The theme for the 2026 SCoTENS conference, Exploring Diversity in Teacher Education, invites educators, researchers, and policymakers to engage with how diverse identities, experiences, and perspectives shape teaching and learning. The conference will explore diversity across the profession, including recruitment, retention, and representation, as well as how teachers are prepared for increasingly diverse and complex classrooms. It will …
Read More SCoTENS Conference 2026 – Poster Presentations

  The Standing Conference on Teacher Education North and South (SCoTENS) invites proposals for participation and working papers at the 8th SCoTENS Doctoral Studies Roundtable.  The Roundtable will provide a mix of short presentations by participants on their work in progress and will also feature participation by SCoTENS colleagues who are leaders in the field …
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Exploring Diversity in Teacher Education  Thursday 15 – Friday 16 October 2026  Slieve Russell Hotel, Ballyconnell, Co Cavan CALL FOR PAPERS The theme for the 2026 SCoTENS conference, Exploring Diversity in Teacher Education, invites educators, researchers, and policymakers to engage with how diverse identities, experiences, and perspectives shape teaching and learning. The conference will explore diversity …
Read More SCoTENS Conference 2026 – Expressions of Interest/Presentations

  This year’s SCoTENS Conference is taking place in the beautiful Slieve Russell Hotel, Ballyconnell, Co Cavan on 15 and 16 October 2026. The theme for the 2026 SCoTENS conference, Exploring Diversity in Teacher Education, invites educators, researchers, and policymakers to engage with how diverse identities, experiences, and perspectives shape teaching and learning. The conference will …
Read More SCoTENS Conference 2026

Members of SCoTENS recently came together for an engaging event highlighting several successful projects funded through recent SCoTENS calls. The session offered valuable insights into innovative cross-border research and collaboration in education across the island of Ireland. Featured Project Presentations Dr Camelia Nadia Bran (University College Cork) and Dr Donna Hazzard (St Mary’s University College …
Read More SCoTENS Event Showcases Recent Funded Research Projects

We are delighted to invite you to this year’s SCoTENS Research Webinar — an inspiring evening where we shine a spotlight on collaborative research, innovative ideas, and the impact of new seed‑funded projects across the island of Ireland. This year’s programme will also feature the announcement of the 2026 John Coolahan Award winner, celebrating outstanding …
Read More The 2026 SCoTENS Research Webinar

    Each year, SCoTENS provides Seed Funding to support collaborative research projects and professional activities in teacher education across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. To date, 159 research, conference, and exchange projects have benefited from this scheme.  As last year, SCoTENS is delighted that DE (NI) is committing funding for a small number of additional seed-funding …
Read More Seed Funding Scheme 2026

The 2025 SCoTENS Annual Conference took place in the stunning surroundings of the Lough Erne Resort, Enniskillen, on 16 & 17 October 2025. This year’s theme, “A New Era for Professionalism: Teacher Identity, Authenticity, and Agency,” brought together educators, researchers, and policymakers to reflect on the evolving nature of teacher professionalism in a rapidly changing …
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The aim of this project is to promote and develop strong home school links towards the speaking of Irish and in turn foster positive dispositions towards the language. An exploration and appreciation of our culture and our language through positive engagement, online forums and support .

Register HERE Title: A New Era for Professionalism: Teacher Identity, Authenticity and Agency Date  Thursday 16 – Friday 17 October 2025 Venue: Lough Erne Resort, Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh This year’s SCoTENS annual conference will take place in the beautiful Lough Erne Resort, Enniskillen on 16 and 17 October 2025.  The theme for this year is …
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      The Standing Conference on Teacher Education North and South (SCoTENS) invites proposals for participation and working papers at the 5th SCoTENS Doctoral Studies Roundtable.  The Roundtable will provide a mix of short presentations by participants on their work in progress and will also feature participation by SCoTENS colleagues who are leaders in …
Read More 5th SCoTENS Doctoral Workshop

  Slieve Russell Hotel, Ballyconnell, Co. Cavan Thursday 22 and Friday 23 October 2020

Irish Times,  3 December 2019 Opinion: Hundreds of teacher education students have trained in schools on either side of the Border under an innovative scheme One of the least-known but most remarkable success stories of cross-Border co-operation between Northern Ireland and the Republic in the aftermath of the Belfast Agreement is an educational one. Yet it is a success …
Read More Cuts threaten cross-Border teacher education co-operation

Funded Research Programme Each year, SCoTENS provides Seed Funding to support a number of collaborative research projects and professional activities in teacher education in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The sums allocated are usually in the region of £3,000 – £6,000 (approx. €3,750 – €7,500).  Five projects were awarded funding in 2018-2019.   PROJECT …
Read More Seed Funded Projects 2018-2019

John Coolahan Award In recognition of John’s contribution to the foundation of SCoTENS, the John Coolahan award is made to the authors of the Seed Funding Report which is recognised to be most in line with the values and ideals of SCoTENS.  This award is awarded annually at the SCoTENS Annual Conference. Through his pioneering …
Read More John Coolahan Award 2019

John Coolahan Award In recognition of John’s contribution to the foundation of SCoTENS, the John Coolahan award is made to the authors of the Seed Funding Report which is recognised to be most in line with the values and ideals of SCoTENS.  This award is awarded annually at the SCoTENS Annual Conference. Through his pioneering …
Read More John Coolahan Award 2018

  The 2018 North-South Student Exchange Project took place for Southern Students going North in November 2018 and Northern Students going South in March 2019 and involved 10 students from five colleges of education: Stranmillis University College, Belfast; St Mary’s University College Belfast Marino College of Education, Dublin Institute of Education Dublin City University Froebel Department …
Read More 2018 North-South Student Exchange Project

This study, funded by SCOTENS, set out to explore the cultural orientations of primary school teachers in the Island of Ireland, and to examine how they affect their understandings and practices of children’s voice in schools. For example, in predominantly traditional cultures, children’s voice projects may be illusory, only allowing participation in marginal decisions and …
Read More Teachers’ Beliefs about Education and Children’s Voice Practices in the Island of Ireland

This report presents the findings of a SCoTENS funded study with practicing language teachers in Ireland, within the framework of Threshold Concepts (Meyer, Land et al. 2010), to identify the core but troublesome knowledge and practices of language teaching and the conditions that facilitate the integration of these concepts over a teaching career.  The project …
Read More Thresholds Concepts in Language Teacher Education

The aim of this research project was to develop a resource of key vocabulary and terminology for teachers in supporting their planning and teaching in early number. It will also provide teachers with a variety of teaching and learning strategies to complement the development of the key vocabulary. The project relates to the development of …
Read More Early Number Concepts