13463 research outputs found
Sort by
Growing voice: Insights from children's experiences of student voice practices in primary PE
No full textDespite growing research highlighting the value of student voice practices (SVPs) in enhancing engagement and enriching children’s learning experiences, SVPs remain uncommon in primary physical education (PE) (Iannucci and Parker, 2022a). The purpose of this research was to gain
insight into children’s experiences of SVPs in primary PE, offering insight into how SVPs can be integrated into regular PE practice. A multi-site qualitative case study design was adopted. Over a period of five months, seven primary teachers in Ireland were supported in learning about
and enacting SVPs in their PE practice. Children in their classes (n=120) were actively involved and invited to reflect on their experiences of SVPs throughout the project. Data sources included webinar presentations (n=6), a semi-structured interview with teachers (n=2 participants), children’s workbooks (n=120), and blog posts co-authored by teachers and children (n =6). A reflexive thematic analysis approach was used to analyse the data (Braun and Clarke, 2021). Findings show how children used SVPs to share their experiences, articulate their preferences,
and suggest changes to future PE lessons. Children reportedly valued sharing their voices and recognised the positive influence SVPs had on their participation in PE. Based on their own lived experiences, children came to recommend the wider implementation of SVPs by others. The findings make a compelling case for the adoption of SVPs as part of regular PE practice, while offering practical direction for enactment
A pedagogy of outdoor learning in the primary school – Insights from outdoor educators in Ireland
No full textDespite extensive research on outdoor learning during formal schooling,
there remains a lack of clarity about outdoor learning as a pedagogy, and
consequently ambiguity regarding its contribution to education policy
and curriculum enactment. The aim of this qualitative study was to
synthesise the views of experienced outdoor learning educators in
Ireland regarding the pedagogy of outdoor learning and to consider the
possibilities offered by outdoor learning towards enacting the policy
vision for primary education. Thematic analysis of 10 semi-structured
interviews identified five interlinked components of outdoor learning
pedagogy. These include experiential learning, learner agency, equity,
relationality beyond-the-human and inclusive. Four conditions to implement this pedagogy were also identified, as follows: leadership, professional learning, explicit policy support and teacher agency. Findings
highlighted how enacting outdoor learning pedagogy and making the
outdoors a normative learning environment is a challenging and complex
task, requiring systemic change
Political opposition versus sources of power in central Asia: A case study of Kazakhstan
Get PDFThis study undertakes a comprehensive examination of the evolution and transformation of political opposition in Kazakhstan over the past three decades. By adopting a tripartite typology introduced by Kazakh political scientist Andrey Chebotarev, the study classifies the chronological development of Kazakh political opposition into three distinct periods: the initial decade of independence (1991-1998) represented through Institutional Opposition, a subsequent phase (1998-2012) focusing on Individual Opposition, and the most recent decade (2012-2022), emphasizing the emergence of Civic Opposition. The primary objective is to shed light on the opposition's developmental path through examining trends, identifying distinctive features, and investigating the complex dynamics of its interaction with the Kazakh regime.
The research argues that the evolution and transformation of political opposition in Kazakhstan throughout the past three decades are fundamentally linked to its complex relationship with the governing authorities. Notably, the elimination of Institutional Opposition paved the way for the emergence of Individual Opposition, and subsequently, the eradication of both Institutional and Individual Opposition gave rise to spontaneous forms of opposition activism, particularly in the form of the so called Civic Opposition. This dynamic interplay has not only shaped the regime responses to the opposition's actions, but it has also played an important role in shaping the trajectory and adaptability of Kazakh political opposition, within the diverse landscape of local politics.
