Researcher Profile

Dr Amy McPherson

Faculty of Education and Arts, National School of Education

Areas of expertise: philosophy of education; sociology of education; social theory and education; wellbeing; equity and social justice; parent and community engagement; educational policy; educational ethics
HDR Supervisor accreditation status: Full
ORCID ID: 0000-0003-3685-1547
Phone: +61 2 9701 4158
Email: amy.mcpherson@acu.edu.au
Location: ACU Strathfield Campus

I am currently a Senior Lecturer in the Education Studies program, Faculty of Education and Arts, Australian Catholic University. My research addresses the broad range of concerns that impact children and young people attending schools in underserved communities. My current research examines the effects of major social, cultural, political, economic, and environmental change on the everyday lives, learning and wellbeing of children from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Drawing on sociological, cultural and ethical theory, I analyse and retheorise how the complex dynamics between schools and their contexts guide how schools and teachers respond to mounting social inequality and increasingly complex community disadvantage. Over the past ten years, my internationally recognised research has focused on the intersection of wellbeing and equity for children and young people, parent and community engagement with schooling in underserved communities, care-based teacher professional ethics, and equity focused teacher education.

Select publications

• Saltmarsh, S. & McPherson, A. (2022). Un/satisfactory encounters: Communication, conflict and parent-school engagement. Critical Studies in Education, 63, 2, 147-162. https://doi.org/10.1080/17508487.2019.1630459
• McPherson, A., & Saltmarsh, S. & Tomkins, S. (2020). Reconsidering assent for randomised control trials in education: Ethical and procedural concerns. British Journal of Educational Research, 46(4), 728-746. https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.3624
• Saltmarsh, S., McPherson, A., Chakrabarty, S., Winn, S. & Saltmarsh, D. (2020). Anecdotes, experience, and ‘learning by osmosis’: The role of professional cultures in preparing teachers for parent-school engagement. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 44(12). http://dx.doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2019v44n12.2
• McPherson, A. & Saltmarsh, S. (2020). Bodies and affect in non-traditional learning spaces. In L. Benade & M. Jackson (Eds.), Design, education and pedagogy. Routledge.
• Buchanan, R. & McPherson A. (2019). Teachers and learners in a time of big data. Journal of Philosophy in Schools, 6(1), 26–43. http://doi.org/10.21913/jps.v6i1.1566
• McPherson, A., Forster, D. & Buchanan, R. (2019). Situated cases of ethical tensions when working with children and young people in educational contexts. Global Studies of Childhood, 9(2).
• McPherson, A. (2019). Directions in empirical studies of educational ethics. In M. Peters (Ed.) Encyclopedia of teacher education. Springer.
• Forster, D., McPherson, A. & Douglas, S. (2019). Interview with Professor Meira Levinson: Democracy, dilemmas and educational ethics. Global Studies of Childhood, 9(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/2043610619846080
• Ladwig, J. & McPherson, A. (2017). The anatomy of ability. Curriculum Inquiry, 47(4), 344-362. https://doi.org/10.1080/03626784.2017.1368352
• McPherson A. & Saltmarsh, S. (2017). Bodies and affect in non-traditional learning spaces. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 49(8), 832-841. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131857.2016.1252904
• McPherson, A., Roberts, P. & Downes, N. (2017). Community perspectives and the politics of water in rural Australia: Rural-regional sustainability education in the Murray Darling Basin. Australian and International Journal of Rural Education, 27(2), 1-15.
• Chapman, A. (2015). Wellbeing in schools: Exploring the normative dimensions. In K. Wright and J. McLeod (Eds.), Rethinking youth wellbeing: Critical perspectives. Springer.
• Chapman, A., Mangion, A. & Buchanan, R. (2015). Institutional statements of commitment and widening participation policy in Australia. Policy Futures in Education, 13(8), 995-1009. https://doi.org/10.1177/1478210315581462
• Saltmarsh, S., Barr, J. & Chapman, A. (2015). Preparing for parents: How Australian teacher education is addressing the question of parent-school engagement. Asia Pacific Journal of Education, 35(1), 69-84. https://doi.org/10.1080/02188791.2014.906385
• Saltmarsh, S., Chapman, A. Campbell, M & Drew, C. (2015). Putting ‘structure within the space’: Spatially un/response pedagogic practices in open-plan learning environments. Educational Review, 67(3), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131911.2014.924482
• Buchanan, R. & Chapman, A. (2014). The political ontology of cyborgs: Considering implications of posthumanism for education. Creative Approaches to Research, 7(1), 7-20.
• Chapman, A, Saltmarsh, S., Randall-Moon, H, Campbell, M & Drew, C. (2014). Students in space: Student practices in non-traditional classrooms. Global Studies of Childhoods, 4(1), 39-47. https://doi.org/10.2304/gsch.2014.4.1.39
• Chapman, A. (2013). Imagining the posthuman: Hybrid bodies for education. The Australian Educational Researcher, 40(2), 271-280. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-013-0092-1
• Campbell, M., Saltmarsh, S., Drew, Chapman, A. & Drew, C. (2013). Issues of teacher professional learning within ‘non-traditional’ classroom environments. Improving Schools, 16(3), 209-222. https://doi.org/10.1177/1365480213501057
• Chapman, A. & S. Saltmarsh. (2013). The politics of normative childhoods and nonnormative parenting: A response to Cristyn Davies and Kerry Robinson. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 14(1), 60-65. https://doi.org/10.2304/ciec.2014.14.1.60
• Chapman, A., Forster, D. Buchanan, R. (2013). The moral imagination in pre-service teachers’ ethical reasoning. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 38(5), 131.
• Chapman, A., & Buchanan, R. (2012). FYI…Virtual space has a context: Towards an alternative frame for understanding cyberbullying. In S. Saltmarsh (Ed.), Rethinking school violence: Theory, gender, context (pp. 56-70). Palgrave Macmillan.

