Dr Suzanne O’Keeffe

    Froebel Department of Primary and Early Childhood Education

    Lecturer / Assistant Professor

    School of Education
    SE326
    (01) 474 7404

    Biography

    Dr. Suzanne O'Keeffe lectures in Sociology of Education and S.P.H.E.  Suzanne has over ten years teaching experience in mainstream primary school classrooms and graduated with a PhD in the field of Education from Mary Immaculate College (MIC) Limerick in 2016.  Her doctoral studies examines the daily experiences of male primary school teachers.  She is the recipient of the MIC Postgraduate Award 2015 and the John Coolahan Research Support Framework Bursary 2017 and 2022 (Teaching Council). Suzanne has published in national and international peer-reviewed academic journals and has presented her work in Braga (Portugal), Cambridge (UK), Kraków (Poland), New York (USA) and Ireland. 

    Upcoming events:
    FREE online event. Monday 13th of June, 2022 @ 10am.
    Join Professor Emerita Raewyn Connell, University of Sydney and Dr Declan Fahie, Director of School Placement, University College Dublin for a LIVE discussion on all things gender related in Higher Education. For more detail and t register, please click on: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/gender-initial-teacher-education-tickets-353572062557 

    Most recent publications include:
    O'Keeffe, S. (2022). Masculinities and Teaching in Primary Schools. Palgrave Studies in Gender and Education. Available online at: bfm:978-3-030-93994-6/1 (springer.com) 

    O'Keeffe, S.     (2021). Artificial boundaries? Shaping policy through empowering research, Irish Educational Studies, DOI: 10.1080/03323315.2021.1899022  

    O'Keeffe, S.     (2021). Power and Policy: Recruiting and Educating the Best Teachers using Empowering Research Designs. In Madalinska-Michalak, J., Assunção Flores, M., Ling Low, E. and Van Nuland, S. (Eds.) Recruiting and Educating the Best Teachers: Policy, Professionalism and Pedagogy, Key Issues in Teacher Education: Policy, Research and Practice. Leiden: Brill. [Available online]: Chapter 2 Power and Policy in: Recruiting and Educating the Best Teachers: Policy, Professionalism and Pedagogy (brill.com)

    Biesta, G., Heugh, K., Cervinkova, H., Rasiński, L., Osborne, S., Forde, D., Wrench, A., Carter, J., Säfström, CA., Soong, H., O’Keeffe, S., Paige, K., Rigney, L-I., O’Toole, L. Hattam, R., Peters, M.A. & Tesar, M. (2021): Philosophy of education in a new key: publicness, social justice, and education; a South-North conversation, Educational Philosophy and Theory, DOI: 10.1080/00131857.2021.1929172. Available online: Philosophy of education in a new key: publicness, social justice, and education; a South-North conve (tandfonline.com)

    O’Toole, L., McClelland, D., Forde, D., O’Keeffe, S., Purdy, N., Säfström, C. A., and Walsh, T. (2021). Contested childhoods across borders and boundaries: Insights from curriculum provisions in Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State in the 1920s, BERJ (British Educational Research Journal),     47 (4), DOI: 10.1002/berj.3708. Available online: Contested childhoods across borders and boundaries: Insights from curriculum provisions in Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State in the 1920s

    O’ Keeffe, S. & Skerritt, C. (2020) Exploring teacher identity using poststructural tools, International Journal of Research & Method in Education, DOI: 10.1080/1743727X.2020.1753691


    Academic Conferences:
    O'Keeffe, S. and McClelland, D. (2021). Contesting lingering gendered attitudes about childhood, Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE), November 28th - December 2nd. 

    Research Interests

    Care Theory; Education; Feminist Research Designs; Gender and Gender Role Expectations; Masculinities.

