The transition from preschool to primary school is a pivotal developmental period in children's and their families' lives. However, not all families have equal access to resources and some parents face additional barriers to the types of transition and school readiness activities they participate in compared families with higher social capital.…

This paper argues that the combination of (i) creative language pedagogy informed by sociocultural theory (SCT), and (ii) a participatory, democratic approach to language learning inclusive of learner voice, supports language (re-) engagement for Irish language learners and educators in English-medium education, and in society at large. Firstly,…

This paper explores possible affordances of technology and online professional learning to develop and support communities of practice in which educational practitioners develop, share and build on one another's reflections and learning. Evidence is presented from a design-based research study that iteratively designed and developed a mechanical…

This paper presents a unique school-based programme that harnesses the benefits of both trauma-informed practice (TIP) and outdoor environments to support children's social and emotional wellbeing throughout the pandemic and beyond. In the opening sections of the paper, we discuss the extant literature and conceptual underpinning of TIP and…

Building on the various works of theorists pertaining to curriculum negotiation, the Negotiated Integrated Curriculum (NIC) initiative detailed in this article attempts to redress the imbalance within curricular decision-making whereby student voice and learner agency is largely absent. The NIC initiative enquires into students' concerns about…

The focus of this paper is circle time, a widely used method in primary schools in Ireland and elsewhere. It involves children sitting in a circle with their teacher using method-specific techniques and strategies for self-esteem enhancement, promoting positive relationships and development of social skills. Qualitative research was undertaken in…