Dr Fufy Demissie BA, PGCE, MEd, EdD
Senior Lecturer in Early Years Education
Summary
I am a senior lecturer in the Sheffield Institute of Education. My research interests include understanding how dialogic approaches influence professional learning in the early years and beyond. Recent projects include an Erasmus project on Global Citizenship and Mathematics education based on the Philosophy for children (P4C) pedagogy, and a classroom intervention to promote metacognition in early childhood settings.
I came into higher education after 10 years of teaching in early years settings and continue to work with school teachers and student teachers to embed the Philosophy for Children pedagogy in teaching and learning.
About
My research interests include professional learning, dialogic pedagogies and student learning from early years to adult education. I have adapted the Philosophy for Children (P4C) in a range of contexts including professional dialogues on race and equality in higher education, scaffolding student teachers facilitation of story books, supporting academic literacy and early years teachers understanding of critical thinking.
Currently, I am the P4C lead for the Institute of Education, and in addition to teaching and doctoral supervision, I am the CPD, research ethics and student placement coordinator at the Early Years Community and Research centre (EYCRC) at the Meadow Nursery, Sheffield. Outside the SHU context, I am a member of SAPERE (Society of the Advancement of Philosophical Enquiry and Reflection in Education), Dialogueworks and Think Together Sheffield (TTS).
Specialist areas of interest
Pedagogy, early years, research, reflective practice
Teaching
Department of Teacher Education
College of Social Sciences and Arts
MA Education Full time/Part time
Specific modules Fufy teaches on are Child Development, Early Years Pedagogy, Philosophy for Children, Educational Enquiry, and learning across the curriculum.
Publications
Journal articles
Demissie, F.A., & Cook, B. (2025). Talk with tales for Children (TWiTCH): using interactive shared book reading to unlock story time’s potential for learning and development. English 4-11.
Demissie, F., & Pearse, S. (2025). Parental engagement and transformation as a marker of quality in Early Childhood Education and Care. Journal of Early Childhood Research, 23 (1), 93-106. http://doi.org/10.1177/1476718x241293899
Archer, N., Demissie, F., & Pearse, S. (2024). The role of settings as civic spaces. Early Years Educator, 24 (9). http://doi.org/10.12968/eyed.2024.24.9.18
Demissie, F.A. (2020). Understanding barriers to discussion-based learning: using an epistemological perspective to theorise student teachers' perceptions. TEAN (Teacher Education Action Network), 12 (1), 97-108. https://ojs.cumbria.ac.uk/index.php/TEAN/article/view/648
Demissie, F., & Doxey, C. (2020). Trainee teachers' experiences of using picture books with the Philosophy for Children (P4C) pedagogy. English, four to eleven.
Demissie, F. (2020). The Philosophy for Children pedagogy in a university-based initial teacher training course: a case study of a 'disruptive' pedagogy. Forum for Promoting 3-19 Comprehensive Education, 62 (1), 69-78. http://doi.org/10.15730/forum.2020.62.1.69
Povey, H., Adams, G., Demissie, F.A., Unwin, R., Weber, R., & Bremer, J. (2019). A cross-curricular project in citizenship and mathematics (PiCaM). Mathematics Teaching, (269), 12-15.
Demissie, F. (2016). ‘Student teachers' perceptions of seminar learning contexts in ITE (initial teacher education). TEAN (Teacher Education Action Network), 8 (1), 46-55. http://ojs.cumbria.ac.uk/index.php/TEAN/article/view/287/412
Demissie, F. (2015). Promoting student teachers' reflective thinking through a philosophical community of enquiry approach. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 40 (12), 1-13. http://doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2015v40n12.1
Demissie, F. (2012). Investigating students’ perspectives of learning and participating in seminars using a Bourdieuian perspective. Student Engagement and Experience Journal, 1 (1), 1-9. http://doi.org/10.7190/seej.v1i1.32
Demissie, F.A. (n.d.). Embedding high quality discussion-based learning in HE classrooms: Using a philosophical inquiry approach to reflect on facilitation approaches. Journal of Learning and Development.
Demissie, F.A. (n.d.). Embedding high quality discussion-based learning in HE classrooms: Using a philosophical inquiry approach to reflect on facilitation approaches. Journal of learning and development.
