Emeritus Professor Jackie Marsh

BA (Hons), PGCE, MEd, PhD, FAcSS

School of Education

Emeritus Professor

j.a.marsh@sheffield.ac.uk

The Wave

Full contact details

Emeritus Professor Jackie Marsh
School of Education
The Wave
2 Whitham Road
Sheffield
S10 2AH

Profile: Jackie Marsh has researched and taught in Education at the University of Sheffield for over 20 years. She was Head of the School of Education from 2009-12. Jackie also undertook the role of Faculty of Social Sciences Director of Learning and Teaching from 2013 – 2019. She was elected as an Academician of the Social Sciences in 2017. Jackie was a member of the REF 2021 Education Sub-Panel.
Jackie has undertaken research on children’s digital literacy learning in homes, nurseries, schools and informal learning settings. She has also undertaken studies that have examined parents’ and families’ engagement in their children’s digital literacy development. In addition, Jackie has completed a number of research projects focused on digital play. She has collaborated with a range of external partners including the BBC, LEGO and Google.
On her retirement in 2022, the University conferred on Jackie the title of Emeritus Professor. She continues to be involved in the School of Education’s Maker{Futures} programme.

Research interests

Jackie has undertaken research on children’s digital literacy learning in homes, nurseries, schools and informal learning settings. She has also undertaken studies that have examined parents’ and families’ engagement in their children’s digital literacy development.

Her work draws on theoretical frameworks located in sociology and communications, media and cultural studies. Jackie has employed a range of methodologies in her research, including large-scale, national surveys, in addition to ethnographic case studies which have included visual methods. She has expertise in participatory research with children and teachers, and in co-produced research with teachers and the children’s media industry.

Recent funded projects

Makerspaces in Early Childhood: Enhancing Play and Creativity (MakEY) 2015 – 2019, Funded by the EU Commission, Horizon 2020 (PI Marsh)
COST Action IS1410, ‘The Digital Literacy and Multimodal Practices of Young Children’ (DigiLitEY), 2015 – 2019, funded by the EU Commission (Chair/Grant Holder Marsh).
Childhoods and Play. Funded by the British Academy, 2012-2021 (PI Marsh, Co-Is Bishop and Burn)
Playing the Archive: Cultural Memory and Virtual and Physical Play, 2017-19, Funded by the EPSRC (PI Burn, Co-Is Marsh, Bishop, Potter, Woolley).
Exploring Play and Creativity in Young Children’s use of Apps, Funded by the ESRC, 2015 (PI Marsh, Co-Is Plowman, Yamada-Rice).
Digital Futures in Teacher Education, Funded by JISC, 2012, (PI Pountney, Co-Is Marsh, Merchant).
Children's playground games and songs in a new media age, 2009-11, funded by AHRC (PI Burn, Co-Is Marsh, Mitchell and Willett).

Publications

Books
Edited books
Journal articles
Chapters
Datasets

Books

Larson J & Marsh J (2015) Making Literacy Real: Theories and Practices for Learning and Teaching. SAGE Publications Ltd.
Marsh JA & Bishop JC (2014) Changing Play: Play, Media And Commercial Culture From The 1950s To The Present Day. McGraw Hill.
Willett R, Richards C, Burn A, Marsh JA & Bishop JC (2013) Children, media and playground cultures: Ethnographic studies of school playtimes. Basingstoke: Palgrave.
Marsh JA & Burke A (2013) Children's Virtual Play Worlds: Culture, Learning and Participation. Oxford: Peter Lang.
(2005) Making Literacy Real: Theories and Practices for Learning and Teaching. SAGE Publications Ltd.
Nigel H, Larson J & Marsh J (2003) Preface.

