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How did the closures of the Early Years Settings affect family life and wellbeing during the Covid-19 pandemic?
No full textThe main research question in this study is: How did the closures of the EY Settings affect family life and wellbeing during the COVID-19 Pandemic?
The study aimed to answer the following embedded questions:
1.
How did the lockdown periods during the COVID-19 pandemic impact on family wellbeing?
2.
How did EY Setting closures impact family wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic?
3.
How can we support family wellbeing in the event of future lockdowns or periods of enforced isolation?
The focus and purpose of the research study on “Family wellbeing during lockdowns from a parent’s point of view” and answering the question asked in the beginning of the diary given to participants: “Describe a typical day during lockdown without the EY Setting being open stating any positives and negatives of lockdown that families went through. It has given the researcher awareness of issues arising for the next number of years due to the isolation that families, especially children, experienced during the pandemic (Asim et al, 2020). Looking at the support families received from the EY Setting, government, and agencies. The researcher received an insight into how changes can be implemented to alleviate negative emotions, fears, and interactions due to the pandemic. Using two methods of data collection, diaries and follow-up interviews, this showed how each participant navigated through a normal day in lockdown, what a day consisted of for families in their environment, and how being without the EY services affected their work and family life (Hyers, 2018). Through the diaries, the impacts of the lockdowns on family life were discovered. The follow-up interviews allowed participants to go in-depth on how they navigated the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns (Prati and Mancini, 2021). Relaying how families adapted or adjusted their routine, discussing some of the positive and negative effects that still impact family life (Potter and Clayton, 2020).N
The Influence of AI chatbots on inclusive educational practices in Irish primary school classrooms
No full textThis study explores the use of AI chatbots, specifically Google Gemini and Microsoft Copilot, in
Irish primary school classrooms to enhance inclusivity and educational practices. Seven primary
school teachers in County Limerick were interviewed to understand the impact of these AI chatbots
on student engagement, teacher efficiency in lesson planning, and support for diverse learning
needs, including those with special educational needs.
Participants received instructional videos created by the author guiding them through setting up the
chatbots and demonstrating classroom applications. Participants were given six weeks to use the
chatbots in their classrooms before data collection commenced. The findings indicate that AI
chatbots significantly improve student engagement and personalised learning by providing tailored
content and real-time feedback. They also support inclusive environments by assisting students
with disabilities and multilingual learners. Additionally, AI chatbots in this study enhanced lesson
planning efficiency, allowing teachers to focus more on direct instruction and interaction.
Challenges and ethical considerations, such as data privacy and over-reliance on technology, must
be addressed for responsible AI use in education. Comprehensive training and professional
development are essential for educators to maximise the benefits of AI chatbots.
The study concludes that AI chatbots have the potential to transform primary education by creating
dynamic, inclusive, and effective learning environments. Continued investment in AI technologies,
ethical guidelines, and professional development is crucial for realising their full potential in
enhancing educational outcomes.N
An féidir spórt a úsáid chun inspreagadh dhaltaí bunscoile a mhéadú maidir le húsáid shóisialta na Gaeilge?
No full textGo stairiúil, tá na scoileanna lán-Ghaeilge sa tír seo éifeachtach ina aidhm chun Gaeilge a
múineadh do na dáltaí áirithe. Sroicheann na daltaí inniúlacht cumarsáide sa Ghaeilge. Ach,
dar leis an t-údar, tá fadhb ann le húsáid shóisialta na Gaeilge nuair a fhágann siad an seomra
ranga. Níl an fonn nó an t-inspreagadh acu chun an Ghaeilge a úsáid.
Is é aidhm an taighde seo ná, cás staidéir a dhéanamh ar an cheist: An féidir spórt a úsáid
chun inspreagadh dhaltaí bunscoile a mhéadú maidir le húsáid shóisialta na Gaeilge? Beifear
ag baint úsáid as tuairimí na ndaltaí agus na múinteoirí chun teacht ar fhreagra don cheist seo.
Sa taighde seo, rinneadh imscrúdú ar inspreagadh na ndaltaí chun an Ghaeilge shóisialta a
úsáid. Earcaíodh rang amháin agus 45 dalta in iar-scoil an taighdeora chun an taighde seo a
chur i gcrích. Iarradh orthu suirbhé agus ceistneoir a líonadh, bileog breathnóireachta a
líonadh agus páirt a ghlacadh in agallamh.