    Research Projects

      Project Role Funding Body / Program Description Start Date End Date Award (€)
    Teaching & Learning Approaches to EDI and SDG 5 - Gender Equality Co-investigator / Non Commercial 1500
    ‘Integrating the gender dimension into teaching, learning and educational outreach in initial teacher education’ Co-investigator Higher Education Authority / Government State Bodies 19000
    Contested Childhoods across Borders and Boundaries: A North-South Comparative Study Collaborator / Researcher / 01-JUN-19 30-JUN-20

    Books

      Year Publication
    2022 Masculinities and Teaching in Primary Schools. Exploring the Lives of Irish Male Teachers.
    O'Keeffe, S. (2022) Masculinities and Teaching in Primary Schools. Exploring the Lives of Irish Male Teachers. London: Palgrave Macmillan. [Details]

    Book Chapters

      Year Publication
    2021 'Artificial boundaries? Shaping policy through empowering research'
    O'Keeffe, S. (2021) 'Artificial boundaries? Shaping policy through empowering research' In: Joanna Madalinska-Michalak, Maria Assunção Flores, Ee Ling Low and Shirley Van Nuland (eds). Recruiting and Educating the Best Teachers: Policy, Professionalism and Pedagogy. Netherlands: Brill Publishers. [Details]
    2020 'Quality Teachers and Quality Teacher Education Exploring Wellbeing, Gender and Job Satisfaction'
    O'Keeffe, S. (2020) 'Quality Teachers and Quality Teacher Education Exploring Wellbeing, Gender and Job Satisfaction' In: Joanna Madalińska-Michalak (eds). Studies on Quality Teachers and Quality In-service Teacher Education. Warsaw: Foundation for the Development of the Education System (FRSE) Publications. [DOI] [Details]

    Peer Reviewed Journals

      Year Publication
    2021 'Artificial boundaries? Shaping policy through empowering research'
    O'Keeffe, S (2021) 'Artificial boundaries? Shaping policy through empowering research'. Irish Educational Studies, [DOI] [Details]
    2017 'How do you teach like a man?'
    (2017) 'How do you teach like a man?'. InTouch magazine, [Details]
    2017 'EQUALITY, INCLUSION AND OPPORTUNITY: CONTEMPORARY IRISH SCHOOLS AND MODERN MASCULINITIES'
    (2017) 'EQUALITY, INCLUSION AND OPPORTUNITY: CONTEMPORARY IRISH SCHOOLS AND MODERN MASCULINITIES'. European Journal of Education Studies, [DOI] [Details]
    2017 'Doing Feminist Research: The Interview as Method'
    (2017) 'Doing Feminist Research: The Interview as Method'. SAGE research Methods Cases, [DOI] [Details]
    2016 'What are male teachers' understandings of masculinities?- An exploration of sex, bodies, and gender in Irish primary schools'
    (2016) 'What are male teachers' understandings of masculinities?- An exploration of sex, bodies, and gender in Irish primary schools'. Palgrave Communications, [DOI] [Details]
    2020 'Exploring teacher identity using poststructural tools'
    O'Keeffe, S;Skerritt, C (2020) 'Exploring teacher identity using poststructural tools'. International Journal of Research and Method in Education, [DOI] [full-text] [Details]
    2019 'Transforming the Lives of Early Childhood Teachers, Autistic Children and their Families: Findings and Recommendations from an Evaluation of a Programme of Continuing Professional Development'
    Ring, E.; O'Sullivan, L.; O'Keeffe, S.; Ferris, F. and Wall, E. (2019) 'Transforming the Lives of Early Childhood Teachers, Autistic Children and their Families: Findings and Recommendations from an Evaluation of a Programme of Continuing Professional Development'. The Adult Learner, [full-text] [Details]
    2018 'Experiences of care labour, gender and work for men who teach young children'
    O'Keeffe, S (2018) 'Experiences of care labour, gender and work for men who teach young children'. Palgrave Communications, 4 [DOI] [full-text] [Details]
    2018 'Gendered positionality among Irish male primary teachers: the staff room as a site of performative masculinity'
    O'Keeffe S.;Deegan J. (2018) 'Gendered positionality among Irish male primary teachers: the staff room as a site of performative masculinity'. Irish Educational Studies, 37 (3):373-389 [DOI] [full-text] [Details]
    2016 'What are male teachers’ understandings of masculinities?—An exploration of sex, gender and bodies in Irish primary schools'
    O'Keeffe S. (2016) 'What are male teachers’ understandings of masculinities?—An exploration of sex, gender and bodies in Irish primary schools'. Palgrave Communications, 2 [DOI] [full-text] [Details]