Edited books

Larson J & Marsh J (Ed.) (2013) The SAGE Handbook of Early Childhood Literacy. SAGE Publications Ltd.
Merchant G, Gillen J, Davies J & Marsh J (Eds.) (2012) Virtual Literacies: Interactive spaces for Children and Young People. New York: Routledge.
(Ed.) (2012) Handbook of Early Childhood Literacy. London: Sage.
(Ed.) (2009) Play, Creativity and Digital Cultures. New York/London: Routledge.
(Ed.) (2008) Desirable Literacies: Approaches to Language and Literacy in the Early Years. SAGE Publications Ltd.
Marsh J & Millard E (Ed.) (2005) Popular Literacies, Childhood and Schooling. Taylor & Francis.
Marsh J (Ed.) () Popular Culture, New Media and Digital Literacy in Early Childhood. Routledge.

Journal articles

Marsh J, Ardron A, Clayton Z & Hetherington D (2019) All about…: makerspaces. Nursery World, 2019(22), 23-27.
Marsh J, Wood E, Chesworth L, Nisha B, Nutbrown B & Olney B (2019) Makerspaces in early childhood education : principles of pedagogy and practice. Mind, Culture, and Activity. View this article in WRRO
Marsh JA, Plowman L, Yamada-Rice D, Bishop J, Lahmar J & Scott F (2018) Play and creativity in young children's use of apps. British Journal of Educational Technology, 49(5), 870-882. View this article in WRRO
Marsh JA, Arnseth HC & Kumpulainen K (2018) Maker Literacies and Maker Citizenship in the MakEY (Makerspaces in the Early Years) Project. Multimodal Technologies Interact, 3. View this article in WRRO
Marsh JA (2017) The Internet of Toys: A Posthuman and Multimodal Analysis of Connected Play. Teachers College record, 119. View this article in WRRO
Marsh JA, Hannon P, Lewis M & Ritchie L (2017) Young children’s initiation into family literacy practices in the digital age. Journal of Early Childhood Research, 15(1), 47-60. View this article in WRRO
Marsh JA (2016) The digital literacy skills and competences of children of pre-school age.. Media Education - Studi, ricerche, buone pratiche, 7(2), 178-195. View this article in WRRO
Marsh JA, Plowman L, Yamada-Rice D, Bishop J & Scott F (2016) Digital play: a new classification. Early Years, 36(3), 242-253. View this article in WRRO
Marsh J (2016) ‘Unboxing’ videos: co-construction of the child as cyberflâneur. Discourse Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 37(3), 369-380. View this article in WRRO
Marsh JA (2014) From the wild frontier of Davy Crockett to the wintery fiords of Frozen: changes in media consumption, play and literacy from the 1950s to the 2010s. International Journal of Play, 3(3: Lifework and Legacy: Reviewing Iona and Peter Opie's Contribution to the Study of Play), 267-279. View this article in WRRO
Marsh J & Bishop JC (2014) Challenges in the use of social networking sites to trace potential research participants. International Journal of Research & Method in Education, 37(2), 113-124.
Marsh J & Bishop J (2014) We're playing Jeremy Kyle'! Television talk shows in the playground. Discourse, 35(1), 16-30.
Marsh J (2014) Purposes for literacy in children's use of the online virtual world Club Penguin. JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN READING, 37(2), 179-195.
Marsh J & Bishop J (2012) Rewind and replay? Television and play in the 1950s/1960s and 2010s. International Journal of Play, 1(3), 279-291.
Marsh J (2012) Children as knowledge brokers of playground games and rhymes in the new media age. Childhood, 19(4), 508-522.
Marsh J (2011) Young children's literacy practices in a virtual world: Establishing an online interaction order. Reading Research Quarterly, 46(2), 101-118.
Gillen J, Marsh J, McNaughton S, Merchant G & Wells-Rowe E (2010) Editorial. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 10(1), 3-5.
