Ursula McKenna is a member of the 'Learning' strand of research within the Department of Education Studies (ES). She works with both qualitative ad quantitative methods in measuring individual differences in young people's values and their attitudes to religious diversity. Her research interests include: religious education and associated topics such as spiritual, moral, social and cultural development; citizenship; primary education; children and education; faith schools; intercultural education; children's religious dialogue; young people's attitudes to religious diversity.

She has recently worked on the following UK projects:

(with Professor Leslie Francis and Dr Tania ap Sion) Embedding attitudes to religious diversity research findings in the school curriculum

(with Professor Leslie Francis and Dr David Lankshear) Assessing the impact on policy and performance of the Student Voice Project: A three-year research programme among year-five and year-six students in Anglican primary schools in Wales

(with Professor Leslie Francis and Dr Ann Casson) Ten leading Schools: The Spiritual Influence of Christian-Ethos Secondary Education (The Douglas Trust and Canterbury Christchurch University)

She previously worked on the research projects:

(with Professor Robert Jackson) Young people's attitudes to religious diversity (AHRC/ESRC Religion and Society programme)

(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) 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 (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 (Westhill Endowment Trust)

Ursula McKenna is senior research fellow, in education and the social significance of religion, within the Department of Education Studies. Upon completion of her BA (QTS) she was awarded an Economic and Social Research Council MA studentship and was awarded her MA (with distinction) in 1999. While combining a part-time research post at Warwick with a job-share class teaching position in a primary school she then completed her doctorate. Her research was an evaluation of the Building E-Bridges programme, a project which advocated the use of email in primary schools to promote interfaith dialogue amongst pupils across the UK. She now engages both qualitative and quantitative research methods within the empirical science of religious education where her research interests focus on young peoples' values including their attitudes to religious diversity and to human rights. She has contributed to a number of National and European research projects and has published in both books and journals. She co-authored ten chapters in the recently published book: G. Byrne & Leslie J. Francis (Eds) (2019). Religion and Education: The voices of young people in Ireland. Dublin: Veritas Publications.
She was previously editorial assistant for the British Journal of Religious Education for 12 years.

For a full biography please visit Ursula's profile on the WRERU website (http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/ces/research/wreru/aboutus/staff/um/)