News Archive
The principals of integrated schools in Israel and Northern Ireland will meet next week in a unique visit organised by the Integrated Education Fund in co-operation with Queen’s University.
Ala Khatib and Dalia Peretz, the Jewish and Arab co-principals of the Max Rayne Hand in Hand School in Jerusalem, will be in Northern Ireland from 19-22 January, when they will visit Millennium Integrated Primary School in Saintfield.
They will also meet with from the School of Education at Queen’s, who has been researching integrated education for more than ten years.
Dr McGlynn has completed extensive research on multicultural and intercultural education, education for social cohesion in conflict and post-conflict societies and teacher education for diversity. She works closely with Dr Zvi Bekerman of the Hebrew University, Jerusalem who has undertaken study of the integrated schools in Israel.
Dr McGlynn said: “Northern Ireland and Israel have both experienced serious conflict. Both societies have highly segregated education systems and face similar challenges in building peace and reconciliation.
“By bringing together the principals of the Hand in Hand School and Millennium Integrated Primary School, we can gain a comparative insight into the leadership and practice of integrated education in Northern Ireland and Israel, as well as the challenges it faces.
“This visit gives us a unique opportunity to look at the ways in which school principals in Northern Ireland and Israel conceptualise and practice integrated education. It will be important in further developing our understanding of integrated education in divided societies.
“It will also feed into my research, which will help inform education practitioners and policy makers here, in Israel and in the field of peace education regarding the future development of integrated education.”
During their visit, Ala Khatib and Dalia Peretz will also meet with the Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education and the US Consul General.
Through an open competitive tendering process, the Centre for Effective Education has won the contract to evaluate the delivery of Bookstart+ in Northern Ireland. Bookstart+ is a national initiative funded by the devolved administrations in Scotland and Wales, the Department for Children, Families and Schools in England and the Department of Education here in Northern Ireland.
Bookstart+ seeks to encourage all parents and carers to enjoy books with their children from as early an age as possible. It aims to do this by providing packs of books and literacy support to families through routine health visits. The programme is delivered by the UK national charity Booktrust.
The evaluation will comprise a randomised controlled trial involving 300 parents and children and will be led by Dr Liam O’Hare. Further information on Bookstart+ can be found at: www.bookstart.org.uk. For further details on the evaluation please contact Dr O’Hare at l.ohare@qub.ac.uk.
Queen's University has introduced a Certificate in Coaching and Mentoring, aimed at those responsible for supporting the development of others, either in the workplace or in a voluntary capacity. It has been added to a portfolio of courses already available through the University’s part-time learning programme.
Sinead McCotter, a human resources expert who runs the course at Queen’s School of Education, said: “The need for top management skills in Northern Ireland has never been greater. In the current economic climate, people should consider doing what they can to broaden their skills base and improve their prospects of employment or promotion.
“Managers should encourage their staff to set personal development goals, and support them in achieving these goals. The Certificate in Coaching and Mentoring will equip those who have responsibility for the development of others, with the skills to do just that. Taught on a part-time basis over one year, the course allows students to balance their own professional development with their existing work and home life.
“Coaching has become increasingly important in Northern Ireland. The economic downturn is forcing organisations to consider how to develop their staff without embarking on expensive training initiatives. Coaching and mentoring is an effective and efficient approach to internal capacity building, which can be adopted in any sector.
“In its 2008 Annual Survey, the Chartered Institute for Personal Development found that 70% of respondents now use coaching in their organisations, while in its Management and Leadership Development Strategy, the Department for Employment and Learning in Northern Ireland, recommended a focussed and pragmatic approach to the development of local managers and leaders through coaching and mentoring. We believe that in the current climate there is a demand for this approach to personal and professional development, which is why Queen’s has introduced this course.
“Across the business, government, education and voluntary sectors, from large corporations to youth, church or sports groups, this course will benefit anyone who is responsible for the coaching and mentoring of others.”
