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The role of the affective domain in mathematics in Ireland: a comparative study between two cohorts of junior certificate students
No full textA new mathematics syllabus, called Project Maths was introduced on a phased basis \ud
for all Irish post-primary schools in September 2010. Project Maths promotes active \ud
learning, student understanding of mathematical concepts and has a key emphasis on \ud
problem-solving skills in unfamiliar contexts. \ud
This study set out to compare attitudes of two cohorts of Junior Certificate (Year 2) \ud
students to mathematics. Cohort 1 (n= 128) students had followed the traditional pre \ud
Project Maths syllabus while Cohort 2 (n = 138) students had been exposed to strands \ud
1 and 2 of the new Project Maths initiative. The study sample involved students from \ud
five post-primary school types in the North West region of Ireland. \ud
An attitudinal questionnaire, student worksheet and semi-structured interviews were \ud
used to generate quantitative and qualitative data. \ud
Cohort 2 students reported statistically significant higher mean scores for five of the \ud
seven affective variables compared to Cohort 1 students with both Cohorts having \ud
above average scores for anxiety. Importantly, Cohort 1 students reported statistically \ud
higher (p < .0005) mean scores for mathematical understanding; however Cohort 2 \ud
students did better on problem-solving questions. Cohort 2 students reported \ud
difficulties with classroom pacing and the text-heavy emphasis of Project Maths \ud
questions. Student attitudes to mathematics were not found to be correlated to \ud
examination success for both Cohorts. Favourable feedback was received on active \ud
learning methodologies from Cohort 2 students. \ud
Overall, the introduction of Projects Maths has led to improved scores in key affective \ud
variables. However, concerns around student mathematical understanding, classroom \ud
pacing and high anxiety levels remain. Recommendations are offered to address these \ud
issues
Quality assurance monitoring of accounting practices: adding value for the client or adding cost to the firm?
Get PDFThis thesis looks at how the accounting industry is regulated in Ireland. It looks at the\ud
legislation regarding the supervision of the industry and the bodies which are responsible\ud
for that supervision. It specifically looks at how accountancy firms across the country are\ud
monitored in terms of quality assurance. The effectiveness of the monitoring process is\ud
examined in order to discover how the current regulations impact on firms and what this\ud
means for the clients, those who need to have confidence in the quality of service that they\ud
are getting in order to successfully run their businesses at this time of economic recession.\ud
In order to conduct the research, the author decided that an interpretive philosophy was\ud
most appropriate because it would allow for a flexible approach to be taken when collecting\ud
the data. The data was collected by conducting in depth semi structured interviews which\ud
allowed the author the flexibility and opportunity to adapt to changes in direction whenever\ud
necessary.\ud
The results, based on interviews with accountants and those who monitor and supervise\ud
them, show that the monitoring process in regulatory areas such as auditing are effective.\ud
Professional accountants are very open and receptive to the monitoring process, are willing\ud
to learn and want to serve their clients as best they can. The study does however show a\ud
gap outside of the regulatory areas where monitoring is not mandatory for those who are\ud
performing accounting tasks but are not members of one of the professional accountancy\ud
bodies. As the level of non-regulatory work is increasing, this research highlights some of\ud
the challenges facing accountants and those who supervise the industry in the future
The impact of Active Labour Market Programmes: evidence of deactivation
Get PDFPurpose - This paper explores the experience(s) of participants in Active Labour Market Programmes (ALMPs) in Ireland. The paper utilizes narrative structuring to provide an enhanced understanding of the experience of participants.\ud
Design Methodology – Maynard (1993) and Hujer et al. (2009) explain that most of the empirical studies on the effects of ALMPs are econometric in nature. The\ud
studies draw on individual data in order to evaluate whether participation in a programme increases the individual probability of leaving unemployment. This\ud
paper adopts a qualitative approach to study the impact that ALMPs have on participants.\ud
Findings - The data collected during depth interviews indicate a mixed experience for participants. Participants found the experience of completing the ALMPs positive in the main. However, the impact on the outlook and job prospects of participants is not encouraging. Too often the respondents relate a view that the ALMPs were a short-term fix with the prospect of secure employment unlikely.\ud
Practical Implications – Tentative recommendations are made which will aid the future delivery of similar programmes. This paper proposes that evaluation using hard measures will typically produce a positive image of ALMPs. However, the use of soft measures highlights a greater complexity of impacts on the participants.\ud
Originality/value - The understanding of the experience of participants in ALMPs is\ud
enriched through the use of narrative structuring which facilitates a deeper exploration of the experience of participants. Furthermore, this paper proposes the potential problem of deactivation in addition to the problems of: deadweight loss;\ud
