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Category: Research & Scholarship

Stranmillis-led Review of Republic of Ireland’s Early Childhood Education and Care programme published

Posted on by Andrew McAteer

A major independent review of the Republic of Ireland’s Early Childhood Education and Care (ECCE) programme, led by Stranmillis University College’s Head of Early Years, Dr Glenda Walsh, was published this week by the Irish government’s Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY). 

The ECCE programme is a free, universal two-year preschool programme available to all children within an eligible age range from 2 years and 8 months to 5 years and 6 months, funded by the Department.

In 2023, a team of researchers from Stranmillis University College, working with Dr Thérèse Farrell from Dublin City University, was funded to undertake a comprehensive, independent review of the initiative, with the aim of identifying what has been working well, the challenges that still exist, and what enhancements might be made going forward.  

While recommending some enhancements that might be made, the researchers nevertheless found that the ECCE programme was viewed very favourably by providers, parents, and children, and is now widely regarded as a model of good practice from which other countries can learn. 

Welcoming the latest figures and finding from the Review, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman said: 

“These figures I have released today and the findings from the review by Stranmillis University College show the success story the ECCE programme has become. 

“With more than 1 million enrolments since the programme was first introduced and uptake rates in excess of 96%, it is clear this programme has been embraced wholeheartedly by children and their families and by wider society. 

“Moreover, with 40% of families reporting that they would not have been able to enrol their child in pre-school had it not been for the ECCE programme, it is clear that this programme has altered early learning experiences and development opportunities for all children and children experiencing disadvantage in particular.” 

Minister O’Gorman’s full statement and links to the Executive and Final Reports can be read here.

Stran at SCoTENS 2024: research launched at all-Ireland teacher education conference

Posted on by Andrew McAteer

The 22nd Annual SCoTENS conference took place last Thursday and Friday at the Slieve Russell Hotel in Ballyconnell, Co. Cavan, with Stranmillis well represented at this year’s event.

SCoTENS – short for the Standing Conference on Teacher Education, North and South – was established in 2003 following the Good Friday Agreement to promote cross-border collaboration in teacher education on the island of Ireland. As part of this work, SCoTENs organises an annual conference, a student-teacher exchange programme, and provides seed funding for research projects.

Among the major reports launched at the event was the Cultural Responsivity in Teacher Education: Research in Action report – known as the CRiTERiA project – co-led by SUC’s Director of Teaching and Learning, Prof Patricia Eaton in conjunction with teams from Dublin City University, University of Galway, and Queen’s University Belfast.

Stranmillis staff were also represented across the two-day conference, including

  • Dr Jayne Moore, who presented with Dublin City University’s Dr Regina Murphy, on their report ‘Co-constructing understandings of inclusion and democracy through music education with student teachers in North and South’
  • Ms Catriona Rogers and Ms Paula Carlin, presenting with Dr Alison Moore from University College Cork, on their research ‘Facilitating Reflection and Dialogue Across Borders: Establishing a Community of Practice to enhance early years placement experience in Ireland’
  • Dr Gillian Beck, presenting her research ‘Promoting sensory pedagogy for all: a whole class teaching approach to sensory education provision’

Stranmillis University College’s Director of Research and Scholarship, a previous Chair and current member of of SCoTENS Committee, also chaired a panel discussion around a keynote address of the conference from Mr John Lonergan, ‘The challenges that still exist in our efforts to create a fair, just, equal, and inclusive society on the island of Ireland – why teachers play a vital role in helping us to achieve this dream’.

Find out more about SCoTENS on their website here: https://scotens.org/

SUC’s new Doctoral programme begins

Posted on by Andrew McAteer

On Saturday 5th October, Stranmillis University College was delighted to welcome the first ever cohort of Doctoral students to the campus to meet their fellow students, their lecturing team and senior staff from across the Stran community.

Led by highly respected educational research experts Dr Glenda Walsh and Professor Noel Purdy, the new Doctorate in Educational Professional Practice (DProf) is designed to provide working professionals with the opportunity to delve into the complex world of educational practice, guided by experienced researchers who understand the reality of contemporary real-world educational settings. 

The introduction of the DProf programme is the first Doctoral programme at Stranmillis, reflecting the College’s strong commitment to research excellence and research-informed practice across areas such as educational underachievement, early years education, inclusion and diversity, emotional health and wellbeing, STEM education, curriculum and pedagogy, and teacher education.  

The first ever cohort of doctoral students at SUC comprises HEI/FE tutors, EA representatives, and those who are or have been principals and teachers/practitioners from across the educational spectrum (pre-school, primary and post primary) in schools, settings and even homes both locally, nationally and internationally.  While the majority of students come from Northern Ireland, there are also students from the Republic of Ireland, North America and South Korea. 

Welcoming the new students, Dr Glenda Walsh, Head of Doctoral Studies and Research Engagement said, “It is a real privilege to be working with such a diverse group of students who are so passionate about their field of educational professional practice. I am really looking forward to getting to know them more fully and to engage in much discussion, debate and criticality as we embark upon this doctoral journey together.” 

