Controversials in the Poetics for Children of George Saunders and Matthew Sweeney Explored Through a Freirean Lens’. March 2023 in Transformation and Continuity: Political and Cultural Changes in Children’s Literature from the Past Century to the Present Day' In: Transformation and Continuity: Political and Cultural Changes in Children’s Literature from the Past. Berlin : Child and the Book Berlin Conference Proceedings.
2022 Jones Irwin (2022) 'Jones Irwin (2022). ‘Understanding Freire in a Postmodern Context’ in Paulo Freire’s Philosophy of Education in a Contemporary Context: From Italy to the World' In: Paulo Freire’s Philosophy of Education in a Contemporary Context: From Italy to the World. Berlin/Geneva : Berlin/Geneva: Peter Lang.
2022 Jones Irwin; Letterio Todaro; Roberto Mazzini (2022) 'Jones Irwin, Letterio Todaro and Roberto Mazzini (2022). ‘Theatre of the Oppressed in Italy After Freire and Boal – An Interview with Roberto Mazzini in Paulo Freire’s Philosophy of Education in a Contemporary Context: From Italy to the World' In: Paulo Freire’s Philosophy of Education in a Contemporary Context: From Italy to the World. Berlin/Geneva : Berlin/Geneva: Peter Lang.
2022 Jones Irwin (2022) 'Jones Irwin (2022). ‘Exploring Specific Tensions in Freire’s Educational and Political Philosophy’ in Paulo Freire’s Philosophy of Education in a Contemporary Context: From Italy to the World' In: Paulo Freire’s Philosophy of Education in a Contemporary Context: From Italy to the World. Berlin/Geneva : Berlin/Geneva: Peter Lang.
2022 Jones Irwin; Letterio Todaro; Ilaria Olimpico (2022) 'Jones Irwin, Letterio Todaro and Ilaria Olimpico (2022). ‘‘Plurality, Listening and Awareness’ - An Interview with Ilaria Olimpico’ in Paulo Freire’s Philosophy of Education in a Contemporary Context: From Italy to the World' In: Paulo Freire’s Philosophy of Education in a Contemporary Context: From Italy to the World. Berlin/Geneva : Berlin/Geneva: Peter Lang.
2022 Jones Irwin; Letterio Todaro; Paolo Vittorio (2022) 'Jones Irwin, Letterio Todaro and Paolo Vittorio (2022). ‘Freire in Italy Again Today: An Interview with Paolo Vittorio’ in Paulo Freire’s Philosophy of Education in a Contemporary Context: From Italy to the World' In: Paulo Freire’s Philosophy of Education in a Contemporary Context: From Italy to the World. Berlin/Geneva : Berlin/Geneva: Peter Lang.
2022 Irwin, Jones and Todaro, Letterio (2022) 'Jones Irwin and Letterio Todaro (2022). ‘Introduction’ in Paulo Freire’s Philosophy of Education in a Contemporary Context: From Italy to the World. Jones Irwin and Letterio Todaro (Eds.). Berlin/Geneva: Peter Lang. January 2022' In: Paulo Freire’s Philosophy of Education in a Contemporary Context: From Italy to the World. Geneva Oxford : Peter Lang. [DOI]
2017 Jones Irwin (2017) '‘Radicalising Philosophy of Education – The Case of Jean-Francois Lyotard’' In: Education, Paedia and Bildung. Croatia : University of Zagreb.

Conference Publication

Year Publication
2020 Nelson, James and Irwin, Jones (2020) International Seminar on Religious Education and Values 'Transition Processes in Reluctant States'
2019 Jones Irwin (2019) NCAD 2019 CHANGELAB . In: Fiona King and Tony Murphy eds. Is There Any Free Space Left in the Society of the Spectacle?
2019 Jones Irwin (2019) Transfer, Transnationalization and Transformation of Education Policies (1945-2018). International Conference on Politics and History of Education. Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain . In: Mariano González-Delgado eds. 'In Defence Of Process Curriculum – Connecting the Irish Experience to International Contexts'
2019 Jones Irwin (2019) Critical Education Proceedings, Naples, Italy . In: Paolo Vittoria eds. Freire and Situationism – Whither the Pedagogy of the Oppressed in the Era of the Contemporary Spectacle? www.educazioneaperta.it, [Link]
2018 Jones Irwin (2018) NCAD CHANGELAB 2018 . In: Fiona King and Tony Murphy eds. Education is Never Neutral!