Projects

• Saltmarsh, S., Hue, M. T., Halse, C., Jackson, L., Chan, A., Choi, T. H., Zhou, Y., Winn, S., Lee, I-F., McPherson, A., Tualaulelei, E., & Ayre, K., Li, S., Youdell, D., Wells, K., & Maxwell, C. (2021-2023). Changing childhoods in a changing world. Funded by The Education University of Hong Kong Central Reserve Allocation Committee.
• Lampert, J., McPherson, A. Burnett, B. (2020-2021). Research into initiatives to prepare and supply a workforce for hard-to-staff schools. Department of Education, Skills & Employment.
• Burnett, B., McPherson, A. (2019-2020). NETDS – Outer Regional and Remote Professional Experience Placement Initiative, Victorian Department of Education.
• Burnett, B. and McPherson, A. (2018 -2019). National Model for Sustainable School – University Partnerships to support schools in complex needs communities, Origin Foundation.
• McPherson, A. (2018). Review of research on philosophy for children programs, Primary Ethics Pty Ltd.
• McPherson A. (2018 -2019). Developing a work-integrated placement model to support LSES schools, ACU Teaching and Learning Grant, ACU, DVC Leaning and Teaching Grant.
• Chapman, A. (2016-2017). Aspirations Research through SUIT, Parramatta Catholic Education Office.
• Roberts, P (CU), Caffery, J CU), Green, B (CSU) & Reid, J (CSU), Chapman, A. (ACU) (2014-2016). Place-based Education in the Murray-Darling Basin: Toward a sociological understanding of sustainability education. Murray Darling Basin Authority, Murray Darling Cooperative Research Network, Canberra University.
• Chapman, A. (2013). Visiting Scholar Program - KU Leuven ACU Outside Studies Program.
• Labone, E. & Chapman, A. (2012-2013). The Janus Project: Low SES Retention and Achievement under the Bradley Review. ACU First Peoples and Equity Pathways Directorate. ACU, DVC Leaning and Teaching Grant.

Accolades and awards

• British Educational Research Journal, 2021. ‘Editors’ Choice’ paper of the year for my paper titled: , ‘Reconsidering assent for randomised control trials in education: Ethical and procedural concerns’ https://www.bera.ac.uk/news/berj-announces-winners-of-its-2021-editors-choice-award
• ACU Teaching and Learning Grant, 2018. Project title: School – University partnerships in teacher education to support work integrated leaning in high poverty school contexts.
• ACU Faculty Research Fellowship, Faculty of Education and Arts, 2017. Project title: Pathways and Admissions Programs for Initial Teacher Education.
• ACU Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning, 2015. Project title: Utilizing a research informed approach to professional ethics in teacher education.
• Visiting Scholar Program, KU Leuven University, Belgium, 2014.
• ACU Faculty Research Fellowship, Faculty of Education and Arts, 2014. Project title: Exploring parent engagement in diverse school settings.
• Doctoral Thesis Award, Australian Association of Research in Education, 2012