Dr Delma Byrne

Sociology, Education

Lecturer

Auxilia House
1.4
(01) 7083723

Biography

  • My research interests focus on social stratification and the sociology of education in particular, and the role of education in shaping life chances over the life-course, including labour market experiences. I have been working on these research areas for some time now, having worked on these issues during my time as a Research Assistant and Post Doctoral Research Fellow at the Economic and Social Research Institute, Dublin (2001-2003 and 2007-2010 respectively) and at the University of Edinburgh where I obtained a PhD in Educational Sociology (2003-2007). 
  • There is a particular focus on inequalities relating to gender, social class, race/ethnicity, disability and special educational needs in my work. This work cross-cuts research in comparative education and labour market research, with a particular focus on the structure of education systems and the graduate labour market.
  • I use a variety of research designs, research methods and data to include the use of both quantitative and qualitative methods in empirical educational research, which underpins my teaching in the fields of sociology and education. My use of data includes both cross-nationally comparative data such as the European Labour Force Survey and Reflex data, as well as longitudinal data such as the Growing up in Ireland data, and qualitative data collection. 

Research Interests

Stratification in Education and Training and the Labour Market, School-to-Work Transitions, Graduate Labour Market, Social Inequality: Gender, Social Class, Race/Ethnicity/Migrant Status Inequality, Comparative Data Analysis, Social Science Research Methods (Quantitative, Qualitative, Mixed Methods)

Research Projects

  Project Role Description Start Date End Date
The Educational Experiences of Undocumented Youth in Ireland Co-Investigator 01-JUL-17 31-MAR-18
The Irish Graduate Labour Market in European Comparative Aspect Primary Investigator 01-JUN-17 01-JUN-19
The Position of the Middle Class in European Countries Contributor 01-MAR-17 30-SEP-17
A Review of Barriers and Supports Impacting on Lone Parent Access to Higher Education Principal Investigator 01-JUL-16 27-APR-17
National Evaluation of the DARE/HEAR Widening Access to Participation in Higher Education Principal Investigator 01-OCT-12 30-JUN-13
Working Out? Family Employment and Childcare Strategies and the Impact on Child Well-Being Principal Investigator 01-OCT-12 30-OCT-13
Thresholds of Inequality: A Cross National Evaluation of Effectively Maintained Inequality in Education Co-Investigator 01-JAN-11 01-JAN-15

Books

  Year Publication
2010 Behind the Scenes? A Study of Parental Involvement in Second Level Education.
Byrne, D., and Smyth, E. (2010) Behind the Scenes? A Study of Parental Involvement in Second Level Education. : The Liffey Press in association with the ESRI & DES. [Details]
2010 No Way Back? The Dynamics of Early School Leaving.
Byrne, D., and Smyth, E. (2010) No Way Back? The Dynamics of Early School Leaving. : The Liffey Press in association with the ESRI, NCCA & DES. [IR Link] [Details]
2005 The Transition Year Programme: An Assessment.
Smyth, E., Byrne, D., and Hannan, C. (2005) The Transition Year Programme: An Assessment. : The Liffey Press in association with the ESRI. [Details]

Book Chapters

  Year Publication
2017 'Student Retention in Higher Education'
McCoy, S., and Byrne, D. (2017) 'Student Retention in Higher Education' In: Cullinan, J., and Flannery, D (eds). The Economics of Higher Education in Ireland. London: Palgrave. [Details]
2012 'New School, New System: The experiences of immigrant students in Irish schools'
Darmody, M., Smyth, E., Byrne, D., and McGinnity, F. (2012) 'New School, New System: The experiences of immigrant students in Irish schools' In: International Handbook of Migration, Minorities and Education. Springer. [Details]
2010 'Non Progression among Higher Education New Entrants'
McCoy, S., and Byrne, D. (2010) 'Non Progression among Higher Education New Entrants' In: A Study of Progression in Higher Education. Dublin: Higher Education Authority. [IR Link] [Details]

