Education - Doctoral Theseshttps://hdl.handle.net/10468/5502024-03-29T05:52:41Z2024-03-29T05:52:41Z591A Jaworskian analysis of four senior class primary teachers endeavouring to teach mathematics from a constructivist-compatible perspectiveMcCarthy, Josephhttps://hdl.handle.net/10468/26682023-04-04T07:27:02Z2016-01-01T00:00:00Zdc.title: A Jaworskian analysis of four senior class primary teachers endeavouring to teach mathematics from a constructivist-compatible perspective
dc.contributor.author: McCarthy, Joseph
dc.description.abstract: A constructivist philosophy underlies the Irish primary mathematics curriculum. As constructivism is a theory of learning its implications for teaching need to be addressed. This study explores the experiences of four senior class primary teachers as they endeavour to teach mathematics from a constructivist-compatible perspective with primary school children in Ireland over a school-year period. Such a perspective implies that children should take ownership of their learning while working in groups on tasks which challenge them at their zone of proximal development. The key question on which the research is based is: to what extent will an exposure to constructivism and its implications for the classroom impact on teaching practices within the senior primary mathematics classroom in both the short and longer term? Although several perspectives on constructivism have evolved (von Glaserfeld (1995), Cobb and Yackel (1996), Ernest (1991,1998)), it is the synthesis of the emergent perspective which becomes pivotal to the Irish primary mathematics curriculum. Tracking the development of four primary teachers in a professional learning initiative involving constructivist-compatible approaches necessitated the use of Borko’s (2004) Phase 1 research methodology to account for the evolution in teachers’ understanding of constructivism. Teachers’ and pupils’ viewpoints were recorded using both audio and video technology. Teachers were interviewed at the beginning and end of the project and also one year on to ascertain how their views had evolved. Pupils were interviewed at the end of the project only. The data were analysed from a Jaworskian perspective i.e. using the categories of her Teaching Triad of management of learning, mathematical challenge and sensitivity to students. Management of learning concerns how the teacher organises her classroom to maximise learning opportunities for pupils. Mathematical challenge is reminiscent of the Vygotskian (1978) construct of the zone of proximal development. Sensitivity to students involves a consciousness on the part of the teacher as to how pupils are progressing with a mathematical task and whether or not to intervene to scaffold their learning. Through this analysis a synthesis of the teachers’ interpretations of constructivist philosophy with concomitant implications for theory, policy and practice emerges. The study identifies strategies for teachers wishing to adopt a constructivist-compatible approach to their work. Like O’Shea (2009) it also highlights the likely difficulties to be experienced by such teachers as they move from utilising teacher-dominated methods of teaching mathematics to ones in which pupils have more ownership over their learning.
2016-01-01T00:00:00ZA policy analysis of key employability interventions for the educationally disadvantaged in further education: Comparative insights for Irish educationBoyle, James Patrickhttps://hdl.handle.net/10468/17852023-04-04T07:11:04Z2014-01-01T00:00:00Zdc.title: A policy analysis of key employability interventions for the educationally disadvantaged in further education: Comparative insights for Irish education
dc.contributor.author: Boyle, James Patrick
dc.description.abstract: The aim of this study is to garner comparative insights so as to aid the development of the discourse on further education (FE) conceptualisation and the relationship of FE with educational disadvantage and employability. This aim is particularly relevant in Irish education parlance amidst the historical ambiguity surrounding the functioning of FE. The study sets out to critically engage with the education/employability/economy link (eee link). This involves a critique of issues relevant to participation (which extends beyond student activity alone to social relations generally and the dialogic participation of the disadvantaged), accountability (which extends beyond performance measures alone to encompass equality of condition towards a socially just end) and human capital (which extends to both collective and individual aspects within an educational culture). As a comparative study, there is a strong focus on providing a way of conceptualising and comparatively analysing FE policy internationally. The study strikes a balance between conceptual and practical concerns. A critical comparative policy analysis is the methodology that structures the study which is informed and progressed by a genealogical method to establish the context of each of the jurisdictions of England, the United States and the European Union. Genealogy allows the use of history to diagnose the present rather than explaining how the past has caused the present. The discussion accentuates the power struggles within education policy practice using what Fairclough calls a strategic critique as well as an ideological critique. The comparative nature of the study means that there is a need to be cognizant of the diverse cultural influences on policy deliberation. The study uses the theoretical concept of paradigmatic change to critically analyse the jurisdictions. To aid with the critical analysis, a conceptual framework for legislative functions is developed so as to provide a metalanguage for educational legislation. The specific contribution of the study, while providing a manner for understanding and progressing FE policy development in a globalized Ireland, is to clear the ground for a more well-defined and critically reflexive FE sector to operate and suggests a number of issues for further deliberation.