Marsh J (2010) Young children's play in online virtual worlds. Journal of Early Childhood Research, 8(1), 23-39.
Marsh J (2010) Gender and curriculum, 277-282.
Marsh J & Singleton C (2009) Editorial: Literacy and technology: questions of relationship. J RES READ, 32(1), 1-5.
Marsh J & Merchant G (2008) Editorial. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 8(1), 5-6.
Marsh J, Page J & Vincent C (2007) Childcare, choice and class practices. BRIT J SOCIOL EDUC, 28(4), 529-535.
Marsh J (2007) New literacies and old pedagogies: Recontextualizing rules and practices. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 11(3), 267-281.
Marsh J (2006) Tapping into popular culture. Practical Pre-School, 2006(64), 1-2.
Marsh J (2006) Popular culture in the literacy curriculum: A Bourdieuan analysis. READ RES QUART, 41(2), 160-174.
Marsh J (2006) What is research? Methodological practices and new approaches. BRIT EDUC RES J, 32(2), 340-341.
Marsh JA (2006) Emergent media literacy: Digital animation in early childhood. Language and Education, 20(6), 493-506.
Carrington V & Marsh J (2005) Digital childhood and youth: New texts, new literacies. Discourse, 26(3), 279-285.
Marsh J (2004) Book Review: We Don’t Play with Guns here: War, Weapon and Superhero Play in the Early Years. Journal of Early Childhood Research, 2(3), 319-322.
Marsh J (2004) The primary canon: A critical review. BRIT J EDUC STUD, 52(3), 249-262.
Marsh J (2004) Literacies across media: Playing the text.. J RES READ, 27(2), 181-182.
Marsh J (2004) The Techno-Literacy Practices of Young Children. Journal of Early Childhood Research, 2(1), 51-66.
Carrington V & Marsh J (2004) Call for Papers for a Special Edition ofDiscourse—Digital Childhood and Youth: New texts, new literacies. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 25(3), 307-308.
Browne A, Dyson AH, Hall N, Marsh J & Merchant G (2003) Editorial. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 3(3), 219-222.
Marsh J (2003) One-way traffic? Connections between literacy practices at home and in the nursery. BRIT EDUC RES J, 29(3), 369-382.
Marsh J (2003) Contemporary Models of Communicative Practice: Shaky Foundations in the Foundation Stage?. English in Education, 37(1), 38-46.
Thompson P & Marsh J (2002) How video viewing can help develop language skills. Early Years Educator, 3(12), ii-viii.
Marsh J (2002) Electronic Toys: Why Should We Be Concerned? A Response to Levin & Rosenquest (2001). Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 3(1), 132-138.
Browne A, Dyson AH, Hall N, Marsh J & Merchant G (2001) Editorial. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 1(1), 5-7.
Millard E & Marsh J (2001) Words with Pictures: The Role of Visual Literacy in Writing and its Implication for Schooling. Reading, 35(2), 54-61.
Millard E & Marsh J (2001) Sending Minnie the Minx Home: Comics and reading choices. Cambridge Journal of Education, 31(1), 25-38.
Marsh J & Thompson P (2001) Parental involvement in literacy development: using media texts. Journal of Research in Reading, 24(3), 266-278.
Marsh J (2000) Teletubby Tales: Popular Culture in the Early Years Language and Literacy Curriculum. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 1(2), 119-133.
Marsh J (2000) 'But I want to fly too! ': girls and superhero play in the infant classroom. GENDER EDUC, 12(2), 209-220.
Marsh J (1999) Batman and Batwoman go to School: popular culture in the literacy curriculum. International Journal of Early Years Education, 7(2), 117-131.
Marsh J (1998) Gender and Writing in the Infant School: Writing for a Gender-specific Audience. English in Education, 32(1), 10-18.
Marsh J, Lahmar J, Plowman L, Yamada-Rice D, Bishop J & Scott F () Under three's play with tablets. Journal of Early Childhood Research.

