Dr Ursula McKenna
Dr Ursula McKenna BA(QTS), MA, EdD
Research Fellow, WRERU
Institute of Education
University of Warwick
Coventry CV4 8EE
Phone: 024 76522806
email: u.mckenna@warwick.ac.uk
Background
Ursula McKenna is a part-time research fellow within WRERU.
Research Projects
She is currently working on the following projects:
(with Professor Robert Jackson and Dr Sean neill) Religion in Education. A contribution to dialogue or a factor of conflict in transforming societies of European Countries (follow up survey)
(with Professor Robert Jackson and Dr Elisabeth Arweck) A Comparative Study of the Emerging School Subject ‘livskunskap’ (life competences) in Swedish schools and its Equivalent in the Curriculum of English Schools (Swedish Research Council)
(with Professor Robert Jackson and others) Young peoples attitudes to religious diversity (AHRC/ESRC Religion and Society programme)
She previously worked on the research projects:
(with Professor Robert Jackson and others) Materials used in schools to teach world religions (Department for Children, Schools and Families)
(with Professor Robert Jackson, Dr Julia Ipgrave and Dr Kevin O'Grady) Religion in Education. A contribution to dialogue or a factor of conflict in transforming societies of European Countries (funded by European Framework 6)
(with Professor Robert Jackson and Dr Julia Ipgrave) Evaluation of The Building E-Bridges-Inter-faith Dialogue using ICT in Primary Schools Project (funded by Westhill Endowment Trust)
(with Professor Robert Jackson) The Dimension of Religious Diversity in Intercultural/Multicultural Education, Citizenship and Cognate Fields (funded by St Peter's Saltley Trust and Gaydon Trust)
Religious Education for children with Special Educational Needs in the Mainstream Classroom (funded by the Dulverton and Gaydon Trusts)
Teaching
Ursula has taught across the primary age range. She continues to teach part-time. She has contributed to the PGCE Primary and Early Years Religious Education Module.
Administration
She undertakes a range of administrative tasks in support of the Warwick Religions and Education Research Unit including the servicing of all Unit and project meetings; the obtaining of ethical approval for projects; tracking of project expenditure; organisation of the WRERU seminar series and maintenance of the website.
She was editorial assistant on the British Journal of Religious Education from 1999-2011, co-ordinating the refereeing process for all submissions and special issues. Together with Dr. Kevin O’Grady and Dr. Joyce Miller, she is currently editing a volume of essays illustrating aspects of the history of the research on religion and education undertaken at the University of Warwick, together with a critique of its contemporary relevance.
Publications
Miller, J. and McKenna, U. (2011) Religion and religious education: comparing and contrasting pupils’ and teachers’ views in an English school, British Journal of Religious Education, 33 (2), pp173 - 187
Jackson, R., Ipgrave, J., Hayward, M., Hopkins, P., Fancourt, N., Robbins, M., Francis, L. J. and McKenna, U. (2010) Materials used to Teach about World Religions in Schools in England, London: Department for Children, Families and Schools. Research Report DCSF-RR197ISBN 978 1 84775 634 3 Available at: http://publications.dcsf.gov.uk/default.aspx?PageFunction=productdetails&PageMode=publications&ProductId=DCSF-RR197& (accessed 28 January, 2010)
McKenna, U., Neill, S., Jackson, R. (2009) Personal worldviews, dialogue and tolerance: students’ views on religious education in England, in: Pille Valk, Gerdien Bertram-Troost, Markus Friederici and Céline Beraud (Eds.) Teenagers’ Perspectives on the Role of Religion in their Lives, Schools and Societies. A European Quantitative Study, Religious Diversity and Education in Europe Series (Münster, Waxmann) pp 49-70
McKenna, U., Ipgrave, J. and Jackson, R. (2008) Interfaith Dialogue by Email in Primary Schools: An Evaluation of the Building E-Bridges Project (Münster, Waxmann).
Ipgrave, J., and McKenna, U. (2008) Diverse experiences and common vision: English students’ perspectives on religion and religious education, in: T. Knauth, D-P. Jozsa, G. Bertram-Troost and J. Ipgrave, (Eds.) Encountering Religious Pluralism in School and Society. A Qualitative Study of Teenage Perspectives in Europe Religious Diversity and Education in Europe Series (Münster, Waxmann) pp133-147.
Ipgrave, J. and McKenna, U. (2007) Values and Purposes: Teacher perspectives on the ‘Building E-Bridges’ Project for inter faith dialogue between children across the UK, in C. Bakker and H-G Heimbrock (Eds.) Researching RE Teachers. RE Teachers as Researchers, Religion and Education in Europe Series (Munster, Waxmann) pp215-234.