The second intake for the DProf programme will be in September 2026.

To find out more, click here.

Exploring opportunities for collaboration on Early Childhood Education and Care across Ireland

Posted on by Andrew McAteer

On Wednesday 11th September, Stranmillis University College (SUC) had the pleasure of welcoming a team of Early Years Lecturers from Atlantic Technological University (ATU), a multi-campus university based in the west and northwest of the Republic of Ireland.

ATU was represented by Dr Rita Melia, lecturer on the BA Early Childhood Education and Care programme (ATU), together with lecturer Mary Skillington and Practice Placement Coordinator Christiane Schulte. They met with Early Years teams from across SUC to explore possible collaborative opportunities in research and scholarship between both universities.

SUC’s Head of International, Dr Barbara McDade, also joined the conversations and provided excellent guidance about potential funding sources both nationally and internationally.

Discussion centred on working collaboratively to explore and action a shared vision to enhance students’ knowledge, skills and understanding in the field of Early Childhood Education and Care across the island of Ireland, with a focus on play and playful learning experiences. Research interests were discussed with significant areas of common interest identified for further consideration within Ireland and with international colleagues.

The team from ATU highlighted the innovative teaching and learning strategies on the BA and MA programmes in Early Childhood Education and Care cross the four campuses, Galway, Mayo, Sligo and Donegal.

Likewise, the SUC team shared some of the recent research and scholarship projects that they have been involved in and the impact generated from them, particularly in terms of policy and practice.

After the event Dr Melia commented:

“We at Atlantic Technological University see this collaboration as an opportunity by two higher education institutions to increase awareness underpinned by research of the long term societal and economic benefits of quality early childhood education and care for young children.”

“The early childhood education and care teams at Atlantic Technological University look forward to working with colleagues at Stranmillis University College to enhance students learning experiences, develop collaborative research and raise awareness of the importance of quality early childhood education and care experiences for all children.”

SUC’s Head of Early Years Education, Dr Glenda Walsh added:

“Getting the opportunity to discuss cutting-edge research and innovative practices with like-minded people and to plan further collaboration and engagement has been an absolute privilege. We look forward to many more discussions and even a visit to one of ATU’s campuses in due course. Working together on a collaborative bid with a focus on play and learning to enhance students and in turn teachers/educators’ playful pedagogy in practice is a win-win for all concerned, and in particular for young children across the island of Ireland. Let’s get to it.”

‘Collaborating for Impact’ conference

Posted on by Andrew McAteer

On the 4th June 2024, THRiVE and their Learning Partnership team from Stranmillis University College’s Centre for Research in Educational Underachievement (CREU) – Dr Karen Orr, Prof. Noel Purdy, Dr Millie Symington & Dr Mark Ballentine – hosted a two-day conference at Stranmillis University College, attended by thought leaders, practitioners, and policy makers from across sectors in NI.

The organisers were delighted to have been joined by and to hear from Junior Ministers Pam Cameron and Aisling Reilly, and Justice Minister Naomi Long.

They also welcomed input, via video, from Ministers Paul Givan (Education), Mike Nesbitt (Health), Gordon Lyons (Communities), and Caoimhe Archibald (Finance), who shared their support for the place-based collaboration model evidenced by THRiVE and the need for government and other sectors to work together.

Throughout the jam packed two days, the conference heard from a range of speakers who spoke to different aspects of relevance to the theme of ‘collaborating for impact’.

Speakers included Claire Humphrey, (THRiVE Co-ordinator); Dr Karen Orr (THRiVE Learning Partnership Principal Investigator); Prof. Noel Purdy OBE (CREU Director and THRiVE Learning Partnership team); Young people from Monsktown Boxing Club; Chris Quinn, the NI Children’s Commissioner; Prof. Allisson Metz (implementation science expert from University of North Carolina, USA); THRiVE parent champions (Mary Dripps and Lorna Allison); Jo Blundell from Place Matters; and Dorrinnia Carville, NI Comptroller General.

Additionally, Hugh Nelson (Co-Chair THRiVE) led an informative panel discussion with Collaborative Investors from THRiVE which included representatives from the Education Authority, The Executive Office, Antrim & Newtownabbey Borough Council, and the Executive Programme on Criminality and Organised Crime.

The conference shone a spotlight on other place-based collaborations from across NI, where delegates got the opportunity to hear from other initiatives involved in the Co-ordinating Organisations Network.

