School of Human Development header
School of Human Development

Dr
Majella
McSharry

Primary Department
School of Human Development
Role
Academic Staff
Phone number:
01 700
9232
Campus
St Patrick's Campus
Room Number
SPC M 110

Academic biography

Dr. Majella McSharry is a lecturer in Sociology at the School of Human Development. She is Chairperson of the Professional Master of Education (Post Primary). She is an executive member of the Regional Centre of Expertise in Education for Sustainable Development (RCE Dublin), a member of the Ubuntu Network and a member of the Centre for Human Rights and Citizenship Education. She has worked as a secondary school teacher and previously as a lecturer at Maynooth University, the National College of Art and Design and St. Patrick's College Drumcondra. Majella currently teaches in the areas of Sociology of Education, Research Design and Civic, Social and Political Education. Her main research area is concerned with the construction and articulation of gender through embodied praxis, with a particular focus on school sport, uniform and discourses of deportment.  
 

Research interests

Current Research Projects


Intersex - New Interdisciplinary Approach (INIA)

Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme Funded €2,727,301 (grant agreement No 859869) (Co-applicant). Responsible for Project 5: The inculcation of awareness of intersex in education in Ireland and Sweden. https://research.hud.ac.uk/institutes-centres/ccid/projects/current_projects/intersex-inia/The practical focus of this programme is on developing topical and original applied outputs of relevance to stakeholders concerned to support the well being and rights of intersex people. The project, thanks to the unique competencies of the consortium partners, is responsible for training a cohort of highly skilled researchers who will enable fast-track developments of intersex studies, policies and practices, working in a multidisciplinary and transectoral network bringing together 21 organisations from 10 countries.   


Improving Equality of Access to Higher Education (PI)
Higher Education Authority Funded €160,000 

The focus of this project is to design and produce a programme of learning for lower second level students. The programme contains individual strands, each containing bespoke curricula, materials, resources, activities and carefully selected case studies.  The programme aims to provide students with access to experiential and decoded information about Initial Teacher Education, allowing them to explore ITE as a tangible career option. The programme strands will provide students with formal and informal knowledge in relation to ITE, as well as linking in with supports and networks that can enable practical opportunities, such as Transition Year work experience placements and subject specific tuition.   



Engagement with the Professional Master of Education (PME) Programme 
DCU Building Research Capacity Funded €800 

The purpose of this research is to explore how students and teacher educators working on the Professional Master of Education (PME) programme at DCU engage with Initial Teacher Education. It explores students’ relevant prior learning experiences, as well as their experiences of and attitudes towards teacher education at various points during the programme. It seeks to understand the practical challenges faced by students and teacher educators following the consecutive model of Initial ITE.