The central argument of this research states that in the context of Kazakhstan complete eradication of both Institutional and Individual Opposition by the Kazakh regime catalysed the emergence of the Civic Opposition, manifested primarily as unforeseen and uncontrollable instances of widespread public unrests and spontaneous protests, posing a serious threat to the stability and longevity of the Kazakh regime. Although authoritarian regimes may initially seek to remove dissent in order to consolidate power, empirical findings from the case of Kazakhstan suggests that even a vocal opposition can serve as an avenue to address social grievances, while also potentially contributing to regime stability by offering a platform for dissent and preventing large scale mobilisation against the authoritarian regime
An exploration of educator engagement with the contemplative practices of mindfulness based stress reduction, deep talk and balint
Get PDFThe aim of this study was to explore educators’ experiences of engagement with contemplative practices. A qualitative methodology was employed, using semi-structured interviews, observations, and reflective diaries with participants from primary, secondary and tertiary education. The data was analysed using a Thematic Analysis approach (Braun and Clarke 2013; 2022). The contemplative practices included Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Deep Talk and Balint. MBSR is a mindfulness programme combining breath meditations, body awareness, and reflective exercises on thinking, feelings, and embodied experiences (Kabat-Zinn, 1990). Deep Talk is a method using mythical stories and with auditive, visual and kinaesthetic representations which are intended to create dialogue, evoke emotional and embodied responses, and facilitate reflection on participants’ contexts (Valkonen, 2015). Balint is an experiential, small group educational activity originally used with medics (Otten, 2018) and now applied in education as a dialogical space where educators can think and reflect on the emotional content of their work to obtain insight, meaning and understanding. These experiential contemplative practices offered educators the possibility of ‘learning from within’ and coupled with inquiry, reflection, and dialogue, created a contemplative pedagogical context which had potential to deepen personal and professional insights and cultivate a variety of contemplative dimensions. This study provides evidence of self-exploration by educators of inner subjective worlds, as well as identifying dimensions of contemplative processes and practices that act as a source of personal and professional support. The findings have the potential to inform future directions for the development of emerging contemplative practices in education
Empirical exploration of the religious landscape and spiritual marketplace of a post-Catholic Ireland: Perspectives of a younger demographic
Get PDFThe empirical, mixed-methods doctoral study that follows set out to explore contemporary perceptions of religion and spirituality from the perspective of a sample of young people living in Ireland. Conducted in the discipline of Practical Theology, and combining social science insights and methods, it explored an apparent epochal and dramatic cultural turn away from organised, institutional religion, and the loosening of the once tight normative link to Catholicism, traditionally the hallmark of Irish ethno-identity. It explored whether new forms of spirituality are replacing religious practices with a precise focus on those who selfidentify as Spiritual but not Religious. Underpinned by the ethics of Emmanuel
Levinas and using Gadamerian hermeneutics as its theoretical framework, I conducted the study in two phases. Phase 1 involved the distribution of a Google Forms questionnaire to a random sample of the demographic of interest which yielded (n=178) responses. Phase 2 involved the conduct of interviews (N=22) with a separate volunteer sample mainly in two Irish universities and some border regions. Data elicited suggest a wide spectrum of religious and non-religious
worldviews. While qualitative data affirmed the drift from organised religion evident in my survey data, they suggested that irreligion is not a tidal wave, with some young people reconnecting to organised religion and faith practices following a period of either agnosticism or atheism in their mid-teens. Data suggest that young people living in Ireland think deeply about spirituality as a concept that transcends traditional religious boundaries. These data suggest that a sense of moral good is associated with young peoples’ sense of spirituality
Towards the adaptive use of indigenous cultural heritage: Muchongoyo music and dance as a means of sustainability among the Ndau people in Zimbabwe
No full textThis ethnomusicological study develops an interdisciplinary approach to muchongoyo music and dance heritage in the lives of the Ndau people in Zimbabwe, and investigates ways that this heritage can be safeguarded, adapted and combined with other Indigenous economic
activities for sustainability.
The study brings together a wide range of secondary sources to present an original history of Zimbabwean music and dance. Its theoretical framework draws on recent interactive directions in ethnomusicology that seek to engage culture bearers as collaborators in ethnographic fieldwork. It builds an original hybrid methodology that combines complementary approaches, perspectives, methods and procedures of conventional ethnography and applied ethnography with Indigenous ontologies and epistemologies. A conventional ethnography is first carried out, providing a thick description of muchongoyo as
mutambe (social event). Following this, applied ethnography is advanced by developing a concentric model of festivalisation based on the practice of nhimbe (collaborative work) as an element of ubuntu/unthu (communitarianism). This model is developed and adopted to adapt muchongoyo and other aspects of Ndau culture, notably, Indigenous medicines, traditional beer, local agricultural products and cuisines, for community development through cultural festival tourism. The applied ethnography leads to the implementation of a novel intervention: a multi-faceted muchongoyo cultural festival. This festival, designed to empower participants with critical capacities of self-reliance, identifies a crucial role for culture-bearers in sustaining Ndau heritage for sustainable development.
