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Annual Research Report
September 2014 – August 2015
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Contents Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 2
Research Strategy and Infrastructure ................................................................................................. 3
Research Environment ......................................................................................................................... 5
Research Excellence Framework (REF) ............................................................................................... 8
Research Focus and Dissemination .................................................................................................... 9
Centre for Global Justice .................................................................................................................. 9
Centre for Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment ................................................................... 14
Irish-medium Research Centre ..................................................................................................... 22
Research Group for Catholic Education ....................................................................................... 25
STEAM Research Centre ................................................................................................................ 28
Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................... 30
Research Output ................................................................................................................................. 32
Authored Books .............................................................................................................................. 32
Edited Books .................................................................................................................................... 32
Chapters in Books ........................................................................................................................... 32
Journal Articles ................................................................................................................................ 33
Reports ............................................................................................................................................. 35
Conference Papers.......................................................................................................................... 35
Book Reviews & Review Articles ................................................................................................... 39
Funded Research from External Awards ...................................................................................... 40
Other Research Activity.................................................................................................................. 40
Research Seminar Series ................................................................................................................ 42
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Introduction
The Annual Research Report produced by the Research Office in St Mary’s University College
Belfast (St Mary’s) provides an outline of research activity during the 2014-2015 academic
year. The report includes details of research output and academic staff’s engagement with
research during that period. The report is relevant to the strategic plan for research
development and informs the Academic Council and the Board of Governors of the progress
made by academic staff in developing their research profiles. The research environment that
exists within St Mary’s is supported and developed by the Research Committee, the Chair of
which is the Senior Tutor (Development), the Research Ethics Committee and five Research
Centres/Groups. The Research Office is central to the infrastructure that promotes and builds
research capacity in St Mary’s.
The expanding community of researchers in St Mary’s is committed to improving the
research profile and enhancing the culture of research. Academic staff engage in innovative
and relevant research activity which benefits the students’ educational experiences. St Mary’s
operates also at an international level in terms of its research, having established links with
European partners and being represented at international conferences. Academic staff strive
to have their research impact upon local and global policies and practices within the two
overarching research themes of Teacher Education & Pupil Learning as well as International
Studies.
Proposals outlined in the current strategic plan for research development to create five
Research Centres/Groups were implemented at the beginning of the 2014-2015 academic
year. These five centres/groups have members who share common research interests and
work towards a planned mission which brings focus to their research activities. Academic
staff from the centres/groups responded to a research audit in September 2015, the details
of which contribute to this report. The research audit and additional information held by the
Research Office show that many academic staff in St Mary’s are research active, albeit at
different levels.
Various types of research output, including journal articles, book chapters, etc., were
produced by the community of researchers in St Mary’s during the 2014-2015 academic year.
These focused on research relating to global justice, the curriculum, pedagogy, assessment,
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Irish-medium education, Catholic education and STEM education. Academic staff shared
their research findings with like-minded scholars at different events such as conferences,
symposia, seminars and public talks. These opportunities opened up debates on various
research topics which will hopefully generate interest in future collaborative research work.
Some academic staff continued their doctoral studies and developed their research skills and
their understanding in specialist areas of research. The research audit and additional
information held by the Research Office indicated that, during the 2014-2015 academic year,
the community of researchers in St Mary’s produced eighteen journal articles, twelve book
chapters, seven book review articles, four reports, two edited books and one authored book,
some of which are still under review or awaiting publication. In addition, the community of
researchers had involvement in thirty-eight conference presentations, seven funded research
projects, six research seminars and eighteen other types of research activity.
To assist academic staff in availing of the various research-related opportunities at the
Queen’s University Belfast, the Research Office compiled details of the services available
during the 2014-2015 academic year for circulation. These included research training events,
for example a two-day course on management and leadership in a research role, relevant
research seminars and workshops on the different aspects of the Research Excellence
Framework. By liaising with the Queen’s University Belfast and possibly creating research
partnerships, the research environment in St Mary’s can be developed further. This could
help to influence and strengthen the work of the many committees, offices and teams in St
Mary’s which implement the strategic plan for research development. Academic staff have
become more motivated in their research activities in recent times, leading to a more
energetic community of researchers who are making concerted attempts to create research
output, to communicate research findings and to deliver relevant research which has an
impact on their teaching as well as on wider society.
Research Strategy and Infrastructure
The Strategic Plan for Research Development 2014-2017 provided a more structured and
focused research framework with the creation of five Research Centres/Groups in St Mary’s.
In September 2014, the Research Office planned and organised an event in St Mary’s to
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launch the strategic plan. This event focused on the five centres/groups and had input from
members of the Research Committee and Research Ethics Committee. There was a welcome
and brief introduction from the Principal, followed by a presentation by the Research Office
on the importance of having centres and groups that focus on specific areas of research
within a Higher Education Institution. A proposed description for each centre/group was
given by representatives of the Research Committee and Research Ethics Committee. This
informed the community of researchers as to the potential focus of each centre/group and
the types of activities which could take place within each one. Five workshops were held to
explore topics such as recent and current activities related to the particular centre/group as
well as the purpose, relevance, mission and leadership of the centre/group. A plenary took
place towards the end of the event where each Chair of the centres/groups provided
feedback on the workshops. The event concluded with a discussion on ways forward for the
Strategic Plan for Research Development 2014-2017, facilitated by the Senior Tutor
(Development).
During the 2014-2015 academic year the five Research Centres/Groups were given their
official titles and each was appointed a director/leader by its members. These elected
representatives would coordinate the centre/group for an agreed period of time. Meetings
were organised and held throughout the academic year and each centre/group was
represented on the research section of the St Mary’s website.
The Strategic Plan for Research Development 2014-2017 outlines the infrastructure for the
roles and responsibilities of various teams, committees and offices to achieve its aims and
objectives. This infrastructure includes, among others, the Senior Tutor (Development) who
leads the development of research, the Research Committee which engages in implementing
the strategic plan and the Research Office which is a central resource in promoting a
research culture. The strategic plan has three aims, each with associated actions. The first aim
is to increase the level of engagement in research among academic staff and the quality of
research outputs produced, strategically building the strength and capacity of the research
base. The second aim is to ensure that research and scholarship, including original research
by staff, underpin high quality teaching and learning and enhance the student experience at
St Mary’s. The third aim is to build capacity among students of teacher education and the
liberal arts as the next generation of educators and professionals and to motivate them to
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disseminate and critically apply research. This strategic plan and the corresponding
infrastructure will guide the community of researchers within their Research Centres/Groups
in their attempts to achieve both national and international recognition.
Research Environment
There are various aspects to the research environment in St Mary’s, which include research
seminars, newsletters, a school ethos journal, a library, teaching programmes and
centres/groups.
The continuing success of the Teacher Education Seminar Series (TESS), co-ordinated by Dr
Geraldine Magennis and Dr Brian Hanratty, gave more energy to developing a rich research
culture in St Mary’s during the 2014-2015 academic year. It extended invitations to the
community of researchers as well as to external scholars and created a friendly environment
where people came to share their research experiences, findings and plans. This resulted in
presentations on the topics of STEM education, the geography of the hills of Belfast,
personal tutoring in writing, Irish language pronunciation, teaching Wordsworth, joined up
thinking in STEM education, models of Irish-medium schools and ‘disabilist’ bullying.
Attendees at the TESS during the 2014-2015 academic year were able to engage in debate
with the presenters, offer ideas and be critical friends. This ensured an enhanced experience
for those within the community of researchers in St Mary’s who shared their research.
Information on and acknowledgement of academic staff’s research achievements were
shared among the community of researchers and with external colleagues via the Research
Newsletter. This reinforced the research environment in St Mary’s as issues nine and ten were
published during the 2014-2015 academic year on the institution’s website. Each Research
Newsletter was circulated to all academic staff to celebrate the various research
achievements held by the community of researchers. These included collaborative research
projects, research presentations at symposia and conferences, the publication of research
output and the profiles of active researchers. Regular announcements of academic staff’s
research successes were made via email to the community of researchers during the 2014-
2015 academic year and there were also examples of publications displayed in the staffroom.
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The research environment was boosted by the publication of two issues of Le Chéile, a
Catholic school ethos journal, during the 2014-2015 academic year. The journal featured
various articles from the community of researchers and has Rev Dr Niall Coll as the managing
editor, Rev Dr Paul Fleming as the executive editor and Dr Gerard McCann as the copy editor.
The journal was distributed among students, staff and the wider school population. In May
2015 the annual Le Chéile/Together lecture was held in St Mary’s, with a public lecture by Dr
Leonardo Franchi (Director of Catholic Teacher Education, University of Glasgow). The lecture
was titled, ‘Preparing for Mission: Catholic Teacher Education in the Contemporary Church’.
The library contributed to the research environment in St Mary’s during the 2014-2015
academic year by continuing to provide research-related services to the community of
researchers. These services included sourcing research articles and ordering research
manuscripts relevant to the five Research Centres/Groups.
The academic profile, position within higher education and excellent satisfaction record in
the National Student Survey 2015, all held by St Mary’s, are connected to the research
activity of its academic staff and students which reflects a healthy research environment.
Research underpinned teaching in each of the four teaching programmes. Teaching within
the BEd (Hons) Primary and Post-Primary programmes was informed by academic staff
engaging in research activities. The BEd programme team, working with colleagues in
partner institutions, were engaged in a range of research activities at both national and
international levels. Students were nurtured as future researchers and encouraged to engage
in research. This was especially so in the case of modules in the fourth year that required the
students to undertake research, (e.g. Capstone project) on a relevant educational issue, with
guidance from supervisors. Academic staff shared their own research experience with their
students and contributed to debate in seminars. Topics related to the school curriculum, as
well as pedagogy, assessment and learning, featured in research seminars.