    Other Journals

      Year Publication
    2017 'How do you teach like a man?'
    O'Keeffe, S. (2017) 'How do you teach like a man?' Irish National Teachers Organisation Magazine, (168) :52-53. [full-text] [Details]
    2014 'Why the decline in male primary school teachers?'
    O'Keeffe, S. (2014) 'Why the decline in male primary school teachers?' Irish National Teachers Organisation Magazine, (148) :43-44. [full-text] [Details]

    Conference Publications

      Year Publication
    2017 HOW DO YOU TEACH LIK E A MAN? POLITICS AN D PERCEPTIONS OF MEN WORKING WITH YOUNG CHILDREN
    O'Keeffe, S. (2017) HOW DO YOU TEACH LIK E A MAN? POLITICS AN D PERCEPTIONS OF MEN WORKING WITH YOUNG CHILDREN . In: Dr. Ramandeep Kaur Chhina eds. Academic International Conference on Multidisciplinary Studies and Education London, , pp.6-13 [Details]

    Conference Contributions

      Year Publication
    2021 Contesting lingering gendered attitudes about childhood.
    O'Keeffe, S. and McClelland, D. (2021) Contesting lingering gendered attitudes about childhood. [Oral Presentation], Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE), Online , 28-NOV-21 - 02-DEC-21 [Details]
    2021 'Bodily Boundaries: Irish male primary school teachers’ understandings of their gendered positionality in contemporary primary schools’ .
    O'Keeffe, S. (2021) 'Bodily Boundaries: Irish male primary school teachers’ understandings of their gendered positionality in contemporary primary schools’ . [Oral Presentation], Sociological Association of Ireland: ATOMISED SOLIDARITIES: TOGETHER / APART 2021, Online [Details]
    2019 ESAI Conference 2019.
    O'Keeffe, S. (2019) ESAI Conference 2019. [Oral Presentation], Education in Times of Change, Choice and Challenge, Radisson Blu Hotel, Sligo, Ireland , 11-APR-19 - 13-APR-19 [Details]
    2019 TEPE Conference 2019.
    O'Keeffe, S. (2019) TEPE Conference 2019. [Oral Presentation], QUALITY TEACHERS AND QUALITY TEACHER EDUCATION: RESEARCH, POLICY AND PRACTICE, Poland , 16-MAY-19 - 18-MAY-19 [Details]
    2018 2018 TEPE Conference.
    O'Keeffe, S. (2018) 2018 TEPE Conference. [Oral Presentation], ‘Recruiting and Educating the Best Teachers: Policy, Professionalism and Pedagogy’, Braga, Portugal , 17-MAY-18 - 19-MAY-18 [Details]
    2018 2018 AERA Annual Meeting.
    O'Keeffe, S. (2018) 2018 AERA Annual Meeting. [Oral Presentation], 'The Dreams, Possibilities, and Necessity of Public Education', New York, USA , 13-APR-18 - 17-APR-18 [Details]
    2017 2017 ESAI Conference.
    O'Keeffe, S. (2017) 2017 ESAI Conference. [Oral Presentation], Tidy Binaries vs. Prolific Paradigms: The Reimagining of Teacher Education Research, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland , 20-APR-17 - 22-APR-17 [Details]
    2017 6th Annual Research Conference.
    O'Keeffe, S. (2017) 6th Annual Research Conference. [Oral Presentation], Do opposites subtract? Connecting Irish male teachers' voices to school innovation and change, Kilkenny Education Centre, Kilkenny, Ireland , 14-OCT-17 - 14-OCT-17 [Details]
    2017 2017 TEPE Conference.
    O'Keeffe, S. (2017) 2017 TEPE Conference. [Oral Presentation], ‘Education for All: Issues for Teacher Education’, Limerick, Ireland , 18-MAY-17 - 20-MAY-17 [Details]
    2016 2016 ESAI Conference.
    O'Keeffe, S. (2016) 2016 ESAI Conference. [Oral Presentation], From Hero to Zero: Male Teachers Navigate the Modern Irish Educational Landscape, Raddison Blu Hotel, Galway, Ireland , 31-MAR-16 - 02-APR-16 [Details]
    2015 4th Annual Limerick Postgraduate Research Conference.
    O'Keeffe, S. (2015) 4th Annual Limerick Postgraduate Research Conference. [Oral Presentation], Why the decline of male teachers in Irish primary schools?, Mary Immaculate College, Limerick, Ireland , 28-MAY-15 - 28-MAY-15 [Details]

