PERQ Report Against a background of research evidence that confirms the importance of high-quality early childhood experiences for later life success, this study set out to explore what Early Childhood (EC) educators in Northern Ireland (NI) and the Republic of Ireland (ROI) perceive as those key indicators of quality in early childhood education and care. …
Read More Perceptions of, and practices towards achieving quality: voices of early childhood teachers on the island of Ireland – PerQ

INVITE Report This report explores the understanding and perceptions of pre-service teachers regarding their role in fostering a sense of belonging for newcomer children in schools. Conducted through a joint project between St. Mary’s University College Belfast and the Institute of Education, Dublin City University, the study investigates how preservice teachers, as ‘place-makers,’ can promote …
Read More INVITE: Inclusion of Newcomers – Video Diaries in Initial Teacher Education

ExISTeNS Report Given the instrumental role they play in influencing outcomes for young STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) learners, primary teachers’ perceptions and practices in relation to integrated STEM are important to understand. Furthermore, school-based primary STEM leaders who are competent, confident and connected are essential if the ambitious aims proposed in STEM curriculum …
Read More ExISTeNS: Exploring Integration of STEM with Teachers North and South

OLM Report It is widely established that learning in the outdoor environment has a positive impact on children’s cognitive, affective, social, and physical skills (Dillon et al., 2005; Rickinson et al., 2004). There is a great deal of overlap between these areas with the benefits reinforcing each other (Marchant et al., 2019). Healthier, happier children …
Read More Outdoor Learning in Mathematics (OLM)

PIE Report The aim of this research project was to develop a survey to gather the attitudes of primary school teachers across the island of Ireland towards play, including a special focus on attitudes towards play for the inclusion of autistic learners within primary school classrooms. Given the significant lack of research in this area, …
Read More In play you’re kind of entering into their worlds a little bit’: A study of play for inclusive education on the island of Ireland – PIE

The island of Ireland has experienced exponential inward migration and changes to its demographic composition in the last 20 years. In the Republic of Ireland (ROI) the 2022 Census revealed that 751, 507 people spoke a language other than English or Irish at home (Central Statistics Office, 2023), an increase of 23% on the previous …
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Increased attention has been placed on school improvement over the past four decades, borne from international agendas to reform education systems to improve student outcomes. The role of school leadership has been spotlighted as a crucial factor in driving such reforms and improvements within education systems (Leithwood, 2019). Furthermore, the evolving changes in education systems, …
Read More Documenting the identity formation of earlycareer school leaders: transition, socialisation, and role duality

STAND STANDING TOGETHER FOR AUTISM AND NEURODEVELOPMENTAL DIFFERENCE (STAND) STAND is a special interest research group (SIG) based within the Inclusion in Education and Society Research Group (IES), in the School of Education, Trinity College Dublin. It promotes research generation, dissemination and publication related to autism and the lived experiences of people with intellectual disability, …
Read More Standing Together for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Difference (STAND)

ShELS To date, teacher interactions within Shared Education (SE) have tended to focus on cooperation rather than collaboration, with limited evidence of collaborative professional learning between teachers in SE partnerships. The Shared Education and Lesson Study (ShELS) project aims to explore how perceived barriers to collaboration, such as logistical matters associated with inter-school visits can …
Read More Shared Education and Online Lesson Study (ShELS)

TWEET The use of educational technology as society emerges from COVID-19 continues to pose a challenge for educators. There is a lack of evidence on how digital technology can positively impact teacher wellbeing when effectively managed by school leaders and teachers. This research sought to explore and develop the connection between educational technology and teacher …
Read More |Teacher_Wellbeing from Engaging_with_Educational Technologies – TWEET