Léiríonn na torthaí taighde go bhfuiltear ábalta inspreagadh na ndaltaí a mhéadú chun an
Ghaeilge shóisialta a úsáid, ag baint úsáid as spórt. Ach, is rud casta é. Tá roinnt fachtóirí ann
a mbraitheann a rathúlacht.
Táthar ag súil go n-éascóidh torthaí an taighde tuilleadh taighde ar conas is féidir úsáid na
Gaeilge lasmuigh den seomra ranga a mhéadú trí spórt a úsáid mar uirlis.N
Good grief: changing attitudes to childhood grief in children's literature
Get PDFIn the modern context, it is understood that childhood grief is a normal response to loss and that bereaved children require support and guidance to navigate their grief. However, less than a century ago it was believed children did not grieve at all. When childhood grief was eventually acknowledged, it was thought best for children to avoid discussing their grief, that they were resilient, and would eventually learn to adapt to their loss. Research into childhood grief was limited, however two studies into childhood grief by Dr Maria Nagy in the 1940’s and Dr Elisabeth Kubler Ross in the 1970’s resulted in the development of age specific stages of grief. However, it took until the 1990’s before any major research was conducted into childhood grief. The Harvard Child Bereavement Study questioned how children mourned when a parent died and if grief in children differed from that of adults. More recent research has discovered longterm implications if a child’s grief is not adequately acknowledged and resolved. However, the portrayal of childhood grief in children’s literature or whether this portrayal is reflective of the changing attitudes to childhood grief has not been studied.
Therefore, through the lens of literary trauma theory, this thesis examines this under researched area. It utilises critical perspectives from literary trauma theorists Cathy Caruth, a traditional literary trauma theorist, and Michelle Satterlee, a pluralistic literary trauma theorist, and offers a critique of both theoretical approaches and discusses their strengths and weaknesses. This thesis
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investigates how changing attitudes to childhood grief are represented in children’s literature. It looks at a range of texts from the early twentieth century to the early twenty-first century and considers the influence of beliefs and attitudes surrounding death within the temporal and cultural contexts in which they were set. The primary texts analysed are: The Secret Garden (1911) by Frances
Hodgson Burnett, The Yearling (1938) by Marjorie Kinnan Rawling, Goodnight Mr Tom (1981) by Michelle Magorian, A Taste of Blackberries (1973) by Doris
Buchanan Smith, Bridge to Terabithia (1977) by Katherine Paterson and A Monster Calls (2011) by Patrick Ness. These texts span a century from 1911 to 2011, and were selected to represent a range of childhood losses, including the loss of parents, friends, siblings, and pets. It provides an in-depth analysis of childhood grief in children’s literature and analyses how society shapes the treatment of childhood grief. Additionally, it will explore bibliotherapy as a therapeutic approach to help children understand and cope with grief and loss and how literature can facilitate a deeper understanding of their traumatic experiences and the resulting emotional and psychological challenges it can evoke.N
A complicated birth: the Northern Ireland Ministry of Education, 1921-1925
Get PDFThe primary purpose of this thesis is to establish the extent to which the development of the nascent Ministry of Education (M.O.E.) in Northern Ireland (N.I.) was defined by its relationship with the Roman Catholic (R.C.) Church, the Protestant Churches, and the Irish Free State (I.F.S.) Government, 1921-1925. This work’s research will argue that the refusal of the Catholic and Protestant Churches to accept the non-denominational 1923 Education Act (also known as the Londonderry Act) is critical to understanding the genesis of the state’s education policy and the perpetuation of segregated education. This thesis will in turn assess how the ministry’s relationship with these groups helped to shape northern society. The ministry’s profound influence on N.I.’s process of state building and the consequences of its fraught, and often acerbic, relationship with the Free State Government will also undergo rigorous analysis.
Due to the complicated and problematic history, of education in Ireland, this study will begin with an overview of its early history to point to the important trends and developments that were repeated in N.I. after 1920. How the Free State Government’s orchestrated heel dragging on the transfer of services (staff and documents) strained cross-border relations and diminished the M.O.E.’s capacity to administrate effectively will be examined. An investigation of the I.F.S.’s illicit payment of Catholic teachers in N.I. from February to August 1922, designed to undermine the M.O.E., will demonstrate how already fractious relations would worsen. This will also allow for an examination of how the Dublin Department of Education’s (D.O.E.) Gaelicisation of education influenced education policy and state building in both jurisdictions. The extended consequences for teachers, the perennial casualties throughout this period, and the future of teacher training on the island of Ireland, will be examined.