The student learning experience was underpinned by research-informed pedagogical
practices in the BA (Hons) Liberal Arts programme. Academic staff engaged in research and
presented their research at national and international conferences on a regular basis. They
have secured external grants for research projects and have published their research in peer-
reviewed academic journals and in books with leading publishers.
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Original research by academic staff enhanced the student experience on the Irish-medium
PGCE programme. Teaching was informed by current research, with academic staff covering
many educational and linguistic areas. Students consulted publications by academic staff and
had the opportunity to question them about their work. Students were encouraged to attend
an annual conference for Irish-medium practitioners to engage with teachers and other
specialists, keeping abreast of recent research and its implications for classroom practice.
The Masters-Level programme embedded a culture of self-evaluation among its students
and engaged them in critical reflection when carrying out their research. The academic staff
supported students as they developed skills relating to research methodology, research
ethics, data analysis and report writing. The research experience and skills of academic staff
informed their teaching and they maintained regular contact with Masters-Level students
during work on their research-based dissertations. Masters-Level students were encouraged
to present their research at lunchtime research seminars.
The most important element of reinforcing the research environment in St Mary’s during the
2014-2015 academic year was the creation of the five Research Centres/Groups. Following
on from the research-related event in September 2014, the first action was for each
centre/group to have a formal meeting, where directors/leaders would be nominated and
assigned to their role and for members to produce relevant information for the St Mary’s
website. This information contained an agreed title for the centre/group, its purpose, its
activities (in terms of research impact, public engagement and educational activities), its
membership and its research themes. Some centres/groups met on a regular basis, whilst
others adopted a more ad hoc approach to communication among members. Towards the
end of the 2014-2015 academic year, each director/leader was asked by the Senior Tutor
(Development) to submit a progress report to the Research Committee. These reports
focused on issues such as group identity, outputs, areas of expertise, impact, etc.
The research environment was enhanced also during the 2014-2015 academic year by two
specific research-related events held in St Mary’s. The first was organised by Martin Hagan
and his colleagues in April 2015 and was the first undergraduate student teacher research
conference in St Mary’s. It operated under the theme of ‘New Approaches To Professional
Learning In Initial Teacher Education’. The conference included a keynote address by Dr
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Alison Jackson from the University of Cumbria and a presentation from Megan Turner, a
recent winner of the undergraduate awards for best teacher education submission in 2013-
2014, based on her BEd4 Capstone project. Sessions outlining the various Capstone projects
were presented by final year students of initial teacher education. These were attended by
their peers in third and fourth year, alongside academic staff and invited guests. The
conference concluded with a presentation by a representative from the Irish National
Teachers’ Organisation to Michaela Mulholland who was the St Mary’s 2015 Capstone prize
winner. The second event was organised and delivered by the Chair of the Research Ethics
Committee (Dr Birgit Schippers), in collaboration with the Research Office. It took place in
May 2015 under the theme of ‘Preparing For A Research Ethics Review’ and all academic staff
were invited. The purpose of this important opportunity for the community of researchers
was to demystify the process of ethical review by reminding them about the requirements of
a research ethics review. The focus was on ensuring the community of researchers revisited
the ethics review process. This involved the facilitators providing examples of good practice
and identifying key issues involved in the supervision of student research.
Research Excellence Framework (REF)
The results of the submission to the REF 2014 by St Mary’s, for the Politics and International
Studies unit of assessment, were revealed during the 2014-2015 academic year in December
2014. Overall, twenty percent of the quality profile was recognised internationally in terms of
originality, significance and rigour by the main panel, with a larger percentage recognised
nationally in terms of originality, significance and rigour. Those members of academic staff
included in the submission offered four of their research publications for review by the main
panel, along with two case studies indicating the impact of their research and an account of
the research environment that exists within St Mary’s.
Research impact provides an outline of how research has an effect on, change or benefit to
the economy, society, culture, public policy or services, health, the environment or quality of
life, beyond academia. In relation to St Mary’s, one of the impact case studies outlined how a
member of academic staff was commissioned to work as an adviser for members of the
Polish parliament and senators going into the Polish presidency of the European Union
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Council in July 2011. The other impact case study was based on a project that was
recognised by the European Commission as highly successful and as producing materials
that are a valuable addition to the stock of resources available to European teachers on an
issue of ever-increasing relevance. This was evidenced most recently by the federal state of
Saarland, Germany which included the project’s toolkit in its compulsory syllabi list of
teaching material for social studies subjects in post-primary education.
The results of the quality of research in Politics and International Studies at St Mary’s is a
strong indicator that the community of researchers who work within this particular area are
striving to develop their research capacity at both national and international levels.
Research Focus and Dissemination
Academic staff’s research output/activity during the 2014-2015 academic year is referred to
at the end of this annual research report and is based on academic staff’s completed
research audit forms as well as additional information held by the Research Office. The
section that follows categorises research output/activity under the five Research
Centres/Groups to which academic staff belong. It provides more information on the
output/activity to enable the reader to grasp an understanding of the research specialisms
that exist among the community of researchers in St Mary’s.
Centre for Global Justice
The Centre for Global Justice is an interdisciplinary forum for research, public dialogue and
education on global justice issues. It explores fundamental questions facing us as scholars,
citizens and policy-makers, principally aimed at the following concerns - How can we make
sense of justice in a global world? How do we understand global issues pertaining to
collective life in areas such as culture, economics, education and politics? How do we
advance a global justice agenda? During the 2014-2015 academic year, members of the
Centre for Global Justice produced research output in the shape of six book chapters, seven
book reviews, five conference papers, one co-edited book, two journal articles, one project
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that received an external award and four other types of research output. Some examples of
these follow.
One of the book chapters was written by Dr Angela Vaupel, which focused on Lion
Feuchtwanger. The chapter aimed at exploring the possible legacy of Lion Feuchtwanger’s
life and oeuvre in Europe since the new millennium, with particular reference to regions that
had specific links to the exile community of 1933-1945. By using Feuchtwanger as an
example, the chapter focused on the reception and possible impact of exile literature as
represented in European cultural media, educational syllabi and study material, in order to
contribute to a critical overview of recent relevant publications as well as to emphasise the
educational potential of Feuchtwanger’s oeuvre in the development of intercultural
competence. Angela suggested that Lion Feuchtwanger’s oeuvre and other works by fellow
émigré authors of the period 1933-1945 (and beyond) were true examples of a particularly
European experience of life in the 1930s and 1940s. This was a period when political conflict
and racist persecution forced artists, writers, journalists, academics, political dissidents and
many ‘ordinary’ people to leave their homelands and experience life in exile. Next to the
promotion of democratic values, many works of these exiles added to the transfer of cultural
knowledge. Consequently, Angela argued these works contributed to their audience’s
development of cultural awareness, which has become a principal issue in today’s discourse
of intercultural development and its focus on cross-cultural learning and teaching in ever
more diverse global societies.
A second book chapter, written by Dr Birgit Schippers, focused on Judith Butler. The chapter
was about the American philosopher who is one of the most influential scholars working in
the field of contemporary critical theory. Best known for her contributions to gender theory
and feminism, specifically for her account of gender as performative, Birgit referred to
Butler’s recent writings on international theory and global ethics, her critique of U.S. foreign
policy in the wake of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and her interest in the conflict in
Israel–Palestine. All of which have broadened her oeuvre and have made her work of interest
to a wider public, beyond academia.
Dr Birgit Schippers produced another book chapter during the 2014-2015 academic year,
which concentrated on ethical feeling and response towards violence. The chapter
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considered Butler’s treatment of affect and its import for understanding ethical responses to
violence and war. Building on what she calls Butler’s affective conception of ethics, Birgit
argued that Butler’s emphasis on the visceral dimensions of political life makes an important
contribution to a still neglected topic in the fields of global ethics and international political
theory. However, despite the explanatory force and normative ambition of Butler’s rendering
of the relationship between affect and ethics, her account lacks normative plausibility. Birgit
went on to claim that while Butler tells why we should respond ethically towards others, she
cannot tell why we should feel ethically disposed towards others. This connection between
ethical obligation and ethical feeling, or affect, is not finally resolved in her work.
Another member of the Centre for Global Justice, Dr Peter Collins, wrote two book chapters
during the 2014-2015 academic year. The first was on the Dublin lockout as seen from
Belfast and the second was on British labour and developments in Ireland in the immediate
post-war years. Both are due soon for publication. Dr Gerard McCann produced another
book chapter from the Centre for Global Justice. The chapter focused on the changing
attitudes to global learning from the perspective of the institutions of the European Union.
Dr Birgit Schippers was productive during the 2014-2015 academic year in presenting
conference papers, the first of which was at the International Studies Association Annual
Convention in New Orleans. In her paper, Birgit explored the question of how liveability and
grievability, framed through ethnic or gendered lenses, are distributed unequally in global
contexts. By developing an intertextual reading of Arendt’s phenomenology of appearance
and Butler’s notion of performativity, Birgit planned to delineate liveability and grievability’s
contribution towards a global theory and politics of embodiment. Her key argument
championed the significance of performative interpretations of corporeal politics, as she
suggested these constitute important critical resources to challenge the unequal framing of
bodies in global politics.
Birgit presented a second paper at the International Studies Association Annual Convention
which examined the role of international studies, specifically the role of the subject
curriculum, in the widening participation agenda. Birgit referred to widening participation
being a buzzword in higher education policies in the United Kingdom and elsewhere for
some time. Its key ambition, to broaden access to opportunities in higher education, has led
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to an expansion in university provision and access to higher education programmes, but
there is some debate regarding its effectiveness in addressing social mobility and tackling
social inequality. While there has been some interest in engaging minority students within
the discipline, Birgit suggested that not enough attention has been given to the class divide
in the international studies classroom. Based on a small-scale empirical study conducted on a
widening participation programme, Birgit’s paper asked how students from non-traditional
backgrounds engage with international studies and what role the discipline plays in the
social stratification in higher education. Birgit tentatively suggested that such stratification is
anchored in the social capital that prospective students bring to the international studies
classroom and she intended to explore pedagogic strategies that may challenge or even
reverse such a divide.
