Researcher Details |

Elaine Mcdonald

Contact Details

SPC M G16
T:Ext. 9271

E:Elaine.Mcdonald@dcu.ie

Lecturer
Spc M G16

T:Ext. 9271

E:elaine.mcdonald@dcu.ie

Elaine McDonald worked as a post primary teacher for a number of years during which time she completed her doctoral research on the history of women's education in Ireland. Her research was awarded an IRCHSS (Government of Ireland Scholarship) and since the completion of her research she has worked full time in teacher education.

From 2018-2021 she was Head of School of Policy and Practice.

In 2021 she was a recipient of the DCU President's Award for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (Team Award).

Her teaching responsibilities are focused on the areas of student centred approaches to teaching and learning; gender and education and intercultural education.

Elaine is currently engaged in a collaborative research project with colleagues in the School(s) of Policy and Practice and SEIGS ( IoE, DCU); this project examines students teachers' engagement in school placement schools.

She is External Examiner for the PME programme in UCC. She has previously worked as an External Examiner for GMIT/Letterfrack on their teacher education education programmes.

Peer Reviewed Journal

	Year	Publication
	2022	Donlon, E., Conroy Johnson, M., Doyle, A., McDonald, E., & Sexton, P. (2022) 'Presence accounted for? Student-teachers establishing and experiencing presence in synchronous online teaching environments'. Irish Educational Studies, 40 (1):41-49.
	2021	Doyle, A., Conroy Johnson, M., Donlon, E., McDonald, E., & Sexton, P. J. (2021) 'The role of the teacher as assessor: Developing student teacher’s assessment identity'. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 46 (12):52-68. [DOI]
	2020	Donlon, E., McDonald, E., Fitzsimons, S., & Sexton, PJ. (2020) 'Being and belonging: Student-teachers' contextual engagement in schools'. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 45 (6):95-113.
	2020	Donlon, E., McDonald, E., Fitzsimons, S., & Sexton, PJ. (2020) 'Being and belonging: Student-teachers' contextual engagement in schools'. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 45 (6):95-113. [DOI]

Conference Contribution

	Year	Publication
	2022	Sexton, P., McDonald, E., Fitzsimons, S. & Donlon, E. (2022) TEPS Enhancing the Value of Teacher Education Research: Implications for Policy and Practice An analysis of the quantitative impact of a research project on ITE practicum grades University of Graz, Austria, .
	2021	Doyle, A., Donlon,E., McDonald, E., Conroy Johnson, M., & Sexton, P. (2021) ECER All changed, changed utterly: Reimagining school placement in the 21st century during the Covid-19 Education and Society: expectations, prescriptions, reconciliations Online, .
	2021	Donlon,E., Doyle, A.,McDonald, E.,Conroy Johnson, M., & Sexton, P. (2021) ESAI Possibilities in education: Reimagining Connections with People, Purpose and Place Presence accounted for? Student-teachers establishing and experiencing presence in synchronous online teaching environments Online, .
	2020	McDonald, E. (2020) ESAI Opening Up Education: Options, Obstacles and Opportunities Hidden Figures: The efforts of the Loreto Sisters to establish women’s access to higher education in 19th Century Ireland Online, .
	2020	Sexton, P., Fitzsimons, S., Donlon, E., McDonald, E. (2020) ESAI Opening Up Education: Options, Obstacles and Opportunities Turning obstacles into opportunities: research paving the path to good teaching Online, .
	2019	Donlon, E., McDonald, E., Fitzsimons, S., & Sexton, PJ (2019) SERA 2019: Creative Visions for Educational Futures A tale of two timings: Student-teachers' contextual engagement in placement schools University of Edinburgh, Scotland, 20/11/2019-22/11/2019.
	2019	Sexton, PJ, Fitzsimons, S., McDonald, E., & Donlon, E. (2019) ESAI Education in Times of Change, Choice and Challenge From passive to active learner engagement: A paradigm shift Sligo, Ireland, .
	2019	Donlon, E., McDonald, E., Fitzsimons, S., & Sexton, PJ. (2019) ECER 'Education in an Era of Risk – the Role of Educational Research for the Future' 'I Was an Equal at a Table of Teachers: The Significance of Contextual Engagement for Student-teachers on School Placement' Hamburg, Germany, .
	2019	McDonald, E. (2019) ACCS /Association of Joint Patrons of Community and Comprehensive Schools The Essence of the Role of Joint Patrons/Trustees in Community and Comprehensive Schools Mullingar, Dublin, .
	2019	McDonald, E. (2019) Loreto Ministries Boards’ Colloquium Testing the Scaffolding; the legacy of Mary Ward in our time and place Adelaide, Australia, .
	2018	Talbot, T. McDonald, E, Fitzsimons, S. (2018) ESAI Values and Purpose in Education An exploration of the potential of one online-reading management programme to improve the literacy standards of Irish Post Primary Students and create life-long learners UCD, Dublin, Ireland, .
	2017	Sexton, PJ, Fitzsimons, S., McDonald, E. & Donlon, E. (2017) ESAI Changing Research: working the spaces between education policy and practice '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 UCC, Dublin, Ireland, .
	2017	McDonald, E., Donlon, E., Fitzsimons, S. & Sexton, PJ. (2017) ESAI Changing Research: working the spaces between education policy and practice Between the classroom and the staffroom: the significance of contextual engagement for the school placement UCC, Dublin, Ireland, .
	2017	McDonald, E. (2017) Mary Wars: Prophetic Woman ‘Bearers of a Dangerous Memory: the prophetic legacy of Mary Ward’ York St. John University, .
	2016	Sexton, PJ, Donlon, E., Fitzsimons, S., McDonald, E., & Leonard, H. (2016) ESAI Education as a Public Good Longitudinal Study on Student- Teachers' Understanding of Teacher Identity Galway, Ireland, .
	2016	Donlon, E., McDonald, E., Fitzsimons, S., Sexton, PJ., & Leonard, H. (2016) ESAI Education as a Public Good Being and Belonging: Student-Teachers’ Contextual Engagement in Placement Schools Galway, Ireland, .
	2015	Fitzsimons, S., Donlon, McDonald, E., Sexton, P. and Leonard, H. (2015) ESAI Educational Research and Practice in Times of Transition: Looking to the Future) An analysis of the levels of reflection attained by student teachers on School Placement Maynooth, Co.Kildare, .

