PerC Report This report presents findings from the SCOTENS Teacher Educator, Student Teacher and Policy Perspectives on Creativity (PerC) project, which explored how creativity is understood and experienced by teacher educators and first‑year student teachers across the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Using a qualitative design that combined duoethnographic dialogue among four teacher educators …
Read More PerC – Contours of Creativity: Teacher educator, student teacher and policy perspectives on creativity

EAT-HE Final It is well recognised that what teachers do in the classroom directly influence students learning. The SCoTENS EAT-HE project is a collaborative cross-border research study that documents experiences and perceptions of post-primary Home Economics teachers across the island of their execution of food practical lessons at Junior Cycle and Key Stage 4. The …
Read More Enhancing All – Island Teaching in Home Economics

EKARA EKARA Toolkit The “Exploring Knowledge and Awareness of Reasonable Accommodations/Adjustments for ITE Students with Disabilities in ROI and NI -EKARA” project investigated the current levels of understanding and awareness regarding reasonable accommodations and adjustments (RAs) available for students with disabilities within initial teacher education (ITE) programmes in Northern Ireland (NI) and the Republic of …
Read More Exploring Knowledge and Awareness of Reasonable Accommodations/Adjustments for ITE Students with Disabilities in ROI and NI

AIRED Report This report investigates what “AI readiness” looks like for student teachers as generative AI has become embedded in routine practices across Initial Teacher Education (ITE), including planning, teaching, assessment and professional reflection. It conceptualises readiness as an ecologically produced profile—captured in the proposed AIRED framework—comprising AI expertise (capability and knowledge), AI acceptance (perceived …
Read More AIRED: AI Readiness in Initial Teacher Education

SEALSEN The purpose of this study as part of the SCOTENS funded research project entitled (Supporting English as an Additional Language pupils with Special Educational Needs/Additional Educational Needs across the Island of Ireland) was to examine how post-primary schools in Ireland (IE) and Northern Ireland (NI) identify and support pupils who are learning English as …
Read More SEALSEN – Supporting English as an Additional Language Pupils with Special Educational Needs/ Additional Educational Needs across the Island of Ireland

Language Preferences of the Autistic Community and Educators living in NI and Republic of Ireland The aim of our co-produced, multiple methods study was to explore the language preferences of the autistic community in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, as well as the preferences of educators supporting autistic learners in this region. A …
Read More Language Preferences of the Autistic Community and Educators Living in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland

CoPPEEY The aim of the project was to create Communities of Practice (CoP), facilitating reflection and dialogue between two Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs), in the North and Republic of Ireland and specifically in the undergraduate Early Years Childhood Studies programmes. Undergraduate student placement is a core aspect of early childhood degree programmes and placement experience …
Read More CoPPEEY: A Community of Practice for Placement Enhancement in the Early Years

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