Another conference paper on a posthumanist conception of human rights by Birgit was
presented at the British International Studies Association Annual Conference. Also a paper by
Birgit on human rights was accepted for the MANCEPT Workshops in Political Theory. Dr
Gerard McCann presented at a conference during the 2014-2015 academic year. Gerard’s
paper was on the expansion of development education as a means of exploring key issues in
international development, which was presented at the International Week Conference in
Krosno, Poland.
Two journal articles were published during the 2014-2015 academic year in two different
research journals, both written by Dr Gerard McCann. In a summary of the first article, Gerard
(and his co-author Dr Paul Hainsworth) outlined that the 2014 European election in Northern
Ireland, while containing a greater field of candidates than ever before, returned the three
sitting Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) without too much disruption to the
status quo. Sinn Féin (SF) topped the poll with their candidate Martina Anderson increasing
the party’s vote and the Democratic Unionist Party’s Diane Dodds came in second with a
comfortable margin over the third successful candidate, the Ulster Unionist Party’s Jim
Nicholson. Following up the three MEPs with challenging performances were the Social
Democratic and Labour Party’s Alex Attwood and the Traditional Unionist Voice leader Jim
Allister. Anderson was new to the European elections and regained the seat for SF with ease,
being the only candidate to pass the quota on the first count. The tussle between Nicholson,
Attwood and Allister turned out to be more competitive for the third seat with only 7,000
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first preference votes separating the three. In the end, it was a result that was largely
expected. Drawing upon party political manifestos and leaflets, media coverage and other
relevant sources, the article assessed the campaign, outcome and consequences of the 2014
European election in Northern Ireland.
The second journal article by Gerard was based both on a research seminar he delivered in
the College and his corresponding book - Ireland’s Economic History. The article assessed
the extent to which the Irish economy was affected by the Great Depression and how the
respective Cumann na nGaedheal and Fianna Fáil governments managed this period in Irish
economic history. It connected this also to partition itself, ideological bias, the depression in
the North and how both governments struggled to address the implications of global
economic meltdown.
Members of the Centre for Global Justice produced seven book review articles, four of which
were written by Dr Angela Vaupel. One was published in the Canadian Journal of Irish
Studies, with the other three featuring in the Journal of Contemporary European Studies. Dr
Peter Collins wrote two book review articles which appeared in the journals Familia and
Saothar. The other review article was produced by Dr Gerard McCann which was published in
the Socialist History Journal.
Other types of research output and activity, during the 2014-2015 academic year by
members of the Centre for Global Justice, included work by Dr Peter Collins who delivered
talks on Labour history as well as the Ulster History Circle. In addition, Peter delivered the
keynote speech at the launch of The Diary of Fr Daniel O’Loan – A View From Maynooth. Dr
Angela Vaupel produced a working paper (co-authored with Dr Tracey McKay) which was
based on a critically commented selection of relevant academic publications on the subject
of border and memory studies with a particular focus on Northern Ireland. Dr Birgit
Schippers received news during the 2014-2015 academic year of a research grant from the
Northern Ireland Community Relations Council to work on a project that involved organising
and hosting two public lectures as part of the 2014 Northern Ireland Human Rights Festival.
The lectures were delivered by Professor Noel Sharkey (University of Sheffield), a leading
authority in robotics and artificial intelligence, and Professor Louise Mallinder (Ulster
University), an expert in transitional justice and amnesty laws. They received coverage in the
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local and national media, including BBC Radio Ulster, the Irish News and the Irish Times. An
interview was also conducted with Professor Sharkey for NVTV, a local TV station, for its
website.
There was also the publication of the third edition of a book on global development co-
edited by Dr Gerard McCann, to which he contributed two chapters. The book highlighted
the extent to which the local and global are interconnected in today’s globalised economy
and questioned the legitimacy of the neoliberal model of development which propelled us
into the crisis. This completely revised third edition took stock of the international
development environment as it embarked on new policy frameworks to confront new
challenges. The book offered an indispensable introduction to key development issues such
as aid, debt, trade, migration, security, gender in development and climate change.
Centre for Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment
The purpose of the Centre for Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment is to bring better
understanding to the increasing complexity and challenges of teaching and learning at all
levels from early years through to higher education. The aim is to promote a rich and
rewarding intellectual environment in which staff, students and partners feel motivated and
supported to develop their ideas and advance their thinking and practice. Members are
engaged with different aspects of educational practice at local, national and international
levels. The research generated from the centre is aimed at making a valid contribution
towards practice, policy and theory. During the 2014-2015 academic year, members of the
Centre for Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment produced research output in the shape of
twenty-one conference papers, four journal articles, two book chapters, one research report,
one authored book and six other types of research output. There was also the launch of
three projects which received external awards. Some examples of these follow.
Two conference papers by Dr Brian Hanratty were published in the corresponding
conference proceedings during the 2014-2015 academic year. The first paper featured in the
Reading Association of Ireland conference proceedings and was an exploration of how
teaching selected Heaney poems can contribute to conflict resolution in Northern Ireland’s
schools. The second paper was published in the Teacher Education for Equity and
15
Sustainability Network conference proceedings and it focused on the aims and objectives of
the literature of the troubles project, with particular emphasis of its potential to contribute to
citizenship awareness. Brian continued his research on the literature of the troubles project
and presented a paper at the Educational Studies Association of Ireland Conference focusing
on its philosophy, methodology and outcomes.
Brian worked on another conference paper for presentation at the Literacy Association of
Ireland International Conference. The research paper had twin objectives. Firstly, it explored a
representative selection of the fascinating range or portraits of teachers to be found in
twentieth-century Irish fiction and autobiography. Secondly, it examined the varieties of the
models of teaching and pedagogy which are embedded in these portraits. Brian suggested
that while the paper was not exclusively pedagogical in its focus, it had significant
implications for pedagogical methodology. The range of books selected for Brian’s
evaluation was quite broad, though, given the authoritarian and priest-ridden structure of
education in Ireland for much of the twentieth-century and given, also, the counter-cultural
instincts of most writers, many of the portraits of teachers were quite dark. However, Brian
argued that there were also quite a few sympathetic and friendly portraits at the more
benign end of the spectrum. He suggested that the pedagogical message in these latter
portraits still have important resonances for contemporary teachers, not least for those for
whom effective teaching of literacy is a primary concern.
Four conference papers produced by Donna Hazzard and her colleagues from three other
institutions specialising in initial teacher education were presented at or accepted for
research conferences during the 2014-2015 academic year. These papers focused on dyslexia
provision for pupils in schools and featured at the Irish Association of Teachers in Special
Education Conference, the United Kingdom Literacy Association Conference, the Dyslexia
Association of Ireland Conference and the Literacy Association of Ireland Conference.
There were also five papers presented at various conferences by Dr Matthew Martin during
the 2014-2015 academic year. Two of these papers focused on research lesson study as a
model for professional development. They were delivered at the Belfast TeachMeet
Conference as well as at the NSPCC Colloquium of Teacher Professional Development
Relating to Child Abuse. The other three conference papers focused on engaged learning,
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research methods and the writing process. One of them informed Matthew’s keynote
address at a conference on the Research-Teaching Nexus, while another was co-presented
with Martin Hagan at a Student Research Conference and outlined the challenges and
successes of a student research project initiative in St Mary’s.
Another conference paper was presented by Orla Nugent at the Teacher Education
Advancement Network Annual Conference. The paper focused on research carried out by
Orla which aimed to assess the impact of a short period of school exposure for students in a
new key phase within a programme of initial teacher education and to analyse the impact
upon student learning. The paper highlighted the value of such initiatives in developing both
students and staff as more reflective practitioners.
Frank Hennessey attended this very same conference to present research which outlined the
process of developing a coherent institutional policy framework to support entrepreneurship
education within initial teacher education. The presentation described the change
management process by which entrepreneurship education was embedded and addressed
the developmental stage including its concerted focus upon capacity building.
Teresa Cash had a conference paper accepted for the Literacy Association of Ireland
Conference. This joint paper, with Catherine Gilliland, investigated how historical skills and
concepts can be developed through the use of historical fiction in a key stage 2 classroom. It
focused on awareness raising of key historical children’s literature and how its potential can
be fully exploited for the development of children’s knowledge, skills, vocabulary and
empathy.
Catherine Gilliland gave a presentation at the Reading Association of Ireland International
Conference in the form of a workshop. In her presentation Catherine explored the role that
story has in the development of children’s understanding of their world and how central it is
to the enhancement of tier three vocabulary. Catherine suggested that a child with a wide
repertoire of vocabulary across a range of subject areas is at a major literacy advantage. She
went on to say that if children do not hear and engage with high quality texts rich in
language, they are immediately disadvantaged in their linguistic development. The
importance of educators using enhanced vocabulary in their teaching was both emphasised
and exemplified during the presentation. There was an emphasis on children’s understanding
17
of narrative as key to their confidence and performance in story writing which is undeniably
linked to vocabulary and a sense of story. The importance of the use of story organisers was
explored in this context. In addition, two conference papers produced by Catherine were
presented at or accepted for research conferences during the 2014-2015 academic year.
These conferences included the United Kingdom Literacy Association International
Conference and the British Educational Research Association Annual Conference.