2014-01-01T00:00:00ZA qualitative investigation of formative assessment in second-level education in IrelandDennehy, Niamh Maryhttps://hdl.handle.net/10468/73732023-04-04T07:02:21Z2018-01-01T00:00:00Zdc.title: A qualitative investigation of formative assessment in second-level education in Ireland
dc.contributor.author: Dennehy, Niamh Mary
dc.description.abstract: This study investigates formative assessment as sociocultural practice in Irish post-primary education. It explores the enactment and experience of formative assessment in the classroom and argues that this social practice influences discourses about achievement, ability and identity in learning. Research in this area suggests that formative assessment has the potential to enhance students’ confidence, agency, self-esteem and participation in education as well as their capacity for autonomous and self-directed learning. However, the mechanisms, procedures and priorities in terms of curriculum and assessment are both explicit and implicit. Therefore, classroom assessment functions and practices are inextricably linked, not only with broader societal and cultural values about knowledge and the role of education in the life of the individual and society in general, but also with tacit understandings about how an individual’s ability, progress and achievement in education ought to be demonstrated, evaluated and affirmed. This multiple case-study uses a combination of discourse analysis and ethnographic tools to explore how a sociocultural perspective on assessment reveals ways in which patterns of power and control are established in the discourse of classroom formative assessment practice. This discourse shapes the positioning of, and identities available to, teachers and students in the assessment process. It also defines opportunities to participate and learn through formative assessment and the recognition of ability and achievement in education. The findings in this study reveal the interaction between formative assessment practices and teachers’ and students’ identity building, agency and relationships in the classroom as well as students’ evaluation of their own abilities and achievements in learning. Additionally, the findings illuminate the tacit assumptions about learning and achievement that influence classroom assessment practices and illustrate the discourse and cultural scripts around the kinds of knowledge that may afford or constrain authentic meaning-making and participation in formative assessment practices. The findings of this study are timely and significant in that formative assessment is now an increasingly important element of curriculum reform and a policy priority in post-primary education in Ireland. This study reveals both the complexity and the transformative potential of formative assessment and presents a unique and telling insight into classroom assessment as sociocultural practice. Throughout this study, I argue that we should consider assessment with students as a core guiding principle in the enactment of formative assessment in the classroom. This recognises the democratic value of student-centeredness in learning and the goal of education as the nurturing of a “mind to learn” (Wells and Claxton, 2002, p. 2).