Professor Tony Gallagher, Head of Queen’s School of Education said: “Along with the existing MA in Human Resources Management and Certificate in Personnel Practice, the new Certificate in Coaching and Mentoring means that Queen’s School of Education has a part-time course suitable for those at all stages of their careers in human resources and personnel management.
“Queen’s offers a range of part-time courses in areas ranging from marketing and management to community development and counselling. Part-time study is ideal for those who want to gain an academic qualification but do not have the time or resources to invest in full-time education. It opens the doors to new opportunities, improves your career prospects and increases earning potential.
“From those who already have a degree to those who are coming to university for the first time, Queen’s has a part-time course to suit everyone. There are over forty courses to choose from and each one comes with the guarantee of excellence that distinguishes the standard of teaching and facilities at Queen’s.”
For more information on the part-time courses at Queen’s School of Education please visit our section.
A lecture and discussion lead by Professor Barry Golding, University of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia
Cathcart Room (G13), School of Education, 69/71 University St (Beside Duke’s Hotel), Queen's University Belfast
Tuesday 5 October 2010 - 1-2pm
ALL WELCOME
Barry Golding has led two major research projects examining men’s learning through community-based organisations across Australia in 2009. The research aimed to find out what men were learning, and how their wellbeing was enhanced through participating in community organisations. The study extended beyond conventional learning settings of adult and community education (within which in Australia, men are scarce), to places where men are in greater numbers, including sporting, fire and emergency services, aged-related, religious and indigenous organizations and men’s special interest organisations.The research into older men’s learning (across three Australian states - men 50+) was for the National Seniors Productive Ageing Centre. The research into men of all ages was for the Western Australian government. Both studies involved extensive surveys and interviews have transformed our empirical knowledge of men’s learning and wellbeing in diverse community settings. The presentation will examine findings from the study.
Listen to interviews about our (2009) 'Men's learning' research (for WADET and NSPAC) and 'Learning to be drier' research (published in Australian Journal of Adult Learning 2009 49:3) here.
BBC World Service broadcast on Australian men¹s sheds via podcast
Researching Adult & Vocational Education (RAVE) Group here.
Further Enquiries to Rob Mark, School of Education, Queen’s University Belfast r.d.mark@qub.ac.uk
Dr Claire McGlynn has recently returned from Israel where she has been collecting data on the second half of the integrated education project between Northern Ireland and the Hand in Hand project in Israel. Together with the Principal and Vice-Principal of Millennium Integrated Primary School she spent a week in the joint Arab-Jewish school in Jerusalem.
They also visited the Bridge over the Wadi Arab-Jewish school in Kfar Karah. During the visit the British Ambassador to Israel, Tom Phillips, held a reception at the British Embassy in Tel Aviv in their honour.
The photo shows from left to right: Barry Corrigan, VP of Millennium, Mary Roulston, P of Millennium, Dalia Perez, P of Maz Rayne Hand in Hand School, Jerusalem, Tom Phillips, British Ambassador to Israel, Dr Claire McGlynn, School of Education and Amin Khalaf, Chief Executive of Hand in Hand. Photo used by the kind permission of Mati Milstein.
Dr McGlynn is now supporting efforts to extend the initiative to teachers, parents and pupils from the two schools as well as between Hand in Hand, the Northern Ireland Council for Education and the Integrated Education Fund. The use of technology will be a particular aspect of this link and it is hoped to develop joint curricular projects related to growing up in divided societies.
An exciting opportunity exist for a full-time PhD studentship to be located within the Centre for Effective Education, starting in September 2010. The studentship is for three years will all fees paid and an annual maintenance grant of £13,290. Opportunities will also exist to supplement this income by undertaking paid fieldwork on some of the other CEE research projects.
The successful candidate will as part of a research team to develop and evaluate a volunteer mentoring programme to improve numeracy outcomes in primary school children. Click here for further details on the studentship and how to apply. The deadline for receipt of applications online is 24th March 2010. For more information please contact Dr Sarah Miller on 028 9097 5944 or via email at: s.j.miller@qub.ac.uk .
