NUI Maynooth Eprint Archive
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Broke, not broken: Exploring the narrated experiences of teachers from low-income backgrounds
No full textThis research is situated in the context of diversity of the teaching profession with respect to socio-economic status. It focuses on the dimension of representation and considers the role modelling potential of post-primary teachers from low-income socio-economic groups (SEGs) in Ireland. Phrases such as seeing is believing and you can’t be what you can’t see are synonymous with the potential of role models from similar ethnic, cultural, and social backgrounds. However, seeing in relation to low-income SEGs is problematic as it relies on disclosure by the teacher and the student. Using the Biographic Narrative Interpretive Method, this study draws on the experiences of six post-primary teachers who work in designated disadvantaged schools. This research explores the participants’ journeys in becoming teachers, self-disclosure of their SEG background, and their role modelling experiences.
The participants reported the following with respect to becoming: education was highly valued within their family homes, they were altruistically motivated to become teachers, and they received support from their former school principals. Challenges associated with becoming included financial constraints and feelings of isolation and not belonging. The participants used purposeful self-disclosure to support and connect with their students, for pedagogical purposes, and to develop the relational aspects of teaching. Tensions and dilemmas emerged between the participants’ social justice motivations of becoming teachers and their perceptions of being a role model. This research suggests an alternative construct of representational advocacy which depicts the manner in which teachers from low-income SEGs leverage their community cultural wealth to advocate for students from demographically congruent backgrounds
Non-Cryptographic Hash Functions: Focus on FNV
No full textIn this thesis, we will explore the world of hash functions. After a brief overview of the
construction and uses of cryptographic hashes, we will then focus almost exclusively on
non-cryptographic functions. We delve into the FNV family of hash functions in significant
detail, examining their background, structure and motivation. We then introduce
some well-known peer functions, against which FNV can be tested. We lay out our test parameters,
where we will utilise hash tables, a variety of input types, and explain our choice
of load factor, collision management and more. We run rigorous tests measuring distribution,
collision resistance and avalanche effect which highlight some significant differences
in performance. The observed test results are examined in detail, with explanations provided
for the varying performances of the functions. These results also provoked some
interesting questions around the accepted methodology for measuring the performance of
non-cryptographic hash functions, particularly the relevance of the avalanche effect. We
examine published works which reference this metric and discover that, perhaps, its usefulness
has been overstated. We finally consider collision resistance in a more abstract
sense, examining how each function performs when tested with a more challenging input
size
Just what is intersectionality – and what does it mean from an Irish perspective?
No full textThe abstract is included in the text
Large-Scale Research and the Question of Educational Experience: Recovering the Heart of the Matter
No full textThe international rise of large-scale evaluations of quality in education in recent decades has been accompanied, ironically, by a major neglect of the issue of quality itself. This is mainly because of fundamental shortcomings in the design of most large-scale evaluation programmes. In programmes like PISA, TALIS and SABER-Teachers, the central but intricate questions of quality become defined as questions of indexed quantity, thus deflecting the former to the margins, or out of the picture. Beginning with a review of the points just mentioned, this contribution then proceeds to identify and investigate some key inadequacies in the conceptions of evidence employed by large-scale evaluation programmes. Deficiencies in their gathering of evidence are likewise examined. A comparative perspective is also included to reveal overlooked exclusions in the supposedly neutral PISA instruments. The manifold character of what an adequate research exploration of quality in educational experience would look like is then investigated. Finally, the case is made for advancing the kind of evaluation programme that includes an adequate understanding of quality in education and that does justice to this in its research design
What is caught rather than taught: messages of professionalism communicated by teacher educators
No full textInternationally, there is a growing recognition of teacher educators acting as both agents of and subjects to centrally devised policy reforms. In an Irish context, in which a rhetoric of policy veils teacher accountability behind standards/codes of professionalism, this study sets out to explore how professionalism is communicated to pre-service teachers during their School Placement practicum by teacher educators. This was achieved by examining a sample of teacher educators’ written reports of observed lessons (N = 429) and interviews with a sample (N = 10) of teacher educators from one Irish university. This study found that messages regarding the looking the part of a professional and fitting-in were communicated by teacher educators. While these messages appeared to be communicated from a position of care to ease students’ transition into the professional space, these messages also contained suggested sentiments of power and conformity. This study draws conclusion based on the professional agency of teacher educators and how their enactment of standards in programme design may communicate more than initially intended
Challenges in the Future of Restorative Youth Justice in Ireland: Minimising Intervention, Maximising Participation
No full textWhile restorative approaches encompass a small proportion of youth justice practices in Ireland, the new Youth Justice Strategy (2021–2027) aims to include more victims in restorative justice, expand family conferencing and train youth justice professionals in restorative practices. This article discusses the legal, policy and practice contexts of these developments, considering how Ireland has defined, used and researched restorative youth justice to date. It situates the ongoing efforts to meet victims’ and children’s needs, and to change criminal justice cultures, in the international criminological and legal literature on minimum intervention and child participation, analysing the possibilities and challenges facing restorative youth justice in Ireland
Exploration of the Action-oriented Approach for Second Language Acquisition in Students with Special Educational Needs: A Scoping Review
No full textNon-scientific assumptions have led to the mistaken belief that individuals with limited cognitive function cannot benefit from, or even acquire, a second language. Still, recent advances
in neuroscience support the idea that they can indeed develop new literacy abilities without
detriment to the first language. In this context, the current research study aims to explore
the use of Action-oriented Approach to support the acquisition of a second language in young
population with Special Educational Needs, for which a scoping review approach was selected.
