Dennis Shirley

Dennis Shirley is a professor of education at Boston College’s Lynch School of Education and Human Development, where he has focused for decades on research into student engagement and well-being in the United States and internationally. He completed his doctorate in teaching, curricula, and learning environments at the Harvard Graduate School of Education in 1988. At Boston College, he also serves as the inaugural Florencia and Marc Gabelli Family Faculty Fellow, reflecting his leadership in the field of educational change and the pursuit of the common good.

Shirley is the co‑author, with Andy Hargreaves, of Five Paths of Student Engagement: Blazing the Trail to Learning and Success, a 2021 book that proposes five distinct paths to deepen student engagement and improve learning outcomes. With Hargreaves he has also co‑authored works such as The Fourth Way: The Inspiring Future for Educational Change and Well‑Being in Schools: Three Forces That Will Uplift Your Students in a Volatile World, extending his influence on global debates about educational reform, student voice, and the conditions that support meaningful, sustained learning.