Peer Reviewed Journals

  Year Publication
2017 'Seven Principles for Assessing Effectively Maintained Inequality'
Lucas, S.R., and Byrne, D. (2017) 'Seven Principles for Assessing Effectively Maintained Inequality'. American Behavioral Scientist, 61 (1):132-160 [IR Link] [Details]
2017 'Effectively Maintained Inequality in Educational Transitions in the Republic of Ireland'
Byrne, D., and McCoy, S. (2017) 'Effectively Maintained Inequality in Educational Transitions in the Republic of Ireland'. American Behavioral Scientist, 61 (1):49-73 [IR Link] [Details]
2017 'Effectively Maintained Inequality: An Introduction'
Lucas, S.R., and Byrne, D. (2017) 'Effectively Maintained Inequality: An Introduction'. American Behavioral Scientist, 61 (1):3-7 [IR Link] [Details]
2016 'Determinants and Effects of School Age Childcare on Children’s Cognitive and Socio-Emotional Outcomes at Age 13'
Byrne, D. (2016) 'Determinants and Effects of School Age Childcare on Children’s Cognitive and Socio-Emotional Outcomes at Age 13'. THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL REVIEW, 47 (4):543-575 [IR Link] [Details]
2013 'Comforts and Costs: Student Experience of Participation in a Lower Track at Upper Secondary Education'
Byrne, D., Banks, J., McCoy, S., and Smyth, E. (2013) 'Comforts and Costs: Student Experience of Participation in a Lower Track at Upper Secondary Education'. To be added, Forthcoming, British Journal of Sociology of Education [Details]
2015 'Born abroad and educated here: examining the impacts of education and skill mismatch among immigrant graduates in Europe'
McGuinness, Seamus and Byrne, Delma (2015) 'Born abroad and educated here: examining the impacts of education and skill mismatch among immigrant graduates in Europe'. IZA JOURNAL OF MIGRATION, 4 [DOI] [IR Link] [Details]
2014 'Cumulative disadvantage? Educational careers of migrant students in Irish secondary schools'
Darmody, M;Byrne, D;McGinnity, F (2014) 'Cumulative disadvantage? Educational careers of migrant students in Irish secondary schools'. Race Ethnicity and Education, 17 :129-151 [DOI] [IR Link] [Details]
2014 'Bottom of the class? The leaving certificate applied programme and track placement in the Republic of Ireland'
Banks, J;Byrne, D;McCoy, S;Smyth, E (2014) 'Bottom of the class? The leaving certificate applied programme and track placement in the Republic of Ireland'. Irish Educational Studies, 33 :367-381 [DOI] [IR Link] [Details]
2012 'The Determinants and Effects of Training at Work: Bringing the Workplace Back in'
O'Connell, PJ;Byrne, D (2012) 'The Determinants and Effects of Training at Work: Bringing the Workplace Back in'. European Sociological Review, 28 :283-300 [DOI] [Details]
2012 'Too Much of a Good Thing? Gender, 'Concerted Cultivation' and Unequal Achievement in Primary Education'
McCoy, S;Byrne, D;Banks, J (2012) 'Too Much of a Good Thing? Gender, 'Concerted Cultivation' and Unequal Achievement in Primary Education'. Child Indicators Research, 5 :155-178 [DOI] [Details]
2011 ''The sooner the better I could get out of there': barriers to higher education access in Ireland'
McCoy, S;Byrne, D (2011) ''The sooner the better I could get out of there': barriers to higher education access in Ireland'. Irish Educational Studies, 30 :141-157 [DOI] [IR Link] [Details]
2010 'Immigration and School Composition in Ireland'
Byrne, D., McGinnity, F., Smyth, E. and Darmody, M. (2010) 'Immigration and School Composition in Ireland'. IRISH EDUCATION STUDIES JOURNAL, Special Issue on 'Race', migration and education in a globalised context, 29 :271-288 [IR Link] [Details]
2008 'BERA Review 2006: Education Research and Policy'
Byrne, D., and Ozga, J. (2008) 'BERA Review 2006: Education Research and Policy'. To be added, Research Papers in Education, 23 :377-405 [IR Link] [Details]
2007 'Language Approaches Used with Deaf Pupils in Scottish Schools: 2001-2004'
Grimes, M., Thoutenhoofd, E.D. and Byrne, D (2007) 'Language Approaches Used with Deaf Pupils in Scottish Schools: 2001-2004'. To be added, Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 12 :530-551 [IR Link] [Details]
2006 'An Introduction to Computerised Analysis of Qualitative Data'
Darmody, M. and Byrne, D. (2006) 'An Introduction to Computerised Analysis of Qualitative Data'. IRISH EDUCATION STUDIES JOURNAL, 25 :121-133 [IR Link] [Details]