Due to the adverse weather conditions, some tutors are unable to attend classes. The following classes have been cancelled/postponed:
Monday 6th December
Understanding Autistic Spectrum Disorders: From Autism to Aspergers Syndrome (EDU9022)- tutor Jo Douglas.
Peace education in conflict and post-conflict societies: comparative perspectives (published by Palgrave Macmillan USA, 2009) a book edited by Claire McGlynn (School of Education, QUB), Michalinos Zembylas (Open University, Cyprus), Zvi Bekerman (Hebrew University, Jerusalem) and Tony Gallagher (School of Education,QUB) has been shortlisted for the Jackie Kirk Outstanding Book Award by the Comparative and International Education Society.
Please check the Schools seminar page here. Comming up over the coming weeks are seminars on:
- Convergence and divergence in post-compulsory education and lifelong learning across the UK - where is Northern Ireland heading in 2011? - 17th December 2010
- The Catholic school and the plural society - 3rd December 2010
Friday 5 November, 13.00 – Room G6 – School of Education, 69/71 University Street
“Using Choice and Competition to Address Educational Inequities: The Case of the United States”
By Professor Christopher Lubienski, Associate Professor, University of Illinois
Christopher Lubienski is an Associate Professor of education policy, and a fellow at the Forum on the Future of Public Education at the University of Illinois. He is also a fellow with the National Education Policy Center at the University of Colorado and the Education Policy Research Unit at Arizona State University. His research focuses on education policy, reform, and the political economy of education, with a particular concern for issues of equity and access. His current work examines organizational responses to competitive conditions in local education markets, including geo-spatial analyses of charter schools in post-Katrina New Orleans, and research on innovation in education markets for the OECD. After earning a PhD in education policy and social analysis at Michigan State University, Lubienski held post-doctoral fellowships with the National Academy of Education and with the Advanced Studies Program at Brown University. He was recently named a Fulbright Senior Scholar for New Zealand, where he will study school policies and student enrollment patterns. He has authored both theoretical and empirical journal articles on questions of innovation and achievement in school choice systems, including peer-reviewed articles in the American Journal of Education, the American Educational Research Journal, Educational Policy, and the Congressional Quarterly Researcher. His work has been featured in news media, including the New York Times, Washington Post, La Liberacion, Time Magazine, the Wall Street Journal, the Times Education Supplement, and Business Week. In addition to School Choice Policies and Outcomes: Empirical and Philosophical Perspectives (with Walter Feinberg, SUNY Press, 2008),
Lubienski recently published The Charter School Experiment: Expectations, Evidence, and Implications (with Peter Weitzel, Harvard Education Press).
‘Please sir, I’ve done the next three week’s homework. Is that OK?’ Self-directed learning and ICT in nine exemplary schools in England. Emeritus Professor Colin Harrison, University of Nottingham
Friday 22nd October - Room G6 - School of Education, 69/71 University Street, Belfast
This seminar will report some of the findings from the Becta Impact’09 project, which was led by Colin Harrison and Charles Crook, and which investigated the impact of ICT on teaching and learning in nine schools that had been identified using the criteria of high ICT activity and high value-added attainment scores. Interviews with 60 teachers, a ‘deep audit’ of ICT activity and detailed logs from 85 lessons provided a good deal of evidence on which to base the report, which focused particularly on the learning activities associated with ICT in the nine schools.
Colin Harrison held a personal chair in Literacy Studies in Education at the University of Nottingham from 1996-2010, and he has been visiting professor at Virginia Tech (1986) and the University of Texas at Austin (2007). He has directed over 50 research projects in the fields of literacy and new technologies. Among the six he has led for Becta are ImpaCT2 (2001), e-Portfolios (2007) and Web2.0 (2008). In the literacy field he was a founder editor of the Journal of Research in Reading (editor, 1981-84); his first book, Readability in the Classroom (1980) was reprinted four times; he is a former President of the UK Reading Association (1990-1), and in 2010 became the first scholar from the UK since 1984 to be awarded the International Citation of Merit from the International Reading Association.