Demissie, F.A. (n.d.). Embedding high quality discussion-based learning in HE classrooms: Using a philosophical inquiry approach to reflect on facilitation approaches. Journal of learning and development.
Conference papers
Demissie, A., Povey, H., & Adams, G. (2019). What are the affordances and limitations of the philosophy for Children (P4C) pedagogy for teaching and learning mathematics? In Curtis, F. (Ed.) Proceedings of the British Society for Research into Learning Mathematics, Milton Keynes, UK, 19 March 2019. BSRLM
Chronaki, A., Adams, G., Andrade, M., Bruno, G., Demissie, F., Marcone, R., ... Yolcu, A. (2019). Unfolding global/local policies, practices and/or hybrids in mathematics education worldwide: utopias, pleasures, pressures and conflicts. Proceedings of the Tenth International Mathematics Education and Society Conference. https://www.mescommunity.info/proceedings/MES10.pdf
Povey, H., Adams, G., Demissie, F., & Chronaki, A. (2019). Initial report from the project in citizenship and mathematics (PICAM): moral and political dilemmas. Proceedings of the Tenth International Mathematics Education and Society Conference. https://www.mescommunity.info/proceedings/MES10.pdf
Book chapters
Demissie, F. (2024). Using a community of philosophical inquiry approach to explore race and inequality in higher education contexts. In Fleming, K., & Demissie, F. (Eds.) Nurturing ‘Difficult Conversations’ in Education: empowerment, agency and social justice in the UK. Bloomsbury: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/nurturing-difficult-conversations-in-education-9781350332119/
Demissie, F., & Fleming, K. (2024). Why difficult conversations matter - In search for transformation and personal growth. In Fleming, K., & Demissie, F. (Eds.) Nurturing ‘Difficult Conversations’ in Education: empowerment, agency and social justice in the UK. Bloomsbury: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/nurturing-difficult-conversations-in-education-9781350332119/
Demissie, F., & Fleming, K. (2024). Why difficult conversations matter - In search for transformation and personal growth. In Fleming, K., & Demissie, F. (Eds.) Nurturing ‘Difficult Conversations’ in Education: empowerment, agency and social justice in the UK. Bloomsbury: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/nurturing-difficult-conversations-in-education-9781350332119/
Demissie, F., & Fleming, K. (2024). Afterword. In Fleming, K., & Demissie, F. (Eds.) Nurturing ‘Difficult Conversations’ in Education: empowerment, agency and social justice in the UK. Bloomsbury: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/nurturing-difficult-conversations-in-education-9781350332119/
Demissie, F., & Fleming, K. (2024). Afterword. In Fleming, K., & Demissie, F. (Eds.) Nurturing ‘Difficult Conversations’ in Education: empowerment, agency and social justice in the UK. Bloomsbury: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/nurturing-difficult-conversations-in-education-9781350332119/
Demissie, F. (2024). Citizenship education in higher education: the potential of a philosophical approach to fostering citizenship. In Frostenzer, J., Demissie, F., & Boontinand, V. (Eds.) The Pedagogy of the Community of Philosophical Enquiry as Citizenship Education. Global Perspectives on Talking Democracy into Action. (pp. 113-126). London: Routledge: http://doi.org/10.4324/9781003455011
Demissie, F. (2024). Citizenship education in higher education: the potential of a philosophical approach to fostering citizenship. In Frostenzer, J., Demissie, F., & Boontinand, V. (Eds.) The Pedagogy of the Community of Philosophical Enquiry as Citizenship Education. Global Perspectives on Talking Democracy into Action. (pp. 113-126). London: Routledge: http://doi.org/10.4324/9781003455011
Frostenzer, J., Demissie, F., & Bonntinand, V. (2024). Introduction. In Frostenzer, J., Demissie, F., & Boontinand, V. (Eds.) The Pedagogy of the Community of Philosophical Enquiry as Citizenship Education. Global Perspectives on Talking Democracy into Action. London: Routledge: http://doi.org/10.4324/9781003455011