Other Journals

  Year Publication
2015 'A Whole New Spectrum of Queries, Concerns and Anxieties'
O'Toole, C., and Byrne, D. (2015) 'A Whole New Spectrum of Queries, Concerns and Anxieties' Children's Research Digest, 2 (2) :9-14. [IR Link] [Details]

Published Reports

  Year Publication
2015 The Influence of Childcare Arrangements on Child Well Being from Infancy to Middle Childhood.
Byrne, D. and O'Toole, C. (2015) The Influence of Childcare Arrangements on Child Well Being from Infancy to Middle Childhood. TUSLA in association with Maynooth University, TUSLA in association with Maynooth University. [IR Link] [Details]
2014 An Evaluation of the HEAR and DARE Supplementary Admission Routes to Higher Education.
Byrne, D., Doris, A., Sweetman, O., Casey, R., and Raffe, D. (2014) An Evaluation of the HEAR and DARE Supplementary Admission Routes to Higher Education. IUA, http://www.iua.ie/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/HEAR-DARE-Evaluation-Report.pdf. [Details]
2010 Changing Workplace: A Survey of Employees’ Views and Experiences.
O’Connell, P.J., Russell, H., Watson, D., and Byrne, D. (2010) Changing Workplace: A Survey of Employees’ Views and Experiences. National Centre for Partnership and Performance, Dublin. [IR Link] [Details]
2010 Engaging Young People? Student Experiences of the Leaving Certificate Applied.
Banks, J., Byrne, D., McCoy, S. and Smyth, E. (2010) Engaging Young People? Student Experiences of the Leaving Certificate Applied. Report Commissioned by the NCCA and Published as an ESRI Research Series Publication 15, in associat, Dublin. [IR Link] [Details]
2009 School Leavers’ Survey 2007.
Byrne, D., McCoy, S., and Watson, D. (2009) School Leavers’ Survey 2007. ESRI in association with DES, Dublin. [IR Link] [Details]
2009 Adapting to Diversity: Irish Schools and Newcomer Students.
Smyth, E., Darmody, M., McGinnity, F. and Byrne, D. (2009) Adapting to Diversity: Irish Schools and Newcomer Students. ESRI, Report commissioned by the Department of Education and Skills, and published as an ESRI Research Se. [IR Link] [Details]
2005 Establishing a UK ‘home international’ comparative research programme for post-compulsory learning LSRC.
Byrne, D. and Raffe, D. (2005) Establishing a UK ‘home international’ comparative research programme for post-compulsory learning LSRC. Report commissioned and published by the Learning and Skills Development Agency UK, London. [IR Link] [Details]

Book Review

  Year Publication
2015 Book Review of Irish Higher Education: A Comparative Perspective, by Patrick Clancy, Dublin, Institute of Public Administration.
Byrne, D. (2015) Book Review of Irish Higher Education: A Comparative Perspective, by Patrick Clancy, Dublin, Institute of Public Administration. Book Review [IR Link] [Details]