Edited Book

Year Publication
2021 Irwin, J. and Todaro, L (Ed.). (2021) Paulo Freire's Pedagogy in Italy: Crises, Dilemmas and Responses. https://www.peterlang.com/: Peter Lang,
2021 Jones Irwin and Barbora Badurova (Ed.). (2021) Ethical Education Across European Systems: Concepts, Practices, Dilemmas. Berlin/Geneva: Peter Lang,
2004 Jones Irwin (Ed.). (2004) War and Virtual War: The Challenges to Communities. Amsterdam: Rodopi,

Peer Reviewed Journal

Year Publication
2021 Jones Irwin, Petar Jandric et al (2021) ''A Pedagogy of Empowerment and Hope': Teaching Under Conditions of Covid 19. One Year Later'. Postdigital Science and Education, .
2020 Jones Irwin, Petar Jandric, Sarah Hayes et al (2020) ''No Return to Normal: Teaching Under Conditions of Covid 19''. Postdigital Science and Education, .
2020 Jones Irwin, Petar Jandric, Sarah Hayes et al (2020) ''Can Philosophy of Education (and The University) Change for the Better By Listening to Greta and Youth Voice?' in 'Who remembers Greta Thunberg? Education and Environment after the Coronavirus''. Educational Philosophy and Theory, .
2020 Jones Irwin (2020) ''Applying Radical Constructivism and Heuristics to Contemporary Philosophy of Education'. Open Peer Commentary on the article “Constructivism, Fast Thinking, Heuristics and Sustainable Development” by Dr Hugh Gash'. Constructivist Foundations, Volume 16 (Number 1). [Link]
2017 Jones Irwin (2017) 'Radicalising Philosophy of Education – The Case of Jean-Francois Lyotard'. Educational Philosophy and Theory, .
2022 Jones Irwin (2022) 'Irwin, Jones (2022) A Shared Vision of Radical Education. Going Beyond Specific Differences in the Relation between Paulo Freire and Ivan Illich. Espacio, Tiempo y Educación, 9(1), pp. 58-68'. ESPACIO TIEMPO Y EDUCACION, 9 :58-68. http://dx.doi.org/10.14516/ete.507

Blog

Year Publication
2017 Jones Irwin (2017) Situationism Now – Understanding Guy Debord in a Contemporary Political Context. http://politicalscience.ie/?p=1065: BLOG

Book Review

Year Publication
2019 Jones Irwin (2019) Review of Mike Cole Book. 'Theresa May, The Hostile Environment and Public Pedagogies of Hate and Threat'. British Journal of Educational Studies (BJES): BREV
2021 Jones Irwin (2021) ‘Errantry, Radical Experience and Education - Why Freire Still Matters Today’. Review of Walter Kohan Paulo Freire. A Philosophical Biography. 2021. Bloomsbury, London. in Educational Review, November 2021, Birmingham, UK. BREV [DOI]

Documentation

Year Publication
2018 NCCA (2018) Goodness Me, Goodness You! Values and Multi-Belief Primary School Curriculum Junior Infants to 6th Class (Community National Schools). DOCS

Gov. Report or Document

Year Publication
2016 NCCA (2016) Goodness Me, Goodness You! Senior Curriculum. Dublin: GOV
2016 NCCA (2016) Goodness Me, Goodness You! Senior Curriculum Introduction and Overview. GOV