substitution and displacement reported by Fraser (1999)
A model to develop film-induced tourism in Ireland
Get PDFThis research explores the potential development of film-induced tourism in Ireland Filminduced\ud
tourism is not over researched and there is significant developmental scope Case\ud
study research is the predominant method used focusing on three Oscar nominated film\ud
locations in Ireland The literature review has identified key areas such as, stakeholder\ud
collaborations, strategic marketing and branding, location and film success and the\ud
community’s education and willingness to participate m the film-induced tourism product\ud
Identification of these strategies has contributed to the creation of ‘The model to develop\ud
film-induced tourism in Ireland’\ud
To fully appreciate key factors within film-induced tourism it is essential to absorb strategic\ud
and policy insight This compliments the three case studies ensuring the current film-induced\ud
tourism product at each film location is identified to its full potential using a holistic\ud
approach An interrogation of literature pertaining to the topic was completed which\ud
revealed rich insight into the phenomenon of film-induced tourism on an international scale\ud
From a theoretical perspective there is a knowledge deficit that needs to be addressed\ud
In the current climate much discussion and support is provided for the science and technology\ud
sectors within Ireland While this is welcome there is a concern among the arts and cultural\ud
community that Ireland should be at the forefront of a Cultural Economy\ud
The outcome of this research is to provide a model to enhance film-induced tourism in\ud
Ireland This study has implications for policy makers at national as well as local level This\ud
study confirms that film-induced tourism in Ireland has international leadership potential
The transformation of Galway: an urban history of a port town 1600-1700
Get PDFGalway’s wealth and position as a major Irish trading port at the beginning of the seventeenth century stemmed from a mixture of geography and politics. Its staunch support of the Crown, since its foundation in the early thirteenth century, enabled it to secure a range of special privileges. This situation allowed it to evolve as a settlement akin to a ‘city state’, exempt in the main from much of the fiscal duties imposed on commerce and trade within the English mercantile system. This special relationship began to fall apart as the Reformation and Protestant interests began to impact on what was an almost exclusively Catholic community, with power residing in the hands of a monopolistic clique of powerful and wealthy merchant families. Until the Gaelic uprising of 1641, there was little visible evidence of a conflict of interest between Catholics and Protestants in terms of their political affiliations, and even during the early stages of the formation of the Confederacy, the Galway community was reluctant to join forces with the other Old English communities. However, the siege and subsequent surrender of Galway to the Cromwellian forces in 1652, resulted in the town being left in a state of stagnation by the time of the Restoration of Charles II in1660. During the closing decades of the seventeenth century, Galway’s trading activity dwindled as the town struggled to regain its former markets. For a brief period in the late 1680s, Catholics regained control of Galway’s municipal affairs. They subsequently supported James II in the Williamite Wars, only to lose control once more following the surrender of the town to General Ginckle on 21 July 1691. To date, no published work has closely researched the significant transformations, from 1600-1700, in Galway’s economy, morphology, politics and society. This study seeks to address this lacuna by assembling and interpreting a vast range of historical evidence, so as to produce an original, integrated, meticulous and far-reaching narrative and analysis that reconstructs the urban history of seventeenth-century Galway. As well as making extensive use of the primary and secondary historical sources relating to aspects of Galway’s urban history, this study is also informed by recent scholarship on the seventeenth-century colonial policies that England adopted in its conquest of Ireland, particularly those which contributed to the outbreak of the Confederate Wars, the subsequent Cromwellian settlement of Ireland and the economic changes brought about by the Cattle Acts and the Navigation Acts after the Restoration. As a whole, this study relies not only on the perspective of the historian, but upon interdisciplinary perspectives drawn from cognate disciplines such as geography and archaeology
An investigation into the impact of the current economic recession on "own-brands" in the Irish grocery retail sector
Get PDFThe objective of this study is to investigate the impact of the current economic recession on\ud
own-brand ranges in the Irish grocery retail sector. With the recession continuing to effect\ud
individuals daily lifestyles across the globe, retailers can expect to see more consumers\ud
switching to own-branded products. Consumer’s weekly incomes have decreased and are\ud
continuing to do so. Consumer’s are now seeking ways to save money during the recession,\ud
not alone on price, but on quality of offering. Evidence suggests that today's own-brands are\ud
better than yesterdays packaged goods.\ud
The study is entirely exploratory in nature. The research techniques employed is semistructured\ud
in-depth interviews with Managers in Head Office of Musgrave’s and Tesco\ud