Overall findings of the study highlight the dynamic role of living heritage in promoting sustainability and contribute to hybrid methodological approaches in applied ethnomusicology. Critically, they propose concrete ways of addressing UNESCO goals for the promotion of sustainable development and safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage
Burgeoning teacher assessment identity and learning to ‘play the system’: the realities of assessment-led reform at lower secondary level in Ireland
Get PDFIn recent years, the lower secondary school curriculum in the
Republic of Ireland has been subject to assessment-led reform,
many elements of which, such as the increased focus on continuous
school-based assessment, reflect those of similar initiatives introduced in other countries. This paper explores the extent to which this reformed approach is succeeding in meeting its aims, drawing on survey data from a representative sample (n = 471) of teachers who have been involved in its implementation over the past seven years. The findings suggest that the increased diversity of assessment approaches has given rise to a greater emphasis on skills, such as creativity and critical self-reflection, but concerns are raised regarding the authenticity with which these skills are being developed, and several practical and logistical difficulties associated with the new system are also noted. Implications for both local and international policy and practice are discussed
Digitised Optimisation of Nanoparticle Synthesis via Laser Ablation: An Industry 4.0 Multivariate Approach for Enhanced Production
Get PDFThe synthesis of nanoparticles (NPs) via laser ablation synthesis in solution (LASiS) is a promising method for sustainable and efficient nanoparticle fabrication. This work investigates the transition from one-factor-at-a-time experimentation to a more efficient, multivariate approach for optimising NP production efficiency. By applying the Industry 4.0 principles, the objective is to digitise and automate laboratory processes to increase productivity and robustness. Design of Experiments (DoE) strategies, Taguchi orthogonal arrays and full-factorial design (FFD), have been employed to enhance laser ablation processes. Both models confirmed that increasing laser power led to higher colloid absorbance, with the Taguchi DoE offering rapid initial process mapping and FFD
providing a higher-resolution analysis. The optimal laser repetition rate of 30 kHz was identified as a balance between pulse energy and thermal effects on the target, maximising ablation efficiency. The Taguchi model had a prediction of NP size with an R2 value of 0.49, while the FFD struggled with accurate size prediction. Additionally, this study introduced a recirculation flow regime as a rapid test platform for predicting optimal conditions for continuous flow production. Using a semi-autonomous DoE platform decreased the operator involvement and increased the process selectivity. This proof-of-concept for on-the-bench NP rapid manufacturing demonstrated how efficient NP synthesis processes
can be developed by clarifying the effects of varying parameters on colloid productivity, paving the way for broader industrial applications in the future
Virtue as Competence: A Conceptual Integration of Competence Thinking with MacIntyrean Virtue Ethics
Get PDFRecent management education debates identify room for greater emphasis on character building within business school pedagogies. As a way forward, we suggest virtue ethics as an agent-centred character-building ethical approach that provides guidance in management education where norm- and outcome-oriented ethical approaches have limits. However, its whole-person and life-span perspective makes it difficult to develop virtue ethics competence in business schools. We thus conceptualise a virtue as competence learning framework for management. We do so by integrating Alasdair MacIntyre's virtue approach with the intellectual–behavioural–personal (IBP) competence framework that specifies independent and interdependent dimensions of intellectual, behavioural and personal competence. The virtue as competence learning framework guides learners to develop virtue competence. We make three contributions. First, we explicitly address the whole-person and life-span perspective of virtue and thus address the lack of systematic approaches to virtue ethics learning in managerial studies. Second, by conceptually applying the IBP competence framework to the learning of a whole-person ethics approach, we address the particularisation of competences in the competence debate. Third, we offer concrete inspirations for a character-building pedagogy that develops whole-person competence and addresses the scarcity of ethics pedagogies that develop behavioural and personal competence
Conceptualising the Development of the National Guidance on the Participation of Disabled Children and Young People in Decision-Making in Ireland through the Lens of Implementation Science
Get PDFThis paper describes the collaborative development of national guidance in the Republic of Ireland, specifically designed to support the upholding of the rights of disabled children and young people to meaningful participation in decision-making, as outlined in Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), General Comments 5, 9, and 12, as well as the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). We conceptualise this process within the Interactive Systems Framework for Dissemination and Implementation (Wandersman et al., 2008), which highlights the need for a shared planning process and multi-system support to ensure effective implementation. We propose that strategies from Implementation Science are essential to translate this guidance into practice, enabling the monitoring and evaluation of its effectiveness in safeguarding the participation rights of disabled children and young people. Our paper advocates for the application of Implementation Science as a critical tool to further the rights enshrined in both the UNCRC and UNCRPD, ensuring that disabled children and young people are actively involved in decision-making processes that affect their lives