Martin Hagan presented a conference paper at the European Educational Research
Association Annual Conference on the governance of teacher education, which is currently
under review for the corresponding research journal. In a summary of the paper Martin
referred to the idea that before the late 1990s, the governance of teacher education in
Northern Ireland was broadly in line with that in other parts of the United Kingdom.
Divergence began when the joint strands of neo-liberalism and neo-conservatism
increasingly began to characterise policy in England and Wales. This agenda promoted the
use of competence-based approaches aimed at defining teaching ability and changed the
discourse from teacher education to one of teacher training. In 2005, the General Teaching
Council for Northern Ireland reviewed the existing teacher competences model in Northern
Ireland and produced a document in 2007, known as Teaching: The Reflective Profession.
Central to this document was the concept of teaching as a values-based profession
underpinned by continuous professional learning and development. Martin’s research
examined the extent to which the General Teaching Council for Northern Ireland’s
competence framework offers a mode of professional governance which promotes critically
reflective practitioners and rejects technical-rational approaches to teacher learning. It
identified also a range of contextual, political and ideological factors which mitigate teacher
education in Northern Ireland to develop on the basis of trust in order to build a world-class
system of teacher education focusing on relationships with diverse communities.
In addition, Martin presented a second paper, co-authored with Deirdre Cree, at the Teacher
Education Advancement Network Annual Conference. The paper outlined the development
of a research capacity-building initiative (Capstone project) within a programme of initial
teacher education and analysed the impact upon student learning. It highlighted the value of
such initiatives in developing research-literate teachers who have the potential to contribute
to self-improving education systems.
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Journal articles were written by members of the Centre for Curriculum, Pedagogy and
Assessment. One was by Dr Elaine McLaughlin which was revised following a provisional
acceptance. The article focused on research to ascertain if there is any correlation between
physical fitness and academic attainment. Another journal article was co-written by Dr
Geraldine Magennis and her Masters-Level student. The research explored the motivations
and attitudes of Year 3 children within a case study school in relation to reading for pleasure.
Pupils completed a reading attitudinal questionnaire, with some chosen to participate further
in the study. Pupils’ voice was sought through artwork, journal writing and focus group
interviews. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the sub-sample’s parents while
the researcher maintained a reflective journal. Children’s perceptions about the nature and
purpose of reading ranged from a mechanistic, product-driven endeavour to a holistic,
process-based experience. Their desire to read voluntarily was dependent upon taken for
granted factors such as classroom environment, materials, the teacher’s choice of
instructional approaches and parents’ opinions. Consequently, these influenced their
identities as readers/non-readers. It was unearthed that the pupils wanted more autonomy in
selecting classroom literature and in how and where it might be used. It was concluded that
by creating ‘communities of readers’, the school has the capacity to challenge hindering
assumptions accumulated over time and through established practices. It was anticipated
that this would help foster more pleasurable reading experiences which are embedded
within an explicit and tangibly supportive ethos with a view to generating more enthused,
young readers. In addition, Martin Hagan had a journal article accepted for future
publication on the importance of ethos for learning and teaching in a Catholic college.
Dr Geraldine Magennis co-wrote also a chapter for a book during the 2014-2015 academic
year with a colleague. It focused on the relatively recent history of the shaping of teacher
education within Northern Ireland. It explored the various pressures and impasses that have
and continue to occur in regards to where we currently are in teacher education policy as a
province.
Another piece was written by Dr Matthew Martin which appeared in a book dealing with
professional development. In the context of reduced funding for teacher professional
development and increasing demands for relevance and effectiveness, Matthew’s
contribution to the latest book on personalised professional development outlined the
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increasing influence of ‘TeachMeets’ as a way forward and explained their history and key
dynamics.
Donna Hazzard was part of an all-Ireland research team which submitted its final research
report to the Standing Conference on Teacher Education North and South (SCoTENS) during
the 2014-2015 academic year. Donna and her colleagues produced the research output
following extensive research carried out since 2013. The research sought to clarify present
policy in the area of dyslexia support, North and South, and to identify strategic policy which
informs good practice. Its aim was to consult with original members of the Northern Ireland
Task Group on Dyslexia, the Republic of Ireland Task Force on Dyslexia and key stakeholders
in the area of dyslexia support, to ascertain their views on support provision for pupils with
dyslexia, twelve years on.
The official launch of a European Union (EU) Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership Framework
project took place at the beginning of the 2014-2015 academic year having received an
external award during the previous year. The project will have a significant research element
and will run over three years undergoing regular EU scrutiny procedures throughout its
lifetime. Dr Tracey McKay and Dr Angela Vaupel will collaborate on the project with fifteen
academics from PH Freiburg, University of Lyon, Mälardelen University, University of
Ljubljana, University of Tartu and the European Academy Otzenhausen. It will aim to increase
the awareness of borders as a multifaceted construct with physical, social, linguistic, ethnic,
religious, age and gender implications. In this context, the project’s novel approach will
consist of the inclusion of aspects of memory studies, e.g., the inclusion of life stories and
representations within national film and literature, to the subject of border education. The
project will explore and promote the idea that borders need to be studied not only from a
top-down perspective but also from the bottom up with a focus on the individual border
narratives and spatial experiences that reflect the ways in which borders impact on notions of
otherness and the daily life practices of people living in and around the ‘borderlands’. The
initial research phase will target mainly students of initial teacher education and one of the
envisaged key outputs (in addition to peer reviewed research publications) will be a Masters-
Level module on border/memory education for inclusion in existing initial teacher education
frameworks. Therefore, it will be about opportunities for young EU citizens to experience
meaningful dialogue about ‘othering’ and to see mutual understanding as a basis on which
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to shape and build a more socially just, inclusive and successfully functioning European
society.
Another externally funded research project started during the 2014-2015 academic year, with
the award coming from the Standing Conference on Teacher Education North and South
(SCoTENS). Ciaran Walsh will represent St Mary’s as a partner in the project, along with
colleagues from Mary Immaculate College Limerick, Ulster University and the University of
Limerick. The purpose of the research project will be to examine the professional learning
experiences of individual teacher educators, within a community of learners, related to the
area of communication. It will plan to determine how this professional learning influences
their pedagogical practices with pre-service teachers. The research will last two years and will
combine collaborative self-study methodology alongside photo elicitation visual
methodologies.
A third project received research funding from the European Union Erasmus+ Strategic
Partnership Framework during the 2014-2015 academic year. One of the partners will be Dr
Matthew Martin and the project will involve working with teachers to establish the most
effective methods of using ICT in the classroom to improve learning and skills while
connecting pupils and institutions internationally in a way to improve European awareness.
Dr Louise Long co-authored a book which was published during the 2014-2015 academic
year. The book focused on raising standards in literacy for children with dyslexia by putting
them at the centre of everything practitioners do, by focusing on well-being, and by
recognising the role that adults have to play in ensuring all children reach their potential.
Louise contributed two chapters on her own, alongside two other chapters written with
colleagues. The book has been received positively within the academic community and has
been described as a very valuable resource, with the child being central to the authors’
thinking. By concentrating on children in primary schools and early years settings, the book
looked at early intervention, pupil voice, working as a team, new literacies, challenges for the
inclusive school, and child-centred identification, assessment as well as provision.
There were other kinds of research activity and output produced by members of the Centre
for Curriculum, Pedagogy and Assessment during the 2014-2015 academic year. These
included work by Dr Matthew Martin who contributed a section to a compendium of
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effective practice in directed independent learning. The piece Matthew wrote referred to a
project designed to help students navigate the transition from their A-Level studies to the
greater independence demanded of them while studying English at university. From his
research, Matthew found that independent reading constitutes the central challenge for
students in the first year English module in St Mary’s. He began work in the spring of 2013 to
‘flip’ the classroom and no longer relied on live lectures to model the reading skills which
students needed to acquire. Instead, lectures were delivered online in two formats (video and
automated PowerPoint) while classes were dedicated to developing confidence and critical
reading skills in large and small group work and discussions. This arrangement gave students
a more manageable ‘ladder’ to climb as they tried to come to terms with some very
demanding classical, medieval and renaissance literary texts. A review of results and student
satisfaction levels demonstrated the effectiveness of this method on several fronts.
Matthew contributed also a component to an online tool-kit as part of his research activity.
This tool-kit was to help lecturers and teachers advance their use of blended learning
methodologies. Matthew’s video and accompanying materials reviewed the history of his
blended-learning project within St Mary’s and outlined the paths which were least effective
(and hence ultimately rejected) and those which produced the best results for learning and
time-efficiencies for both teachers and students. He organised also a conference in St Mary’s
for teachers who presented case studies of methodologies which they employed in the
classroom.
Catherine Gilliland wrote an article which appeared in the Literacy Association of Ireland’s
Literacy News. The article referred to research that motivated Catherine to further immerse
her students of initial teacher education in the world of story and to develop their ability to
use literary texts to stimulate thinking, engagement and discussion. As a result of this,
Catherine concluded that it was paramount that teachers are trained and retrained to
appreciate the value in daily immersion with rhyme, rhythm and repetition as best case
literacy provision. Catherine believed that making this teaching as visual as possible will
ensure the five pillars of reading instruction are met simultaneously within a real book
environment. In addition, Catherine prepared her keynote address for the Literacy
Association of Ireland’s International Conference.
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Irish-medium Research Centre
The mission of the Irish-medium Research Centre is to engage in enquiry-led scholarship in
the area of Irish-medium education. The centre engages in research informed teaching and
learning that enriches the student experience on academic programmes. The work of the
centre is fully aligned with the mission statement and ethos of St Mary’s. It supports the
strategic plan for research, in collaboration with other centres/groups. The Irish-medium
Research Centre contributes also to the wider Irish language community. During the 2014-
2015 academic year, members of the Irish-medium Research Centre produced research
output in the shape of five journal articles, six conference papers, two research reports, one
book chapter, one project that received an external award and five other types of research
output. Some examples of these follow.