Book Chapter

	Year	Publication
	2013	Williams,K. & McDonald, E. (2013) 'Curriculum Inquiry in the Republic of Ireland' In: International Handbook of Curriculum Research (Second Edition). New York : Routledge.

Honors and Awards

	Date	Title	Awarding Body
	01/01/2020	Loreto Secondary School Kilkenny Alumna of the Year	Loreto Secondary School Kilkenny

Outreach Activities

	Year	Engagement Type	Organisation	Description
	2021	Educational Outreach/Public Engagement	Ard Scoil Rís	Member BoM

Research Interests

My research interests are two-fold:

History of Education/Loreto Education
I am interested in the history of women's education. I am particularly interested in the history of Loreto education. My scholarship focuses in particular on the foundress of Loreto, Mary Ward ( 1585-1645). In 2019 I was invited as the key note to speaker to deliver a lecture series on Mary Ward across Australia. I have also been invited to present at a large number of Irish conferences on Loreto education/Mary Ward/School vision/mission.
https://loretoministries.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/LOR_public_lecture_Flyer_A5_MAR19_v31.pdf

Teacher Education
I am fortunate to work with colleagues who are committed to understanding how we can help and support the professional development of student teachers. I am currently involved in two research projects that focus on teacher identity and professional development; the first project looks at students teachers experiences of "being and belonging" in school communities and the second project investigates innovative practices in school placement assessment. See publications.

Research Projects

	Title	Role	Description	Start date	End date
	PATH Project: Teacher Experience Programme (TEP)	Co-Investigator	As part of my commitment to widening participation on teacher education programmes I am a co-investigator on a HEA funded PATH project that aims to promote, encourage and support socially and economically disadvantaged students to consider Initial Teacher Education (ITE) as a desirable and feasible career pathway. The programme that we are developeing is entitled the Teacher Experience Programme (TEP) invites Guidance Counsellors to pilot a specially designed series of lessons that seeks to encourage students from non-traditional backgrounds to consider teaching as a profession through the use of case studies, examining their learning styles and the teaching methods they experience in school and in turn contemplate their own potential teaching capabilities/potential. Junior Cycle post-primary school students will be invited to peer teach in their school and examine case studies of teachers who have achieved career goals despite barriers. Students will be encouraged to consider teaching as a feasible career through specially designed lessons but also to become aware of further and higher education (access routes) in their entirety as feasible, realistic and attainable options. Learners will acquire the skills to research careers and courses independently and make informed choices based on the findings of their independent research e.g subject choice.	01/06/2021	02/12/2021

Teaching Interests

My research interests emerge from my professional experience of working at second level and third level.

gender in education
education disadvantage
inter-cultural education
student teachers' engagement with school communities
student-centred approaches to teaching/learning
history of women's education
contribution of female religious congregations to education ( particularly Loreto ( IBVM) Sisters)