Ruth Bourke

Ruth Bourke is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Education, Mary Immaculate College, where she has worked since 2004. As Project Coordinator of the Transforming Education through Dialogue (TED) Project and manager of the Embracing Diversity Nurturing Integration Programme (EDNIP), she specializes in educational inequality, teacher professional learning, and school network dynamics.

• Education: BA, MEd, PhD (University of Limerick)
• Key Research Areas: Educational inequality, teacher professional learning for complexity, education policy implementation, wellbeing in schools, social capital development.

Her notable studies include evaluations of the City Connects initiative in Dublin (2023) and Doodle Families Literacy Pilot Project (2016). She contributes to the B Ed programme and delivers guest lectures on TED work and DEIS school research.

Scientific Awards

• New Foundations funding for critical thinking research (2025)

Research Trends

Ruth’s research focuses on systemic educational reform, particularly in disadvantaged contexts. She examines how collaborative networks enhance teacher capacity, implement policies effectively, and build community partnerships to address educational disparities.