Dr Seán Mac Corraidh produced five academic articles in a series of twelve for An tUltach
which analysed the linguist prowess of Donegal writer Seosamh Mac Grianna. The series
aimed to demonstrate his ability in terms of idiom, terminology and resourcefulness in
translating English language classics by authors, such as Joseph Conrad or Robert Louis
Stevenson, into Irish. It aimed also to revive some of that language which lies hidden in these
gems of literature.
One of the five conference papers delivered by members of the Irish-medium Research
Centre was written by Denise McKee. The paper examined research carried out as a
requirement of a doctoral module. It offered an insight into students’ opinions of their
competence of teaching through the medium of Irish during their school placement and
their opinions on their language development needs. The research was based on the
experiences of a group of students in St Mary’s while on school placement in Irish-medium
primary schools in the North of Ireland. The problems and challenges encountered by the
students were explored through an on-line forum which was established during their school
experience. Grounded theory was used to analyse the data and the key themes arising from
the investigation were the use of grammar, the use of English in the class, specific subject
related terminology and immersion education. It was delivered at the First All-Ireland
Research Conference on Immersion Education.
23
Dr Eibhlín Mhic Aoidh delivered a paper at this very same conference. The paper reported on
doctoral research on assessment in early years Irish-medium education. The assessment
practices were investigated in one third of Irish-medium schools in the North of Ireland and
in four case study schools based on the narratives of teachers, classroom assistants, pupils
and principals. Dr Seán Mac Corraidh presented at this conference too, with his research
focusing on the professional knowledge and skills a teacher needs to apply a phonics
approach in the Irish language.
Dr Gabrielle Nig Uidhir delivered a conference paper also at the First All-Ireland Research
Conference on Immersion Education based on a research project funded by the North-South
Standing Committee on Irish-medium Education. This coincided with another conference
paper presented at the Comhairle na Gaelscolaíochta Annual Conference. A third conference
paper was presented by Gabrielle at the Gaelscoileanna Annual Conference during the 2014-
2015 academic year.
Dr Eibhlín Mhic Aoidh co-wrote a research report for the Department of Education Northern
Ireland which funded a research project that focused on pre-school Irish-medium education.
A research team was appointed to undertake the research to identify which core
components in Irish-medium pre-schools lead to optimum readiness for transition to
foundation stage in Irish-medium primary schools. It undertook also to identify the extent to
which these components are present in Irish-medium pre-schools in the statutory and
voluntary sector in the North of Ireland. The research included a literature review of policy
and practice in respect of early years second language acquisition in the context of minority
language immersion in a variety of settings, including internationally. The research identified,
examined and commented on the set or expected learning outcomes, the criteria used to
establish these outcomes and the methods used to assess the degree to which the desired
outcomes are being achieved in Irish-medium pre-schools. Sampling included a range of
statutory and voluntary Irish-medium pre-school settings in the North of Ireland to identify
the relevant characteristics of these and the practices and methodology used to contribute
to Irish language acquisition.
Another research report was produced by Dr Gabrielle Nig Uidhir and colleagues during the
2014-2015 academic year. It outlined research on the provision of Irish-medium education in
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primary schools and post-primary schools in Ireland with a focus on the diverse models that
existed. It was an end of project report for An Coiste Seasta Thuaidh Theas ar
Ghaeloideachas, which funded the project.
A book chapter was produced by a member of the Irish-medium Research Centre. Dr Seán
Mac Corraidh wrote the chapter based on the linguistic features of the Irish language as
spoken by the Donegal poet and songwriter Seán Bán Mac Grianna from Rann na Feirste in
the Rosses. It aimed to show aspects of the grammar, syntax and phonology of his speech.
Dr Gabrielle Nig Uidhir and two colleagues from St Angela’s College Sligo were successful
during the 2014-2015 academic year in securing seed funding from the Standing Conference
on Teacher Education North and South. They will carry out research to investigate how
mainstream teachers meet the needs of children with special educational needs in multi-
grade classrooms. Current educational legislation and policy support the inclusion of
children with special educational needs in mainstream schools. At present, the policy in both
the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland facilitates schools to be flexible in designing
inclusive responses for children with special educational needs. However, despite the support
in place in mainstream schools, teachers indicate that the inclusion of children with special
educational needs is an issue which they find challenging, particularly in multi-grade
classrooms. Therefore, this research will identify good practice, as well as challenges with
regards to the inclusion of children with special educational needs in mainstream, multi-
grade classrooms in primary schools. The objectives will identify examples of good practice
with regards to the inclusion of children with special educational needs in multi-grade
classrooms, will identify the challenges that teachers encounter when teaching children with
special educational needs in multi-grade classrooms, and will establish how teachers address
these challenges.
Other research output and activity by members of the Irish-medium Research Centre
included a research proposal for a doctoral dissertation by Denise McKee. The proposed
research will aim to examine the experiences and perspectives of year 8 pupils who have
transferred from an Irish-medium primary to an Irish-medium stream in an English-medium
‘host’ post-primary. The more specific aims relating to experiences and perceptions of this
group of young people will be to explore their: experiences of Irish-medium provision in a
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‘host’ English-medium post-primary; perceptions of the development of their Irish language
competence within the context of an Irish-medium stream in a ‘host’ English-medium post-
primary where a minimum of fifty percent of subjects are taught through the medium of
Irish; experiences and perceptions of learning in an Irish-medium or English-medium subject
class and the challenges experienced in relation to performance in subjects which are taught
through the medium of Irish or English; perceptions of how their bilingual/Irish language
identity is accommodated within the ‘host’ English-medium post-primary; and opinions on
how they would like to see the Irish-medium stream develop in the future.
Another member of the Irish-medium Research Centre, Padaí de Bléine, produced another
type of research output during the 2014-2015 academic year in the form of an Irish
translation for key stage 2 and 3 pupils in Irish-medium schools. Dr Seán Mac Corraidh was
invited to be the keynote speaker at Tionól Teagaisc 2014, where he spoke about phonetics,
pronunciation and the teaching of Irish. In addition, Dr Gabrielle Nig Uidhir produced two
other types of research output during the 2014-2015 academic year. The first was a
collaborative article that examined the influence of schools on pupils’ engagement with the
Irish language and on their attitudes towards the active use of Irish. The second was a
conference proceedings paper outlining research that analysed the views of leaders in Irish-
medium schools on the effectiveness of various models of school.
Research Group for Catholic Education
The Research Group for Catholic Education encourages and supports research by members
and associates of St Mary’s in the field of Catholic education. Examples of research include:
the history and culture of Catholic schools; issues of ethos, curricula, leadership and
'effectiveness' of Catholic education nationally and internationally; and issues relating to
social justice, ecumenism and inter-faith dialogue. The group has a particular focus on issues
relating to Catholic education in Ireland. During the 2014-2015 academic year, members of
the Research Group for Catholic Education produced research output in the shape of four
book chapters, three conference papers, two journal articles, one edited book, one research
report and two other types of research output. Some examples of these follow.
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The first book chapter was written by Rev Dr Edward McGee and focused on participation in
the Liturgy. The second chapter was produced by Rev Dr Paul Fleming which presented an
overview of church teaching on Our Lady and her role in popular devotion today. The third
chapter was written by Sharon Haughey and looked at some of the ways in which Catholic
schools live out their vocation/ethos. The fourth chapter was produced by Rev Feidhlimidh
Magennis and covered the sacramentality of the Word. These chapters and others, written by
members of academic staff in St Mary’s, are due to feature in a book that reflects on fifty
years of Vatican II in Ireland.
Two conference papers were produced by Rev Dr Edward McGee for presentation during the
2014-2015 academic year. The first research paper was featured at a Workshop on Science
and Religion, where Edward’s paper focused on science and religion in the classroom. His
presentation began by reviewing how science and religion are currently integrated within the
post-primary school curriculum in Northern Ireland. Through an analysis of ‘value systems’,
the research explored how interface and boundary issues between these fields of study
provided a context and foundation for understanding emergent ethical and epistemological
tensions both for teachers of science and religion and for the wider public. It examined how
the theories of education according to Piaget and Vygotsky contributed to comprehending
and resolving such tensions in the classroom and signposted pedagogical strategies which
might facilitate greater integration between science and religion in the future.
The second conference paper by Rev Dr Edward McGee was presented at the Annual
Theological Lectures 2015. In a special event to mark the sixtieth anniversary of the
chaplaincy centre at the Queen’s University Belfast, the Theological Lectures brought
together leaders from the four main denominations to discuss the mission of the Church in
Northern Ireland in 2015, and particularly the opportunities and obstacles facing it.
In addition, Seán Mac Labhraí gave a presentation at Éigse Loch Lao Annual Conference held
at the Ulster University under the theme of the literature of Oriel. Seán wrote also an online
research article for ‘Ainm.ie’ and was a guest speaker at a launch of a collection of Gaelic
manuscripts.
A journal article was produced by Dr Madeleine Lombard who is a member of the Research
Group for Catholic Education. In the article Madeleine explored the concept of holistic
27
education in a range of contexts and argued for the kind of connectedness, meaning and
coherence which it promotes. It examined the concept in its historical and educational
contexts and proposed that, whether holistic education is secular or faith-based, whether it is
founded on pedagogic or spiritual principles, its very identity and sense of individual and
collective self depends on the articulation of a clearly defined and lucid sense of purpose.