Chapter 4 will assess the rationale behind, and the consequences of, the R.C. Church’s refusal to cooperate with the new ministry, and the Lynn Committee, which was tasked with proposing future structures for education in N.I. This will also provide context for its position in post-partition Ireland. Analysis of the Unionist government’s introduction of Promissory Oaths for teachers, and rules forbidding the exhibition of religious emblems in schools, will provide an understanding of the tensions that existed between the R.C. Church and the state. How the implementation of these policies exacerbated the extant belligerence of R.C. managed schools will be investigated, thus contributing to wider understanding of the Catholic authorities’ claims that they would not be treated fairly in the northern state.
The Protestant churches’ relationships with the ministry were more complex, given that they were loyal to the state and the Crown and therefore sought to fight their collective battle from within the system. This thesis will examine the rationale for the clerics’ vigorous agitation to have the 1923 act amended to allow for segregated education. This study will argue that the Lynn Committee created their recommendations knowing that they would be rejected by Lord Londonderry. This was part of a long-term strategy to facilitate their later objections to the recommendations’ omission from the bill. Their rationale for a more regular and forceful use of the Orange Order to exert their considerable power to pressurise the government on their behalf will also be considered. The intricate workings of the triumvirate, consisting of the Protestant Churches, the Orange Order and the U.U.P., will be carefully examined to determine how they were interdependent on each other, while also being central to all negotiations, and their outcomes. Finally, this will show how the battle to amend the act saw the political demise of Lord Londonderry, and with it, the lost potential that non-denominational education had to offer for future generations.N
An evaluation of the school based wellbeing intervention welcome to wellbeing for young children
Get PDFBackground: Wellbeing has become a valued aspect of education in recent years. However, further exploration of wellbeing and wellbeing interventions with young children still needs to be completed. Additionally, there needs to be more emphasis on including the voice of young children as a central aspect of wellbeing research. This paper begins by providing an overview of the literature on school-based wellbeing interventions for young children. Aim: The empirical study examines Welcome to Wellbeing, a school-based, teacher-led wellbeing intervention for junior infants to first class pupils (ages 4-8). A mixed methods design was used to determine the effectiveness and perceptions of the programme. The impact of this programme on resilience and emotional regulation, in particular, is explored. Sample: Two co-educational primary schools were involved in this study. Senior infants pupils (n = 75) between 5-7 years old and their teachers (n = 6) participated. Method: A mixed method design was used, which employed a pupil-completed quantitative wellbeing measure, teacher interviews, and pupil focus groups to address the research questions and aims. Results: The findings indicate that following the intervention, the experimental group had significantly higher resilience levels than the control group. Qualitative results also indicate new and emerging emotional regulation skills. Teachers and pupils reported positive perceptions of the programme, with the characters and strategies noted as providing a good base for pupil wellbeing. The content load in the limited timeframe and the real-life application of skills were identified as the main barriers to implementation. Conclusions: Overall, the Welcome to Wellbeing programme may be a valuable tool for teaching the Social Personal and Health Education (SPHE) curriculum and enhancing aspects of wellbeing in schools. The implications of these findings for future practice and research are discussed.N
The best of both worlds: exploring the socialisation of physical education specialism graduates as generalist teachers with expertise in PE
Get PDFThis research investigated the self-efficacy, beliefs, and practices of generalist primary school teachers who undertook the Bachelor of Education with a specialism in PE between 2016 and 2019. Data were collected through a cross-sectional survey, and 80 valid responses were received. The findings suggest self-efficacy is high among these teachers, scoring 4.14 (±0.38 on a 5-point Likert scale). Results also indicated that the specialism positively developed content knowledge and teaching skills among this cohort. However, it was unclear if these teachers were being utilised effectively upon graduation to enhance the provision of PE in Irish primary schools.N
Exploring the effects of a classroom-based climate change intervention on secondary students in Ireland
Get PDFObjective: This research considers the degree to which participation in an 8–10-hour interactive climate change education (CCE) module affects secondary school students’ knowledge, attitude, behaviour, and values about climate change.
