National University of Ireland, Maynooth
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Enhancing Teaching, Learning and Curriculum Design through Education Frameworks: Literature Review
Full text linkThis literature review explores how education and curriculum frameworks can support faculty
in enhancing teaching practice, fostering pedagogical leadership and advancing curriculum
design practice in higher education. In response to growing institutional, national and global
priorities, such as the areas of equity, inclusion, sustainability and digital transformation, there
is an urgent need for structured, yet adaptable, frameworks that empower faculty as active
agents of educational change.
The review synthesises current academic and policy literature, identifying key models such
as the Connected Curriculum (Fung, 2017), Constructive Alignment (Biggs & Tang, 2022),
Agile Backward Design (Dazeley et al., 2025), the ISEE Framework (Yang, 2015) and the
SPELT evaluation model (Huber, 2017). These frameworks amongst others are evaluated
not only for their pedagogical coherence, but for their ability to embed values-led leadership
in Teaching and Learning (T&L), foster student-centred learning and support strategic
approaches to curriculum enhancement. Critically, the review surfaces a shift away from
compliance-driven or metrics-heavy frameworks toward developmental, relational and
context-sensitive curricular approaches.
The review is guided by a central inquiry: how do education and curriculum frameworks
support faculty in enhancing T&L, exercising pedagogical leadership and designing inclusive,
sustainability-oriented curricula aligned with institutional and societal priorities? Subsidiary
research questions explore the purposes and characteristics of these frameworks, their role
in embedding Equality Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) and Education for Sustainable
Development (ESD), and their institutional impact on curriculum innovation and leadership
practice.
Key insights from the literature indicate:
• The most effective frameworks centre faculty agency, ethical leadership and co-creation with students.
• There are persistent gaps in how frameworks support emotional, cognitive and
relational dimensions of faculty development.
• Institutions that align teaching enhancement with strategic priorities through
structured, yet flexible frameworks report greater curriculum coherence and
innovation.
• Frameworks must move beyond policy alignment and operationalise values such as
justice, wellbeing and sustainability through practical, adaptable resources.
This literature review offers critical foundations for the development of the Maynooth
Education Framework and insights to inform initiative implementation aimed at fostering
inclusive, evidence-based and values-led academic leadership in curriculum design
JWST Observations of Segregated 12 CO 2 and 13 CO 2 Ices in Protostellar Envelopes
Full text linkThe evolution of interstellar ices can be studied with thermal tracers such as the vibrational modes of CO2 ice that show great diversity depending on their local chemical and thermal environment. Now with the wide spectral coverage and sensitivity of the James Webb Space Telescope we can obtain observations of the weak and strong CO2 absorption features inhabiting the near- and mid-infrared spectral region. In this work we present observations of the 15.2 μm bending mode, the 4.39 μm stretching mode and the 2.70 μm combination mode of 12CO2 and 13CO2 ice in the high-mass protostar IRAS 20126 and the low-mass protostar Per-emb 35, two sources that show clear signs of ice heating. The 15.2 μm bending mode of both protostars shows the characteristic double peak profile that is associated with pure CO2 ice and a sharp short-wavelength peak is observed at 4.38 μm in the 13CO2 bands of the two sources. Furthermore, a narrow short-wavelength feature is detected at 2.69 μm in the 12CO2 combination mode of Per-emb 35. We perform a consistent profile decomposition on all three vibrational modes and show that the profiles of all three bands can be reproduced with the same linear combination of CO2 ice in mixtures with mostly CH3OH and H2O ices when the ices undergo segregation due to heating. The findings show that upon heating, CO2 ice is likely segregating from mostly the water-rich ice layer and the CO2–CH3OH component becomes dominant in all three vibrational modes. Additionally, we find that the contribution of the different CO2 components with respect to the total absorption band is similar for both 12CO2 and 13CO2. This indicates that fractionation processes must not play a significant role during the different formation epochs, H2O-dominated and CO-dominated, of the CO2 ices and that the ratio persists through the heating stage. We quantify the 12CO2 and 13CO2 ice column densities and derive 12C/13Cice = 90 ± 9 in IRAS 20126, a value that is lower compared to what was previously reported for warm gaseous CO in this source. Finally, we report the detection of the 13CO2 bending mode of pure CO2 ice at 15.64 μm in both IRAS 20126 and Per-emb 35
Chinese-speaking Immigrants' Experience Navigating Ireland’s 2022 Regularisation of Long-Term Undocumented Migrants Scheme
Full text linkThe 2022 Regularisation Scheme for Long-Term Undocumented Migrants in Ireland marked a turning point in the country’s immigration policy, offering thousands of individuals a long-awaited opportunity to secure legal status. For Chinese-speaking migrants, the scheme has been life-changing, enabling them to reunite with their families, achieve greater financial stability, and regain a sense of security and belonging. However, as this report highlights, the path to full integration remains complex, requiring ongoing policy improvements and targeted support.