2018-01-01T00:00:00ZAn dátheangachas agus an t-aitheantas: déagóirí Éireannacha sa 21ú haoisNí Dhonnabháin, Áine Máirehttps://hdl.handle.net/10468/12522023-04-04T07:26:24Z2013-01-01T00:00:00Zdc.title: An dátheangachas agus an t-aitheantas: déagóirí Éireannacha sa 21ú haois
dc.contributor.author: Ní Dhonnabháin, Áine Máire
dc.description.abstract: Tugann an staidéar taighde aghaidh ar an dátheangachas i bPoblacht na hÉireann agus go háirithe ar thuairimí dhaoine óga dátheangacha sa 21ú haois. Is é cuspóir an staidéir ná iniúchadh a dhéanamh ar mheonta déagóirí Éireannacha dátheangacha i leith na Gaeilge agus a gcuid aitheantais mar dhéagóirí dátheangacha. Déanann an staidéar anailís ar mheonta daltaí a fhreastalaíonn ar iar-bhunscoileanna lán-Ghaeilge. Féachtar ar thuairimí tuismitheoirí, múinteoirí agus iar-scoláirí freisin. Is í príomhcheist an staidéir seo ná: Cad iad meonta déagóirí Éireannacha dátheangacha i leith teanga na Gaeilge agus cad iad a n-aitheantais mar Éireannaigh óga dátheangacha? Baineadh úsáid as modhanna cáilíochtúla idir agallaimh, agallamh grúpa, scríbhneoireacht phearsanta agus ríomhphoist chun eolas a bhailiú i scoil an staidéir cháis. Roghnaíodh modh cainníochtúil an cheistneora náisiúnta chun cur leis an eolas. Tugann an taighde le tuiscint go mothaíonn déagóirí Éireannacha dearfach faoi theanga na Gaeilge agus faoin a gcuid aitheantais mar dhaoine dátheangacha. Léiríonn torthaí an taighde gurb ionann teanga na Gaeilge dóibh agus seoid luachmhar a sholáthraíonn buntáistí, deiseanna agus féidearthachtaí dóibh. Maidir le cruthú aitheantais, chuaigh formhór na ndéagóirí i scoil an staidéir cháis i dtreo a ndá ghrúpa teangeolaíochta agus chruthaigh siad “linguistic brokerage” (Shenk, 2008) a tharraing a taobh Gaelach is Béarla le chéile. Mothaíonn formhór na ndéagóirí dátheangacha seo go bhfuil aitheantas amháin acu ach go bhfuil an dá theanga, an dá chultúr agus an dá pháirt dá saoil mar pháirt den gcomhaitheantas sin. Ach ba léir go raibh éagsúlachtaí i measc na rannpháirtithe freisin. Tacaíonn torthaí an taighde le gnéithe den litríocht ar a rinneadh athbhreithniú chun ról lárnach na teanga i gcruthú aitheantais an déagóra a léiriú. Cuireann an taighde seo leis an réimse toisc go soláthraíonn sé eolas luachmhar agus fiúntach faoin dátheangachas agus aitheantas i bPoblacht na hÉireann sa 21ú haois.
2013-01-01T00:00:00ZAn exploration of leadership in Irish post-primary educationO'Donovan, Margaret M. M.https://hdl.handle.net/10468/19422023-04-04T07:40:36Z2014-01-01T00:00:00Zdc.title: An exploration of leadership in Irish post-primary education
dc.contributor.author: O'Donovan, Margaret M. M.
dc.description.abstract: The purpose of this study is to explore the nature and how of leadership in Irish post-primary schools. It considers school leadership within the context of contemporary Distributed Leadership theory. Associated concepts such as Distributed Cognition and Activity Theory are used to frame the study. From a distributed perspective, it is now widely accepted that other agents (e.g. teachers) have a leadership role, as part of collaborative, participative and supportive learning communities. Thus, this study considers how principals interact and build leadership capacity throughout the school. The study draws on two main sources of evidence. In analysing the implications of accountability agendas for school leadership, there is an exploration and focus on the conceptualisations of school leadership that are fore-grounded in 21 WSE reports. Elements of Critical Discourse Analysis are employed as an investigative tool to decipher how the construction of leadership practice is produced. The second prong of the study explores leadership in 3 case-study post-primary schools. Leadership is a complex phenomenon and not easy to describe. The findings clarify, however, that school leadership is a construct beyond the scope of the principal alone. While there is widespread support for a distributed model of leadership, the concept does not explicitly form part of the discourse in the case-study schools. It is also evident that any attempt to understand leadership practice must connect local interpretations with broader discourses. The understanding and practice of leadership is best understood in its sociohistorical context. The study reveals that, in the Irish post-primary school, the historical dimension is very influential, while the situational setting, involving a particular set of agents and agendas, strongly shapes thinking and practices. This study is novel as it synthesises two key sources of evidence. It is of great value in that it teases out the various historical and situational aspects to enhance understandings of school leadership in contemporary Ireland. It raises important questions for policy, practice and further research.
