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O'Sullivan, Sara
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O'Sullivan, Sara
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O'Sullivan, Sara
Research Output
Now showing 1 - 10 of 16
- PublicationMapping Existing Research Output Focused on Higher Education Teaching and Learning in Ireland 1990-2015(National Forum, 2015-06)
; ; ; ; The purpose of this six-month 'snapshot' project was to map the extent and characteristics of research on teaching and learning in the Irish higher education field. This is the first such study focused on Ireland, and the first systematic study of teaching and learning research at a national level. The project set out to capture the nature and key characteristics of such research in Ireland between 1990 and early 2015, including the main fields of interest the types of publication and historical development. The two main benefits of such a study are that it provides; i) an evidence base for the enhancement and development of teaching and learning at a time of major change in Irish higher education; ii) direction for further research, and coordination of research. The first phase of the study involved a systematic review of published research, comprising a wide range of sources, and involving electronic and hand searches. This was followed by a review of conference papers (Phase 2) and of research by identified experts (Phase 3), resulting in the identification of a total of 2275 records. The first stage of analysis in the study consisted of a review of abstracts for key themes. The thematic approach followed that of Malcolm Tight's (2012) analysis of higher education research in the English language outside US and Canada. In the second stage, full papers will be sourced for full text analysis.6587 - PublicationTeaching sociology in an age of teaching 'excellence'In 2004 Wright et al issued a challenge to sociologists, to examine 'the effect of the structure of the academy on teaching and learning outcomes' (2004: 155). In this paper I take up this challenge, beginning with a short overview of the changing Irish higher education context, highlighting three macro level changes that currently impact on teaching sociology in Ireland. I argue that such a structural lens is essential to our understanding of the meso (institutional and disciplinary) levels of teaching sociology. I argue a nascent ‘teaching and learning movement’ in Irish sociology may be emerging. A number of factors that have facilitated this are identified. However even a quick glance at Irish higher education also reveals contradictions and conflicts which threaten this movement before it is even established, including worsening staff-student ratios, increased casualization of teaching and the neo-liberal turn. The paper concludes with a call for more sociologically informed work both on teaching and learning in Irish higher education, and on teaching sociology. This would enable more informed involvement in critical debates around teaching excellence at the national and institutional levels. It would also make public pedagogies currently in use for teaching sociology in Ireland.
403Scopus© Citations 1 - PublicationThe first semester of university life ; ‘will I be able to manage it at all?’This paper reports on an Irish study examining first year students’ recollections of their concerns, motivations, level of preparedness and perceived skills on entry to university. The study aims to investigate and understand the implications of the attitudes of first year students as they make the transition to university. It also explores students’ behaviour during their initial weeks at university. It is important to understand the anxieties of new students, their views on their abilities and their confidence in managing their new role as these factors will have consequences for their experience as first year university students. These findings are explored with a view to enhancing the quality of support for students during this key transition.
3201Scopus© Citations 46 - PublicationOnwards and Upwards? Gender and Work in IrelandIt can be argued that the Irish workforce has been revolutionised over the past 25 years, as married women entered the world of paid work in increasing numbers, bolstering the female participation rate. There have also been changes in gender roles and gender role attitudes over the period. This review will present sociological research analysing this major social change, including research that places the Irish case in a comparative European and international context. The review will mirror the main foci of the field, paying particular attention to research on gender role attitudes, occupational segregation and unpaid work. The gendering of the Irish workforce has been a complex and uneven process, involving continuities as well as changes. Overall, the sexual division of labour remains a key feature of paid and unpaid work in Ireland, and the concept has considerable explanatory power in relation to persistent gender inequalities.
1020Scopus© Citations 3 - PublicationStudents as Partners in Peer Mentoring: Expectations, Experiences and EmotionsIncreasing emphasis in recent years has been placed on how faculty, staff and students in higher education can be drawn into more collaborative learning relationships through partnership working. The significant challenges in terms of negotiating shifting roles and responsibilities have been well documented. Less attention has been paid to the affective challenges, and particularly the emotional labour involved. This paper focuses on the adoption of a partnership approach to first year peer mentoring and orientation in a large Social Science programme. Peer mentors played a critical role as designers of the programme, as partners delivering the programme, and as co-researchers, offering a unique understanding and insight into aspects of the peer mentor experience that often remain hidden. Our findings draw attention to the need to consider and manage more carefully the impact of students on each other in mentoring relationships but also suggest an opportunity to harness the mentoring experience to embed a partnership culture more fully.
256Scopus© Citations 12 - PublicationThe First-Year Experience: Assessing Expectations and Enhancing Reality(University College Dublin, 2009-06-01)
; ; ; This project aimed to assess student expectations of university on arrival and their experiences during the first year with a view to identifying key issues relating to student engagement and recommending possible enhancements at University College Dublin.90 - Publication'The whole nation is listening to you': the presentation of the self on a tabloid talk radio showThis article focuses on callers' experiences of participating on a tabloid talk radio show. The performative dimension of calling was found to be central. This is an aspect of participation on talk radio shows that has been largely neglected by previous studies. Callers have concerns about how they manage their self-presentation on-air. They are aware of both the host and the listening audience, and try to control the impression they 'give off'. Callers to The Gerry Ryan Show are central players who, together with the host and the production team, contribute to the staging of debate in this on-air forum. Concerns about performance were found to be secondary for those who rang the show with a problem. These callers tended to prioritise instrumental goals such as problem-solving or support-seeking.
638Scopus© Citations 21