Some recent publications:
- ImpaCT2 : Pupil Learning and Attainment: Coventry: Becta (2002) - http://research.becta.org.uk/index.php?section=rh&rid=13606
- Postmodern principles for responsive reading assessment, Journal of Research in Reading, 27(2), p163-173, (2003)
- Understanding Reading Development. London: Sage (2004)
- Impact of e-portfolios on learning: Coventry: Becta (2007) - http://research.becta.org.uk/index.php?section=rh&catcode=_re_rp_02_a&rid=14007
- Web 2.0 technologies for learning at KS3 and KS4. Coventry: Becta (2008) - http://research.becta.org.uk/index.php?section=rh&&catcode=_re_rp_02&rid=15884
The School of Law & the School of Education invite you to a seminar:
‘Opting Out of Religious Education: The Views of Young People from Minority Belief Backgrounds’
By Alison Mawhinney, Ulrike Niens, Norman Richardson and Yuko Chiba
A project funded by the AHRC/ESRC Religion and Society Programme, Friday, 17th September 2010 Canada Room, Lanyon Building, Queen’s University Belfast:
10.00-10.30: Registration and Coffee
10.30-12.30: Seminar
If you would like to attend it please contact Deaglan Coyle, – y.chiba@qub.ac.uk
Two Queen’s academics have been appointed editors of the prestigious British Educational Research Journal (BERJ). Dr Ruth Leitch and Professor Joanne Hughes from the School of Education have been appointed along with colleagues from the universities of Cambridge and Glasgow to head up BERJ, an internationally rated A* journal.
Professor Gardner, Head of School, had this to say: “This is yet another indication of the high standing of my colleagues in the School of Education, and perfectly in tune with our ranking in the top ten Russell Group schools of education”.
The University has released the schedule for this year's Summer Graduation ceremonies, commencing Monday 2nd July.
Graduati
http://www.qub.ac.uk/home/Graduation/
Professor Paul Connolly, Director of the Centre for Effective Education, took part in a seminar in Olso last week hosted by the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research. The seminar, organized by the Campbell Collaboration, focused on how to make better use of evidence in education.
Professor Connolly’s presentation focused on the work that the CEE has been undertaking in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, particularly in relation to the much wider use of randomized controlled trials to evaluate the effectiveness of educational programmes. There was much interest in the presentation from attendees at the seminar, especially in the fact that such trials have been run successfully with the support of schools, educational providers and other key stakeholders.
For further information please contact Professor Connolly at: paul.connolly@qub.ac.uk
Seminar by Professor Martha Fineman to discuss her article
'The Vulnerable Subject: Anchoring Equality in the Human Subject'
Friday 18 June 2010, 11.30am-1pm
Institute of Governance, 63 University Road, Seminar Room 1
Professor Fineman will discuss her recent article in the Yale Journal of Law and Feminism, entitled “The Vulnerable Subject: Anchoring Equality in the Human Subject”, with a particular focus on the implications for children.
To book a place, and for further information, please contact Prof Laura Lundy. Further information can be found here.
Dr Ruth Leitch and Professor John Gardner are giving keynote presentations at the International seminar at Stord/Haugesund University College, Norway June 16-18th. The topic of the seminar is ‘FEEDBACK’.
Other keynote presenters include:
- Professor Paul Black (Kings College- London)
- Professor Olga Dysthe (University of Bergen)
- Professor Anton Havnes (Oslo University College)
- Professor Frøydis Hertzberg (University of Oslo)
- Professor Sølvi Lillejord (University of Bergen/University of Oslo)
- Professor Kari Smith (University of Bergen)
For further information on the international programme see here.