2014-01-01T00:00:00ZAn exploratory study on the impact of an early years' preschool intervention programme in the Republic of IrelandMartin, Shirleyhttps://hdl.handle.net/10468/15212023-04-04T06:58:35Z2008-01-01T00:00:00Zdc.title: An exploratory study on the impact of an early years' preschool intervention programme in the Republic of Ireland
dc.contributor.author: Martin, Shirley
dc.description.abstract: Early years’ education has increasingly been identified as a mechanism to alleviate educational disadvantage in areas of social exclusion. Early years’ intervention programmes are now a common government social policy for addressing social problems (Reynolds, Mann, Miedel, and Smokowski, 1997). In particular, state provided early years’ programmes such as Head Start in the United States and Early Start in Ireland have been established to combat educational disadvantage for children experiencing poverty and socio-economic inequality. The focus of this research is on the long-term outcomes of an early years’ intervention programme in Ireland. It aims to assess whether participation in the programme enhances the life course of children at-risk of educational disadvantage. It involves an in-depth analysis of one Early Start project which was included in the original eight projects established by the Department of Education and Science in 1994. The study utilises a multi-group design to provide a detailed analysis of both the academic and social progress of programme participants. It examines programme outcomes from a number of perspectives by collecting the views of the three main stakeholders involved in the education process; students who participated in Early Start in 1994/5, their parents and their teachers. To contribute to understanding the impact of the programme from a community perspective interviews were also conducted with local community educators and other local early years’ services. In general, Early Start was perceived by all participants in this study as making a positive contribution to parent involvement in education and to strengthening educational capital in the local area. The study found that parents and primary school teachers identified aspects of school readiness as the main benefit of participation in Early Start and parents and teachers were very positive about the role of Early Start in preparing children for the transition to formal school. In addition to this, participation in Early Start appears to have made a positive contribution to academic attainment in Maths and Science at Junior Certificate level. Students who had participated in Early Start were also rated more highly by their second level teachers in terms of goal-setting and future orientation which are important factors in educational attainment. Early Start then can be viewed as providing a positive contribution to the long-term social and academic outcomes for its participants.
2008-01-01T00:00:00ZAn investigation of the design, implementation and evaluation of an online chemistry programme in the Irish secondary schoolGallagher, Ryanhttps://hdl.handle.net/10468/136432023-04-04T11:06:29Z2022-07-21T00:00:00Zdc.title: An investigation of the design, implementation and evaluation of an online chemistry programme in the Irish secondary school
dc.contributor.author: Gallagher, Ryan
dc.description.abstract: This study investigates the design, implementation and evaluation of an online chemistry programme in the Irish secondary school. At national and international level, the vast majority of research on online teaching and learning is third-level focussed. There is noteworthy literature on the benefits to learning and teaching based on pedagogies such as blended learning and the flipped classroom. These two pedagogies are investigated in this research project.
This study involved converting the entire Leaving Certificate chemistry syllabus into a series of video lessons and accompanying resources, which were then uploaded onto a website (www.theconicalflask.ie). Chemistry students and teachers were encouraged to use the resources on the website throughout a two-year period. The study employed a multi-method approach in order to maximise the robustness of the findings by triangulating data from different sources (questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and lesson observations). The study took place over two cycles. Cycle 1 took place in year 1 and involved a trialling of the resources on the website by collecting data from students and teachers who used the online resources. Cycle 2 took place in the second year and involved implementing the findings of cycle 1 as well as evaluating the effectiveness of the updated resources.
The overall findings of this study suggest that blended learning is an effective pedagogy in teaching Leaving Certificate chemistry. However, it was also found that there are challenges in the implementation of blended learning such as financial costs, length of time producing high quality resources as well as up-skilling teachers. Students repeatedly indicated that video lessons by themselves were not efficient for learning. Self-confidence among students increased significantly once additional resources such as assistance with mathematical calculations and self-assessments resources were added to the original resources.
