Our small-scale pilot study was funded by the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. Through a series of four seminars, we brought together students, university staff and placement mentors by developing a Community of Practice (CoP). We explored the fusion of theory and practice, acknowledging this triquetra relationship. At our last seminar, we explored how the Community of Practice (CoP) could be sustained and potential actions for transformation. Seminar participants were eager to continue to develop the Community of Practice model.
We would like to explore the potential of expanding the CoP model across boarders, HEI and early years education professional practice placements.

Preparation and planning for the transition to adulthood has implications to life outcomes for all students; positive or negative. Autistic students however, experience notable discrimination and experience poorer life outcomes, compared to neurotypical peers and people with any other disability. These negative outcomes relate to education, accommodation, job acquisition, mental and physical health. Women are also less likely to be diagnosis as autistic which impacts self-awareness and support/accommodations.
This project has two key aims;
(1)To investigate the roles of transition services in Northern Ireland (NI) and the Republic of Ireland (ROI) for autistic students in preparation for adulthood. Teachers play a critical role in supporting students to prepare and plan for the transition to adulthood. Teacher and autism support service knowledge, involvement and support they provide to autistic students and their families will be critically reviewed.
(2) To examine student and familial expectations/experiences of transition planning/implementation prior, during and post transition from school to adulthood. The trajectory of wellbeing outcomes for students and families (e.g., mental, and physical health, relationships, finance, accommodation, education, and work), with focus on gender outcome differences, will be mapped longitudinally.

In this formative experiment, a series of Professional Development (PD) sessions are designed, facilitated, and iteratively evaluated by the researcher working collaboratively with a cohort of teachers who work with Adolescent Struggling Literacy Learners (ASL) in small-group or individual settings. The PD aims to develop the understanding and ability of these teachers to design and implement a
Literacy Intervention (LI) to suit the needs of their students in their educational context. The LI will apply recommendations from research regarding effective components of instruction for adolescent struggling literacy learners, to practice. Each Teacher will apply the learning and support from their PD sessions to the design of a LI for the ASLs in their context. The teachers will be initially supplied with a framework to guide their design and LI implementation. At each PD session, the teachers will engage in collective sharing of practice and working together as a community of professionals. This study will document the development of the participating teachers’ understandings and practice, the adjustments to PD as it responds to the needs of the teachers, and the modifications made to the LI they create to support the literacy needs of their students.
This study will serve to bridge the gap that exists between educational theory and practice by observing how the authentic environment and experience of teachers impact the design of PD for teachers who seek to work with such pupils in the future.

Changing career from a current occupation to a teaching role is not as smooth a transition as one might expect. Our recent study identified a range of personal and professional issues that arose for FET tutors as they transferred their professional ‘ways of thinking and practicing’ (Hounsell, 2003) to an FET teaching-learning environment. Their motivation to teach was driven by a desire to share their knowledge, skills and work experiences in order to empower young people and adults who had returned to education. Their new career aspirations and expectations did not match up with the reality of their experiences of teaching and of the purpose of FET.
Similar to the SCoTENS funded SAFETTI Study (https://scotens.org/study-in-adult-and-further-education-training-in-ireland/), findings also revealed that in ‘trading places’ some struggled to accommodate their evolving personal and professional identity from practitioner to teacher. Recommendations included the need for a more extensive study to be conducted, to explore in greater depth the aspirational vs reality of moving into FET teaching, ideally in a North/South context.
We are seeking partners to work with us on a research project that will focus on the subject of role change from that of practitioner within a discipline to teacher of the disciplinary knowledge, skills, and practices, and the relationship of all of this to personal and professional identities.

This qualitative study using case study data collection methods examines the issues around transitioning pupils from pre school to primary from a parents perspective .
Recently NCCA produced pupil profile booklets were introduced . These are filled in by pre school practitioners and parents . Due to GDPR regulations parental permission is needed before pupil profiles can be transferred to the primary school . In cases where this is not requested profiles are not given to the junior infant teacher and valuable information which has the potential to inform her practice is lost . This research hopes to highlight the need for information . Many parents are unaware of the lack of communication between education settings . Teachers and pre school staff need to improve professional relations and work together to help parents in establishing best practice in the transitioning process .

This research project reflects upon the emergence of multiple dimensions, and dynamics, of narrative in the ongoing work of widening participation projects/initiatives focused on supporting teacher diversity. This study will reflect on the creation of critically reflexive spaces for the telling and retelling of emerging narratives (Clandinin & Connelly, 2000) of communities of learners, educators and activists in response to enduring, inclusive and ‘risky’ questions such as ‘what it is to be a teacher?’ and ‘what do we want to change in education?’. The potential of narrative spaces and processes to disorientate the wider field of teacher education and the hegemonic stories that circulate in the profession on what it is to be a teacher will also be considered.

Digital literacy is an essential skill for 21st century life. It encompasses many elements such as the ability to source, evaluate and synthesise digital information. It also includes the ability to create and share content using digital tools, whereby creators can express views, opinions, and facts in a coherent manner. Video is an extremely popular medium, especially with university-age students. This study seeks to examine student experiences (benefits, challenges, learning) in creating video as an assignment, in place of a traditional written piece of work.