School management would like to record their thanks to Professor Tony Gallagher for the excellent work he has done as Head of School for the past five years. Tony will continue to support developments in the School in his new role as Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Planning, Staffing and External Relations.
Professor Janette Elwood has kindly agreed to be Acting Head of School for the month of June 2010.
| This book brings together ten years’ work on the research and practice of coteaching and its impact on teaching and learning, predominantly in the sciences. Coteaching is two or more teachers teaching together, sharing responsibility for meeting the learning needs of students and, at the same time, learning from each other. Coteachers plan, teach and evaluate lessons together, working as collaborators on every aspect of instruction. Over the past decade, coteaching has become an increasingly important element of teacher education and it is expanding into other educational settings, as a result of research which has shown that coteaching can be highly beneficial to students and teachers (pre-service and in-service). The studies span three continents and primary, secondary and tertiary science education. They evaluate coteaching between preservice and cooperating teachers, between teacher educators and teachers, parents and teachers, students, teachers and special instructors such as translators or inclusion teachers, teacher educators and preservice teachers and between teacher educators. |
|
Una seeks to reduce racial and ethnic divisions and conflicts and building socially inclusive and respectful communities through the promotion of effective early childhood programmes. It does this through sharing and disseminating existing knowledge and practice and also through supporting the design, development and evaluation of new early childhood programmes around the world. Further details on the initiative are available from the new website.
The School of Education at Queen’s University Belfast is pleased to invite you to the latest Sharing Education Programme (SEP) Seminar – ‘Understanding the Past, Understanding the Present’.
We are delighted to announce the following speakers:
Speaker |
Institution |
Research Interests |
United States Institute of Peace, Washington DC |
Conflict Management and Resolution, Education, Governance, Human Rights, Post-Conflict Activities, Religion, Rule of Law | |
University of Ulster |
The teaching of Controversial Issues. | |
University of Bath |
Learning as cultural and social practice, Educational relationships and citizenship; Special educational needs; and Learning, assessment and professional development | |
American University, Washington DC |
Civil Society and Peace Processes, Post Conflict Justice and Rule of Law, Implementation Problems in Peace Processes |
This is the latest in a series of seminars and workshops examining local educational issues in an international context that are related to the ground breaking work that is being carried out by schools in Northern Ireland under the Sharing Education Programme.
The seminar will address issues surrounding education in divided and post-conflict societies, and will encourage discussion on the significant changes that are occurring in the Northern Ireland education sector.
If you are interested in attending please contact Jacqueline Lockhart at e-mail: j.lockhart@qub.ac.uk - Telephone: 028 90 975235
Wine & Cheese Event
30th April, 5pm-7pm, Room G6, School of Education
Three short presentations from cluster members, followed by discussion and refreshments
Karen Carlisle - ‘Cross-sectoral school collaboration in Northern Ireland'
Leslie McEvoy - ‘Theorizing human rights education: consensus, compromise and controversy’
James Nelson - ‘What is it possible to share? Investigating sharing in education using a grounded theory approach'
This event has been postponed due to the ongoing travel difficulties.
The event will be held on Thursday the 22nd April from 09.00 – 16.00 in the Great Hall, Lanyon Building
The aim of this seminar is three-fold. First, it will consider arguments for and against separate schools in the context of broad themes relating to ‘inclusiveness’, ‘social justice’, ‘social cohesion’ and ‘human rights’. Second, it will examine evidence from separate schools in Northern Ireland regarding their potential to meet the challenge of promoting social cohesion in a society that continues to experience high levels of sectarian tension and ethnic division. Third, representatives from the three main school sectors in Northern Ireland will offer perspectives on the challenges of a separate education system and the role of their school sector in helping to build the peace.
We are seeking to provide greater flexibility in the delivery of our courses, for example, for those who are interested in developing their knowledge and skills over a shorter period of time or who find it difficult to attend classes on a regular weekly basis. The modules on offer in August 2010 are:
- Creativity in Practice for Educators
- Coordinating Support for Learning in the 21st Century: Leading Teaching and Learning
These modules are available to new and current students in the Modular Postgraduate Programme (MEd/MSc/DASE/Adv Cert). Further information can be found here.