Chapters

Marsh J (2020) 'But I want to fly too!': Girls and superhero play in the infant classroom, The Routledge Reader in Early Childhood Education (pp. 120-135).
Marsh J, Plowman L, Yamada-Rice D, Bishop J & Scott F (2020) Digital play: a new classification, Digital Play and Technologies in the Early Years (pp. 20-31). Routledge
Blum-Ross A, Kumpulainen K & Marsh J (2019) The MakEY project, Enhancing Digital Literacy and Creativity (pp. 1-10). Routledge
Kay L, Marsh J, Hyatt D, Chesworth L, Nisha B, Nutbrown B & Olney B (2019) Assessment of learning in STEAM-focused makerspaces, Enhancing Digital Literacy and Creativity (pp. 132-147). Routledge
Marsh J (2019) Researching the digital literacy and multimodal practices of young children: A European agenda for change, The Routledge Handbook of Digital Literacies in Early Childhood (pp. 19-30).
Marsh J (2019) The Uncanny Valley Revisited: Play with the Internet of Toys, The Internet of Toys (pp. 47-65). Springer International Publishing
Marsh J, Nordström A, Sairanen H & Shkul M (2019) Making the Moomins, Multiliteracies and Early Years Innovation (pp. 131-147). Routledge
Marsh J (2019) Makerspaces in the Early Years, Exploring Key Issues in Early Childhood and Technology (pp. 79-84). Routledge
Chaudron S, Marsh J, Donoso Navarette V, Ribbens W, Mascheroni G, Smahel D, Cernikova M, Dreier M, Korkeamäki R-L, Livingstone S , Ottovordemgentschenfelde S et al (2018) Rules of Engagement: Family Rules on Young Children’s Access to and Use of Technologies, International Perspectives on Early Childhood Education and Development (pp. 131-145). Springer Singapore
Marsh J (2017) Afterword, Media, Family Interaction and the Digitalization of Childhood (pp. 203-208).
Marsh J (2017) Russian Dolls and Three Forms of Capital: Ecological and Sociological Perspectives on Parents’ Engagement with Young Children’s Tablet Use, The Case of the iPad (pp. 31-47). Springer Singapore
Marsh J (2015) Researching Technologies in Children's Worlds and Futures, The SAGE Handbook of Early Childhood Research (pp. 485-501). SAGE Publications Ltd
Marsh JA (2014) The Relationship between Online and Offline Play: Friendship and Exclusion In Burn A (Ed.), Children's Games in the New Media Age London: Ashgate. View this article in WRRO
Marsh J (2014) Digital beginnings: Young children's use of popular culture, media and new technologies in homes and early years settings, Multimedia and Literacy Development: Improving Achievement for Young Learners (pp. 28-43).
Larson J & Marsh J (2013) Preface In Larson J & Marsh J (Ed.), The SAGE Handbook of Early Childhood Literacy (pp. xxix-xxxii).
Marsh J & Richards C (2013) Play, Media and Children’s Playground Cultures, Children, Media and Playground Cultures (pp. 1-20). Palgrave Macmillan UK
Marsh J & Bishop JC (2013) Parody, Homage and Dramatic Performances, Children, Media and Playground Cultures (pp. 196-211). Palgrave Macmillan UK
Marsh J (2013) Researching young children's literacy practices in online virtual worlds: Cyber-ethnography and multi-method approaches, New Methods of Literacy Research (pp. 195-209).
Levy R, Yamada-Rice D & Marsh J (2013) Digital Literacies in the Primary Classroom, International Handbook of Research on Children's Literacy, Learning, and Culture (pp. 333-343).
Merchant G, Gillen J, Marsh J & Davies J (2012) Introduction In Merchant G, Gillen J, Marsh J & Davies J (Ed.), Virtual Literacies: Interactive Spaces for Children and Young People (pp. 1-6). Taylor & Francis
Marsh J (2012) Moving stories: Digital editing in the nursery, Literacy Moves On: Using Popular Culture, New Technologies and Critical Literacy in the Primary Classroom (pp. 31-47).
Merchant G, Gillen J, Marsh J & Davies J (2012) Virtual literacies and beyond: Some concluding comments, Virtual Literacies: Interactive Spaces for Children and Young People (pp. 244-256).
Marsh J (2012) Countering chaos in club penguin: Young children’s literacy practices in a virtual world, Virtual Literacies: Interactive Spaces for Children and Young People (pp. 75-88).
