Isabel Machado Da Silva
Ms.
Isabel's most recent work looks into (cyber)bullying, parenting in the digital age, young people's digital lives, social stratification, belonging and AiEd. In her research, Isabel specialises in qualitative research and uses critical ethnography and creative methodologies such as PhotoVoice.
Peer Reviewed Journal
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Audrey Bryan; Yoko Mochizuki; Isabel Machado Da Silva (2026) 'Brain Matters: Permacrisis and the Neuro-affective turn in Education'. Comparative Education Review, (Education Governance Future(s) in a Permacrisis World). | |
| 2026 | Meghmala Mukherjee; Isabel Machado Da Silva; James O'Higgins Norman; Ashling Bourke (2026) 'Children’s Rights in the Digital Age in the Context of Parental Mediation Styles: A Scoping Review'. Journal of Child and Family Studies, . | |
| 2022 | Tokunaga, T.; Machado Da Silva, I.; Fu, M. (2022) 'Participatory Action Research with Immigrant Youth in Tokyo: Possibilities and Challenges of Ibasho Creation Project'. Annals of Anthropological Practice, 46 . [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2022 | Verushka Ananmalay; Daniël Benen; Jiali Luo; Isabel Machado Da Silva; Elliot Smith; Tomoyo Taniyama (2022) 'Perspectives and experiences of international students at a Swedish university during the COVID-19 pandemic'. Adult Education Quarterly, . [Link] [DOI] |
Conference Contribution
Blog
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Isabel Machado Da Silva; Prof. Audrey Bryan (2025) Too Much, Never Enough: The Impossible Role of Parents in Digital Childhoods. BLOG [Link] |
Published Report
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Darran Heaney; Prof. James O'Higgins Norman; Isabel Machado Da Silva; Deniz Celikoglu; Meghmala Mukherjee (2025) World Café on Addressing Bullying Behaviour: Summary Report on Consultation with Students. DCU Anti-Bullying Centre, . [Link] | |
| 2023 | (2023) Understanding Bullying and Cyberbullying: A Guide on How to Support Your Child. DCU Anti-Bullying Centre, . [Link] |
Education
Outreach Activities
Research Interests
Bullying and Cyberbullying; Social Stratification; Parenting in the Digital Age; Social Class; Young people's Sense of Belonging in Educational Institutions; Race, Ethnicity and Education; Childhoods in Global Contexts; Gender, Sexuality and Schooling; Ai Education; Global Educational Governance; Comparative-International Education.
Research Projects
External Collaborators
Teaching Interests
My teaching is shaped by a commitment to helping future educators make sense of the social worlds they work in. My teaching aims to support students, teachers, and teacher-educators, in developing the confidence to unpack complex issues, such as bullying, social inequality, digital life, and belonging, and to understand how these challenges are shaped by wider social structures.
I gravitate towards teaching approaches that are hands-on, relational, and reflective. I frequently use photography and visual methods, especially from my PhotoVoice research, to open up conversation, spark curiosity, and invite students to consider multiple perspectives. Bringing real case scenarios from my fieldwork is also central to my teaching, as it helps students link abstract ideas to everyday school life in concrete and meaningful ways.
I am interested in creative and critical pedagogies that encourage students to question taken-for-granted assumptions, recognise their own positionality, and understand how power operates in educational spaces, both online and offline. I aim to create learning environments that support critical thinking, and a sense of responsibility to the communities they will teach in.
Overall, my teaching seeks to equip future educators with practical tools and sociological ways of seeing that help them navigate the complexities of contemporary schooling and participate in education as thoughtful, reflective, and socially engaged professionals.