Dr Suzanne O’Keeffe
Biography
ORCID ID: 0000-0002-4344-2488
Suzanne O’Keeffe is Assistant Professor of Education in the Froebel Department of Primary and Early Childhood Education, Maynooth University, Ireland. Her work focuses on sociological questions in education, with a particular interest in questions of gender and masculinities. Areas of interest include care, children and childhood, teachers’ daily lives and feminist research designs. Recent publications include Masculinities and Teaching in Primary Schools (2022, Palgrave MacMillan).
Suzanne lectures in Sociology of Education and Social Personal and Health Education (S.P.H.E.). SHE has 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 2022 and 2017 (Teaching Council).
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
Invited Speaker:
International Men’s Day, male underrepresentation in caring professions, Mary Immaculate College, Limerick, 21st November 2022.
Kennon, P. and O'Keeffe, S. (2023). Creating A Collaborative and Caring Policy For Relationships and Sexuality Education (RSE) in an Urban Primary School, Educational Studies Association of Ireland (ESAI) Annual Conference, March 30th - April 1st.
O'Keeffe, S. and McClelland, D. (2021). Contesting lingering gendered attitudes about childhood, Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE), November 28th - December 2nd.
Awards:
UNIVERSAL DESIGN IN TEACHING AND LEARNING (2023)
Issued by: National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education
Teacher Hero Award (2021)
Research Interests
Research Projects
Book Chapter
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | O'Keeffe, S. (2021) 'Artificial boundaries? Shaping policy through empowering research' In: Recruiting and Educating the Best Teachers: Policy, Professionalism and Pedagogy. Netherlands : Brill Publishers. [Full-Text] | |
| 2020 | O'Keeffe, S. (2020) 'Quality Teachers and Quality Teacher Education Exploring Wellbeing, Gender and Job Satisfaction' In: Studies on Quality Teachers and Quality In-service Teacher Education. Warsaw : Foundation for the Development of the Education System (FRSE) Publications. [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2022 | O’Keeffe, S. (2022) 'Identities at Work: The Staffroom, Playground, and School Environment' In: Palgrave Studies In Gender And Education. [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2022 | O’Keeffe, S. (2022) 'Introduction' In: Palgrave Studies In Gender And Education. [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2022 | O’Keeffe, S. (2022) 'Masculinities and Non-human Bodies' In: Palgrave Studies In Gender And Education. [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2022 | O’Keeffe, S. (2022) 'Connecting Power, Emotions, and Materiality Through Data Analysis' In: Palgrave Studies In Gender And Education. [Link] [DOI] |
Peer Reviewed Journal
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | O’Toole L.; McClelland D.; Forde D.; O'Keeffe S.; Purdy N.; Säfström C.A.; Walsh T. (2021) 'Contested childhoods across borders and boundaries: Insights from curriculum provisions in Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State in the 1920s'. British Educational Research Journal, 47 (4):1021-1038. https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.3708 [Full-Text] | |
| 2021 | Biesta G.; Heugh K.; Cervinkova H.; Rasiński L.; Osborne S.; Forde D.; Wrench A.; Carter J.; Säfström C.A.; 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] [Full-Text] | |
| 2022 | O’Keeffe S. (2022) 'Conclusion'. Palgrave Studies In Gender And Education, :81-90. [DOI] | |
| 2022 | O’Keeffe S. (2022) 'Emotions and Reshaping Masculinities'. Palgrave Studies In Gender And Education, :39-56. [DOI] | |
| 2021 | O' Keeffe, S (2021) 'Artificial boundaries? Shaping policy through empowering research'. Irish Educational Studies, . [DOI] [Full-Text] | |
| 2017 | (2017) 'How do you teach like a man?'. Intouch Magazine, . | |
| 2017 | (2017) 'EQUALITY, INCLUSION AND OPPORTUNITY: CONTEMPORARY IRISH SCHOOLS AND MODERN MASCULINITIES'. European Journal Of Education Studies, . [DOI] | |
| 2017 | (2017) 'Doing Feminist Research: The Interview as Method'. Sage Research Methods Cases, . http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781526403889 | |
| 2016 | (2016) 'What are male teachers' understandings of masculinities?- An exploration of sex, bodies, and gender in Irish primary schools'. Palgrave Communications, . [DOI] | |
| 2020 | O' Keeffe, S; Skerritt, C (2020) 'Exploring teacher identity using poststructural tools'. International Journal of Research and Method in Education, . [DOI] [Full-Text] | |
| 2019 | 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] | |
| 2018 | O'Keeffe, S (2018) 'Experiences of care labour, gender and work for men who teach young children'. Palgrave Communications, 4 . [DOI] [Full-Text] | |
| 2018 | 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] | |
| 2016 | 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] |
Other Journal
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | O'Keeffe, S. (2017) 'How do you teach like a man?' Irish National Teachers Organisation Magazine, (168) :52-53. [Full-Text] | |
| 2014 | O'Keeffe, S. (2014) 'Why the decline in male primary school teachers?' Irish National Teachers Organisation Magazine, (148) :43-44. [Full-Text] |
Conference Publication
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | O'Keeffe, S. (2017) Academic International Conference on Multidisciplinary Studies and Education . In: Dr. Ramandeep Kaur Chhina eds. HOW DO YOU TEACH LIK E A MAN? POLITICS AN D PERCEPTIONS OF MEN WORKING WITH YOUNG CHILDREN London, [Link] |
Conference Contribution
Educational Article
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 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] [Link] |
Case
| Year | Publication | |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | O'Keeffe, S. (2019) Using a Voice-Centred Relational Method of Data Analysis to Study Male Teachers’ Daily Experiences. London: [Case] [Link] [DOI] | |