Adams, G., Povey, H., & Demissie, F. (2024). Working with primary teachers in England on mathematics teaching for citizenship: critical and philosophical approaches. In Chronaki, A., & Yolcu, A. (Eds.) Mathematics Education for ‘citizenship’ and its ‘other’ in a ‘global’ world: Critical issues on mathematics curricula, globalization and local practices. Routledge
Demissie, F.A. (2020). Dialogic interaction in the higher education classroom - a Philosophy for Children (P4C) approach. In Meaningful Teaching Interaction a the Internationalised University: From Research to Impact. Dipplod, D. & Heron, M. (1st). Routledge
Demissie, F.A. (2020). Philosophy for Children as a pedagogy for social education - A UK perspective. In Educación social: teoría educativa, procedimientos y experiencias ( Social Education: educational theory, procedures and experiences). (1st). Barcelona: Ediciones Octaedro
Demissie, F.A. (2018). Young Children's Thinking. In Early Childhood Studies. (1st). Sage
Demissie, F.A. (2017). P4C in Early Childhood Education. In Philosophy for Children: Theory and Praxis in Teacher Education. (1st). Taylor & Francis
Demissie, F.A. (2017). The praxis of P4C in teacher education. In Philosophy for Children: Theories and praxis in teacher education. (1st). Routledge
Books
Demissie, A., Frostenzer, J., & Boontinand, J. (Eds.). (2024). The Community of Philosophical Enquiry as Citizenship Education and its Pedagogy: International Perspectives on Talking Democracy into Action. Routledge. (1st). Routledge.
Demissie, A., Frostenzer, J., & Boontinand, J. (Eds.). (2024). The Community of Philosophical Enquiry as Citizenship Education and its Pedagogy: International Perspectives on Talking Democracy into Action. Routledge. (1st). Routledge.
Fleming, K., & Demissie, F. (2024). Nurturing 'Difficult Conversations' in Education Empowerment, Agency and Social Justice in the UK. Bloomsbury Academic.
Reports
Demissie, F.A. (2022). TWiTCH (Thinking With Tales for Children) Project report.
Demissie, F., Burnett, C., Haynes, M., & Sharpe, S. (2009). Now I feel like I am at university”: using a community of enquiry approach to promote engagement and academic literacy amongst undergraduate students'. Sheffield Hallam University, Centre for Promoting Learner Autonomy. https://extra.shu.ac.uk/cetl/cpla/resources/CPLA_Case_Studies_Volume_1.pdf
Theses / Dissertations
Demissie, A. (2015). Students' perceptions of the use of seminars in teacher education. (Doctoral thesis). Supervised by Merchant, G.
Internet Publications
Demissie, A. (2022). Fostering Critical thinking in discussions. https://onehe.org/courses/fostering-critical-thinking-in-discussions/
Demissie, F.A. (2022). HomeTalk - Hands. [online]. https://dialogueworks.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/HomeTalk-Hands.pdf
Demissie, A. (2021). HomeTalk - Risk, Bravery and curiosity. https://dialogueworks.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/HomeTalk-38-Risk-Bravery-and-Curiosity.pdf
Demissie, F.A. (2019). P4C: a dialogic pedagogy for creative conversations. https://mon.uvic.cat/grell/philosophy-for-children-p4c-a-dialogic-pedagogy-for-creative-conversations/
Other publications
Demissie, F. (2025). Read it again and again and again! Sheffield Institute of Education, Sheffield Hallam University: https://blogs.shu.ac.uk/sioe/2025/01/06/read-it-again-and-again-and-again/
Demissie, A. (2021). Fixing the educational divide - speaking out for a more effective curriculum. https://blogs.shu.ac.uk/sioe/2021/05/25/fixing-the-educational-divide-speaking-out-for-a-more-effective-curriculum/
Demissie, A. (2016). SHUP4c - Community of Enquiry in HE. https://shup4c.wordpress.com/
Other activities
Consultancy
Membership of professional bodies - Society for higher education research (SRHE), Society for the advancement of philosophy and reflection in education (SAPERE)
SAPERE (Society for the Advancement of Philosophy and Reflection in Education) registered LEVEL 1 trainer
Postgraduate supervision
Helen Sheehan; Karen Barr
Lisa Kerr