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Category: Stranmillis News

2022 Student Research Conference

Posted on by Andrew McAteer

For the first time since 2019, the Stranmillis Student Research Conference took place in person, and was attended by well over 100 B.Ed. and B.Sc. research methods students.

Dr Noel Purdy opened the Conference by welcoming Dr Rory McDaid, Director of Research, Marino Institute of Education, Dublin, as this year’s keynote speaker.  Dr McDaid spoke of the growing recognition of the importance of students and educational practitioners as researchers and also highlighted some of his own and his institution’s recent research work.

There followed four short presentations by some of last year’s top research students: Lucy Millar (B Ed Primary) began by presenting her study entitled “Ready to share our very selves: An investigation into the nature and prevalence of church partnerships with controlled primary schools in Northern Ireland.”  This was followed by Ellen King (BA ECS) who spoke on the theme of “Parents’ and Practitioners’ Perspectives on the Benefits of and Barriers to Effective Outdoor Play”.  The third presentation on the “experiences of relationships and sexuality education (RSE) in light of criticisms of its heteronormative delivery” was delivered by Jessica Orr (B Ed post-primary) before Patricia Philips’ final presentation on her PGCE research assignment entitled “An evaluation of the appropriateness of play as a learning medium for young children.”

The Conference concluded with a panel Q&A session chaired by Dr Glenda Walsh and Dr Karen Orr, with questions submitted to all 5 presenters via Mentimeter from the audience.  All agreed that it was a stimulating afternoon which showcased a wide variety of outstanding student research but also provided valuable support and guidance for current students about to undertake their own research for the first time.

How is Vocational Education and Training Assessed? CREU reviews European policy and practice in report

Posted on by Andrew McAteer

In Northern Ireland the debate around skills and rebalancing the economy has been the focus of policy over an extended period of time, leading to the publication of a series of significant policy papers by the Department of Employment and Learning (DEL) including Success Through Skills – Transforming Futures (2011) and Structured to Deliver Success (2015).  More recently in 2021 the Department for the Economy (DfE)’s 10x Economy vision reminds us of the importance of drawing upon our rich heritage of business innovation and entrepreneurialism to recover, rebuild and rebound the Northern Ireland economy as we emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic and embark on an ambitious ‘decade of innovation’. This vision highlights the importance of Vocational Education and Training (VET) and the central role of Northern Ireland’s FE sector working in partnership with schools, employers and the HE sector in addressing a significant skills deficit in key areas.  Within this VET context, consideration of the relative merits of various assessment methods has been limited with a recognised need for greater consideration of policy developments beyond Northern Ireland.

A recent research report published by CREU (2022), The Assessment of Vocational Education and Training Qualifications: a review of European policy and practice, responds to that need and aims to assess policy developments in vocational education and training across the four jurisdictions of the UK, but also across Europe, to provide understanding and insight into assessment methodologies used for vocational qualifications and their perceived value.

The review addresses the following areas: different types of assessment and differences in how they are used in vocational qualifications (both levels and products); international best practice for assessment in vocational qualifications; views on the attractiveness and value of each assessment type; benefits or challenges of particular assessment types on progression and preparedness for higher education; views on the value or usefulness of different assessment types to determine occupational competence; and views on the usefulness of different assessment methods to meet employer need and provide confidence in vocational qualifications.

This review of research and policy highlights a range of key areas of debate: the role of BTECs in widening access; the tension between widening access and educational attainment in HE; the relative equivalence of BTECs and A-Levels; barriers to recruitment and retention of BTEC students in HE; the role of, and challenges for, universities in facilitating the entry and retention of students; comparative student performance in HE; the tensions between vocational and academic qualification pathways; and employment outcomes. The current educational landscape in England is also marked by the recent introduction of T Levels alongside A-Levels.

At assessment level the policy debate has addressed the relative merits of the BTEC assessment system; advocates defending the ‘older style’ BTEC system in terms of the reliability of internal assessment, progression and employability; critics viewing BTECs as over-valued, in need of re-evaluation, and requiring external assessment to both counter grade inflation, and ensure equivalence with A levels.

Comparisons are drawn from leading European VET models such as the dual-track VET approach found in Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Denmark and the Basque Country, and other school-based models evident across the rest of the UK, Ireland and Finland.

While much can be learnt from our European neighbours, significant questions remain around the transferability of particular models which tend to reflect the particular national and/or local conditions in different regions or countries.  The review highlights both the complexity of the assessment and policy landscape locally, nationally and internationally, and also the need for much more extensive research in this often overlooked educational arena.

Read the full report here.

Public appointment competition to appoint new members to Governing Body

Posted on by Andrew McAteer

The Department for the Economy has launched a public appointments competition to recruit six new members to the Governing Body of Stranmillis University College.

The appointments will be made between February and July 2023. Members serve in a voluntary capacity receiving no remuneration other than reimbursement of reasonable expenses. The time commitment is at least four meetings per annum. Members may also be invited to sit on sub-committees.

studentsStranmillis was founded as a non-denominational institution in 1922 to provide state-funded teacher training alongside that already available at the existing St Mary’s College. Both institutions have since become academically recognised as university colleges of the Queen’s University of Belfast. Stranmillis offers teacher training for the primary and secondary school sectors as well as professional development courses, a BA in Early Childhood Studies and a BSc in Health, Physical Activity and Sport.

