Funded by SCoTENS, this project involves Dr Frances Burgess, in collaboration with Dublin City University and Stranmillis University College. The research study aims to emphasise how teacher educators, students and policy writers can better respond to calls for more creative teaching and learning in universities and schools, when multiple understandings and perspectives are brought into contact with each other. The research team intend to access patterns of alignment and tension in the ways creativity is understood and experienced from teacher educators’ perspectives, student teachers’ perspectives and through policy discourses, in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. This will inform conclusions on how creativity can be better facilitated and developed in teacher education workshops and in curriculum policy. The project team also plan to host a conference, which will be an outlet for dissemination, bringing together researchers, colleagues and student teachers from all over the island of Ireland. Three main research questions inform this empirical and practical study and they include: What do student teachers bring with them before they encounter constructs like creative teaching, teaching for creativity or teaching creatively? What beliefs are held by teacher educators about the development and facilitation of creativity and where do these beliefs come from? How can classes and workshops better reflect student teachers’ perspectives and how can the curriculum better reflect them? 

Funded by SCoTENS, this project involves Dr Donna Hazzard, Dr Claire Connolly and Joe Hughes, in collaboration with University College Cork. The project investigates and raises awareness about reasonable accommodations or adjustments for students with disabilities in initial teacher education programmes. The research team recognise that by fostering an inclusive learning environment, it not only benefits students but also has far-reaching implications for the future of education. The research offers an opportunity to capture existing knowledge of effective approaches and best practice in this critical aspect of the student experience, as well as to identify any gaps in knowledge and understanding. This will facilitate the embedding of confident and effective approaches to support disabled students on teaching placement and to improve their experiences. The project draws on the insights and expertise of key stakeholders, including lecturers, placement coordinators, access and support staff, co-operating teachers and students. The research uses a survey administered to key groups with the aim of mapping current understanding of, and attitudes towards, the needs of disabled students of initial teacher education and of reasonable accommodations/adjustments on their teaching placement. Methods also include focus groups and workshops with relevant groups, to further explore key findings from the initial survey, and semi-structured interviews with teachers and initial teacher education graduates from underrepresented groups. 

Funded by SCoTENS, this project involved Dr Matthew Martin and Karen McGivern, in collaboration with Dublin City University. The project engaged with pre-service teachers on initial teacher education programmes, in the North and South of Ireland, over three stages. Firstly, a baseline survey gathered their existing understanding of their role as ‘place-maker’ for newcomer children and captured the opportunities and challenges they anticipated in the classroom. Secondly, pre-service teachers took part in an intervention in the form of a conference that explored belonging, through the eyes of newcomer families, community leaders, school representatives and experienced teachers. Thirdly, a video diary was created that documented reflections on belonging, post-intervention, which included any changes in understanding. A sharing event was organised, allowing students from the North and South of Ireland to meet and discuss the results. The four research questions that were the focus of the project included: What constitutes pre-service teachers’ current understanding of belonging and their role as ‘place-maker’? What do pre-service teachers identify as the opportunities/challenges in fulfilling this role? What impact does engagement with stakeholders have on pre-service teachers’ understanding of belonging and perceptions of those opportunities/challenges? What is the value of a video diary as a professional learning tool for critical reflection? 

Funded by the SCoTENS Shared Island Initiative, this project involved Julie Hamilton, in collaboration with Marino Institute of Education Dublin. The project explored how teacher educators can prepare and support student teachers to negotiate and engage with the challenges of educational underachievement while on their school placement. It also sought to make them aware of their potential to change and influence educational trajectories and impact positively on educational outcomes through positive and active social justice underpinned pedagogy.

Funded by the International Professional Development Association in Ireland, this project involved Prof Martin Hagan, in collaboration with Maynooth University Kildare. It sought to provide answers to what the role of Master in Education (MEd) study is, in relation to teacher professional learning in Ireland. The research objectives were: to identify the profile of teachers engaged in MEd study in Ireland North and South; to understand participants’ motivation for studying at master’s level; to explore the challenges experienced; to understand the extent to which MEd study influenced professional identity; and to understand the extent to which MEd study influenced their professional practice.

Funded by SCoTENS, this project involved Dr Gabrielle Nig Uidhir, in collaboration with Mary Immaculate College. Its associated research questions were: What are the distinctive professional competences that are considered essential for Irish-medium teachers? How are the identified immersion-specific competences manifested in Irish-medium classrooms?

