Researcher Details |

Pj Sexton

Dr.

PJ Sexton is a lecturer in the School of Policy and Practice at the DCU Institute of Education and is currently the Director of CREATE (Centre for Research Across Teacher Education). He is Chair of the Bachelor of Religious Education and History/English/Music Programmes and contributes to the MA in Chaplaincy Studies and Pastoral Work and to the Doctorate of Education Programmes. PJ was Head of the School of Education in Mater Dei Institute of Education prior to its incorporation into DCU.

PJ Sexton’s teaching is primarily in the area of teacher professional identity, reflective practice, professional development, leadership, mentoring, pastoral counselling/skills, chaplaincy and religious education. He has international teaching and leadership experience at primary, post primary and third level.

PJ holds a PhD from Fordham University, New York and three Masters Degrees: the most recent (2012) an MSc in Clinical Supervision from Trinity College, Dublin. His research interests include: teacher education, reflective practice, ethos, mentoring, supervision, religious education and lifelong learning.

Peer Reviewed Journal

	Year	Publication
	2023	Doyle, A., Conroy Johnson, M., Donlon, E., McDonald, E., & Sexton, P. J. (2023) 'Re-envisioning pre-service teachers’ beliefs and feelings about assessment: the important space of authentic assignments'. European Journal of Teacher Education, .
	2023	Sexton, PJ, Fitzsimons, S, Lehane, P, McDonald, E, Donlon, E., & McKeever, C, (2023) 'Understanding Pre-Service Teachers’ Improvement in Professional Practice: A Quantitative Perspective'. Irish Educational Studies, .
	2022	Enda Donlon; Marie Conroy Johnson; Audrey Doyle; Elaine McDonald; PJ Sexton (2022) 'Presence accounted for? student-teachers establishing and experiencing presence in synchronous online teaching environments'. Irish Educational Studies, (41):41-49. [Link] https://doi.org/10.1080/03323315.2021.2022520
	2022	Audrey Doyle, Marie Conroy Johnson, Enda Donlon, Elaine McDonald, PJ Sexton (2022) 'The Role of the Teacher as Assessor: Developing Student Teacher’s Assessment Identity'. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, .
	2021	Sexton, P.; McCormack, C., (2021) 'Identity, Ambiguity, and Professionalism: Dilemmas for the Diocesan Advisor in the Republic of Ireland'. Religions, . https://doi.org/10.3390/rel12110973
	2021	Kavanagh, S., Sexton, P. & Fitzsimons, S. (2021) 'Transforming Middle Leadership in Education and Training Board Post-Primary Schools in Ireland'. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR TRANSFORMATIVE RESEARCH, . https://doi.org/10.2478/ijtr-2021-0003
	2020	Donlon, E., McDonald, E., Fitzsimons, S., & Sexton, PJ. (2020) 'Being and belonging: Student-teachers'. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, .

Conference Contribution

	Year	Publication
	2022	Sexton, PJ, , MacPhail, A, Giblin, F & Gorman, A. (2022) TEPS 2022, University of Graz, Austria Embedding research in Teacher Education Graz, Austria, .
	2022	Sexton, PJ, Fitzsimons, S., McDonald, E., & Donlon, E. (2022) TEPS 2022, University of Graz, Austria An analysis of the quantitative impact of a research project on ITE practicum grades Graz, Austria, .
	2020	Sexton, PJ, Fitzsimons, S., McDonald, E., & Donlon, E. (2020) ESAI 2020 DCU Turning Obstacles into Opportunities Research Paving the Path to Good Teaching Dublin, .
	2019	Donlon, E., McDonald, E., Fitzsimons, S., & Sexton, PJ (2019) ECER 2019: 'Education in an Era of Risk – the Role of Educational Research for the Future', Hamburg 'I Was an Equal at a Table of Teachers: The Significance of Contextual Engagement for Student-teachers on School Placement' Hamburg, .
	2019	Donlon, E., Sexton, PJ., McDonald, E., & Fitzsimons, S. (2019) SERA 2019: Creative Visions for Educational Futures, University of Edinburgh, Scotland A tale of two timings: Student-teachers Scotland, .
	2017	Sexton, PJ, Fitzsimons, S., McDonald, E. & Donlon, E. (2017) 'She was engaging, kind and understanding...she is why I aspire to be a teacher': A study of the reasons for joining the teaching profession A study of the reasons for joining the teaching profession Changing Research: working the spaces between education policy and practice, University College Cork, Ireland , 20-APR-17 - 22-APR-17 [Details], .
	2017	McDonald, E., Donlon, E., Fitzsimons, S. & Sexton, PJ (2017) Between the classroom and the staffroom: the significance of contextual engagement for the school placement Between the classroom and the staffroom: the significance of contextual engagement for the school placement Changing Research: working the spaces between education policy and practice, University College Cork, Ireland , 20-APR-17 - 22-APR-17 [Details], .
	2016	Donlon, E., Fitzsimons, S., Leonard, H., McDonald, E. & Sexton, P. (2016) Being and Belonging: Student Teachers' Contextual Engagement in Placement Schools Being and Belonging: Student Teachers' Contextual Engagement in Placement Schools The Educational Studies Association of Ireland (Education as a Public Good), Galway [Details], .
	2016	Donlon, E., Fitzsimons, S., Leonard, H., McDonald, E. & Sexton, P. (2016) Longitudinal study of student teachers' understanding of teacher identity Longitudinal study of student teachers' understanding of teacher identity The Educational Studies Association of Ireland (Education as a Public Good), Galway [Details], .
	2015	Fitzsimons, S., Donlon, McDonald, E., Sexton, P. and Leonard, H. (2015) An analysis of the levels of reflection attained by student teachers on School Placement An analysis of the levels of reflection attained by student teachers on School Placement Educational Studies Association of Ireland (Educational Research and Practice in Times of Transition: Looking to the Future), Carton House, Maynooth, Co.Kildare , 09-APR-15 - 11-APR-15 [Details], .

Professional Associations

	Association	Function	From / To
	Supervisors Association of Ireland	Promoting Cross-Professional Supervision	13/01/2014 - 19/04/2023
	Educational Studies Association of Ireland	member	13/01/2014 - 19/04/2023

Committees

	Committee	Function	From / To
	Board of Management, Belgrove JGS		10/09/2018 - 06/11/2020
	University Research Committee		09/01/2017 - 01/10/2022
	Centre for Research Across Teacher Education (CREATE)		01/09/2015 - 19/04/2023
	Interim Faculty Board, Faculty of Education, DCU		03/08/2015 - 15/08/2016
	Irish Centre for Religious Education		05/09/2011 - 19/04/2023

Employment

Employer	Position	From / To
MDI Institute of Education	Lecturer and Head of the School of Education	01/09/2006 -
Amukoko Community Project (Nigeria)	Project Leader and Principal St Matthew‟s Pre-Primary Schools and St Matthew‟s College of Education	01/09/1998 - 01/09/2004
DCU	Assistant Professor, School of Policy and Practice	01/10/2016 - 19/04/2023
Cavan VEC	Post-Primary Teacher	02/09/1985 - 31/08/1998

Education

	Start date	Institution	Qualification	Subject
		Trinity College, Dublin	M.Phil.
		NUI Maynooth	M.A.
		NUI Maynooth	Graduate Diploma - Adult and Community Education
		Trinity College, Dublin	MSc
		Fordham University, New York	PhD

Research Interests

Teacher Education
Teacher Identity
Research Methods
Religious Education
The Role of Reflection for Professional Development
Mentoring
Supervision
Lifelong Learning
Leadership