Marsh J (2010) The ghosts of reading past, present and future: The materiality of reading in homes and schools, Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Learning to Read: Culture, Cognition and Pedagogy (pp. 19-31).
Marsh J & Hallet E (2008) Desirable Literacies: Approaches to Language and Literacy in the Early Years SAGE Publications Ltd
Marsh J (2006) Involving Parents and Carers, Phonics: Practice, Research and Policy (pp. 60-70). SAGE Publications Ltd
Marsh J (2006) Global, Local/Public, Private: Young Children’s Engagement in Digital Literacy Practices in the Home, Travel Notes from the New Literacy Studies: Instances of Practice (pp. 19-38).
Marsh J (2005) Tightropes, tactics and taboos: Pre-service teachers’ beliefs and practices in relation to popular culture and literacy In Marsh J & Millard E (Ed.), Popular Literacies, Childhood and Schooling (pp. 179-199). Taylor & Francis
Marsh J & Millard E (2005) Introduction In Marsh J & Millard E (Ed.), Popular Literacies, Childhood and Schooling (pp. 1-8). Taylor & Francis
Marsh J (2004) Introduction: Children of the digital age (pp. 1-8).
Marsh J (2004) Afterword (pp. 180-182).
Marsh J (2004) Ritual, performance and identity construction: Young children's engagement with popular cultural and media texts, Popular Culture, New Media and Digital Literacy in Early Childhood (pp. 21-38).
Scott F & Marsh J () Digital Literacies in Early Childhood Oxford University Press
Dyson AH () Child Cultures, Schooling, and Literacy Routledge
Marsh J () Afterword, Popular Culture, New Media and Digital Literacy in Early Childhood (pp. 237-239). Taylor & Francis
Parker-Rees R () 30 Playfulness and the Co-construction of Identity in the First Years, The SAGE Handbook of Play and Learning in Early Childhood (pp. 366-377). SAGE Publications Ltd
Levy R & Marsh J () Literacy and ICT in the Early Years, Handbook of Research on Teaching the English Language Arts Routledge
Marsh J & Bishop JC () Parody, Homage and Dramatic Performances, Children, Media and Playground Cultures Palgrave Macmillan
Marsh J & Richards C () Children as Researchers, Children, Media and Playground Cultures Palgrave Macmillan
Marsh J & Richards C () Play, Media and Childrenâs Playground Cultures, Children, Media and Playground Cultures Palgrave Macmillan
Marsh J () Early Childhood Literacy and Popular Culture, The SAGE Handbook of Early Childhood Literacy (pp. 207-222). SAGE Publications Ltd
() Play, Creativity and Digital Cultures Routledge
Hall K () Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Learning to Read Routledge
Marsh J () Social Networking Practices in Homes and Schools, Teaching Media in Primary Schools (pp. 26-34). SAGE Publications Ltd
Marsh J () Writing and Popular Culture, The SAGE Handbook of Writing Development (pp. 313-324). SAGE Publications Ltd
Marsh J () Media Literacy in the Early Years, Desirable Literacies: Approaches to Language and Literacy in the Early Years (pp. 205-222). SAGE Publications Ltd
Marsh J () The relationship between home and school literacy practices, The Routledge International Handbook of English, Language and Literacy Teaching Routledge
Macnair L, Evans S, Perkins M & Goodwin P () Inside the Classroom: Three Approaches to Phonics Teaching, Phonics: Practice, Research and Policy (pp. 45-59). SAGE Publications Ltd
Marsh J () Ritual, performance and identity construction, Popular Culture, New Media and Digital Literacy in Early Childhood (pp. 28-50). Taylor & Francis
Marsh J () Early Childhood Literacy and Popular Culture, Handbook of Early Childhood Literacy (pp. 112-125). SAGE Publications Ltd

Datasets

Marsh J, Beech A, Bishop J, Chesworth E, Ellis H, Fashanu C, Hyatt D, Kay L, Kontopodis M, Ktenidis A , Lahmar J et al UK (Sheffield) (Makerspaces in the Early Years).
Marsh J, Arnseth DHC, Beech A, Bishop J, Blum-Ross DA, Chesworth E, Dýrfjörð K, Ellis H, Erstad PO, Fashanu C , Hjartarson DT et al Makerspaces in the Early Years: Current Perceptions and Practices of Early Years Practitioners, Library and Museum Educators and Makerspace Staff - A Survey.