Social Care

Sorca Mc Donnell

Lecturer

Tel: : +353 1 2207576

Dr Sorca Mc Donnell is a lecturer in Early Childhood Education and Care, and Social Care, teaching modules including Outdoor Learning and Risky Play; Understanding Behaviours that Challenge; Supporting Children and Families; Child Development; as well as undergraduate research supervision and placement supervision.

Before lecturing I worked in community-based projects supporting children and families, in both Project Worker and Project Leader roles. I have also worked as a Childcare Development Worker supporting Early Childhood Education settings, including design and delivery of practice-based workshops, supporting quality and offering advice and guidance on best practice, supporting community-based services and mentoring Early Years Managers.

I completed a Doctoral degree in Higher and Adult Education, in Maynooth University, with research focused on the experiences of working-class women in higher education. I am interested in collaborative research which seeks to centre the voices and stories of those whose voices are rarely heard in academia and I am particularly interested in working-class experiences.

I also hold a Higher Diploma in Further Education and am interested in using teaching and learning methods which utilise both Adult Education and Early Childhood Education principles, including recognising the knowledge, skills and expertise which students bring to education, using creative and innovative approaches in classes, and supporting students to link theory to practice.

I also hold qualifications in Child, Family and Community Studies; Social Care; HighScope; Marte Meo; and Social and Community Studies.

Research Interests:

Class; Working-class experiences in the Irish education system; Inequality in education; Collaborative research; Voice and story