Dr Jane McDonnell
Senior Lecturer
My profile
Biography
My career in higher education began in 2010, after completing my PhD in Education at the University of Exeter. In that work, I explored the role of art in the relationship between democracy and education and carried out empirical research into young people’s political engagement. A key contribution of my doctoral work was the application of Rancière’s writing on politics and aesthetics to theories of democratic education.
Prior to undertaking my PhD, I worked as a teacher of Religious Education (RE) in secondary schools, having completed a BA in Religious Studies at Newcastle University, followed by an MA in Theology, and a PGCE in Secondary RE, at Durham University. The unique place of RE in schools is something that really interests me and I have recently addressed this in my research.
I have worked across a range of institutions in higher education. While I have taught primarily on undergraduate programmes, I have also contributed to postgraduate teaching, including on MA and PGCE programmes. A key contribution to teaching has been my development of a modules on Religion and Education for the undergraduate BA in Education. Most recently, I have undertaken the role of programme leader for the BA Education at Manchester Metropolitan.
Interests and expertise
My current research explores the role of RE teachers in the shifting landscape of values education policy in England. This work has involved collaboration with creative practitioners and the use of creative writing to help teachers explore both their current experiences and their imagined futures as values educators.
I continue to undertake scholarship in educational philosophy and theory, and have recently published a book introducing the work of Jacques Rancière, and its uptake in the field of education.
Impact
My current work on the role of RE teachers in the shifting landscape of values education in England has had a direct impact on practice. My most recent research project in this area led to the publication of a reflective resource for RE teachers, co-created with participants in the project. A summary of findings from this and a previous, pilot study has also been published in the main practitioner journal for RE teachers in the UK, REToday.
Projects
Over the course of my career, I have been involved in research projects in gallery education for young people, student engagement and assessment in higher education and, most recently, on the impact of recent developments in values education policy on RE teachers and RE teaching. A full list of my research projects is provided below:
2020: RE teachers and values education in England. Narrating experiences for critical practice. Fundedby theKeswick Hall Trust. £4966.40. Principal Investigator
2018: Developing research into values education across formal and non-formal educational settings. Funded by Manchester Metropolitan University. Research Accelerator grant of £2412.40. Principle Investigator.
2012: Employability in Education Studies: A student-lecturer collaborative enquiry: Funded by the Higher Education Academy. Collaborative Teaching Development Grant of £60,000. Collaborating Investigator
2011: Assessment reassessed: A student and lecturer collaborative enquiry: Funded by ESCalate, The HEA Subject Centre for Education. Research grant of £4,990. Collaborating Investigator
Teaching
Why study…
The critical awareness you will gain on the BA Education degree - not only about schools, students, teachers and pedagogy - but also about the changing and contested role of education in society, will make you see the world differently. And it will make you a better educator if you choose to pursue a career in teaching.
Subject areas
Education
Supervision
I am currently supervising doctoral work on the impact of the Prevent agenda and the promotion of Fundamental British values in schools, particularly as they relate the governance of small independent Islamic schools. I have previously supervised doctoral research on the development of academies and the value of galley settings for inclusive education.
Research outputs
I have published widely in books, journal articles and practitioner-focused publications on democratic education, young people’s political engagement and values education, as well as on educational philosophy and theory. My research has also led to the co-production of resources for teachers.
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Books (authored/edited/special issues)
McDonnell, J. (2022) Reading Rancière for Education An Introduction. Palgrave Macmillan.
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Chapters in books
McDonnell, J. (2018) 'What future for young people's artistic activism?.' In Grasso, M., Bessant, J. (ed.) Governing Youth Politics in the Age of Surveillance. London: Routledge,
Sant, E., Pais, A., McDonnell, J., Mendez Alvarez-Hevia, D. (2017) 'Social Fantasy vs. Radical Democracy: two competing views of populism and how they challenge education.' In Akbaba, Y., Jeffrey, B. (ed.) The Implications of ‘New Populism’ For Education. E & E Printing, pp. 41-52.
McDonnell, J. (2013) 'Education and the Economy.' In Curtis, W., Ward, S., Sharp, J., Hankin, L. (ed.) Education Studies: An issue-based approach. 3rd edition.
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Journal articles
McDonnell, J. (2023) 'RE teachers and the shifting landscape of values education in England.' British Journal of Religious Education, 45(3) pp. 228-239.
McDonnell, J. (2020) 'How do you promote British values when values education is your profession? Policy enactment of FBV amongst teachers of Religious Education, Citizenship and Personal, Social and Health Education in England.' Cambridge Journal of Education, 51(3) pp. 377-394.
Sant, E., McDonnell, J., Pashby, K., Menendez Alvarez-Hevia, D. (2020) 'Pedagogies of agonistic democracy and citizenship education.' Education, Citizenship and Social Justice, 16(3) pp. 227-244.
McDonnell, J. (2017) 'Political and Aesthetic Equality in the Work of Jacques Rancière: Applying his Writing to Debates in Education and the Arts.' Journal of Philosophy of Education, 51(2) pp. 387-400.
McDonnell, J. (2016) 'Is it ‘all about having an opinion’? Challenging the Dominance of Rationality and Cognition in Democratic Education via Research in a Gallery Setting.' International Journal of Art and Design Education, 37(2) pp. 233-243.
McDonnell, J.L. (2014) 'Finding a place in the discourse: Film, literature and the process of becoming politically subject.' Journal of Social Science Education, 13(4) pp. 78-86.
McDonnell, J., Curtis, W. (2014) 'Making space for democracy through assessment and feedback in higher education: thoughts from an action research project in education studies.' Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 39(8) pp. 932-948.
McDonnell, J. (2014) 'PFI and the performative politics of dissent: Lessons for democratic education.' Power and Education, 6(3) pp. 307-317.
McDonnell, J. (2014) 'Reimagining the Role of Art in the Relationship between Democracy and Education.' Educational Philosophy and Theory, 46(1) pp. 46-58.
Curtis, W., Goodson, A., McDonnell, J., Shields, S., Wyness, R. (2012) 'Learning together and expanding horizons: reflections on a student—lecturer collaborative enquiry.' Enhancing Learning in the Social Sciences, 4(3) pp. 1-11.
Curtis, W., Goodson, A., McDonnell, J., Shields, S., Wyness, R. (2012) 'Learning together and expanding horizons: reflections on a student-lecturer collaborative enquiry.' Enhancing Learning in the Social Sciences, 4(3)
McDonnell, J., Curtis, W. (2012) 'Creating spaces for democracy in higher education: Rethinking assessment feedback strategies.' Gateway Papers: A journal for pedagogic research in higher education, 2pp. 40-51.
Lawy, R., Biesta, G., McDonnell, J., Lawy, H., Reeves, H. (2010) ''The art of democracy': Young people's democratic learning in gallery contexts.' British Educational Research Journal, 36(3) pp. 351-365.
Press and media
My work on values education with RE teachers has been reported in the Times Educational Supplement and in REToday, the main practitioner journal for RE teachers in the UK.