Performance in mathematics can be attributed to factors other than mathematical ability. A growing body of literature examines the significant impact of mathematics anxiety (MA) on mathematical performance and individuals' choices concerning study and career pathways. However, much of the focus has been on science, technology, engineering and…

In this study, we explore the following: a) How do secondary student teachers, engaged in collaborative action research, function as critical friends? b) What challenges do they encounter? How do they mitigate these challenges? and c) In what ways did meeting as critical friends influence the student teachers' learning to conduct collaborative…

This study examined the impact of a brief immersive experience with virtual reality (VR) on pre-service teachers' self-efficacy and attitudes towards technology in education. The study found that although pre-service teachers were aware of VR and augmented reality (AR) technologies, they lacked experience using them. The intervention had a…

Increasingly, educational policies and curricula recommend that young children experience STEM learning opportunities within Early Childhood (EC) settings. Despite greater demands placed on EC educators, their opinions on STEM have seldom been sought. This study investigated EC educators': (1) interest in STEM education; (2) opinions about the…

To address the issue of gender disparity in participation in the physics state matriculation exam, a novel school visit program was designed. The program was facilitated by undergraduate university students of physics and related courses who visited schools providing lower secondary education and delivered a single-session workshop including…

Based on social cognitive career theory (SCCT) this study explored the barriers to females choosing STEM disciplines at post-primary level. The study firstly explored national data from all secondary schools in Ireland, to compare subject uptake at the leaving certificate cycle and discipline uptake at third level. Secondly, a focus group was…

Operating across the 'marshy epistemological divide' created between schooling and academia, the role of pre-service teacher researchers presents a unique set of challenges and responsibilities. This paper reports on a follow-up study exploring the attitudes of a multi-disciplinary cohort of graduand teachers towards the use and conduct of…

Research exploring the well-being and pastoral care of pupils attending primary and post-primary schools has become an issue of increased discourse and growing national and international concern in recent years. Society often expects that teachers can support or facilitate pupils experiencing such issues; however, there is little research that…

Supporting pre-service primary teachers to develop the required specialist knowledge for teaching mathematics is a complex task. The knowledge required for mathematics teaching at primary level is multi-faceted and the efficacy of mathematics teaching is inextricably intertwined with a teacher's own beliefs and attitudes about mathematics and…

This evidence-based, procedural paper outlines academic writing peer review practices conducted by Pre-Master's Pathway and pre-undergraduate Foundation programme students at two Irish universities. The theoretical framework section presents the view that formative teacher feedback on student writing alone is insufficient, suggesting sustainable…

A new approach to the teaching and learning of mathematics has been introduced on a phased basis in post-primary education in Ireland. As part of the OECD PISA 2012, a survey was undertaken of in-service mathematics teachers in Ireland, with the aim of gathering data on the opinions of teachers about this reform. Here, a modified version of the…

This study explores students' perceptions of the effectiveness of a Problem-Based Learning (PBL) design project, taken as part of a first-year engineering module, in developing professional skills needed for engineering practice. Students completed surveys before and after the PBL group project, and produced personal reflections on the process.…

In August 2008, the Mathematics Learning Centre at the University of Limerick initiated a mathematics bridging course, entitled "Head Start Maths", to provide mathematics revision for adult learners about to embark on science or technology degree programmes. The aim of Head Start Maths was to revise mathematics fundamentals before the…

Many studies of teacher motivation have been conducted in different contexts over time. However, until fairly recently there has not been a reliable measure available to allow comparisons across samples and settings. This has resulted in an abundance of findings which cannot be directly compared or synthesised. The FIT-Choice instrument offers the…

This study measured the levels of academic self-efficacy of first-year accounting students. It also investigated whether there were any gender differences and the extent to which efficacy levels explained variation in academic performance. Overall the analysis revealed that many students lacked the confidence to participate fully in the academic…