The article proposed that there is no neutral zone in education - that in every educational
context a core set of values, however differently defined, provides a central axis around
which educational policies and practices rotate. Neutrality, in other words, is an impossibility
in the field of education. Holistic education in the context of Catholic education was
examined alongside the work and theories of a range of educationalists, and it was argued
that in this context too a particular philosophical and theological view provides the
foundation, cause and rationale of its work. Intrinsic to this work was the imperative to both
exist within the dominant ideology and to unmask and challenge some of its assumptions.
The recent challenge to the existence of St Mary’s was considered in the light of these
assumptions, and it was argued that educational development based on either fiscal or
political arguments will not suffice if the kind of critical consciousness which holistic
education promotes is to be realised.
Another journal article was written by Rev Dr Niall Coll which focused on St Columbanus.
Niall worked also on editing a book during the 2014-2015 academic year. The year 2015 sees
the fiftieth anniversary of the closing of the Second Vatican Council and to mark this
occasion Niall and various colleagues set about creating a volume of essays exploring the
scope, impact and future implementation of the Council with special reference to Ireland,
North and South. The book covered such areas as education, human rights, social justice,
liturgy, society and theology.
In addition, as a member of a task group on evangelisation, Rev Dr Niall Coll contributed to a
recent report with other members for the Council for Pastoral Renewal and Adult Faith
Development. In the introduction to the publication, reference was made to its goals which
included the framework document on evangelisation supporting the work of bringing to life
in practice the vision of Share the Good News. It explored the implications of this vision
through the expertise, research and reflection of its members. It has been offered as a
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resource manual for all those involved in the variety of roles envisaged in Share the Good
News at every level throughout the Church.
STEAM Research Centre
Integrated STEAM education is defined as the interdisciplinary teaching and learning of
Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics (STEAM). The mission of the STEAM
Research Centre is to promote the synergy of these areas of learning in an educational
context, with the development of resources, concepts of pedagogical practice, reviews and
evaluations set within a research-informed and research-driven framework. The mission is
founded on the research team’s understanding of the need to enthuse and empower future
generations as effective innovators, contributing to the wider society and economy through
the study and application of STEAM education. During the 2014-2015 academic year,
members of the STEAM Research Centre produced research output in the shape of one
journal article, three conference papers, as well as one other type of research output and two
projects gaining research funding from external sources. Some examples of these follow.
The journal article was co-written by Dr John Prenter and investigated the assessment
strategies used by ‘Servaea incana’ jumping spiders to resolve male–male contests. To
examine the effects of body size on contest outcome and strategy, contests were staged
between size-unmatched and size-matched pairs. Contests escalated through distinct stages
that were of increasing intensity, and body size was a strong predictor of contest outcome.
To gain insight into assessment strategy, the researchers considered duration and escalation
as measures of cost accrual. Overall, the relations of body size to contest duration and
escalation suggested that the decision of whether to retreat during the early noncontact
contest phase was largely determined by size-associated internal cost thresholds. Body size
was not related to either duration or escalation in the contact phase of contests. The
researchers highlighted the need to consider appropriateness of proxies used for contest
costs and whether game-theoretical predictions for whole contests applied to stages within a
contest.
Dr John Prenter co-wrote also a similar paper that was presented at the Behaviour 2015
Conference. In it, he and his colleagues outlined research where they conducted a series of
29
experiments to examine the sources of information that influence decision-making during
male-male contests of the jumping spider ‘Servaea incana’.
A second member of the STEAM Research Centre, Deirdre Robson, presented a conference
paper at the International Journal of Art & Design Education Conference which focused on
an Esmée Fairbairn Foundation funded pilot project to explore interdisciplinary teaching and
learning of art and science with 11-14 year old pupils. It was inspired by the success of The
Leonardo Effect teaching methodology in primary schools, the existing art science
collaborations such as STEAM originating from Rhode Island School of Design, projects
including Catalytic Clothing by fashion designer Helen Storey and physical chemist Tony
Ryan, and an increasing prevalence of incubators for nurturing art science collaborations
such as David Edwards’ Le Laboratoire in Paris. The paper reported on the responses from
pupils and teachers to interdisciplinary art and science and the challenges for teachers and
school managers. It focused on whether it was beneficial for the teaching and learning of art
via a collaborative approach and whether there was a realistic future for collaborative
teaching in secondary education. Deirdre presented another conference paper at the British
Educational Research Association Annual Conference on a similar topic focusing on schools
facilitating art science collaborations.
Another member of the STEAM Research Centre, Kieran McGeown, produced another type
of research output during the 2014-2015 academic year. This was his doctoral dissertation
based on research carried out during the previous three years. The research investigated the
perceptions held by pupils, across four Northern Ireland based schools, towards routine
school-based practical work activities and project work in Technology and Design and also
that which had been contextualized within an industrial setting. The views of the heads of
departments of each school and four local industrialists were also considered in relation to
the practical work that had an industrial link.
Two projects, with research embedded in each, began during the course of the 2014-2015
academic year. The first project received funding from the European Union Erasmus+
Strategic Partnership Framework and among the many partners are Joe Hughes, John
Rafferty and Dr Catherine Quinn who will represent St Mary’s. The project will aim to
promote the integration of gender into STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and
30
Mathematics) education via an ambitious teacher development programme. The integration
of gender is a way to improve STEM education. Ultimately the goal is that teachers will be
willing to adapt and change their practice by taking gender into account in STEM education.
The project will aim also to foster quality improvements, innovation excellence and
internationalisation in teacher training of gender for STEM teachers, in particular through
enhanced transnational cooperation between schools, science centres, teacher training
organizations and policy makers. The main objective of this project will be to promote and
share good science education practices for gender balance through innovative teacher
training modules, involving not only teachers but also schools, teacher trainers, companies,
policy makers and other educational stakeholders.
The second project involved Dr Katrina Mulholland and Kieran McGeown who worked with
colleagues on a research project that received funding from Sentinus (a not for profit
educational charity). Their research entailed the formulation of instruments (a series of
applied Mathematics and Science problems) given to Year 7 children before and after use of
the ‘Microbot’ and ‘SMART’ technology. Albeit a pilot study, comparative data have been
obtained from a substantial number of pupils and will be analysed at item-level to determine
the statistical significance, if any, of the changes in the marks obtained. In collaboration with
colleagues, the researchers will investigate the possibility of a correlation between 'right-'
and 'left-brain' thinkers in their approach and ability to problem-solve. This will require the
collation of data obtained from the research instruments with the results of psychometric
testing undertaken at the outset of the project by the same group of pupils.
Conclusion
The community of researchers in St Mary’s has been proactive during the 2014-2015
academic year and is contributing to the advancement of a research culture and profile
comparable to many other small, specialist higher education institutions. Evidence has been
presented to show variety in research output and also unity in Research Centres/Groups. This
report shows also that research findings are disseminated effectively through conferences,
public lectures and seminars. The research produced by the community of researchers in St
Mary’s has the potential to impact upon the practice of relevant stakeholders, especially in
31
schools, as well as policy initiatives in government and non-government organisations. Much
of what is learned from academic staff’s research is used to inform lectures in the various
teaching programmes. This can influence and enhance the learning experiences of students
when they embark on their own practice of conducting research for their academic studies.
The research environment in St Mary’s is improving constantly and during the 2014-2015
academic year this was apparent by the work of a dedicated Research Committee, the
expertise of a meticulous Research Ethics Committee and the guidance of a competent
Research Office. The research seminar series, research newsletters, research section of the
website and research budget, all contributed to a more robust research environment.
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Research Output
Authored Books
MacBlain, S., Long, L. and Dunn, J. (2015) Dyslexia, Literacy and Inclusion: Child-Centred
Perspectives. Sage, pp 232.
Edited Books
Coll, N. (to be published 2015) Ireland & Vatican II: Essays Theological, Pastoral and
Educational. Columba Press, pp 354.
McCann, G. and McCloskey, S. (2015) From the Local to the Global: Key Issues in
Development Studies (3rd Edition). Pluto Press, pp 352.
Chapters in Books
Clarke, L. and Magennis, G. (to be published 2015) Teacher education policy in Northern
Ireland: impediments, initiatives & influences. In Teacher Education Group (Eds.) Teacher
Education in Changing Times. Policy Press.
Collins, P. (to be published 2015) British labour and developments in Ireland in the
immediate post-war years. In Marley, L. (Ed.) The British Labour Party and Twentieth-Century
Ireland. Manchester University Press, pp 88-103.
Collins, P. (to be published 2015) The view from the North. In MacNamara, C. and Yeates, P.
(Eds.) The Dublin Lockout. Four Courts Press.
Fleming, P. (to be published in 2015) Mary and her role in the Church today. In Coll, N. (Ed.)
Ireland & Vatican II: Essays Theological, Pastoral and Educational. Columba Press, pp 239-
252.
Haughey, S. (to be published 2015) Spirituality in school: encouraging young faith. In Coll, N.
(Ed.) Ireland & Vatican II: Essays Theological, Pastoral and Educational. Columba Press, pp
274-282.
33
Mac Corraidh, S. (2014) Gnéithe den Ghaeilge a labhair Seán Bán Mac Grianna as Rann na
Feirste. In Ó Corráin, A. and Ó Néill, M. (Eds.) Teangeolaíocht na Gaeilge XIII. Uppsala,
Uppsala Universitet, pp 123-157.
Magennis, F. (to be published 2015) From Dei Verbum to Verbum Domini: the sacramentality
of the Word. In Coll, N. (Ed.) Ireland & Vatican II: Essays Theological, Pastoral and
Educational. Columba Press, pp 226-238.
Martin, Matthew (2015) What are Teach Meets? In Salome T.E., Burgess, D., Bretzmann, J.,
Bosch, K., Daniels, K., Conley, L., Gustafson, B., Wilkoff, B. and Currie, B. Personalized PD:
Flipping Your Professional Development. The Bretzmann Group.