Other Journal

Year Publication
2020 Jones Irwin (2020) '‘No Futures are Inevitable’ - A Clockwork Orange As A Philosophical-Literary Platonic Fable' Volume 3, April 2020 .
2020 Jones Irwin (2020) 'The Posters of May '68 and Their Significance for a Critique of Contemporary Capitalism' . [Link]
2019 Jones Irwin (2019) '‘Et Après?’ - The 1970s Philosophical Fallout from May ’68 and Its Contemporary Significance’' . [Link]
2019 Jones Irwin (2019) '‘Mysticism and Constructivism with reference to Deconstruction and Contemporary Education’ (Open Peer Commentary on Hugh Gash’s article ‘Constructivism and Mystical Experience’)' . [Link]
2017 Jones Irwin (2017) 'Authority Through Freedom – On Freire’s Radicalisation of the Authority-Freedom Problem in Education' .
2016 Jones Irwin (2016) '‘A Complex Pluralism – Rights and Dilemmas in the Community National School Context’' . [Link]
2016 Jones Irwin (2016) 'Aesthetic-Ethical-Religious – Goodness Me! Goodness You! Curriculum With A Nod To Where The Wild Things Are’' . [Link]
2016 Jones Irwin (2016) 'Beyond Naïve Leftist Philosophy in Education – On Žižek’s Lacanian Politics and Pedagogy' . [Link]

Book

Year Publication
2016 Jones Irwin (2016) Derrida and the Writing of the Body (first edition; paperback). London, UK: Routledge/Taylor Francis.
2014 Jones Irwin and Helena Motoh (2014) Žižek and His Contemporaries – On the Emergence of the Slovenian Lacan. London/New York: Bloomsbury. [Link]
2012 Jones Irwin (2012) Paulo Freire's Philosophy of Education - Origins, Developments, Impacts and Legacies. London/New York: Bloomsbury. [Link]
2010 Jones Irwin (2010) Derrida and the Writing of the Body. Surrey, UK: Ashgate (now Taylor and Francis). [Link]

Published Report

Year Publication
2020 Hunter, Aideen and Irwin, Jones (2020) 'Knowing Your Neighbour: Educating in Multi-belief contexts in Northern and Southern Ireland'. SCOTENS, .
2014 Jones Irwin/Maureen Bassett (2014) Final Report: Towards an Ethical Education Curriculum Framework for Second-level Schools. Educate Together, Hogan Place, Dublin, .
2018 Jones Irwin (2018) Towards a Values Led Redevelopment of the Primary Curriculum. NCCA, . [Link]
2017 Jones Irwin and James Nelson (2017) Sharing Beliefs; Sharing Education: policy and curricular responses to plurality of beliefs in Ireland, North and South. SCOTENS, .
2017 Jones Irwin (2017) EXPLORING AND ARTICULATING THE CHARACTERISTIC VALUES AND ETHOS OF THE ETB SCHOOL. ETBI, .

Book Review

Year Publication
2023 Jones Irwin (2023) Irwin, Jones (2023) Review of Mark Siderits Buddhism as Philosophy, 2nd edition Indianapolis: Hackett, 2021. In Teaching Philosophy 46:3, September 2023.
2022 Jones Irwin (2022) Irwin, Jones (2022) ‘Book Review Essay: Paulo Freire’s Philosophy of Education in Contemporary Context: From Italy to the World’ in The Adult Learner 2022. The Irish Journal of Adult and Community Education. Aontas. Ranelagh, Dublin, 2022. Aontas, Ranelagh, Dublin:
Certain data included herein are derived from the © Web of Science (2023) of Clarivate. All rights reserved.