Ireland. Qualitative questionnaires were conducted both face-to-face and via the telephone\ud
with Store Managers from four credible Irish Retailers operating in Ireland, SuperValu,\ud
Dunnes Stores, Centra and Tesco (the method by which to conduct the questionnaires\ud
depended on Manager preference). In addition to the research five focus groups with\ud
consumers were constructed and a small scale in-store observation study was also conducted\ud
to gain further insights and perceptions for the research.\ud
The research findings demonstrate that the recession has had a desirable impact on retailer\ud
own-brand sales. Findings indicate that own-brands have become the main priority for\ud
retailers now in these tougher economic times. From a consumer point of view the research\ud
findings illustrates that the recession has had a huge effect on consumer’s perceptions of and\ud
purchasing behaviours of own-brands.\ud
This research concludes that own-brands are excellent for increasing market share,\ud
differentiating a retailers brand and winning back consumers. Therefore retailers need to\ud
constantly invest and nourish their own-brand ranges. Own-brands have become a major\ud
growing consumer acceptance. With many consumers struggling financially, the own-brand\ud
ranges have become to be an excellent way of providing consumers with cheaper alternative\ud
products, without compromising on quality
Our children, our future
Get PDFWe are delighted to present the proceedings of the international conference in early childhood care and education, ‘Our Children, Our Future’, hosted by the Institute of Technology, Sligo, Ireland, in October 2011. The first conference of its kind in Ireland, it was attended by over 150 practitioners, policy-makers, politicians (including the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Frances Fitzgerald TD), researchers, managers, academics and, most importantly, students who will be the early years professionals of the future.\ud
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The years of the Celtic Tiger, although now much critiqued and even derided, saw a fundamental shift in the extent, nature and role of early childhood care and education (ECCE) in Ireland. The sector witnessed key policy developments and a significant investment in infrastructure. Although this period of transformation is ongoing, it is always worthwhile to reflect collectively on our journey to date, particularly with the objective of informing future strategic policy and practice direction for our children.\ud
The conference involved national and international keynote speakers: Professor Sheila Greene, Director of the Children’s Research Centre, Trinity College, Dublin; Professor Nóirín Hayes, Dublin Institute of Technology; Professor Diane Levin, Wheelock College, Boston; Professor Ronny Bruffaerts, Katholieke University, Leuven; and Fergus Finlay, Chief Executive Officer of Barnardos. These speakers provided an informative and deeply engaged context for subsequent analyses, complemented by a similarly incisive and passionate input from Minister Fitzgerald.\ud
There followed presentations of the papers included in this volume. These papers centre on the three key aspects of ECCE: policy, practice and professional identity. Stimulated by these contributions, discussion fora, or agorae, explored, discussed, reflected upon and reviewed the complexity of the sector.\ud
What emerged from the presentations and agorae were some distinctive and persistent themes, which you will also discern in the full papers presented here. These included the complex and often contradictory pathways followed by Irish government policies in relation to ECCE. There were hints in the analyses of recent strategy\ud
vi\ud
documents, and in the Minister’s speech, that a more coherent and child-centred approach is emergent, but its realisation – like so much of contemporary Irish social policy – will ultimately be shaped by the financial and political crises within which the country and the economy are now ensnared.\ud
Notwithstanding the fiscal uncertainties, ECCE practitioners across the island continue to engage in innovative and exciting practices that challenge the status quo and seek to support positive social change, for example in the fields of creativity and social inclusion, or the celebration of diversity. Innovative practices are increasingly supported by a research base of evaluation and analysis that allows for reflection and dissemination of best practice. This will help to drive the enhancement of quality provision, which in turn will benefit practitioners, parents, communities and – necessarily – children.\ud
At the centre of this practice base sit the ECCE practitioners, a group engaged in a challenging and sometimes frustrating project of professionalisation. While our communities and politicians claim to want the best for their youngest members (those aged from birth to six years), are they prepared to pay for the best? At the moment it appears not, and the conference was reminded of the harsh reality for many ECCE practitioners: low pay; insecure employment; lack of professional recognition and respect; and poor or non-existent career paths. This situation must be addressed urgently.\ud
Education and training programmes, in particular the degree programmes offered by members of PLÉ, and conferences such as this one, are key steps towards the development of the professionalisation project. They are a means by which practitioners can develop the essential professional competencies, critical knowledge and reflective capacities that will make them effective supporters, educators, guides, facilitators and advocates for all our children.\ud
