Professional learning (PL) for inclusion is a key policy focus internationally, arising from a growing commitment to the goal of a rights-based approach to education for all. Transformative teacher PL for inclusion is paramount to this goal but it is a complex endeavour, as evidenced in the persistent knowledge-practice gap relating to inclusive…

Purpose: This paper presents emerging findings from an ongoing research project which aimed to explore online lesson study (OLS) as a vehicle for teacher collaborative professional learning. Design/methodology/approach: Two parallel OLS cycles with two OLS teams were facilitated by the author using Zoom and Google Drive as digital collaborative…

Geography is a subject in the Primary Curriculum in Ireland. It is taught in all schools with some examples of engaging and challenging practices, characterised by enquiry-based learning (EBL) of a range of content, with learning occurring inside and out. In other settings, Geography is more limited in scope and children's geographical experiences…

For many decades, problem solving has been a focus of elementary mathematics education reforms. Despite this, in many education systems, the prevalent approach to mathematics problem solving treats it as an isolated activity instead of an integral part of teaching and learning. In this study, two mathematics teacher educators introduced 19 Irish…

The literature supports transformative models of professional learning and development (PLD) such as professional learning communities (PLCs). However, there is a research gap relating to PLCs for inclusive practice. This paper draws on findings from a qualitative study with 10 teachers in an urban primary school in the Republic of Ireland, who…

This paper, as part of a European Commission-funded project entitled REBEL (Repurposing Education through Blended Learning), deconstructs school communities understanding of the challenges and opportunities for blended learning in the school sector in Ireland with perceptions shaped by experiences of enforced school closures during the pandemic.…

Expectations of teacher leadership for school improvement have gained increasing currency in recent years. While extensive research on teacher leadership and practicing teachers exists, comparatively little research exists at pre-service level and there is little empirical data regarding leadership experiences and practices of novice teachers…

This ethnographic study explores how elementary school children's participation in a culturally diverse music program, which featured their active engagement in group music-making and their acquaintance with the cultural-historical context of the music, affected them on interpersonal, collective, and social levels. The study focuses on the…

Changes in society demand constantly evolving education systems. Teachers' practice is crucial to the successful implementation of educational reforms. A major obstacle for practicing teachers in implementing reform mathematics is that they have not experienced it themselves as learners. Consequently, teachers require extended, practice-based…

Ireland's cultural identity has transformed significantly in the past few decades as a result of large-scale inward migration. Consequently, the creation of culturally responsive school environments has become a major concern in policy discourses in recent years. Despite the prevalence of such discourses, research on the cultural responsiveness of…

The focus of this study is to investigate if a physical activity initiaitive (The Daily Mile) centred on running could be adapted to enhance primary school children's enjoyment of and engagement with physical activity. An intervention took place over a 4-week period consisting of two components: The Daily Mile and an adapted component, The Extra…

This article reports on a teacher-researcher's efforts to understand tensions and dilemmas encountered during a doctoral narrative inquiry research project with eight children in an urban, multidenominational primary school in the east of Ireland. Using a narrative inquiry framework and focusing on the teacher-researcher's experiences, this…

While inclusion has generally been accepted as orthodoxy, a knowledge-practice gap remains which indicates a need to focus on inclusive pedagogy. This paper explores how teachers in the Republic of Ireland primary school were supported to develop inclusive pedagogy to meet the needs of learners with special educational needs (SEN). It is…

Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programs (CSPAP) coordinate physical activity opportunities for school-age children through physical education, programs offered before/after school and during the school day, and those facilitated through staff involvement and community engagement. An active school is considered to implement quality physical…

This article reflects upon teachers' engagement in a Leadership for Inclusion Community of Practice (LIn-CoP), which utilised the Participatory Action Learning Action Research (PALAR) strategy. The study explored if and how engagement could support teachers to develop and exercise leadership for inclusion, using Grudnoff, Haigh, Cochran-Smith, Eil…