This study finds that while the Regularisation Scheme was greatly needed and appreciated, it has eased many of the immediate stresses associated with being undocumented; however, deeper challenges persist. Language barriers and limited digital literacy continue to restrict access to essential services, employment opportunities, and legal protections. Housing insecurity, restrictive family reunification rules, and gaps in healthcare access further complicate the lives of those who have secured legal status, underscoring the need for more inclusive policies. Additionally, a lack of awareness about rights and entitlements among newly regularised migrants underlines the importance for better information-sharing and community outreach.
The experiences of Chinese-speaking migrants navigating the scheme also highlight the essential role played by social networks, NGOs, and ethnic media. These support systems have been crucial in helping individuals understand the application process, access legal assistance, and overcome bureaucratic hurdles. At the same time, the reliance on these networks reveals a larger issue: the lack of linguistically and culturally accessible services within government institutions.
Looking ahead, this report outlines key recommendations to build on the successes of the Regularisation Scheme while addressing existing gaps. Simplifying application procedures, expanding language and digital literacy programs, and improving family reunification policies will help ensure a more welcoming and supportive environment for all migrants. Strengthening the role of NGOs and community organisations, particularly in underserved areas, will be essential in ensuring that no one is left behind. Meanwhile, greater oversight of commercial immigration agents and improved access to legal aid will help protect vulnerable individuals from misinformation and exploitation. It also calls for the establishment of a formal, transparent policy review mechanism to regularly assess and adapt immigration policies to evolving migrant needs.
Ultimately, the Regularisation Scheme is about more than just legal status—it is about restoring dignity, fostering inclusion, and enabling migrants to fully participate in Irish society. As Ireland continues to navigate the complexities of migration and integration, policymakers, service providers, and community organisations must work together to remove systemic barriers and ensure that the full promise of the Regularisation Scheme is realised.
In conclusion, the 2022 Regularisation Scheme represents a significant step toward justice and inclusion for undocumented migrants in Ireland. However, its long-term success will hinge on ongoing efforts to address structural inequalities and foster a society where all individuals, regardless of their background, can flourish and experience a true sense of belonging
Patents over ‘technologies’ related to how we treat, use, and modify the human body: An urgent need for greater bioethics scrutiny
Full text linkUnder the TRIPS framework, patents must be granted in all fields of technology, including health-technologies. Patents give rightsholders significant control over patented technologies as they enable them to exclude others from using these for commercial purposes. The human body per se is not patentable. However, many technologies that relate to how we treat, use, and modify the body are patentable. For example, in Europe, patentable technologies include those that can treat the body (eg, medicines), technologies that can affect how we use elements derived from the body (eg, isolated human genes are patentable in certain contexts), and technologies that can modify (including enhance) the body (eg, neuro-technologies). Using a novel five-category taxonomy of patentable technologies related to how we treat, use, and modify the human body, this article demonstrates that such patents—and their use—can pose significant bioethical implications, focusing on implications for autonomy, dignity, and bodily integrity interests. It demonstrates that these bioethical implications are not routinely considered in European patent grant or licensing decision-making. This article challenges this. It argues that greater scrutiny is needed over these bioethical implications and over the connection that patented technologies have with how we treat, use, and modify the human body
An Irish Radium Institute: the Royal Dublin Society and the promotion of radioactive therapy in twentieth-century Ireland
Full text linkSoon after its discovery in 1898, the potential physiological effects of radium, including its possible role in combating cancer, were recognised. Its therapeutic uses led to the founding of the Royal Dublin Society’s (RDS) Radium Institute in 1914, just 2 years after the establishment of the Institut du Radium in Paris. In tracing the history of the Institute and the use of radium therapy, this paper explores the role played by the RDS in the relationship between the emerging science surrounding radioactivity, the scientists that were promoting and developing this, and the pioneering medical professionals that sought to use this new science for the benefit of their patients in early twentieth-century Ireland. In doing so, it demonstrates that the Irish scientists and medical practitioners actively engaged with this new medical science, assimilating, contesting and reconstructing medical knowledge in a local context
The transformation of pay determination in Ireland
Full text linkThe collapse of social partnership in 2009 and several ensuing years of concession bargaining forced Irish unions to innovate in order to restore pay growth and improve conditions. Drawing on a unique dataset of over 1,600 pay agreements, alongside interviews and case studies, this paper provides the first comprehensive analysis of Ireland’s decentralised and primarily firm-level pay-bargaining system since the global financial crisis. Contrary to international portrayals of pay determination in Ireland as uncoordinated and fragmented, the paper reveals how unions have maintained effective pay coordination mechanisms. The analysis traces the shift from company-level ‘pattern bargaining’ to a ‘flexible coordination’ model, shaped by evolving economic and institutional conditions. Findings show that unions have delivered sustained real pay growth, contained pay dispersion, and secured significant improvements in working conditions, while preserving industrial peace. The paper also examines emerging efforts to institutionalise social dialogue and assesses the likely impact of these efforts on the future trajectory of collective bargaining in Ireland. Overall, the study highlights the adaptability and resilience of Irish unions in navigating a liberal market economy, while safeguarding workers’ pay and conditions
A Difficult Time to Talk. A qualitative socio-legal study on family mediation in Hague Cases of International Parental Child Abduction, from the perspective of a selection of legal practitioners and mediation professionals.