    Published Reports

      Year Publication
    2019 An Evaluation of 'Teach Me As I Am' Early Years Programme.
    Ring, E.; O'Sullivan, L.; O'Keeffe, S.; Ferris, F. and Wall, E. (2019) An Evaluation of 'Teach Me As I Am' Early Years Programme. Centre for Early-Childhood Research at Mary Immaculate College (CERAMIC) Limerick, Limerick. [Details]

    Educational Article

      Year Publication
    2020 How to teach children about feminism.
    O'Keeffe, S. (2020) How to teach children about feminism. Online at: https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2020/1123/1179902-how-to-teach-children-about-feminism/: Educational Article [Details]

    Case

      Year Publication
    2019 Using a Voice-Centred Relational Method of Data Analysis to Study Male Teachers’ Daily Experiences.
    O'Keeffe, S. (2019) Using a Voice-Centred Relational Method of Data Analysis to Study Male Teachers’ Daily Experiences. London: Case [DOI] [Details]
    2017 The Interview As Method: Doing Feminist Research.
    O'Keeffe, S. (2017) The Interview As Method: Doing Feminist Research. London: Case [Details]
    2018 The Interview and Social Relations: Exploring How Gender Shapes the Research Process.
    O'Keeffe, S. (2018) The Interview and Social Relations: Exploring How Gender Shapes the Research Process. London: Case [DOI] [Details]

    Honours and Awards

      Year Title Awarding Body
    2017 John Coolahan Research Support Framework Teaching Council of Ireland
    2022 John Coolahan Research Support Bursary Teaching Council
    2015 MIC Postgraduate Award University of Limerick (Mary Immaculate College)

    Professional Associations

      Association Function From / To
    Sociological Association of Ireland (SAI) Member /
    International Sociological Association Member 01-JUN-20 / 31-DEC-23
    American Educational Research Association (AERA) Member /
    The Educational Studies Association of Ireland (ESAI) Member /

    Committees

      Committee Function From / To
    Research and Ethics Committee Member 2018 / 2020
    Departmental Doctoral Programme Committee Committee member /
    Faculty of Social Science Ethics Committee Nominee for the Froebel Department of Primary and Early Childhood Education 2019 / 2021

    Employment

      Employer Position From / To
    Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick Part-time lecturer 03-OCT-16 / 28-SEP-18
    National University of Ireland Maynooth /

    Education

      Year Institution Qualification Subject
    2017 University of Cambridge: Institute of Continuing Education (ICE) Certificate of Participation An introduction to international development: understanding contemporary issues and themes
    2016 Mary Immaculate College
    2021 Greater Good Science Center, UC Berkeley Certification of participation The Science of Happiness

    Languages

      Language Reading Writing Speaking
    Irish-Gaeilge Functional Functional Functional
    English Fluent Fluent Fluent

    Outreach Activities

      Description

    This project, Leadership Clusters Initiative for Schools, is an initiative of the Department of Education and Skills and is being co-ordinated by the Centre for School Leadership (CSL). My role is to build the school's networks and to support their initiatives.

    Other Activities

      Description

    Reviewer of academic education journals

    Education Board Member

    Teaching Interests

    Sociology of Education 
    Froebel Department of Primary and Early Childhood Education
    Education Department 

    Social, Personal and Health Education (S.P.H.E.)
    Froebel Department of Primary and Early Childhood Education

    Personal and Professional Student Teacher Learning (P.P.S.T.L.)
    Froebel Department of Primary and Early Childhood Education

    Behaviour Management workshops
    Froebel Department of Primary and Early Childhood Education

    Recent Postgraduates

      Graduation Student Name University Degree Thesis
    2020 Sarah Kavanagh Maynooth University Supporting Social Emotional Development in the Primary School Setting
    2019 Aoife Hession Maynooth University How can the sharing of learning intentions through the use of the WALT improve student engagement?
    2019 Lucy Brannock Maynooth University Creating Positive Opportunities in the Classroom.

    Internal Collaborators

      Name Institute Country
    Patricia Kennon IRELAND