Funded by SCoTENS, this project involved Ciaran Walsh and Dr Elaine McLaughlin, in collaboration with the Institute of Education at Dublin City University, Marino Institute of Education, Stranmillis University College and Maynooth University. Its associated research questions were: Are the value orientations of physical education teacher educators (PETEs) displayed in their professional practices and programmes of study? To what extent are these values and practices compatible with those found within their respective national curricula for physical education? Can a shared understanding of these value orientations help PETEs to foster deeper understanding of curriculum texts and, in turn, support their practice with pre-service teachers?

Funded by SCoTENS, this project involved Dr Claire Connolly and Prof Martin Hagan, in collaboration with Marino Institute of Education. Its associated research questions were: How do student teachers engage with, and in, educational research during their teacher education programmes? How do student teachers apply their research knowledge and experience during professional placement? How can teacher education programmes best support students to apply their research during professional placement?

Funded by SCoTENS, this project involved Dr Geraldine Magennis-Clarke, in collaboration with Dublin City University. It related to the presence of children’s literature within educational policy in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. In particular, it focused on the place, profile and prevalence given to children’s literature as a key component in the teaching of reading in the early years. It explored the potential of rich and varied children’s literature to promote deep and meaningful literacy learning. Plans included the interrogation of the extent to which Irish teachers are encouraged to use children’s literature in the teaching of early reading. Potentially, outcomes from the research could help identify aspects of policy that might be developed more fulsomely and thus lead to bespoke, future professional development for those teaching reading in the early years across the island of Ireland. Its associated research questions were: What is the place and prominence of children’s literature in policy relating to the teaching of early reading within a balanced literacy frame in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland? How does literacy policy north and south compare to research-based best practice in the use of children’s literature in teaching early reading? What improvements could be made to policy and practice in this area?

Funded by Erasmus+, this project involved Joe Hughes, in collaboration with numerous European universities. The project saw a need for research within gender issues in science education and a change within teacher education and training. Eight project partner institutions planned to revise and strengthen the professional profile of the teaching profession, with an aim of fostering equity and inclusion in science education. The project’s main objective was to raise and share good science education practices for gender balance through innovative workshops involving different educational professionals.

Funded by SCoTENS, this project involved Prof Gerard McCann, in collaboration with Dublin City University. The project took the form of a series of research-informed lectures that explored the role of teachers and teacher educators in advancing human rights. The researchers referred to human rights frameworks providing legislative and ethical structures, which have shaped societal responses to many of the greatest challenges faced by individuals, organisations and institutions across the island of Ireland and beyond. Each lecture considered education’s role in promoting human rights and also explored the role of teachers and teacher educators in advancing human rights. Building upon the recognised position of human rights within the education systems North and South, the series considered how human rights education can play a role in strengthening human rights frameworks and contributing towards meeting myriad local, national and global challenges. Its associated research questions were: What role can human rights education take in facing the challenges faced by communities in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland? What role can human rights education play in tackling inequality and discrimination and strengthening the pursuit of a just and equitable peace across the island of Ireland, and throughout these islands? What role can human rights education play in tackling the escalating global issues with which we are now faced?

Funded by SCoTENS, this project involved Dr Elaine McLaughlin, in collaboration with the University of Limerick. The project focused specifically on teacher well-being. The researchers were especially interested in exploring how pedagogical well-being is manifested in challenging educational contexts and identified a school in Northern Ireland as well as one in the Republic of Ireland. It was intended that the framing research question examined what good pedagogical well-being looks like in practice, in other words, how did teachers conceptualize their own pedagogical well-being? Two schools were invited to participate in the project. The teachers in the schools were invited to complete a survey on well-being related to the project. There was also the opportunity for follow-up interviews with up to four teachers in each school. The survey and follow-up interviews sought to elicit the teachers’ perceptions and experiences of pedagogical well-being and their overall sense of well-being. It was intended that the project would adopt a mixed-methods approach. The intention was to capture information on what contributes to teacher effectiveness, especially in terms of pedagogy, notwithstanding the challenging and difficult contexts in which teachers can work. By inviting teachers to articulate these understandings, it was anticipated that the research could offer insights and perspectives which could be instructive for teachers who are newly qualified and who may be taking up posts of responsibility as teachers in challenging schools.

