With the inclusion of play as a right, schools are urged to consider whether "all" children can access play opportunities in schoolyards. Refocusing on play as occupation is identified as an important way in which occupational therapists can contribute within schools. Greater knowledges of children's play and teachers' practices, in…

Despite an increase in ethnic diversity within the state, the Irish teaching workforce remains starkly mono-ethnic. This article is based on an analysis of data generated through a sequential explanatory mixed method research project involving questionnaire responses from 240 migrant teachers and subsequent focus group with a selection of…

Executive functioning (EF) skills are crucial for young students to meet academic and social demands at school. EF skill development is particularly amenable to environmental influences in the early years. In classroom settings, teachers play a vital role in providing support to promote these skills. Research is limited regarding teachers'…

Injury and illness can occur in children. Since children spend a considerable amount of time in school, teachers must have the ability to assist when required. However, no research to date has examined Irish primary school teachers' experiences, training and knowledge in first aid. An online survey (n = 587) examined Irish male and female primary…

Most European countries accept the necessity of school based Religious Education (RE). In Ireland, where almost 89% of primary and 47% of second level schools have a Catholic patron, the Catholic Bishops recognise the importance of RE in holistic education and uphold RE as an expression of school ethos. However, in an increasingly diverse society…

With increased accessibility to digital video equipment, there has been notable interest in exploring how this might support practice and pedagogy across many education sectors. In recent years video has been found to offer many opportunities to study and support teacher professional development. This paper examines the potential for digital…

This paper explores poststructural tools as a particularly helpful ontological stance in advancing the concerns of marginalized groups in educational research. Although largely academic in nature, poststructuralism has had real and tangible effects as it interrogates everyday binaries, categories and hierarchies that oppress so many. This paper…

Teachers can play a crucial role in identifying and responding to children's mental health difficulties. This study explored teachers' mental health literacy (MHL) and their help-giving responses, a topic which is relatively unexplored, particularly at primary school level. Primary teachers (N = 356) responded to a questionnaire that followed the…

Evidence suggests that the quality of teachers' instructional practices can be improved when these are informed by relevant assessment data. Drawing on a sample of 1,300 primary school teachers in Ireland, this study examined the extent to which teachers use standardized test results for instructional purposes as well as the role of several…

The purpose of this research work was the study and investigation the perceptions of general education teachers in Greek primary education regarding the inclusion of children with autism spectrum disorder in the general school context, as well as their knowledge about this disorder. A total of 60 general education teachers participated in the…

This study investigated the perceived Teacher Self-Efficacy (TSE) of primary school teachers in Ireland who are working in special classes for students with autism. Furthermore, it sought to examine whether these perceptions of TSE were related to special class teaching experience, their engagement in professional development pertaining to autism,…

Class swapping is the process whereby a generalist primary school teacher with a particular subject expertise and interest swaps classes with a teacher colleague and they teach each other's class a specific area of the curriculum. Instances of class swapping for physical education (PE) have been noted in many countries, but there is currently no…

This essay proposes a feminist research agenda on the history of women teachers' experiences in the latter stages of their career and life. Drawing on extant histories of white women elementary and secondary teachers in the largely Anglo, western world (centred on the United States, Canada, England, Australia and Ireland), the essay explores the…

Minecraft Education is a popular digital game-based learning platform designed for use in educational settings. This study explores teachers' experiences of using Minecraft Education as an educational tool to foster the development of key competencies and skills in students. Semi-structured interviews with Irish primary school teachers (N = 11)…

Classroom drama in the Irish primary school context remains a relatively new endeavour and is largely under-researched. The knowledge base for all aspects of teacher education should be informed by rigorous reflection on teachers' experiences in the classroom. This paper reports on a phenomenological study conducted with seven Irish primary school…