It was found that teachers could see value in utilising blended learning but only if teacher autonomy is respected. Teachers reported that the use of blended teaching and learning enabled them to utilise more active-learning pedagogies in the classroom. Teachers were initially sceptical of the flipped classroom model but this view changed when schools closed due to Covid-19. Teachers reported that student learning had occurred to a much higher degree than anticipated and that their students were confident in making progress in their study of chemistry throughout the pandemic. Chemistry teachers noted they were not as stressed as colleagues teaching other subjects due to the online resources throughout lockdown and students stated they were more engaged with chemistry than other subjects. It is clear from the data analysis that online technology can play in important role in supporting the teaching of Leaving Certificate chemistry.
2022-07-21T00:00:00ZAn investigation of the development and evaluation of online approaches for improved kinaesthetic learning in scienceScanlan, Anna M.https://hdl.handle.net/10468/153532024-01-12T02:03:00Z2023-01-01T00:00:00Zdc.title: An investigation of the development and evaluation of online approaches for improved kinaesthetic learning in science
dc.contributor.author: Scanlan, Anna M.
dc.description.abstract: 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.
2023-01-01T00:00:00ZAn investigation of the roles, relationships and experiences of part-time placement tutors in their supervision of student teachers on school placementFitzpatrick, Patricia M.https://hdl.handle.net/10468/131882023-04-04T10:49:45Z2021-06-30T00:00:00Zdc.title: An investigation of the roles, relationships and experiences of part-time placement tutors in their supervision of student teachers on school placement
dc.contributor.author: Fitzpatrick, Patricia M.
dc.description.abstract: Initial teacher education represents the beginning of formal study for those who wish to pursue a career in teaching. The issue of teachers and teaching has become an important part of governmental policy in many countries, and the preparation of teachers has received much attention in recent years. Key to the preparation of future teachers is their experience of school placement; the opportunity afforded to them to gain real-life experience of teaching in a range of school settings. The student teacher, supported by the school-based cooperating teacher and the university-based placement tutor represent the school placement ‘triad’ (Macintyre and Morris 1980); the central figures in school placement. Many research studies have been conducted on the experiences and perspectives of student teachers and co-operating teachers. By comparison placement tutors, especially part-time placement tutors, have received considerably less attention. Yet this latter group of placement tutors are the mainstay of many initial teacher education programmes where fulltime staff, already stretched to capacity with teaching and research duties, are often unavailable to fulfil the role of placement tutor.
The setting for this doctoral study was the final year school placement module of an undergraduate initial teacher education programme, in a university in the Republic of Ireland. The goal of the study was to explore the experiences, roles and relationships of part-time placement tutors in school placement. A multiple case study of six part-time placement tutors during a year of school placement was conducted. A tripartite theoretical framework using the constructs of Identity (Holland et al. 1998), Multimembership (Wenger 1998, 2009, 2010) and Third Space (Bhabha 1990; Zeichner 2010) was employed to inform the study. Data collection methods included individual interviews with the participants, observations of their practice and a researcher diary. Thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke 2006) was used to analyse the data.
Three themes were identified in the data analysis. The findings in Theme One: Becoming a part-time placement tutor in initial teacher education indicate that part-time placement tutors come with a biography of ‘once a teacher’ which informs their practice. Commensurate with this fact, they continue to embrace a teacher identity in their role as teacher educators. Theme Two: The lived experiences of part-time placement tutors in initial teacher education provides substantial evidence that part-time placement tutors enact a multifaceted, complex and ‘dual role’ of both assessor and assistor (Slick 1998) for student teachers. The importance of induction to the role, access to ongoing continuing professional development and structured support, and the use of established assessment guidelines emerge as key elements necessary to facilitate part-time placement tutors to fulfil their roles effectively. The findings in Theme Two also offer significant insights into the challenges that part-time placement tutors encounter in the current informal university-school partnerships in initial teacher education. Despite this, the evidence demonstrates that part-time placement tutors are highly motivated, committed and supportive teacher educators who enjoy their role. Theme Three: Part-time placement tutors in the landscape of school placement reveal that part-time placement tutors operate on the fringes of two communities of practice, the school and university, acting as valuable liaisons between both communities. Findings on Third Space learning in this theme indicate that the prevailing school placement system does not support Third Space professional practices, though participants testify that introducing a Third Space in school placement would greatly assist student teachers in their journey of learning to teach. In addition, while part-time placement tutors enjoy positive professional relationships with student teachers and co-operating teachers, the landscape of school placement does not facilitate the formation of established relationships between part-time placement tutors and these other two members of the school placement triad.
