http://hdl.handle.net/10468/7 2013-05-24T03:00:28Z http://hdl.handle.net/10468/878 School sport and academic achievement Bradley, John L.; Keane, Francis; Crawford, Susan ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Physical Education and School Sport (PESS) is an integral part of the school curriculum in Ireland. Historically the Healthy Body, Healthy Mind philosophy has promoted the inclusion of PESS alongside more cognitive school subjects and research suggests that PESS can promote cognitive function and provide educational benefits. However there is little research on how the choice of school sport influences academic achievement. This case study aims to investigate how participation in school sport influences the Leaving Certificate points score in an Irish secondary school. In particular, the study will investigate how the particular sport chosen by students participating in school sport during their Leaving Certificate years influences their Leaving Certificate results. METHODS: The study recorded the Leaving Certificate scores and sporting participation from 402 school children graduating from an all-boys secondary school in the Republic of Ireland during the period 2008-2011. Sports participation was assigned one of four categories: Rugby; Rowing; Soccer; No Sport. RESULTS: Participation in a sport during the Leaving Certificate years conferred a 25.4 point benefit to the final Leaving Certificate score. However, participation in Rowing, the only individual sport available in the study, resulted in significantly higher Leaving Certificate scores than Rugby, Soccer and No Sport (p < .05), conferring an additional 73.4 point benefit over the next highest group, Rugby. CONCLUSION: Promoting participation in school sport and providing access to a range of team and individual sports throughout the secondary school years may be a beneficial way to improve students Leaving Certificate results. 2013-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10468/879 Mathematics as (multi)cultural practice: Irish lessons from the Polish weekend school O'Brien, Stephen; Long, Fiachra In this article, the authors challenge the erroneous assumption that mathematics is universal, and thus culturally neutral, by critically investigating diverse cultural meanings and “ways of knowing” that influence individual/social (affective) forms of identity. The authors begin by briefly detailing the structural features of a Polish weekend school and providing an overview profile of the Polish community living in Ireland. The rationale for the “weekend” school is then discussed from both Polish and Irish perspectives. Empirical data suggest a greater need for “parallel integration,” whereby two divergent education systems attempt to culturally coalesce at some level of school policy and/or mathematics classroom practice. 2012-12-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10468/881 Trends in mathematics education conference: book of abstracts Conway, Paul F.; Rutherford, Vanessa; Delargey, Michael 2012-11-26T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10468/816 Addressing the concept and evidence of institutional racism in Irish education Kitching, Karl; Curtin, Alicia Kitching, Karl; Curtin, Alicia This proceedings document tells a critical story of the event. Using a social and cultural perspective on racism, power and education, it provides a set of questions for ongoing public, policy-maker and research debate. The publication and dissemination of this document was planned as part of the ‘New Ideas’ proposal. Its intended audience includes education and social policy-makers, and education and community practitioners, including anti-racism activists. 2012-01-01T00:00:00Z