Potential implications of the study include establishing a new basis for the development of
tailored curriculum programs and practices that better address the special educational needs
of individuals with cognitive deficits
Experiences and perceptions of everyday decision-making in the lives of adults with intellectual disabilities, their care partners and direct care support workers
No full textBackground: Decisional support is important to people with intellectual disabilities. This review explores: i) how everyday decision-making is perceived and/or experienced by adults with intellectual disability, their care partners and direct care support workers (DCSWs); ii) techniques/approaches used to support everyday decision-making; and iii) barriers/facilitators encountered. Method: PRISMA systematic review methodology using PsycInfo, PubMED, Web of Science, CINAHL and Scopus. Results: Eighty-one papers were included [qualitative (n = 69), quantitative (n = 7), mixed methods (n = 5)]. Adults with intellectual disability reported wanting to make decisions and needing support. Care partner support was affected by concerns about safety and decisional capacity. DCSWs reported difficulty balancing client decisions and care partner concerns when providing support. Supported Decision-Making (SDM) was identified as a key method of support. Barriers and facilitators were interconnected and impacted by stressors. Conclusion: This topic is under-researched and ill-defined. Supported decision-making is an increasingly popular approach whose application requires further exploration
Promoting a ‘Think Carer’ approach in Primary Care/General Practice
No full textBackground: Family carers are known to experience negative consequences to their health
and well-being, but despite this, they report having little or no formal health care support.
International literature suggests that General Practitioners (GPs) have a critical role to play in
the identification and support of family carers, although there are clear gaps in knowledge,
awareness, and the provision of appropriate resources and training. Aims: The principal aim
of this multi-stage, sequential mixed methods research was to address important policy goals
concerning the health and well-being of family carers in Ireland, with a specific focus on how
they can be better supported by GPs. Method: The research involved: (1) a national survey of
family carers (N=132) and in-depth interviews with family carers and GPs (N=10) (Study 1);
(2) a scoping review of the international literature to inform the development of guidelines or
‘Practice Points’ for GPs (Study 2); and (3) the development and pilot testing of educational
resources for both GPs and carers (Study 3).
Results: Study One findings suggest that although family carers were experiencing high levels
of psychological distress, they were rarely asked about their own well-being and were reluctant
to seek help or to discuss the impact of caring on their own health. GPs, although sympathetic
to family carers, were uncertain regarding their role (if any) in supporting them. The lack of
appropriate resources and information were significant barriers to carer identification and
support in primary care. Study Two, based on an initial review of approximately 4000 papers
from across the world (35 of which met the criteria for inclusion), involved a critical synthesis
of key strategies for the identification, assessment, and support of carers in primary care. The
findings, which are applicable across diverse caring roles, are useful in informing and guiding
current policy and practice in this area. Study Three, completed in collaboration with Family
Carers Ireland and a PPI panel of carers, involved the development of guidelines or ‘Practice
Points’ for GPs, as well as the co-design, co-delivery, and pilot testing of workshops for GPs
and family carers respectively.
Conclusion: This timely and important research represents a valuable contribution to the
international literature on the identification and support of family carers in general
practice/primary care. Crucially, the collective findings increase awareness of the health and
well-being needs of family carers, whilst also helping to improve the ways in which they can
be better identified and supported, both in Ireland and elsewhere. Additionally, the project
outputs provide useful, accessible, and practical evidence-based resources for both GPs and
family carers alike. A number of recommendations for policy and practice are highlighted, as
well as directions for future research
Safety and feasibility of transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation in mild cognitive impairment: VINCI-AD study protocol
No full textBackground Over 55 million adults are living with dementia globally, which is projected to reach 157 million by
2050. Mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a syndrome of memory impairment with intact activities of daily living, may
precede dementia by several years. Around 5–15% of individuals with MCI convert to dementia annually. Novel
treatments which delay progression of MCI to dementia are urgently needed. Transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulation
(tVNS) is a non-invasive neuromodulation technique that targets the vagus nerve. Importantly, tVNS has been
shown to improve cognition in healthy volunteers, but has not been extensively examined as a potential therapeutic
approach in MCI. VINCI-AD will examine the safety and feasibility of tVNS in older adults with MCI.
Design VINCI-AD is an investigator-led, single-site, single-blind, sham-controlled crossover pilot study which
aims to assess the safety and feasibility of tVNS in 40 participants with amnestic MCI. All participants will attend for
three consecutive study visits during which they will be randomised to receive no stimulation (baseline), active
tVNS stimulation (stimulation at cymba conchae of left ear) or sham tVNS stimulation (at earlobe). Safety will be
primarily assessed by ascertainment of adverse events. Further safety assessment will examine the impact of acute
tVNS on subjective (orthostatic symptoms), peripheral (finometry-based blood pressure) and central (assessed via
Near Infrared Spectroscopy [NIRS]) haemodynamic responses to active stand. Feasibility will be determined using
a custom-designed occupational assessment of device usability. Exploratory secondary analysis in VINCI-AD will
examine the potential impact of acute tVNS on associative memory, spatial memory and inhibitory control to inform
sample size estimates for future trials of tVNS in older adults with MCI.
Discussion VINCI-AD will report on the safety (adverse events/haemodynamic responses to active stand) and
feasibility of tVNS as a potential therapeutic option in MCI. Detailed reporting of study eligibility and completion rates
will be reported. Exploratory analysis will examine the potential cognitive benefits of acute tVNS on cognitive function
in MCI to report potential effect sizes that may inform future clinical trials in this cohort