And finally, a key highlight of the conference was an amazing performance from the Whitehouse Primary School choir who inspired and delighted delegates with several songs, one of which reminded us all that ‘When we work together, we get things done’

Over the course of the two days, delegates were invited to explore three key themes associated with place-based collaboration:

  1. PLACE: Throughout the conference, the idea that ‘Place Matters’ was central.  It was proposed that place-based change in communities entrenched in complex and intergenerational inequality (social, educational, health etc.) is made possible by harnessing the collective impact of all agencies (statutory and non) and stakeholders (including children, young people, parents) via equitable collaborative infrastructures.
  2. PEOPLE: Building on the concept of PLACE, delegates were reminded that it is imperative that the PEOPLE within the place are central to the change processes.  The conference pointed to the importance of bottom-up community driven and co-designed agendas, with the voice and influenceof young people (and community stakeholders more broadly) central.  The conference unpacked HOW to achieve this, with a focus on the relational aspects of this work, the importance of considering power dynamics, trust, competition, and the necessity for challenging mindsets and ‘silo’ mentalities.
  3. PROCESS: Finally, within and around both PLACE and PEOPLE are the processes and wider systems that facilitate and inhibit impact and change.  For example, strategies and policies (e.g., NI Children’s Services Co-operation Act 2015) and administrative/governance systems, finance systems and funding models that underpin statutory and non-statutory service provision.  Additionally, within the processes, the conference pointed to the necessity for impact and implementation infrastructures, that is, the space, data and evidence to learn about HOW processes are implemented, as well as WHAT DIFFERENCE they have made.

Dr Karen Orr and Claire Humphrey closed the conference by aligning their Conference Calls to Action with these three core themes of PLACE (asking for visibility of place-based approaches in the Programme for Government), PEOPLE (encouraging equitable engagement of those who live and work in communities) and PROCESSES (calling for investment in the systems needed for place-based change – funding, impact and implementation).

The synergies, resonance, energy and passion in the room over the course of the two days were clear indicators of the willingness of agencies (statutory and non) to move beyond current systems and processes towards more collaborative, place-based and evidence informed practices, in order to achieve truly child-centred and holistic services that best meet the needs of our children and young people, particularly those most vulnerable and furthest from opportunity.

Speaking about the event, Dr Karen Orr said ‘The energy and enthusiasm evident during the ‘Collaborate for Impact’ conference has been a clear endorsement for the place-based collaborative efforts championed during this two day conference. CREU are proud to have brought their expertise to this conference and to the THRiVE Learning Partnership. We look forward to maintaining the energy and connections made as we work to improve the educational opportunities and outcomes for all children and young people’

One month on from the Conference and organisers, Dr Karen Orr (CREU) and Claire Humphrey (THRiVE) are considering next steps… stay tuned!

For further information and recourses related to the conference, please click here.

For further information regarding the THRiVE Learning Partnership, please contact Dr Karen Orr (K.Orr@Stran.ac.uk).

 

How cyberbullying impacts the lives of children and young people in NI

Posted on by Andrew McAteer

To mark Anti-Bullying Week 2023, a new ‘Spotlight’ report highlights the nature and extent of cyberbullying among children and young people in Northern Ireland.

Drawing out key insights from their recent large-scale research project Growing Up Online: Children’s online activities, harm and safety in Northern Ireland funded by the Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland (SBNI), the research team at Stranmillis University College’s Centre for Research in Educational Underachievement (CREU) has shone a particular spotlight on bullying behaviours as reported by children and young people aged 8-18.

The findings presented in this Spotlight report highlight the wide variety of online bullying behaviours which are experienced by children and young people in Northern Ireland, ranging from mean or nasty comments being made or sent to them and being excluded from WhatsApp groups, through to online blackmail, threats and being told to self-harm.

Among the key findings from the 6500 survey responses and interviews with almost 100 children and young people are that:

  • A total of 13% of children aged 8-13 reported that someone had been mean to them online within the previous two months, with a higher incidence among girls than boys.
  • Girls aged 14-18 were more likely than boys to report that mean or nasty comments had been made about them or sent to them, more likely to have had lies or rumours told about them, and more likely to have been excluded from an online group.
  • Boys aged 14-18 were however more likely than girls to report that someone had tried to blackmail them, that they had been threatened online, or that their account had been hacked.
  • LGBTQI+ young people aged 14-18 were more likely than heterosexual young people to report that they had received mean or nasty comments or that they had been threatened.
  • Less than a third (31%) of 14-18 year olds said that they had reported the cyberbullying compared to almost half (47%) of 8-13 year olds. In both cases children and young people are more likely to tell their friends than family members or someone at school.
  • While incidents of online bullying were reported to have very significant emotional impact on the children and young people concerned, it was striking how some of the young people appeared to accept a certain level of online risk and danger, and appeared confident in dealing with such incidents.

The authors of the Spotlight report welcome the news that the UK’s Online Safety Act was granted Royal Assent on 26 October 2023, which legally obliges internet and social media companies to do more to protect their users, with hefty fines imposed if they fail in their new duty of care.

Lead author, Prof Noel Purdy, commented, “This is an important report which provides fresh evidence of the extent of online bullying among our children and young people in Northern Ireland.  In this Anti-Bullying Week, we hope that the findings will help inform educators and policy makers as they seek to keep our children safe online.”

The Growing Up Online Spotlight Report on Cyberbullying can be downloaded here: https://tinyurl.com/spotlightcyberbullying