asked the Minister for Education the amount of money allocated for educational research for the year ended 31st March, 1969; the amount spent; and if it is his intention to increase this grant.
46.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Educational Research.
45.
asked the Minister for Education if he will name the projects in receipt of a grant for educational research from his Department in the year ended 31st March, 1969; the amount spent on each project; the topics studied; if the results will be published; and, if so, when.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 45 and 46 together.
Funds are made available for educational research by way of a special subhead in Vote 27. In addition research funds are provided for the work done at St. Patrick's Training College from the general college grant.
Details of the various research projects completed in the year ended 31st March, 1969 are set out in a tabular statement which, with your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to have circulated with the Official Report.
Following is the statement:—
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH
1. Vote 27—B4—Provision 1968-69 and 1969-70—£20,000
|
Project |
Amount of grant in 1968-69 |
|
£ |
|
|
1. An historico-comparative study on the amalgamation of small rural primary schools |
|
|
2. The comprehensive idea and Irish Education |
600 |
|
3. A survey on the place of Drama in contemporary Irish education |
|
|
4. An analysis of the Leaving Certificate Examination |
500 |
|
5. Pilot study of aspiration and participation at post-primary school level |
1,150 |
|
6. A socio-psychological Investigation of a disadvantaged subculture |
1,250 |
|
7. An investigation of some sociological aspects of post-primary choice |
1,000 |
|
8. Investment in school building |
200 |
|
9. A survey of children at school in the Galway area, their parents and teachers, to determine: |
|
|
(a) attitudes to various types of school |
|
|
(b) attitudes to specific types of jobs; and |
|
|
(c) job expectations |
1,000 |
|
10. Semantic storage: particular meanings from ambiguous symbols |
1,000 |
|
11. An experiment on the individualised method of teaching reading |
400 |
|
12. An analysis of instructional procedures in second and third-level education |
1,250 |
|
13. The achievement of stated objectives by the Intermediate Certificate |
£ |
|
Examination |
600 |
|
14. Methods of teaching modern mathematics |
600 |
|
15. School meals—feasibility study |
700 |
|
16. A research survey on the need for an expansion of the Extra-Mural programme of University College Galway |
500 |
|
17. The development of computable models in educational planning |
4,650 |
|
18. A survey of Teachers' Attitudes to the educational system |
3,500 |
|
19. A Schools' Based Investigation into some methods of Teaching French to beginners |
750 |
|
TOTAL |
19,650 |
EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH CENTRE
ST. PATRICK'S TRAINING COLLEGE, DRUMCONDRA.
Total expenditure from general college funds, 1968-69—£7,900 16s. 3d. A similiar amount will be made available for research in the current financial year.
The following is a list of projects in hand, it is not possible to give a breakdown of the cost of individual projects.
1. A description of the behavioural characteristics of a disadvantaged population of pre-school children and an evaluation of a programme of compensatory education.
2. A study of some characteristics of gifted children.
3. Longitudinal study of a representative sample of Irish school-children.
4. The development and standardisation of a word recognition test in Irish.
NOTE: The research work on items 4, 6, 10, and 11 listed at (1) was carried out in St. Patrick's Training College. It is intended that the results of all the research projects will be published or made available to the public.