| 2017 | O'Keeffe, S. (2017) The Interview As Method: Doing Feminist Research. London: [Case] [Link] | |
| 2018 | O'Keeffe, S. (2018) The Interview and Social Relations: Exploring How Gender Shapes the Research Process. London: [Case] http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781526430748 |
Professional Associations
Committees
Education
Outreach Activities
Teaching Interests
Sociology of Education
Froebel Department of Primary and Early Childhood Education
Education Department
EDF 126: An important objective of this module is strengthening student teachers’ reflexivity on their own professional learning and that of their pupils, and to prepare student teachers to support their pupils in achieving their full potential. This is achieved through engagement with the following topics covered in this module:
• Sociology – Types of Schooling; Society, Culture and Identity; Norms, Values and Roles; Hidden Curriculum
EDF 237: Through engagement with Global Citizenship Education, Sociology of Education, and Psychology of Education, student teachers will be supported to examine how structures and systems in place, both locally and globally, explain how people interact with each other, the impact on educational outcomes and the undeniable interconnectedness of modern life.
EDF 328: This module fosters student teachers’ reflexivity on their own professional learning and that of their pupils by highlighting the relationship between schools and the wider society. Acknowledging that this association is critical and complex, the module explores structural forces at play and contextualises them against a theoretical framework of social justice and equality. Sociology of Education provides an opportunity to engage with topics such as race, ethnicity, identity, types of schooling, which will¿support¿newly qualified teachers to facilitate quality teaching and learning for all pupils.¿The sociology of education is the study of how social institutions and individual experiences affects education and its outcome. The topics covered in this module seek to explain how people relate with one another, how hidden structures play an important role in everyday life, how individuals behave and how all these combined impacts on education and its outcome. In total, the topics addressed in sociology of education foster student teachers’ abilities to support their pupils in achieving their full potential.
Social, Personal and Health Education (S.P.H.E.)
Froebel Department of Primary and Early Childhood Education
EDF 128: Student teachers will explore the dynamic processes by which curriculum is designed and facilitated for all pupils, with a particular focus on the junior primary classes. The recognition of the central role of play, as outlined in Aistear (NCCA, 2009), and pupils as active agents in their own learning will guide experiential learning activities across Visual Arts, Drama, Music, PE, SESE and SPHE. The organisation and attributes of a Froebelian learning environment with concrete materials will be introduced so the student teachers become aware of the interdependence of teachers’ learning and pupil learning and the importance of teacher-pupil relationships in the teaching/learning process through guided discovery and inquiry-based learning. A range of methodologies to achieve planned outcomes will be experienced including opportunities to experiment with and explore new and emerging technologies for teaching and learning.
EDF 229: In relation to the middle primary classes, students will continue to explore the dynamic processes by which curriculum is designed and facilitated for all pupils. These are underpinned by a broad range of theoretical lenses, including literature pertaining to Integration and Problem-based Learning, Assessment and Universal Design for Learning and digital learning methodologies.
Student teachers are supported to engage with pupils in order to develop effective, creative and imaginative strategies that promote individual and shared learning, further embedding playful pedagogies, in alignment with national curricula/curricular frameworks.
Through reflection on, and evaluation of, their own teaching and learning experiences, student teachers will be encouraged to think critically about characteristics, organisation and management of an inclusive, Froebelian, and enquiry-based learning environment.
Student teachers will plan and implement the subject matter, pedagogical content and related methodologies of Visual Arts, Drama, Music, PE, SESE and SPHE, through Froebelian and child-led approaches.
An awareness of the interdependence of teachers’ learning and pupil learning and the importance of teacher-pupil relationships in the teaching/learning process will be further built upon. An extended range of methodologies to achieve planned outcomes will be experienced and implemented, including a variety of opportunities to experiment with and explore new and emerging technologies for teaching and learning.
EDF 330: The module will build on student teacher understanding of the significance of knowledge of the individual potential of pupils in their planning for teaching, learning and assessment of Visual Arts, Drama, Music, PE, SESE and SPHE, through Froebelian and child-led approaches.
Student teachers will connect relevant principles and theories of education, in the context of the relevant national curricula curricular frameworks, using well-developed skills of enquiry, to inform his/ her professional practice.
Student teachers will also examine and apply a broad range of assessment principles and practices, preparing them for teaching, learning, creative and reflective practice and assessment in their schools. To this end, research associated with Froebelian practice and principles will be elaborated and extended upon. Collaborative and problem-based learning and differentiated teaching strategies will be examined in depth.
Behaviour Management workshops
Froebel Department of Primary and Early Childhood Education