Enterprise Engagement

Year Engagement Type Client Description
2023 Invited talk/presentation University of Catania Irwin, Jones (2023) Invited Lecture University of Catania, 'Freire and Contemporary Radical Education', January 2023.
2022 Invited talk/presentation University of Catania University of Catania lecture 1 May 2022, Catania, Sicily, Italy. Teacher as an Ethical Leader (with a Froebelian vision)
2022 Invited talk/presentation University of Catania University of Catania lecture 2 May 2022, Catania, Sicily, Italy. Curriculum, Art and Value. Reflections on an Irish Curriculum (with reference to theory including Froebel and Art Education)
2021 Invited talk/presentation University of Berlin, University of Berlin, March 2021. The Child and the Book conference (online). ‘More Lateral Than Didactic. Some Unobvious Critique in the Children’s Literature of Saunders and Sweeney (Through FROEBEL AND FREIRE)’. Teaching
2021 Invited talk/presentation ISREV Gothenberg July 2021 ISREV Gothenberg, Sweden. Nelson, James and Irwin, Jones International Seminar on Religious Education and Values 'Transition Processes in Reluctant States'
2023 Invited talk/presentation Developing a Philosophy Curriculum for Vocational Schools in Italy Irwin, Jones (2023) Developing a Philosophy Curriculum for Vocational Schools in Italy. Giarre, Sicily. January 2023.
2021 Invited talk/presentation Existential Education. May 2021 Invited Keynote. Existential Education. Malaysia. (ONLINE)
2022 Invited talk/presentation Critical Education conference. Thessaloniki, Greece, July 2022. Critical Education conference. ‘Radical Education and Critique From Froebel to Freire and Illich and Their Contemporary Resonance’.

Research Interests

Philosophy of Education
Values Education inc. Comparative Beliefs and Religious Education
Curriculum - Theory and Practice
Multi-Denominational and Pluralist Schools and Ethoi
State Role in School Values (national/international)
Theory in Early Years Education (Steiner/Froebel)
19th and 20th Century European Philosophy
1960s and Post-'68 French Theory and Influence on Leftist Politics
Existential Thought
Participatory Action Research
Ethics
Aesthetics/Poetics/Fiction (Literature and Philosophy)
Emergent Approaches to Introducing Philosophy

Research Projects

Title Role Description Start date End date
SBSE - Sharing Beliefs; Sharing Education: policy and curricular responses to plurality of beliefs in Ireland, North and South.’ Co-Principal Investigator (with Dr James Nelson Queens, Belfast 01/12/2016 30/09/2017
Childhood, Curriculum and Values - A Comparison Between Specific School Ethoi in Ireland and England DCU PI 31/01/2020 31/08/2020

Current Postgraduate Students

Student Name Degree Supervision
IRELAND ,ANN-MARIE PhD Supervisor
Kouker ,Alexander Paul Doctor of Education Supervisor
Murphy ,Ursula Doctor of Education Supervisor

Teaching Interests

Philosophy of Teaching Statement Since I started teaching in Drumcondra in 2001, my philosophy of teaching and of education has evolved and strengthened but also retained a continuity. The inspiration of Paulo Freire and Critical pedagogical approaches remains strong, both in theory and practice. My experience of curriculum development and working with teachers in schools to co-construct curriculum (alongside communities and children) has been seminal for me in understanding the limitations of some less engaged approaches to education.

The main principles of my approach can be described as –

1. An emphasis on democratic teacher-student relationships 2. An understanding of the importance of generative themes and approaches that meet with the needs of the teaching group 3. Agency of the teacher student in curriculum development and understanding 4. The crucial reciprocity of research and teaching 5. The need for a strong pluralism in education which recognizes the significance of ethnic and beliefs backgrounds as constitutive


Modules Coordinated

Term Title Subject
2023/2024 Multi-Denominational Education and Schooling ED4015
2023/2024 Philosophy and Childhood EC403
2023/2024 Futures of the Disciplines: Theatre of the Oppressed and Beyond HD 4180
2023/2024 Philosophies of Ethical and Multi-D Education - Professional PG Diploma in Education AP701
2023/2024 Philosophy of Education - Current Issues ED 3048
2023/2024 Transformative Leadership in SPHE/RSE: ModuleContexts of Ethos and Schooling (2023/24) RSE/SPHE PG Certificate in Education
2023/2024 Inter-disciplinary Perspectives in the Foundations of Education HD 2180
2023/2024 Philosophy of Education 1 HD2170
2024 HD531