It is hoped that this highly accessible and interesting set of papers will provide a rich source of ideas, information and challenges for the current and future generations of practitioners, managers, policy-makers and educators. Please read and debate the material here, and if it stimulates you to think, say or do something new, that is fantastic!\ud
Rich discussion, networking opportunities and developing research alliances were all features of this conference. But perhaps the most important outcome was an unequivocal agreement amongst key stakeholders to work together in providing quality holistic care and education to our children today and in the future.\ud
We want to thank all those who presented at the event, who submitted papers for review and who provided manuscripts for publication in these proceedings. We also wish to thank our peer reviewers, whose time and dedication to this process were greatly appreciated. In relation to the event itself, we thank the Irish Social Science Platform; PLÉ; the staff and students of the Institute of Technology, Sligo; AVA (audio-visual services); and Wheats (catering). In regard to the publication of these proceedings in eBook and printed form, we acknowledge the support of the Higher Education Authority funded National Digital Learning Repository
Investigation into the early life history of the European flounder (Platichthys flesus L.) with special emphasis in Galway Bay, Irish West Coast
Get PDFEuropean flounder (Platichthys flesus L.) economic value is estimated to be worth over 68 million to the Irish economy (mainly from recreational angling activities). Despite such large species value, there is a considerable lack of data for this region, particularly concerning stock structure, timing of life history events and juvenile habitat use patterns. This dissertation addresses these knowledge gaps and describes a number of studies which focus on the understanding of flounder nursery ground ecology. Understanding stock structure and the connectivity between geographically distinct groups of fish is critical for the sustainable management of a species. Meristic analysis revealed a modest separation of juvenile flounder from different regions (west coast of Ireland, east coast of Ireland and the Welsh coast). The variation between regions was subtle and there was a large degree of overlap. The technique is therefore not a powerful method of stock identification on its own but may improve the likelihood of detecting flounder stock structure if combined with other markers in a multidisciplinary approach to stock identification. Little is known of the early life traits of flounder and the affect early benthic life has on habitat use patterns and survival. Otolith microstructure analysis established critical baseline data on the timing and duration of early life history events of juvenile flounder. Peak hatching and settlement occurred in February/March and March/April respectively while the average pelagic larval phase was on average 43 days. Spatial and temporal variability in early life history traits and size were identified which may be related to inter/intra estuarine movement of flounder and/or selective mortality of different settlement cohorts. Flounder sampled from beaches and estuaries within Galway Bay showed different habitat use patterns. Individuals on the beaches used the habitat over a short period of time and were either moving away from the beach habitat or undergoing mortality subsequent to arrival; whereas flounder were continuously found in the estuaries until late summer. There is evidence that biochemical (RNA:DNA) and morphometric condition represent different time scales in fishes’ life which can be useful for studying short and long term condition of fish. Under experimental laboratory conditions, post larval flounder held at salinity of 30 had higher RNA: DNA compared to individuals held at salinity of 0 while no difference in morphometric condition was detected. In contrast, in the estuarine environment flounder condition (morphometric and RNArDNA) increased as salinity decreased. The findings of this thesis provided important information on the dynamics of 0-group flounder which can aid conservation of essential juvenile habitats which in turn can positively affect recruitment of 0-group individuals to the adult spawning population
Predictions for the spread, population density and impacts of Corbicula fluminea in Ireland
Get PDFIn 2010, the Asian clam, Corbicula fluminea, was found for the first time in Ireland. The species is considered to be one of the\ud
most aggressive freshwater invaders causing strong economic and ecological impacts. This paper provides predictions for the\ud
spread, population density, and impacts of Corbicula fluminea in Ireland. Water chemistry datasets from the Republic of Ireland\ud
and from Northern Ireland were analysed to determine suitable waters for colonisation. Only 3 rivers and 6 lakes have pH levels\ud
considered too low (<5.6) for invasion of this species. Corbicula fluminea densities within a waterbody will depend on suitable\ud
substrate and food availability, with greater populations in canals, rivers and lakes with a higher trophic level. Boating and\ud
angling are likely to be the highest vectors of spread. Redevelopment of any canal sections will require risk assessment, to\ud
minimise spread. Corbicula is likely to cause negative economic effects by creating blockages in drinking and industrial water\ud
abstraction systems. The ecological impacts of C. fluminea are associated with their role as biofilters, and are therefore\ud
determined by their filtration rate and the overall population density in a given waterbody
