Education - Doctoral Theses

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https://hdl.handle.net/10468/550

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Embodiment in teacher education: widening the field
(University College Cork, 2024) Murphy, Paula; Hall, Kathy; O'Gorman, Roisin
In recent years, there has been an increased interest in and acknowledgement of the embodied nature of teaching and learning within the field of education. While such understandings have also become more evident within the literature on teacher education, the dialogue between research and practice in this domain is still in its infancy. Furthermore, in light of traditional dualistic influences within this field, there is evidence that the role of more embodied modes of engagement in the education of teachers is becoming a theoretical point of concern. This is particularly evident within a number of probing texts on the role and nature of aesthetic education and identity formation in the teacher education process. In view of such considerations, this doctoral study explores the ways in which principles and practices from the field of somatic education may support the professional development of student teachers in the context of an arts education module at Dublin City University (DCU). As such, it contributes to a relatively new dialogue between three complementary fields of enquiry – somatic education, arts education, and teacher education. The methodological approach to the study is qualitative in nature and reflects an ontological and epistemological orientation that is grounded in embodied and situated principles of enquiry. More particularly, it entails a phenomenological case study approach to three iterations of a new and evolving module on embodiment, which I facilitated with student teachers over a two-year period. It also includes a complementary engagement with the principles of autoethnography, aesthetic-based research and somatic education itself. While the data for analysis included engagement with content from a range of sources to include reflective journals and post-module questionnaires, one of the most significant features of the data collection process was a series of in-depth interviews which drew on aesthetic and embodied modalities informed by the somatic education tradition. This research thereby seeks to contribute to and extend modalities of engagement within the phenomenological and aesthetic-based research traditions from an embodiment perspective. A thematic analysis approach was used to review the data and generate the findings for the study. These indicate that the dedicated somatic emphasis of the module was linked with a newfound somatic awareness and responsivity in participants, which seemed to generate perceptual and dispositional shifts in the areas of artistry, reflection, identity, and relational attunement. From a teacher education perspective these represent significant features of an effective teacher’s tacit engagement within the professional space, and are complex to teach due to their interaction with issues of personhood and disposition. In light of such ambitions, this study affirms the significance of the arts in the teacher education process, and more particularly it supports the inclusion of an enhanced somatic emphasis within this domain.
Pedagogy of the interior: awakening beauty through encounter
(University College Cork, 2023) Moylan, Anne Marie; Hall, Kathy; Fleming, Domnall
Leadership sustainability and professional development is the focus of this qualitative constructivist research. Reform of the leadership role is proposed through the new pedagogy of the interior, devised to effect intrinsic transformation and leadership actualisation. It is crucial that school leaders re-imagine an untenable role that has been expanding exponentially for decades in terms of task, responsibility, and complexity. The pedagogy awakens the beauty of a new way of thinking, being and learning, achieved through encounter from the inside-out and bottom-up personal and interpersonal layers of the school community. The research evaluates the progression and beneficence of an embodied pedagogy of the interior and interrogates the psychological barriers of perfectionism and hegemony that restrict growth and change. The scholarly personal narrative methodology (Nash, 2011) comprises a cathartic journey of subjective reflexivity, meaning-making, and renewal. It is a befitting and rigorous methodology for encounter with theory, research, and leadership experience. It affords scope for the supplementary epistemologies of self-study and action research employed to deepen learning. It employs reflexive thematic analysis and crystallisation techniques of analysis through the media of arts. It accounts for the roots and trajectory of an embodied pedagogy of the interior, an essential complementary component of the Irish Primary Principal’s Network (2022) sustainable leadership project. Research finds i) how existing knowledge, experience and skillsets for restorative practice and nonviolent communication (Rosenberg, 2015) form the bedrock for systemic habitual encountering, ii) how philosophy of encounter and disruption creates aptitude for complexity, iii) how psychoeducation and self-understanding demystifies unconscious beliefs and practices that hinder the awakening of beauty. In conclusion, the research reveals the pedagogy of the interior to be transformative and emancipatory. It cultivates a skillset for critical thinking and dialogue and illuminates the source of power. It reinstates inner peace, outer harmony, autonomy, and agency. It deserves a prominent place in professional development. I attest that the personification of the leadership dilemma is an academic gap and a portal to the reconfiguration of professional identity.
Inclusionary leadership: a qualitative study of principals’ experiences, practices and perceptions of leading autism classes in Irish primary schools
(University College Cork, 2023) Dennehy, Linda; Cahill, Kevin; Moynihan, Joseph