In light of the paucity of research on part-time placement tutors, this doctoral study is a unique and original addition to the field of teacher education. Furthermore, given the recent establishment of the School Placement Working Group in the Republic of Ireland in 2018 coupled with the subsequent publication of the Report and Action Plan of the School Placement Working Group (Teaching Council 2021a), the conclusions and recommendations of this study are timely and provide a significant contribution to policy, practice and future research directions regarding the role of part-time placement tutors in initial teacher education.
2021-06-30T00:00:00ZAssessment in primary education in IrelandSheehan, Alan M.https://hdl.handle.net/10468/26252023-04-04T07:23:20Z2016-01-01T00:00:00Zdc.title: Assessment in primary education in Ireland
dc.contributor.author: Sheehan, Alan M.
dc.description.abstract: This doctoral study examines assessment in primary education in the Republic of Ireland. The nature and purpose of assessment offer an insight into the values which are prioritised by an education system. In 2011, in the Republic of Ireland, the Department of Education and Skills (DES) published a strategy aiming to improve standards of literacy and numeracy. The document, entitled, Literacy and numeracy for learning and life: the national strategy to improve literacy and numeracy for children and young people 2011-2020, contains improvement targets as measured by standardised tests. It also mandates the increased use of standardised tests in primary education, and directs that aggregated scores should be reported to both Boards of Management and the DES. The study is framed by the theoretical perspectives of Michel Foucault and Pierre Bourdieu. Both of these commentators examine social policy and practice in an effort to provide insight into the history and operation of social institutions. This study is especially influenced by Foucault’s archaeology and genealogy of knowledge, and his notion of governmentality. It is also particularly cognisant of Bourdieu’s thoughts on habitus, doxa and capital. The study contains reviews of literature in the areas of assessment, assessment policy, and assessment policy in Ireland. These reviews highlight current debate in each of these areas while also grounding this debate in an historical context. The dissertation contains four empirical sections. 1) It analyses policy documents prepared in the development of the published strategy as well as investigating the strategy itself. In so doing it is aware of the burgeoning influence of pan-national bodies on policy development. 2) A number of high profile policy makers were interviewed as part of the study and their views are interpreted in light of the findings of the literature reviews. 3) The perspective of teachers was sought through a questionnaire survey. This gathered data on these teachers’ views on the purpose of assessment as well as their actual practice. 4) Finally, children were also included as participants in this study. They were interviewed in focus groups and encouraged to contribute drawings as well on their views of assessment in primary school. Literacy and numeracy for learning and life is seen as a seminal document in Irish education. This study is significant in its analysis of original data from high profile policy makers, including two Ministers for Education and Skills. It is also significant in its inclusion of the perspectives of primary school pupils. Finally, the study considers the nature and role of assessment in a holistic manner by including the views of policy makers, teachers and pupils. The study notes that policy development in Ireland underwent a change in the preparation of Literacy and numeracy for learning and life and that international influences, while present, are also mediated to suit the local context. It also highlights a lack of clarity in the definition of assessment in primary education and argues that there is a lack of balance in the approaches that are prioritised. The study demonstrates that teachers are impacted by the strategy but that they also change it by focusing on their own concerns while using assessment tools. The children provide compelling evidence of the impact of assessment on the learner. The study shows how assessment tools (and school subjects) are valued with differing levels of importance by a variety of stakeholders.
2016-01-01T00:00:00Z