Professor Charles Russo from the School of Law at the University of Dayton, Ohio will be speaking at the School of Education on Friday the 16th April from 1pm to 2pm. Further information on the seminar can be found here.
Karola Dillenburger, of the School of Eduation, has been short-listed for Board of Directors of the Behavior Analysis Certification Board based in Tallahassee, Florida.
There are presently 6000 Board Certified Behavior Analysts internationally and the number is growing by 1000 each year. It is a great honor to be shortlisted. Elections are open at the moment.
For further information on Karola please click here.
School of Education Seminar Series
"Evidence-Based Literacy Education"
Professor Timothy Shanahan, University of Illinois at Chicago
1.00-2.00pm, Friday 19 March 2010
Cathcart Room (G13), School of Education, Queen's University Belfast
This seminar has been organised by the Centre for Effective Education in conjunction with the Improving Children's Lives initiative at Queen's. Timothy Shanahan is Professor of Urban Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago where he is Director of the Center for Literacy. He was director of reading for the Chicago Public Schools. His research emphasizes reading-writing relationships, reading assessment, and improving reading achievement. He is immediate past president of the International Reading Association. In 2006, he was appointed by President George W. Bush to serve on the Advisory Board of the National Institute for Literacy. He was inducted to the Reading Hall of Fame in 2007.
Professor Paul Connolly, Director of the Centre for Effective Education , has been appointed as Co-Chair of the Campbell Collaboration Education Coordinating Group. The ‘sister organisation’ to the Cochrane Collaboration , the Campbell Collaboration is an international research network that produces systematic reviews of the effects of social and educational interventions.
Campbell currently has five Coordinating Groups: Social Welfare, Crime and Justice, Education, Methods, and the Users group. The Coordinating Groups are responsible for the production, scientific merit, and relevance of our systematic reviews. They provide editorial services and support to review authors. Professor Connolly will co- lead the Education Coordinating Group as well as contribute to the wider strategic direction of the Campbell Collaboration by joining its Steering Group.
Speaking of the appointment, Professor Connolly said: “this is an extremely significant appointment and provides the opportunity to play a leading role internationally in promoting an evidence-based approach to education policy and practice. I am honoured to have been invited to join such a prestigious organization and see this invitation as reflecting the growing reputation that our Centre is developing internationally.”
For more information please contact Professor Paul Connolly.
Professor Tony Gallagher, Head of the School of Education speaking ahead of Queen’s annual City & Guilds Senior Awards ceremony on Wednesday 10 March said:
“Queen’s was one of the first universities in the UK to become involved in the City & Guilds scheme. It is an investment that has always yielded rich returns for our students and is even more important these days as the economic downturn has made the jobs market more competitive.
“City & Guilds enables students to acquire skills such as team working, good communication skills, creativity and leadership which, alongside their academic ability, will help them greatly.”
For further information please click here.
Michelle Elliott and Reg Empey, Minister for Employment and Learning
A School of Education EU funded project, EUR-ALPHA, will send Michelle Elliott to represent Northern Ireland at a learner seminar in Namur, Belgium. Michelle, who works for Langford Lodge Engineering, recently achieved her Essential Skill Level 2 in Numeracy and was chosen by the Department for Employment and Learning from last year’s Essential Skills Awards winners.
The EUR-ALPHA project is an EU funded Grundtvig initiative ( 2009-2012) involving 18 partners from 13 countries . A key aim of the Belgian seminar is the development of a European Charter for Literacy and Basic Skills Learners. The next meeting of the network is planned for Queen’s in September and will focus on teachers, technology enhanced learning and reflective practice.
Queen’s University Belfast School of Education and the Regional Training Unit are hosting the third annual Leadership lecture on Thursday the 11th March. This year’s speaker is Andy Hargreaves, the Thomas More Brennan Chair in Education at the Lynch School of Education at Boston College .
