Research Interests
Open to PhD applications in:
- Political education (including citizenship education and human rights education)
- Children’s participation rights in school and in community
- Socio-political perspectives on pedagogy
- Curriculum and curriculum development
- Participatory and transformative research
Public outreach & key achievements
Current research projects: A longitudinal study of the role of schools in impacting on the health and wellbeing of 12-16 year old students in Northern Ireland (The WiSe Study) with Paul Connolly (PI), Frank Kee, Katrina Lloyd, Laura Dunne - I am responsible for developing and implementing the participatory aspects of this research study.
Children’s knowledge of health behaviours with Katrina Lloyd and Maria Cantwell (Centre for Public Health)
Research students
| PhD area | Education for sustainable citizenship |
| Name | Jen Banks |
| Years of study | Final year |
| PhD area | Mainstreams, Margins and the Spaces in-between: school exclusion in Northern Ireland |
| Name | Patricia O'Lynn |
| Years of study | Final year |
| PhD area | Children and Young People’s aspirations and vision for the future: a participatory approach |
| Name | Eilise Sweeney |
| Years of study | Second year |
| PhD area | Maintaining Connection, Becoming Connected: an exploration of the lived experience of refugee children in Northern Ireland |
| Name | Abi Wells |
| Years of study | Second year |
| EdD area | Exploring the value of museum education for schools and museums. |
| Name | Collette Brownlee |
| Years of study | Final year thesis (part time) |
| EdD area | The nature and purpose of history education: exploring the perspectives of Irish primary teachers |
| Name | Peter Whelan |
| Years of study | First year thesis (part time) |
| PhD area | Teaching Controversial Issues: Teachers' Pedagogical Perspectives and Practice |
| Name | Megan Ward |
| Years of study | Second Year |
| PhD area | Political literacy: the role of schools |
| Name | John Currie |
| Years of study | Fourth year (part time) |
Alumni: Where are they now
| PhD area | Students' (Inter)national identities within international schools : a qualitative study |
| Name | Dr. Sinead Fitzsimons |
| Years of study | July 2018 |
| Country | Canada |
| Current Position | Research Fellow, Cambridge |
| PhD area | Palestinian young people's perspectives and experiences of human rights, inside and outside schools : a participatory qualitative study in the Occupied West Bank |
| Name | Dr. Erika Jimenez |
| Years of study | July 2018 |
| Country | Wales/ Jordan |
| Current Position | currently in Jordan to enhance Arabic language skills |
| EdD title | What is 'pretend play'? : investigating the perceptions of young children and other key stakeholders in three Irish primary school settings |
| Name | Dr. Triona Stokes |
| Years of study | July 2016 |
| Country | Ireland |
| Current Position | Lecturer, Froebel Department of Primary and Early Childhood Education, School of Education, |
Discover More
- Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
- School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work
- Deputy Director, Centre for Children’s Rights
- Associate Fellow, SENATOR GEORGE J MITCHELL INSTITUTE FOR GLOBAL PEACE, SECURITY AND JUSTICE
- Associate Fellow, Institute of Irish Studies
- Member, Centre for Shared Education