This is an open competition in which a background in education or specific academic qualifications are not required.

The Department would like to appeal to individuals from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences and would particularly welcome applications from younger people, people with a disability and those from minority ethnic groups as they are currently under-represented on the Governing Body of Stranmillis University College.

The Department is operating a Guaranteed Interview Scheme in this competition for applicants with a disability.

Details of the competition are available on the DfE website.

An application pack with full details and guidance may be obtained by emailing: pau@economy-ni.gov.uk

The closing date for applications is noon (UK time) on 11 November 2022.

A Visit to Numberland

Posted on by Andrew McAteer

As part of Maths Week Ireland 2022, the College was delighted to host the Let’s Visit Numberland  conference; an irresistible co-adventure into the abstract world of number.

Two highly  interactive and enjoyable events were delivered by Co-creator of Let’s visit Numberland – natural maths for 3 to 5 year olds‘, Barbara Schindelhauer, and Stranmillis University College’s Dr Pamela Moffett on how to use the Numberland resource to help develop early number sense in young children. Almost 100 local Nursery and Foundation Stage practitioners attended the conference, with attendees “hoping for many little happy trips to this special Numberland.”

Stranmillis University College leads review of Irish government’s Early Childhood Care and Education Programme

Posted on by Andrew McAteer

Stranmillis University College’s Centre for Research in Educational Underachievement (CREU) has been appointed by the government in the Republic of Ireland to undertake an independent review of its Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme. 

The ECCE programme offers up to two years of free pre-school education and, since it was first introduced in 2010, more than 800,000 children have benefitted from it.  

The core objectives of the programme are:  

  • to provide children with their first formal experience of early learning prior to commencing primary school; 
  • to promote better cognitive and socio-emotional outcomes for children; and  
  • to narrow the gap in attainment between more and less advantaged children. 

The review is being led by Head of Early Years at Stranmillis and Assistant Director at CREU, Dr Glenda Walsh, in collaboration with Dr Thérèse Farrell from Dublin City University.  

The project will assess whether the ECCE Programme is meeting its core objectives and will identify any changes or improvements that can be made, informing work to introduce a universal legal entitlement to pre-school in the Republic of Ireland. 

The appointment was made by the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman. 

Stranmillis project lead Dr Glenda Walsh said: 

“I am absolutely delighted to be leading this significant research project where the end product is all about getting it right for our youngest children. The key stakeholders i.e. early years educators, parents and the young children themselves, will play a huge part in every aspect of this study, informing the way forward on what works already and what aspects of ECCE need to be developed.” 

Dr Noel Purdy, Director of CREU, said: 

“Stranmillis has a long history of teaching and research expertise in the Early Years, and I welcome this latest funding awarded by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to Dr Walsh and her team.  I wish them well as they embark on this important review of the ECCE programme.” 

The Review will be completed towards the end of 2023. 

The research team from l-r: Dr Franka Winter (SUC), Dr Karen Orr (SUC), Dr Glenda Walsh (SUC), Dr Thérèse Farrell (DCU) and Dr Karen Hanna (SUC).

Recruiting Males in the Early Years

Posted on by Andrew McAteer

Early Childhood Care and Education is one of the most important and valuable professions anyone can enter; however, males make up less than 2% of the workforce in NI. For a number of years, Stranmillis University College has identified as a priority the need to increase the number of males entering the profession. We feel it is important to recruit men into the sector and we wish to cement its significance for Universities and Colleges, Government and policy makers, Schools, Early Childhood Care and Education Providers and stakeholder organisations, so that they target and prioritise the issue of gender imbalance in the workforce. 

To  address the issue, on Wednesday 14th September, 2022, the Early Childhood Studies department hosted a virtual webinar entitled ‘Males in the Early Years’.

The event, organised and chaired by Senior Lecturer in Early Childhood Studies, Dr Barbara McConnell, featured a keynote address from Dr David Brody, Associate Professor of Education and former Academic Dean and Chair of the Early Childhood Department of the Efrata College of Education, Jerusalem. This was followed by shorter presentations and discussion from Ms Pauline Walmsley (CEO, Early Years organisation), Dr Joanne McHale (TU Dublin), Mr Conor McArdle (Surestart, South Armagh) Mr Kevin Duggan, Childcare Partnerships) & Stuart Dickinson (Stranmillis University College).

Speaking after the event, Dr McConnell said “Since the conception of the ECS degree in 1996, with the first cohort’s graduation in 2000, we have had 2116 Graduates from Stranmillis with a BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies degree, but only 23 of these graduates have been male. This is a very low number, and it is something that we have been thinking about in Stranmillis for a number of years. The Early Childhood Studies team at Stranmillis are really keen to encourage more Males onto the degree, and ultimately, into the sector and we look forward to working with Colleagues who attended the webinar to progress this issue.”

“Following the success of this webinar I hope we can come together as a group of academics, practitioners, training providers and employers, to put together an action plan to address this very important issue. We were delighted that the event reached capacity and that we had over 100 delegates on the webinar. This interest is testament to the need to action this issue and we at Stranmillis will be considering how we can play our part to increase the number of males working in the sector.”

If you would be interested to find out more about the BA (Hons) ECS Degree, or wish to get involved in recruiting more males into the sector, please contact Dr Barbara McConnell; b.mcconnell@stran.ac.uk.

A recording of the seminar is now available to watch here.