Two Birr schools receive prestigious research funding
St Brendan’s Community School and Gaelscoil na Laochra, Birr, have each been awarded research funding by the Teaching Council, the national standards body for the teaching profession.
The awards were made as part of the Teaching Council’s John Coolahan Research Support Framework, which recognises research innovation and supports teachers and schools in engaging in and with research. The awards were two of only 47 such awards made nationally, thereby representing a significant achievement for the town of Birr.
St Brendan’s Community School was awarded €2,000 as part of the Teaching Council’s Researchers in Residence Scheme, which supports research partnerships between schools and Higher Education Institutions. In this case, the partnership is with Dr Majella Dempsey of Maynooth University.
Dr Dempsey will collaborate with Maths and Computer Science teacher, Ms Paula Mangan and English and Religion teacher, Ms Beverley Lavin, who are leading the project in the school.Working in partnership with other teachers in the school, Business teacher, Mr John McIntyre, and Biology and Science teacher, Ms Kelly-Anne Milne, they will explore the idea of retrieval techniques to support student recall and comprehension.
The ultimate aim is that students will have an enhanced learning experience and better learning outcomes.Ms Ailbhe Curran, Deputy Principal and Special Education Teacher at Gaeilscoil na Laochra, was awarded €2,000 as part of the Teaching Council’s Research Bursary Scheme. The funding will support her in conducting research into arts education policy. The research seeks to identify current opportunities for, and challenges to, implementing arts education policy in primary schools. Ms Curran is conducting the research as part of her doctoral studies in Mary Immaculate College, University of Limerick.
Both projects are also being supported by the principals of the two schools, who joined their colleagues for a photocall recently to celebrate the two achievements. They were also joined by Ms Carmel Kearns, Head of Teachers’ Learning and Research at the Teaching Council, who said: "I commend the teachers who are leading these projects for their innovation and creativity, and I look forward to hearing more about the projects as they progress. I would also like to thank both school principals, who are clearly nurturing a vibrant research culture in their schools, and Dr Majella Dempsey of Maynooth University who is supporting the project in St Brendan’s.”
Speaking at the photocall, John Kennedy, principal of St. Brendan’s Community School thanked the Teaching Council for its support and noted the contribution the funding will make to teaching and learning in St Brendan’s Community School. He also said: “All teachers are leaders in their own right, and Ms Mangan and Ms Lavin have shown true leadership in designing this research project and securing the necessary funding. We look forward to collaborating with Maynooth University on this project, which has my full support”.
Ms Niamh Uí Chléirigh, principal of Gaelscoil na Laochra added: “We are all immensely proud of the research that Ms Curran is doing, and I am happy to support her in her endeavours. I know that the ultimate beneficiaries of her research will be the students in our school”. She went on to congratulate St. Brendan’s Community School, noting that their shared interest in research can provide a springboard for future co-operation between the two schools".