Reflective Pedagogy and Early Childhood Studies (Peer reviewed publications)
https://dspace.mic.ul.ie/handle/10395/18
2024-03-28T16:37:24ZEngaging practitioners as co-researchers in national policy evaluations as resistance to patriarchal constructions of expertise: the case of the end of year three evaluation of the access and inclusion model
https://dspace.mic.ul.ie/handle/10395/3102
Engaging practitioners as co-researchers in national policy evaluations as resistance to patriarchal constructions of expertise: the case of the end of year three evaluation of the access and inclusion model
Seventeen Practitioner Researchers (PRs) were engaged as co-researchers in an evaluation commissioned by Ireland’s Department of Childhood, Equality, Disability, Integration, and Youth (DCEDIY), as an innovative aspect in methodological design. The evaluation investigated the implementation and impact of Ireland’s award winning policy for the inclusion of children with disabilities in mainstream pre-schools, the Access and Inclusion Model (AIM). As co-researchers in the project, the PRs constructed case studies of pre-schools, and children who were being supported by AIM. In this context, this paper draws on feminist theory to present the rationale for involving PRs as co-researchers in evaluations of high profile national programs like AIM. It also applies thematic analysis to a critical reflection written by one co-researcher (who is also the lead author), in which she writes about her gendered experience of being a PR. Thematic Analysis (TA) is applied to this critical reflection to explore the way in which the PR role may have impacted on her professional identity and agency. Three themes were constructed from the TA which included expertise as a resource for advocacy, personal and professional development, and continual learning and inclusive practice. The findings were interpreted through a feminist lens, and cast light on the way that the PR frames professional potency within more feminine constructions of power related to care, nurture, collaboration, nurturing and enabling. They also demonstrate how, in this particular case, the PR role had a transformative impact on expert identity, and enriched capitals for empowering others. The paper ends with a call for more participative approaches to the evaluation of national policies through the engagement of practitioners as researchers. It is argued that this would result in evaluations that were more attuned to the vernacular of practice, and hence more impactful. It also offers opportunities for professional development whilst symbolizing the validation of practitioner expertise by policy makers in a feminized sector where, low pay and low status have long been issues of concern.
2022-12-23T00:00:00ZPlayful maths! The influence of play-based learning on academic performance of Palestinian primary school children
https://dspace.mic.ul.ie/handle/10395/3069
Playful maths! The influence of play-based learning on academic performance of Palestinian primary school children
This study explores the relationship between play-based learning and achievement in mathematics in Palestinian elementary school children. Forty teachers from eight schools received training in play-based pedagogies and follow-up support visits from programme staff (intervention group); four matched schools served as the control group. Grade-appropriate tests were administered to all students in two consecutive school terms. A total of 859 students (458 females, 401 males) and 832 students (477 females, 355 males) completed maths tests in term 1 and 2, respectively. Results revealed that the intervention group attained higher test scores than the control group in both terms (P < 0.01). Furthermore, in term 2 an interaction effect between group and gender was found (P < 0.05), with girls in the intervention group achieving the highest scores. Our finding suggest that play-based learning approaches may enhance academic achievement.
2022-02-11T00:00:00ZThe clustering of physical activity and screen time behaviours in early childhood and impact on future health-related behaviours: a longitudinal analysis of children aged 3 to 8 years
https://dspace.mic.ul.ie/handle/10395/3068
The clustering of physical activity and screen time behaviours in early childhood and impact on future health-related behaviours: a longitudinal analysis of children aged 3 to 8 years
Meeting physical activity and screen time guidelines has been associated with improved health in children. Research has shown that lifestyle behaviours happen in combination and can be tracked into later life. Thus, a complex approach is needed to identify the effects of physical activity and screen time altogether. This study aims to identify clusters of both behaviours in a cohort of Irish 3-year-old children (n = 8833) and determine the association with sociodemographic characteristics and behaviours at age 5 and 7-8.
2022-03-21T00:00:00ZThe impact of usage-based approaches on second language learning and teaching
https://dspace.mic.ul.ie/handle/10395/3053
The impact of usage-based approaches on second language learning and teaching
The application of usage-based models of language learning began to gain ground in the early twenty-first century, particularly in the field of first language acquisition, and, more recently, are gaining traction in second language acquisition studies. Central to a usage-based model is the idea that in order to meet social needs, we agree on and use linguistic conventions to create meanings, and that, subsequently, structural conventions emerge from these meanings. This is at odds with theories of language acquisition which propose an overarching abstract set of principles from which to create structures, and transcend the distinction of competence and performance found in traditional language acquisition studies.
2020-09-01T00:00:00Z