Funded by Erasmus+ and forming an integral part of a larger project on border education, this project involved Dr Tracey McKay, in collaboration with the Museum of Orange Heritage Belfast. The project conducted workshops with students, leading to case study research that sought to examine the perceptions of the Orange Order held by students of initial teacher education. The research explored the students’ perceptions of the opportunities and challenges of crossing borders and collective memory in the context of contributing to a shared society through educational engagement and learning about/engaging with others and otherness. It involved students completing a questionnaire to explore their present knowledge, understanding, perceptions of and attitudes towards the Orange Order. It also investigated their perceptions and feelings about crossing traditional cultural borders to participate in a learning programme intended to raise awareness about the Orange Order, its history and heritage.

Funded by SCoTENS, this project involved Ciaran Walsh, in collaboration with Mary Immaculate College Limerick, the University of Limerick, Ulster University and St Patrick’s College Drumcondra. The purpose of the research was to examine the professional learning experiences of individual teacher educators, within a community of learners, related to the area of communication. It also planned to determine how this professional learning influenced their pedagogical practices with pre-service teachers. Its associated research questions were: What are physical education teacher educator experiences of professional learning focused on communication? How do physical education teacher educators perceive the influence of this professional learning on their pedagogical approaches with pre-service teachers? The research combined collaborative self-study methodology, alongside photo elicitation visual methodologies.

Funded by SCoTENS, this project involved Dr Gabrielle Nig Uidhir, in collaboration with St Angela’s College Sligo. The researchers investigated how mainstream teachers met the needs of children with special educational needs in multi-grade classrooms. At the time, current educational legislation and policy supported the inclusion of children with special educational needs in mainstream schools. Also at the time, the policy in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland facilitated schools to be flexible in designing inclusive responses for children with special educational needs. However, despite the support in place in mainstream schools, teachers indicated that the inclusion of children with special educational needs was an issue which they found challenging, particularly in multi-grade classrooms. This research identified good practice, as well as challenges, with regards to the inclusion of children with special educational needs in mainstream, multi-grade classrooms in primary schools. The objectives identified examples of good practice with regards to the inclusion of children with special educational needs in multi-grade classrooms, identified the challenges that teachers encountered when teaching children with special educational needs in multi-grade classrooms, and established how teachers addressed these challenges.

Funded by Erasmus+, this project involved Joe Hughes, in collaboration with universities and science centres from seven other European countries. It aimed to foster quality improvements, innovation excellence and internationalisation in teacher training for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) teachers. This was achieved through enhanced transnational cooperation between schools, science centres, teacher training organisations and policy makers. The main objective of the project was to raise and share good science education practices for gender balance through innovative teacher training modules. The partners implemented and designed an innovative modular teacher training programme in a toolkit format, so that it would be easily applied and disseminated by all the partners, associated partners and target groups. The project involved collaboration with local schools and undergraduate teachers to produce relevant resources to address gender diversity and balance in the classroom to support career choice. Its associated aims were: to develop, test and publish an innovative professional development programme for teachers; to train educational agents at an institutional level; and to disseminate the toolkit at a European level. The quality of the project’s activities and results were monitored by evaluating the project using summative as well as formative assessments and providing feedback to the project partners. This was achieved through research via an independent evaluation of the activities and a project quality evaluation.

Funded by the North South Standing Committee on Irish-medium Education, this project involved Dr Gabrielle Nig Uidhir, in collaboration with St Patrick’s College Drumcondra and Mary Immaculate College Limerick. It aimed to analyse models of provision in Irish-medium education. As part of this research, provision models of Irish-medium education were analysed at both primary and post-primary levels and distinctions were made between the different types of provision. The international context was discussed and a profile of Irish-medium provision across the country was created. Questions on creating and administrating the provision, as well as questions on the growth and development of the provision, were included.

Funded by SCoTENS, this project involved Dr Donna Hazzard, in collaboration with St Patrick’s College Drumcondra, St Angela’s College Sligo and Stranmillis University College. The project team consulted with members of the Dyslexia Task Force groups, North and South, and ascertained their views and perspectives on the provision of support for pupils with dyslexia ten years on. The team consulted also with key stakeholders, North and South, to ascertain their views and perspectives on the provision of support for pupils with dyslexia. The research aimed to clarify present policy in the area of dyslexia support, North and South, and to identify strategic policy which informs good practice.

