Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 January 2024
517. Deputy Denis Naughten asked the Minister for Education if she will list the ongoing research commissioned under the remit of her Department through the North-South Ministerial Council, Shared Island Initiative or through other all-island arrangements; if she will outline the research that has been completed; the date of publication of the research since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56910/23]
View answerThe work of my Department in North-South and all-island issues feeds into the Education Sectoral meetings under the North-South Ministerial Council. There is currently no ongoing research commissioned by my Department in this area.
Substantial research in the North-South space is funded under the Shared Island Fund.
My Department liaises with the Shared Island Unit of the Department of Taoiseach to support the development of a more ambitious agenda for education cooperation and connection on the island to deliver a comprehensive research programme. Research will continue to be published that focusses on opportunities to deepen cooperation across a range of domains including Education. Further information is available at www.gov.ie/SharedIsland/Research.
At the 2021 Standing Conference on Teacher Education North South (ScoTENS), I announced the awarding of two research projects commissioned by the Shared Island-ScoTENS Research Partnership on educational underachievement issues. These are:
• “BUDDIES”: Published Oct 2022. This study was led by Dr Glenda Walsh, Stranmillis University College, Belfast, in collaboration with Dr Seaneen Sloan, University College Dublin and Clíodhna Martin, Marino Institute of Education, Dublin. Building on discussions of the role of Home-School Community Liaison at the Shared Island Dialogue on education, this study will seek to gain a clearer understanding of the valuable but under-researched work of HSCLs across the island. scotens.org/site/wp-content/uploads/BUDDIES-Report.pdf
• “SHARED”: Published Oct 2022. This study was led by Dr Melanie Ní Dhuinn and Dr. Julie Uí Choistealbha from Marino Institute of Education, Dublin, in collaboration with Julie Hamilton, from St. Mary’s University College, Belfast. This project explores how teacher educators can prepare and support student teachers to negotiate and engage with the challenges of educational underachievement while on their school placement. scotens.org/site/wp-content/uploads/SHARED-Research-Report.pdf
and they receive funding from the Shared Island Fund.
There were 3 further research projects funded by Shared Island on curriculum delivery themes published in 2023/2024 under theme: How we teach: acknowledging, understanding and learning with others and from others on a shared island.
• SRASI: Shared Responsibility Across a Shared Island: Published in 2023. Teaching social justice in initial teacher education – led by Prof. Ann MacPhail, University of Limerick, and Dr. Paul Mc Flynn, Ulster University, Coleraine. This project will develop and share, through practitioner research, a teaching approach to social justice across the initial teacher education programmes in UL and UU. researchrepository.ul.ie/articles/report/Shared_Responsibility_Across_a_Shared_Island_SRASI_teaching_social_justice_in_initial_teacher_education/24241960
• CRiTERiA: Cultural Responsivity in Teacher Education: Research in Action (for Publicaton in 2024) – led by Dr. Patricia Eaton, Stranmillis University College, Belfast, and Dr. Martin Brown and Dr. Paddy Shevlin, Dublin City University, in collaboration with Dr. Manuela Heinz, National University of Ireland, Galway, and Prof. Joanne Hughes, Queen’s University Belfast. This project will work with teacher educators and student teachers to design and develop an Open Access Online course (for teachers of all levels of experience, including student teachers) to enhance culturally responsive educational skills and competencies, recognising that teaching takes place in culturally diverse learning environments. This Open Access Online course will benefit education professionals on the island of Ireland and internationally.
• EDUCATE: Educating about Difference Uniting Classrooms and Teacher Education (for publication in 2024) – led by Dr. Patricia Kieran, Mary Immaculate College, Limerick, and Dr. Stephen Roulston, Ulster University, Coleraine, in collaboration with Dr. Emer Nowlan, Sandra Irwin Gowran and Vera Shanahan, Educate Together, Séamus Conboy and Megan Whyte, Education and Training Boards Ireland, Cliodhna Scott-Wills, Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education, and Dr. Matthew Milliken, Ulster University, Coleraine. This project will equip primary school initial teacher education students with the teaching skills, knowledge, and resources to explore and teach, in diverse primary classrooms, about respect for identity, difference, and fostering mutual understanding
The Centre for Cross Border Studies
My Department liaises with the Centre for Cross Border Studies which is a policy research and development institute. However, there is currently no ongoing research commissioned. The CCBS has published a number of reports on education matters over the years since 1998. Further information is available at crossborder.ie.