McCann, G. (2014) Development education in a European context. In McCloskey, S. (Ed.)
Development Education in Theory and Practice. Palgrave Macmillan, pp 249-265.
McGee, E. (to be published 2015) Towards a fuller participation in the Liturgy: embracing the
mystery of God. In Coll, N. (Ed.) Ireland & Vatican II: Essays Theological, Pastoral and
Educational. Columba Press.
Schippers, B. (2015) Butler, Judith (1956 - ). In Wright, J.D. (Ed.) International Encyclopedia of
the Social & Behavioural Sciences (Second Edition, Vol. 3). Elsevier, pp 56-60.
Schippers, B. (2015) Violence, affect and ethics. In Lloyd, M. (Ed.) Butler and Ethics. Edinburgh
University Press, pp 91-117.
Vaupel, A. (2015) Feuchtwanger goes Europe? The legacy of Lion Feuchtwanger’s work in
European contexts. In Davis, G.V. (Ed.) Feuchtwanger und Berlin. Peter Lang, pp 451-471.
Journal Articles
Coll, N. (2015) Light from the West – the year of St Columbanus. The Furrow, 66 (9), pp 459-
464.
Downey, P. (to be published 2015) The Nendrum Cross-Slab and the ‘Glory of Creation’.
Lecale Review: A Journal Of Down History.
34
Hagan, M. (under review 2015) Professionalism and the governance of teacher education: a
Northern Ireland perspective. European Educational Research Journal.
Hagan, M. (to be published 2016) Learning and teaching in a Catholic college: the
importance of ethos. International Studies in Catholic Education, 8 (1).
Lombard, M. (2015) Only connect - meaning and coherence in holistic education. The
Pastoral Review, September/October 2015.
Mac Corraidh, S. (2015) St Gallen’s Irish connection. Le Chéile: A Catholic School Ethos
Journal. St Mary’s University College Belfast, Issue 23, pp 14-15.
Mac Corraidh, S. (2015) Translation studies. An tUltach, Iml 92, Uimh. 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8.
Magennis, G. (2014) Browsing books, breaking bread & becoming. Le Chéile: A Catholic
School Ethos Journal. St Mary’s University College Belfast, Issue 22, pp 11-13.
Magennis, G. and Fitzpatrick, G. (under review 2015) Reading for pleasure: preferable or
peripheral? Primary pupils’ perspectives. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy.
McCann, G. (2015) Protectionism and the ‘economic war’ in interwar Ireland. The Journal of
European Economic History, XLI (3), pp 39-68.
McCann, G. and Hainsworth, P. (2014) The renewal of mandates: the 2014 European elections
in Northern Ireland. Irish Political Studies, 29 (4), pp 590-604.
McGinley, R.H., Prenter, J. and Taylor P.W. (2015) Assessment strategies and decision making
in male-male contests of Servea incana jumping spiders. Animal Behaviour, 101, pp 89-95.
McLaughlin, E. (under review 2015) Can fitness be an indicator of academic achievement?
Mhic Aoidh, E. (2014) Turas Gaeltachta: Aistear Foghlama / A gaeltacht trip: a learning
journey. Le Chéile: A Catholic School Ethos Journal. St Mary’s University College Belfast, Issue
22, pp 13.
35
Reports
McPhillips, T., Hazzard, D., Casserly, A.M., Tiernan, B. and Beck, G. (2015) Dyslexia in Ireland: a
review of current provision of support since the publication of the task force reports, North
and South (2002). End of project report for the Standing Conference on Teacher Education
North and South.
Ó Duibhir, P., Nig Uidhir, G. and Ó Cathalláin, S. (to be published 2015) Anailís ar mhúnlaí
soláthair gaelscolaíochta. End of project report for An Coiste Seasta Thuaidh Theas ar
Ghaeloideachas.
O’Mahony, K., Bedding, M., Coll, N., Collins, P., Hurley, M., Keogh, P., Lynch, P., McDermott, K.,
Nichols, T., Moran, J. and Codd, A. (2014) Evangelise today: sharing the good news of Jesus
Christ. Report prepared for the Council for Pastoral Renewal and Adult Faith Development.
RSM McClure Watters, Mhic Aoidh, E., Nic Iomhair, A. and Nig Thuairisg, L. (to be published
2015) Research on the educational outcomes of pre-school Irish-medium education. End of
project report for the Department of Education Northern Ireland.
Conference Papers
Cash, T. and Gilliland, C. (2015) Exploring the role of historical fiction through engagement
with active approaches to comprehension. ‘Literacy Association of Ireland’, Dublin, Ireland.
Gilliland, C. (2014) Tell children a story, show them their world. ‘Reading Association of
Ireland 38th International Conference’, Dublin, Ireland, September 2014.
Gilliland, C. (2015) Rhyme, rhythm and repetition make the wheels of the language bus go
round and round!!!! ‘British Educational Research Association Annual Conference’, Belfast,
Northern Ireland.
Gilliland, C. (2015) Tell me a story, show me the world. ‘51st United Kingdom Literacy
Association International Conference’, Nottingham, England, July 2015.
Hagan, M. (2014) ‘Professionalism’ and the governance of teacher education across the
British Isles. ‘European Educational Research Association Annual Conference’, Porto, Portugal,
September 2014.
36
Hagan, M. and Cree, D. (2015) Developing research capacity in initial teacher education: a
new approach to early professional learning. ‘6th Teacher Education Advancement Network
Annual Conference’, Birmingham, England, May 2015.
Hanratty, B. (2015) A critical evaluation of the literature of the troubles project: philosophy,
methodology, findings/outcomes. ‘Educational Studies Association of Ireland Conference’,
Maynooth, Ireland, April 2015.
Hanratty, B. (2015) Imagining education: selected representatives of teachers and teaching in
20th century Irish fictions and autobiography. ‘Literacy Association of Ireland’, Dublin, Ireland.
Hanratty, B. (2015) Literature of the troubles project: implications for local and global
citizenship. ‘TEESNet: Teacher Education for Equity and Sustainability Network, 7th Annual
Conference’, Liverpool, England, Published in Conference Proceedings May 2015.
Hanratty, B. (2015) Teaching Heaney’s troubles poetry to upper secondary school pupils in
Northern Ireland’s divided schools: some explorations. ‘38th Annual Reading Association of
Ireland Conference’, Dublin, Ireland, Published in Conference Proceedings May 2015.
Hennessey, F. (2015) The St Mary’s entrepreneurial learning certificate: a case study of
curricular reform designed to promote and integrate entrepreneurship education within
initial teacher education. ‘6th Teacher Education Advancement Network Annual Conference’,
Birmingham, England, May 2015.
Mac Corraidh, S. (2015) The professional knowledge and skills a teacher needs to apply a
phonics approach in the Irish language. ‘First All-Ireland Research Conference on Immersion
Education’, Limerick, Ireland, May 2015.
Mac Labhraí, S. (2014) Pilib Ministir alias Parson Brady: Saol agus Saothar. ‘Éigse Loch Lao
Annual Conference’, Belfast, Northern Ireland, October 2014.
Martin, Matthew (2015) Engaged learning: from writing centres to blended learning.
‘Teaching Awards’.
Martin, Matthew (2015) Research lesson study, the way forward in teacher professional
development. ‘NSPCC Colloquium on Teacher Professional Development Relating to Child
Abuse’, Belfast, Northern Ireland.
37
Martin, Matthew (2015) The benefits of research lesson study. ‘Belfast TeachMeet’, Belfast,
Northern Ireland, March 2015.
Martin, Matthew (2015) Writing as research: research methods and the writing process.
‘Research-Teaching Nexus’, Dublin, Ireland.
Martin, Matthew and Hagan, M. (2015) Engaged learning: the capstone project, the STRE@M
conference and student research. ‘Student Research Conference’, Belfast, Northern Ireland,
May 2015.
McCann, G. (2015) The European Union’s development education policy. ‘International Week
Conference’, Krosno, Poland, April 2015.
McGee, E. (2014) Science and religion in the classroom. ‘Workshop on Science and Religion’,
Belfast, Northern Ireland, October 2014.
McGee, E. (2015) Mission of the Churches in Northern Ireland. ‘Annual Theological Lectures
2015’, Belfast, Northern Ireland, February 2015.
McGinley, R.H., Prenter, J. and Taylor, P.W. (2015) Assessment strategies in jumping spider
contests. ‘Behaviour 2015’, New South Wales, Australia, August 2015.
McKee, D. (2015) Perspectives on students’ opinions of their competence and needs in
relation to teaching in the Irish-medium primary sector. ‘First All-Ireland Research
Conference on Immersion Education’, Limerick, Ireland, May 2015.
McPhillips, T., Hazzard, D., Casserly, A.M., Tiernan, B. and Beck, G. (2015) Dyslexia in Ireland: a
review of current provision of support since the publication of the task force reports, North
and South. ‘Literacy Association of Ireland’, Dublin, Ireland.
McPhillips, T., Hazzard, D., Casserly, A.M., Tiernan, B. and Beck, G. (2015) Dyslexia in Ireland: a
review of current provision of support since the publication of the task force reports, North
and South (2002). ‘Dyslexia Association of Ireland Conference’, Dublin, Ireland, March 2015.
McPhillips, T., Hazzard, D., Casserly, A.M., Tiernan, B. and Beck, G. (2015) Dyslexia in Ireland: a
review of current provision of support since the publication of the task force reports, North
38
and South (2002). ‘51st United Kingdom Literacy Association International Conference’,
Nottingham, England, July 2015.
McPhillips, T., Hazzard, D., Casserly, A.M., Tiernan, B. and Beck, G. (2015) Provision for pupils
with dyslexia: how provision can impact on pupils. ‘Irish Association of Teachers in Special
Education Conference’, Dublin, Ireland, June 2015.