This study explores the experiences, practices and perceptions of primary school principals currently leading autism classes in Ireland. Autism classes in mainstream primary schools are becoming increasingly common in the Irish education system. The prevalence of autism classes highlights the importance of their role in enabling autistic children to attend mainstream schools. It reflects the increasing number of autistic pupils who require these specialised placements. Primary schools serve all children. It is essential that autistic children are supported in the best way possible so they can reach their full potential. The principal has a pivotal role in all aspects of his or her school, including leading the autism classes. Given the centrality of their role, it is imperative that the principal is supported by the best practices and theory available. This study sought to give the principals time to reflect on their inclusive leadership and decipher what it meant for them in their lived experience and context. Theories of leadership through a socio-cultural lens frame the overall study. A qualitative research design was adopted using semi-structured interviews with 15 primary school principals. Analysis of the data was conducted using a reflective thematic analysis approach. Findings of the research reveal that there are particular leadership styles that align with an inclusive leadership approach. These styles are distributed leadership, transformational leadership and instructional leadership. A positive disposition towards inclusion is an important factor in the principal’s perceptions of their leadership. The idea of inclusionary leadership is borne out of the study. This term indicates that leaders striving for inclusion in their schools do not view it as a destination to be reached but rather a long-term journey they travel. Reciprocal leadership within the whole school community has an influence on the sustainability of the principal’s role. The autism class as a model of a professional learning community emerges from the research and has potential to enhance the professional life of the stakeholders in the school. This research is a pathway for further study in the field. It has implications for pupils, principals, school communities and policy makers regarding the value of the work of inclusionary leaders.
An investigation of the development and evaluation of online approaches for improved kinaesthetic learning in science
(University College Cork, 2023) Scanlan, Anna M.; McCarthy, Tommie V.; Kennedy, Declan
Kinaesthetic learning approaches (KL) offer great potential to enhance learning in the advanced molecular sciences. However, online KL remains under-researched and poorly implemented on affordable, scalable platforms. Furthermore, there appears to be a disconnect between the fields of education psychology and neuroscience when discussing kinaesthetic techniques. This research connects what is known from both disciplines to provide a coherent overview of what constitutes kinaesthetic learning. Here, an online KL assembly model is presented which proved effective for learning advanced molecular science topics as exemplified by three different lessons: the Lac Operon gene regulation system in E. coli, DNA transcription and translation, and Salmonella virulence factors. A mixed-methods study was conducted including three pilot studies, three randomised control trials and two sub-studies. Study participants included over 100 students from a variety of secondary schools (typically aged 16-19 years), over 250 first-year undergraduate science and medicine students, and 18 postgraduate students from both science and non-science disciplines. Topics were chosen for which each cohort would have little to no prior learning. Results show that KL assembly was at least as effective and, in some instances better than, some top learning strategies identified in education psychology namely, computer notetaking (Trafton & Trickett, 2001; Bui et al., 2012; Chi & Wylie, 2014) and retrieval-practice (O’Day & Karpicke, 2021). KL assembly involving both movement and recall was most effective overall for long-term learning retention, and for learning science material that is represented in a complex graphical and text format.
The powerful impact of space on student learning at three universities: a design thinking, and scholarship of teaching and learning approach
(University College Cork, 2023) Power, Catherine (Katie); Supple, Briony; Chambers, Fiona; Carnell, Brent; University College Cork; Munster Technological University
Learning spaces are a crucial component of the student journey through university education. This study investigates the impact of physical spaces on learning experiences at three universities: Munster Technological University, University College Cork, and University College London. The study employs a range of user-centric qualitative data collection methods (survey, observation, think-aloud, creative sticker choice and empathy mapping), and produces findings that I propose could be universally applicable in higher education settings. The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (Boyer, 1990) and Design Thinking (Brown, 2008) are brought together as a dual methodology for the exploration of learning spaces. Through this fusion, I introduce a Theory of Learning Places, whereby space is transformed into place through meaningful interactions as students and teachers engage in praxis. A conceptual framework underpins the study and three research questions explore the perceptions learners and teachers have about the spaces where they learn and teach; how these end-users (students) and key stakeholders (teachers) articulate the impact of spaces on the learning experience; and the opportunities that exist to develop new approaches in the use of spaces. This study adopted a qualitative research approach (social constructivism as a macro-paradigm), and with the adopted dual methodology of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning and Design Thinking, utilised novel approaches to data collection. The data were analysed through two rounds, firstly using an inductive analysis approach (Harry et al., 2005) and secondly by an ethnodrama persona explicitation role-play. The research themes identified were identity and belonging in spaces; social justice and human rights in respect of spaces; and empowerment of persons in spaces. These themes are broken into a spectrum of sub-themes to provide strategic foresight and guidance on how to incorporate the user experience in the design, planning and use of university learning spaces. I argue that students and teachers must be afforded a voice in the planning and design of learning spaces, to embed a people-centric research-informed approach to their use. A set of best practice guidelines are suggested for early and ongoing engagement with students and teachers in the creation and use of physical spaces.

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