Funded by SCoTENS, this project involved Dr Geraldine Magennis-Clarke, in collaboration with University College Cork. The aims of the project were to: explore the nature and conduct of school-based work assessments within initial teacher education degree courses drawn from both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland; investigate the links between various school-based assessment techniques and subsequent planning, teaching and learning at degree and post-graduate diploma level; examine the extent to which these various methods of assessment of the school-based work element are found to be satisfactory by stake-holders and end-users; and situate and critically discuss the findings with reference to current thinking, including formative assessment.

Funded by Comenius under the framework of the European Union’s Lifelong Learning Programme, this project involved Dr Tracey McKay and Dr Angela Vaupel, in collaboration with several other European HEIs. It involved research with partner schools using quantitative and qualitative surveys, as well as an examination and comparison of the curricula of the participating countries concerning Europe. The gathered data showed whether or not there was a connection between actual teaching of European issues in the classroom and syllabi goals. Based on the research results, a multilingual tool kit was developed to help students to learn more about daily life in Europe. The key objective behind the toolkit was to help students develop critical inter-cultural understanding as a step towards more active European citizenship. The toolkit consisted of a workbook for students, a manual for teachers with lesson plans for various themes with learning objectives, teaching strategies/ approaches and methods, two interactive DVD resources, and an e-based communication platform to encourage dialogue between participating students.

Funded by SCoTENS, this project involved Dr Claire Connolly, in collaboration with Froebel College Dublin, Stranmillis University College, St Patrick’s College Drumcondra, Marino College of Education Dublin, the Church of Ireland College of Education and Mary Immaculate College Limerick. It aimed to consider a number of important aspects of supervision and to develop an outline programme of continuing professional development (CPD) for any party involved in the supervision of student teachers in schools. Its associated research questions were: What expectations are supervisors bringing to the supervision of students? How do we set standard expectations? What means have we for developing a more coherent, consistent approach? Can we develop a programme of CPD in this area?

Funded by SCoTENS, this project involved Dr Gabrielle Nig Uidhir, in collaboration with the Monaghan Education Centre. This project’s main aim was to redevelop the ‘Lift Off’ literacy programme to support the literacy development of Irish-medium pupils. It also aimed to: explore the training needs for teachers and classroom assistants to organise, plan and carry out this programme in Irish; assess the outcomes of the programme; and produce resources and information to support the implementation of this programme on a wider scale in the future. The research posed questions that explored the appropriateness of this programme for the Irish-medium context, addressed the important issue of resources in the Irish-medium school, examined the management challenges for implementing this programme, considered the outcomes of the programme in comparison to a control group, and considered the potential for professional development for teachers and student teachers that this programme would require. The research methods employed to achieve the aims included: consultation and planning with reading recovery tutors; redeveloping the structure and activities of the existing model in Irish; collecting reading and levelling suitable texts in Irish in cooperation with teachers; observation and recording of teaching sessions; and a focus group with pupils to ensure that the pupils’ voice was considered.

Funded by SCoTENS, this project involved Prof Martin Hagan, in collaboration with University College Dublin, Queen’s University Belfast and Stranmillis University College. The main objectives of the research project were: to map the existing provision and approaches towards social justice, diversity and development education in HEIs that offer courses in teacher education in Ireland (North and South); to involve policy makers to connect academic and policy perspectives on these issues; and to survey student teachers on their attitudes towards social justice, development education and diversity issues.

Funded by the Department for International Development, this research project involved Dr Tracey McKay and Teresa Cash, as part of a larger scale project that aimed to prepare teachers to effectively implement the global dimension in education. The aims of the research project were to determine teachers’, pupils’ and students’ current knowledge of, attitudes towards, and practice in the eight concepts of the global dimension in education. The design of the research provided an account of the current situation in a sample of schools and a HEI relating to the incorporation of the global dimension within formal education. The sample included students of initial teacher education, primary and post-primary teachers, Key Stage 4/A-level pupils, and Key Stage 2 pupils. The research methods included questionnaires with students, focus groups with students, focus groups with primary pupils, questionnaires with post-primary pupils, and questionnaires with primary and post-primary teachers. The methodological approach incorporated image-based research instruments, accompanied by literature on examples of good practice in embedding the global dimension within formal education.