In pursuit of excellence in research, the University College aims to support staff in identifying significant issues for investigation through encouraging individual, collaborative and interdisciplinary inquiry, locating external funding sources and providing post-graduate research opportunities. In the University College research has evolved within three broad headings:

Early Years Education

The benefits accrued from high quality early childhood education and care are well documented; however, deepening our understanding of the impact this provision has on the young child’s physical, cognitive, social and emotional development is vital and forms the focus of research in this cluster. Members are involved in a range of evaluative and applied funded research projects and publish their findings in national, European and international peer reviewed journals. They also disseminate their results through published reports and at National and International conferences.

Curriculum, Pedagogy Learning

Curriculum, pedagogy & learning is by far the largest research cluster in the College. It seeks to build a national and international reputation for its research in the areas of: teacher education; teacher continuing professional development; effective learning environments; science and mathematics education; literacy; special needs education; religious education; ethnicity, inclusion and diversity and school effectiveness and improvement. Members in this cluster are involved in a range of funded projects; they publish widely in these and related fields and present at national and international conferences.