Methods: This study utilises a one-group pre-, post-, and six-month follow up test repeated measures design, with 82 students (ages 12-15). The CCE programme is the independent variable. The dependent variables included self-reported pro-climate behaviours, climate behaviour intentions, environmental efficacy, worry about climate change and environmental values. Baseline and post-test measurements were completed by September 2022 and a follow-up assessment was completed by January 2023.
Results: Preliminary results show significant positive effects within the experimental group in relation to positive attitudes towards climate change behaviour, climate change behavioural intentions and climate change knowledge. Biospheric values also increased while egotistical values decreased significantly. The six-month follow-up suggests additional intervention may be needed to maintain positive effects.
Conclusion: Findings support the short-term effectiveness of the CCE programme as a useful educational intervention to promote climate change knowledge, environmental behaviours and biospheric values among groups of secondary school students. Follow up surveys suggest limited lasting effects in the medium term, with the exception of changes in egotistical values.N
Refugee and asylum-seeker youths’ experiences of education in Ireland an interpretative phenomenological analysis
Get PDFBackground: School can play an important protective role in the lives of refugee youth. While a substantial body of research relates risk factors to subsequent psychosocial and educational outcomes for refugee youth, less is known about their experiences of education in countries of resettlement, with no studies in an Irish context.
Aims: This study explored the lived experiences of youth from refugee and asylum-seeker backgrounds in relation to their education in Ireland. Drawing on a holistic understanding of resilience, the research focused on factors within education which participants viewed as enabling or hindering to their long-term resettlement experiences.
Sample: The study utilised purposive sampling to select participants in accordance with inclusion criteria. Participants were nine post-primary students, aged between 15 and 17 years old, and of first generation refugee or asylum-seeker status. All students arrived in Ireland four or more years ago which allowed for reflection on initial and more recent experiences.
Method: The research utilised a qualitative design and adopted an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis approach. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews in order to gain a deep insight into participant experiences.
Results: Analysis of interview transcripts resulted in the generation of three overall themes which reflect participants’ experiences of education in Ireland - their persistence and perseverance in learning; their perceptions of the policies, supports, and teachers in their schools; as well as an understanding of their lives as a balancing act of which school is only one part.
Conclusions: The findings extend the limited empirical literature on educational experiences of refugee and asylum-seeker youth from their own perspective, particularly within an Irish context. Results are discussed in relation to implications for practice in Educational Psychology as well as wider fields, including training, practice, and policy implications for education. Links to future research are also considered.N
Take a chance, give a chance and give a real chance: experiences and perspectives of volunteer women coaches in ladies Gaelic football
Get PDFThe voice of volunteer women coaches is underrepresented in coaching literature. This research explores the experiences of volunteer women coaches at the non-elite club level within the sport of Ladies Gaelic football.
To explore the experiences of volunteer women coaches the Ecological Intersectional Model (EIM) (La Voi 2016) was used. The EIM consists of four layers – individual, interpersonal, organisational, and socio-cultural - and was used to underpin all phases of the study. Phase 1 centred on the lived experiences of fourteen women coaches through semi-structured interviews. The coaches highlighted the importance of the interpersonal layer and specifically support from home, alongside contextualised, club-based education. Consequently, Phase 2 explored the influence of the club environment on eleven women coaches, from three clubs, that were participants in a Community of Practice (CoP), designed and facilitated by the researcher across a playing season. The EIM informed the interview guide and analysis with the results presented as a creative non-fiction account profiling three coaches and their club-specific experiences. The final phase comprised of three focus groups with women coaches upon the completion of the CoP. Reflexive thematic analysis was used in all phases and so the researcher’s position, and interpretation of the findings were considered through an autoethnography.
Overall, a combination of the interpersonal and organisational layers are most significant for volunteer women coaches. Subsequently, this research implores club members to consider their perceptions and biases regarding the role of women in clubs. Such awareness will aid a move from traditional liaison and administrative duties to coaching roles. Additionally, those interested in coaching should commence, while existing coaches must give new coaches a chance. Moreover, those in decision-making positions must put the structures in place to give women coaches a real chance. Hence, this study can be summarised to ‘Take a chance, give a chance and give a real chance’ to women and girls in the domain of volunteer coaching.N