No full textThis study explores family mediation for international child abduction cases in Ireland and
across Europe, from the perspective of legal and mediator professionals. This socio-legal study
focuses on their personal and professional challenges they face in working together within a
legal framework. A selection of legal practitioners and mediators across Ireland and parts of
Europe were interviewed to offer their perspective on their work. The removal of a child from
their place of habitual residence to another country by one parent, without the permission of
the other parent, constitutes International Parental Abduction. According to figures from
Missing Children Europe 2020, there are over 1,100 such cases each year. Although the
numbers may seem small in relative terms, the significant upheaval in the lives of these families
cannot be underestimated. Resolving these abductions requires the cooperation of multiple
agencies, governments, and legal systems. The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of
International Child Abduction 1980 is a multi-lateral treaty offering a framework for
collaboration between signatory countries to facilitate the prompt return of the abducted child
to its place of habitual residence. This process focuses on delivering a prompt Return Order.
Both the Hague Convention and the European Union Parliament (EU Parliament, 2008) have
endorsed the use of mediation in suitable parental child abduction cases. When engaged, trained
family mediators support the parents in finding a solution that reflects the specific family
circumstances.
Building on my previous research, this new study focuses on the role mediation plays in finding
resolutions for such cases, from the unique perspectives of the professionals working in this
area. This research offers a window into the personal and professional challenges they face and
what recommendations they offer to ensure best practice, such as resources, communication
and well-balanced self-care. Their perspective is documented through findings from semistructured
interviews
Masculine Cultures of Sports Journalism Production: A case study of Irish sports journalists approaches to gender equality in sports coverage
Full text linkThis paper examines sports journalists’ understandings of the gendered aspects of
producing sports content for Irish media. Using a small-scale qualitative study, with a
purposive sample of 15 journalists, the paper explores whether journalists see the
masculinist culture of sports news production as a key site of gender change. The findings
note that respondents saw gender inequality in sports media as a historical legacy issue.
Barriers to more equitable coverage were described in terms of practical challenges,
available space and resources, legacy practices, knowledge-deficits and a dependence on
individual advocates. Respondents did not name a masculinist culture of sports production as a key barrier to change. The mechanisms that sports journalists believed were
needed to promote gender equality were located in factors that were extrinsic to the
masculinist culture of the newsroom. Respondents flagged the importance of social media
activism, women’s sporting success and investment in infrastructure as relevant to
change. They highlighted roles for NGBs, sources, sponsors, and male allies. Despite
some adjustments to include more women the masculinist culture of sports journalism
largely goes unquestioned and so women in sport remain the exception to the rule of
sport journalism as inherently masculine
Alterations of Sleep and Circadian Rhythms in Parkinson's Disease
Full text linkThis thesis explores the role of circadian rhythm and sleep alterations in Parkinson’s disease (PD) through a multidisciplinary approach encompassing in vitro, clinical, and in vivo methodologies. The first study examined the circadian gene expression profile in the SN4741 dopaminergic progenitor cell line under differentiation conditions. Despite employing established synchronisation protocols, the cells exhibited limited rhythmicity, reflecting incomplete neuronal maturation and raising concerns about the suitability of this model for circadian research. The second study analysed self-reported data from a large PD patient cohort (Fox Insight) to investigate associations between sleep disturbances, mood, and cognitive outcomes. Results demonstrated a high prevalence of insomnia and excessive daytime sleepiness among PD patients, with significant correlations to depression, cognitive impairment, and reduced quality of life. These findings highlight the importance of recognising non-motor symptoms as integral to PD pathology. The third study used the mThy1-hSNCA mouse model to assess behavioural and molecular responses to circadian disruption. Transgenic mice showed age-dependent impairments in circadian re-entrainment, reduced photic responsiveness in the suprachiasmatic nucleus, and exacerbated mood-related behaviours under chronic jet lag conditions. Collectively, these studies provide converging evidence that circadian disruption interacts with ageing, sex and PD diagnosis to drive behavioural pathology. The findings advocate for integrating circadian assessments in PD diagnosis and management and support the development of chronotherapeutic strategies such as timed light exposure and circadian-informed medication scheduling. This work underscores the translational importance of circadian biology in understanding and treating PD