Dr Kevin F. McGrath
Lecturer
National School of Education, Faculty of Education and Arts
Dr. Kevin F. McGrath is a Lecturer and education specialist at the Australian Catholic University in Sydney, Australia. With a professional background spanning primary education, public policy, and healthcare, Dr. McGrath brings a multidisciplinary approach to his research and teaching, emphasising equity, inclusion, and evidence-based practices.
Dr. McGrath's research focuses on the importance of student-teacher relationships and the role of gender diversity in the teaching profession. His work on male participation in teaching has been widely cited and has informed discussions on workforce equity both in Australia and internationally. He has co-authored influential articles and book chapters on these topics, contributing to global best practices in education. Notably, his contributions have been cited by international organisations such as UNESCO and the OECD, which have referred to his research in their reports on education and teacher shortages.
As a former primary school teacher, Dr. McGrath developed a keen interest in the dynamics of classroom interactions and the ways these relationships influence student outcomes. As a teacher-educator, he has trained thousands of pre-service and in-service teachers, equipping them with strategies to foster positive classroom relationships and navigate diverse educational settings. He has also served the Australian Federal Government as a Senior Adviser on workplace gender equality, where he contributed to shaping policies promoting inclusive work environments and educated employers on the link between workforce composition and gender pay gaps. In healthcare, he led evaluations of State-wide clinical and community-based programs designed to support students who experienced complex trauma, providing valuable insights into trauma-informed educational practices.
Dr. McGrath's contributions to education, policy and practice are complemented by his role as a scholar and mentor. His research continues to inform discussions on gender diversity and relational pedagogy, emphasising the need for inclusive practices in schools and workplaces.
Select publications
- McGrath, K. F. (2024). There is still work to do: Using data to drive change and improve workforce gender equality in Australia's third largest industry. Presentation at the 20th Gender and Education Association Conference, Port Macquarie, Australia.
- Van Bergen, P., McGrath, K. F., Quin, D. & Burns, E.C. (2023). Nurturing close student-teacher relationships. In L. Graham (Ed.) Inclusive Education for the 21st Century, 2nd Edition (pp.315-330). Crows Nest, NSW: Allen & Unwin. doi:10.4324/9781003350897-19
- McGrath, K. F. (2022). Teacher gender diversity: Uncovering a hidden curriculum of masculinities. In E. Keane, M. Heinz, R. McDaid (Eds.) Diversifying the Teaching Profession: Dimensions, Dilemmas, and Directions for the Future. Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003188735-7
- McGrath, K. F. (2021). Masculinity and risk: Is teaching "too risky" for men in Australia? Men and Masculinities, 24, 278-288. doi:10.1177/1097184X19865317
- McGrath, K. F., Moosa, S., Van Bergen, P., & Bhana, D. (2020). The plight of the male teacher: An interdisciplinary and multileveled theoretical framework for researching a shortage of male teachers. The Journal of Men's Studies, 28, 149-164. doi:10.1177/1060826519873860
- McGrath, K. F. (2020). When female leaders outnumber men: The decline of male school principals in Australia. Journal of Gender Studies, 29, 604-612. doi:10.1080/09589236.2019.1642739
- Van Bergen, P., McGrath, K. F., & Quin, D. (2019). Nurturing close student-teacher relationships. In L. Graham (Ed.) Inclusive Education for the 21st Century (pp.296-316). Crows Nest, NSW: Allen & Unwin. doi: 10.4324/9781003116073-16
- McGrath, K. F. & Van Bergen, P. (2019). Attributions and emotional competence: Why some teachers experience close relationships with disruptive students (and others don't). Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, 25, 335-357. doi:10.1080/13540602.2019.1569511
- McGrath, K. F. & Van Bergen, P. (2017). Are male teachers headed for extinction? The 50-year decline of male teachers in Australia. Economics of Education Review, 60, 159-167. doi:10.1016/j.econedurev.2017.08.003
- McGrath, K. F. & Van Bergen, P. (2017). Elementary teachers' emotional and relational expressions when speaking about disruptive and well behaved students. Teaching and Teacher Education, 67, 487-497. doi:10.1016/j.tate.2017.07.016
- McGrath, K. F., Van Bergen, P., & Sweller, N. (2017). Adding colour to conflict: Disruptive students' drawings of themselves with their teachers. The Elementary School Journal, 117, 642-663. doi:10.1086/691567
- McGrath, K. F. & Van Bergen, P. (2015). Who, when, why and to what end? Students at risk of negative student-teacher relationships and their outcomes. Educational Research Review, 14, 1-17. doi:10.1016/j.edurev.2014.12.001
- McGrath, K. F. & Sinclair, M. (2013). More male primary-school teachers? Social benefits for boys and girls. Gender and Education, 25, 531-547. doi:10.1080/09540253.2013.796342
Awards
- Nominated for the AARE Ray Debus Award for Doctoral Research in Education (2017)
- Awarded Vice Chancellor's Commendation for postgraduate research, Macquarie University (2016)
- Highly Commended for the prestigious David Hall Prize for Outstanding HDR Thesis (2016)
- Awarded the Excellence in Higher Degree Research Award, Macquarie University (2015)
- Winner of the 3 Minute Thesis Competition at Macquarie University, receiving both the First Prize and the People's Choice Award (2015)
- Awarded the Macquarie University Research Excellence Scholarship (2011-2015)
- Awarded the University Medal for outstanding academic achievement, University of Technology Sydney (2011)
Appointments and Affiliations
- Member, Gender and Education Association
- Member, Cognitive Science Society
- Member, Australian Men's Health Forum
- Education expert, Integrated Behavioral Health Research Institute, California, USA
Public engagement
- Featured in KERA News for North Texas (Jan 31, 2024), "Someone who looks like them: Dallas ISD program is getting more Black, Latino men into classrooms".
- Featured in The Sydney Morning Herald, "Push for more male teachers fails to increase numbers" (Jan 16, 2023).
- Interviewed on ABC radio Sydney (Jan 16, 2023)
- Featured in The Sydney Morning Herald, "Men still promoted at a higher rate than women in NSW public schools" (Nov 1, 2020).
- Featured in Women's Agenda, "Public Schools continue to prioritise male teachers over women in leadership roles" (Nov 1, 2020)
- Featured in The Daily Telegraph, "NSW Education Department's 60 per cent quota for women leaders slammed by experts" (Feb 27, 2020)
- Featured in The Daily Telegraph, "Education Department's gender strategy costs male teachers" (Feb 26, 2020)
- Featured in The Sydney Morning Herald, "Men at work, but no longer in the classroom" (Nov 17, 2019)
- Featured in The Educator, "Male teacher shortage: What can be done?" (Nov 19, 2019)
- Featured in Education Today, "Why we need more male teachers" (Nov 13, 2019)
- Featured in The Daily Telegraph, "Where are the men? Male teacher shortage gets worse" (Nov 10, 2019)
- Interviewed on 2GB radio, "Male teachers 'on the decline' as numbers plummet to alarming new low" (Jan 8, 2019)
- Featured in First Five Years, "Why there's a shortage of male teachers" (Dec 10, 2018)
- Interviewed by Jo Earp for ACER Teacher Magazine, "The Research Files Episode 35: The decline in male teachers" (Oct 12, 2017)
- Interviewed by Sean Rubinsztein-Dunlop for The World Today, "Study finds dwindling number of male teachers" (Sep 18, 2017)
- Featured in ABC News, "Male primary school teacher numbers dropping, will be 'extinct' by 2067, study finds" (Sep 18, 2017)