Mhic Aoidh, E. (2015) Cleachtas Múinteoirí i gComhair Measúnú Ranga i Suíomhanna
Bonnchéime na Gaelscolaíochta / Teachers’ classroom assessment practices in Irish-medium
foundation stage classrooms. ‘First All-Ireland Research Conference on Immersion
Education’, Limerick, Ireland, May 2015.
Nig Uidhir, G. and Ó Cathalláin, S. (2015) Anailís ar Mhúnlaí Soláthair san Oideachas Lán-
Ghaeilge. ‘First All-Ireland Research Conference on Immersion Education’, Limerick, Ireland,
May 2015.
Nig Uidhir, G. and Ó Cathalláin, S. (2015) An Tumoideachas in Éirinn: Láidreachtaí agus
Dúshláin. ‘Comhairle na Gaelscolaíochta Annual Conference’, March 2015.
Nig Uidhir, G. and Ó Duibhir, P. (2014) Soláthar don Ghaeloideachas: Léargas ar Mhúnlaí
Éagsúla. ‘Gaelscoileanna Annual Conference’, Enfield, Ireland, November 2014.
Nugent, O. (2015) Student teachers’ perceptions of their competence to teach in a new
phase primary school placement - the value of pre-placement exposure. ‘6th Teacher
Education Advancement Network Annual Conference’, Birmingham, England, May 2015.
Robson, D. (2014) Piloting art science collaboration in secondary education. ‘International
Journal of Art & Design Education Conference’, Liverpool, England, October 2014.
Robson, D. (2015) Does 11-14 schooling in the UK have the flexibility to respond to
innovations such as SCIART or STEAM education? Should schools facilitate art science
collaborations? ‘British Educational Research Association Annual Conference’, Belfast,
Northern Ireland.
Schippers, B. (2015) Engaging the paradox: human rights and the performative constitution
of the human. ‘MANCEPT Workshops in Political Theory’, Manchester, England.
39
Schippers, B. (2015) International studies and widening participation agenda in higher
education. ‘International Studies Association Annual Convention’, New Orleans, USA,
February 2015.
Schippers, B. (2015) Liveable lives and grievable deaths: theorizing the body in global politics.
‘International Studies Association Annual Convention’, New Orleans, USA, February 2015.
Schippers, B. (2015) Towards a posthumanist conception of human rights? ‘British
International Studies Association Annual Conference’, London, England, June 2015.
Book Reviews & Review Articles
Collins, P. (2014) Review of ‘Locked-Out: A Century of Irish Working Class Life’ by David
Convery (Ed.). In Familia, December 2014.
Collins, P. (to be published 2015) Review of ‘The Catholic Workers’ College Dublin, A History’
by Aidan Seery and Liam McKenna SJ. In Saothar.
McCann, G. (2014) Review of ‘Karl Marx’ by Paul Thomas. In Socialist History Journal, 45, pp
112-115.
Vaupel, A. (2014) Review of ‘Frontiers of Screen History: Imagining European Borders in
Cinema, 1945-2010’ by Raita Merivirata, Kimmo Ahonen, Heta Mulari and Rami Mähkä (Eds.).
In The Journal of Contemporary European Studies, 22 (4), pp 537-538.
Vaupel, A. (2014) Review of ‘Northern Irish Poetry and the Russian Turn: Intertextuality in the
Work of Seamus Heaney, Tom Paulin and Medbh McGuckian’ by Stephanie Schwerter (2013).
In The Canadian Journal of Irish Studies, 38 (1&2), pp 288-291.
Vaupel, A. (2015) Review of ‘Polish Cinema in a Transnational Context’ by Ewa Marzierska and
Michael Goddard (Eds.). In The Journal of Contemporary European Studies, 23 (2), pp 310-
311.
Vaupel, A. (2015) Review of ‘The Europeanization of Cinema: Interzones and Imaginative
Communities’ by Randall Halle. In The Journal of Contemporary European Studies, 23 (1), pp
153-154.
40
Funded Research from External Awards
Hughes, J., Rafferty, J., Quinn, C. et al. (2014) STEM teacher training innovation for gender
balance modular teacher professional development programme. Funded by the European
Union Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership Framework.
Martin, Matthew et al. (2015) Promoting European awareness and key competences (PEAK).
Funded by the European Union Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership Framework.
McKay, T., Vaupel, A. et al. (2014) BE-SMaRT (Border education - space, memory and
reflections on transculturality) Project. Funded by the European Union Erasmus+ Strategic
Partnership Framework.
Mulholland, K., McGeown, K. et al. (2015) An investigation of the impact of the use of the
microbot and SMART technology in promoting improved levels of understanding and
problem-solving capabilities in mathematics and science at key stage 2. Funded by Sentinus.
Schippers, B. (2014) After the war: identity, human rights and commemoration. Funded by
the Northern Ireland Community Relations Council.
Tiernan, B., Casserly, A.M. and Nig Uidhir, G. (2015) Meeting the needs of children with
special educational needs in multi-grade classrooms. Funded by the Standing Conference on
Teacher Education North and South.
Walsh, C. et al. (2015) Teacher educator professional learning: shaping the conversation of
teacher education. Funded by the Standing Conference on Teacher Education North and
South.
Other Research Activity
Collins, P. (2014) Church And Politics In Ireland In The Late 19th Century: A View From
Maynooth. Keynote speaker at the Launch of the Diary of Fr Daniel O’Loan 1886-1893.
Collins, P. (2014 & 2015) Labour History. Talks to the Shared History Project at Whitehouse
Community Development Association and the Gilnahirk Men’s Association.
41
Collins, P. (2015) Ulster History Circle, Blue Plaques And The New Dictionary of Ulster
Biography. Talk to the Men’s Welfare Group.
De Bléine, P. (2015) Anne Frank - Dialann Cailín Óig. Translation of Michael Morpurgo's ‘War
Horse’ into Irish, CCEA Na hEalaíona (Litríocht).
Feeney, B. (to be published 2017) Irish Revolution 1912-23 County Series. Commissioned to
write a book and currently researching material.
Gilliland, C. (2015) Making Literacy Addictive. Keynote speaker at the Literacy Association of
Ireland’s International Conference.
Gilliland, C. (2015) Rhyme, Rhythm And Repetition Make The Wheels Of The Language Bus
Go Round And Round!!!! Article in Literacy News, pp 23-25.
Mac Corraidh, S. (2014) Foghraíocht, Fuaimniú agus Foghlaim na Gaeilge (Phonetics,
Pronunciation And The Teaching Of Irish). Keynote speaker at Tionól Teagaisc 2014.
Mac Labhraí, S. (2014) The Collection Of Gaelic Manuscripts Returned To Leabharlann Uí
Fhiaich From St Patrick’s Library Maynooth. Guest speaker at the Cardinal Ó Fiaich Memorial
Library and Archive.
Mac Labhraí, S. (2015) Ó Duibheannaigh, Seán (1920–2013). Online article available at
‘Ainm.ie’.
Martin, Matthew (2014) Dr Matthew Martin: The Blended Learning Toolkit In Action. Online
video for the Regional Support Centre Northern Ireland, RSCniTV.
Martin, Matthew (2015) Belfast TeachMeet. Organised professional development conference,
St Mary’s University College Belfast.
Martin, Matthew (2015) Flipping The Classroom: On The Road To Independent, Critical
Reading In First Year English. Outline of a project for the Compendium of Effective Practice in
Directed Independent Learning, Higher Education Academy.
McGeown, K. (2015) A Study Of Northern Ireland Post-Primary Pupils’ Perspectives On
Practical Work In Technology And Design. EdD dissertation, Queen’s University Belfast.
42
McKee, D. (2015) A Case-Study Investigation Into The Experiences And Perspectives Of Year
8 Pupils Who Have Transferred From An Irish-Medium Primary To An Irish-Medium Stream In
A ‘Host’ English-Medium Post-Primary. Draft research proposal for EdD dissertation, Queen’s
University Belfast.
Nig Uidhir, G. and Ó Cathalláin, S. (2015) An Gaeloideachas: Aistear Fáis agus Forbartha.
Conference Proceedings.
Ó Duibhir, P., Ní Thuairisg, L., Nig Uidhir, G. and Ó Cathalláin, S. (2015) Tionchar na
Scoileanna LánGhaeilge ar Chruthú Chainteoirí gníomhacha Gaeilge. Article funded by Coiste
Thuaidh-Theas don Oideachas Lán-Ghaeilge.
Vaupel, A. and McKay, T. (2015) Annotated Bibliography On Border And Memory Studies
With A Focus On Northern Ireland. Working paper for the BE-SMaRT Website.
Research Seminar Series
Mac Corraidh, S. (November 2014) Tá nead [ne:d] thuas ar an díon: teaching and learning the
pronunciation of the Irish language. St Mary’s University College Belfast.
McGeown, K. (October 2014) STEM and teacher education. St Mary’s University College
Belfast.
Nig Uidhir, G. (December 2014) Irish-medium schools: is there a best model? St Mary’s
University College Belfast.
O’Reilly, D. (November 2014) A walk through time in the Belfast hills. Stranmillis University
College Belfast.
Purdy, N. (January 2015) ‘Disablist’ bullying: a North/South study of student teachers’
knowledge and confidence. Stranmillis University College Belfast.
Trainor, G. (December 2014) Joined up thinking - building up a head of STEAM. St Mary’s
University College Belfast.
Worley, J. (November 2014) Student-centred one-on-one tutoring in writing: a practical
approach. St Mary’s University College Belfast.
43
Worley, J. (December 2014) Pedagogical strategies for teaching Wordsworth’s ‘Tintern
Abbey’. St Mary’s University College Belfast.