Andy Hargreaves's teaching and research at Boston College concentrates on sustainable leadership, professional learning communities, educational change and the emotions of teaching. His most recent publication is “The Fourth Way” in which he considers the way ahead for education leaders beyond the constraints recently imposed by standardisation. He deals with fundamental issues about learning and schools and sets out by briefly covering the three ways that have supported change in education in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Using evidence drawn from diverse research projects, Andy selects four examples of hope for the future:
- The world’s highest performing education system
- The most turned around school district in England
- A professional network of 300 underperforming schools
- Outstanding instances of community organization
Andy will challenge participants to think beyond their immediate comfort zones. He will confront the quick fix mentality that drives schools to delusional short-term gains at the expense of deeper and profound learning. He will use case studies from schools where improvement lasts and growth is sustainable. Drawing on evidence from health, sport and the business sectors, Andy will consider what leaders can learn from each other, for the benefit of society.
Andy will take us beyond the dead-ends of standardization and divisiveness to a future in which all teaching can be a high-skill, creative and life-shaping mission. He will raise the morale of participants and leave them re-energised.
“The Fourth Way is about less government and more democracy. The government shouldn't drive and deliver, but steer and support. Public engagement shouldn't stop at the ballot box, the focus group or service delivery, but be evident in the development of neighbourhoods and communities as in America's tradition of community organising on which Barack Obama cut his political teeth.
The Fourth Way galvanises professionals by giving them opportunities to develop curricula together within broad state guidelines. Teachers set shared targets, rather than scurrying around to meet the targets demanded by others.
In the Fourth Way, democracy plus professionalism, replaces bureaucracy and the market. Finally, in the Fourth Way, responsibility comes before accountability. Accountability becomes the conscience that checks you, not the ego or id that drives you. It is applied prudently to samples (as in Finland), not profligately through an expensive census.
The elephant in the room of the Third Way has been an excess of government control. It is now time to forge a Fourth Way that will create room inside the government elephant.”
Attendance is by invitation only and the event is now full.
“WRITING FOR PUBLICATION WORKSHOP”
1.00-2.00pm, Friday 26 March 2010
G13 (Cathcart Room), School of Education, 69/71 University Street
Professor Paul Connolly
This workshop focuses specifically on developing the skills necessary to writing articles for publication in high quality academic journals. With the Research Excellence Framework (REF) in mind, the workshop will focus on current definitions of quality and what an article rated as 3* or 4* within the REF system should look like. The workshop will then run through a number of practical skills in the planning, preparation and writing of articles aimed at achieving this level of quality. The workshop will be of interest to lecturers, contract researchers and research students nearing completion who are seeking to produce articles that are potentially returnable through REF. It will have a specific focus on education.
Doing Your Doctoral Research: Forging Links in Education
21st and 22nd May 2010 at QUB
Submission deadline 5th March 2010. Submission forms can be downloaded here. (Travel bursaries available.)
Keynote Speaker: Professor Gill Crozier
Generously Supported by SCoTENS and ESAI
Professor Paul Connolly, based within the School of Education at Queen’s, has been appointed to the position of the Donald Dewar Visiting Chair in Social Justice and Public Policy at the University of Glasgow. The appointment to this prestigious position – established in honour of Donald Dewar (1937 – 2000), the first holder of the office of the First Minister for Scotland – will run from 1 February 2010 for three years.
Commenting on the appointment, Professor Connolly said: “I am absolutely delighted with this appointment. It is an honour to be recognised by the University of Glasgow in this way. The appointment is very much a reflection of the innovative work we are undertaking at the Centre for Effective Education and testament to the increasing impact we are having nationally and internationally.”
“We already have good collaborative relationships between colleagues here within the School of Education and those in the Faculty of Education at the University of Glasgow. This appointment, that is located in the Department of Educational Studies at Glasgow, will enable us to develop those relationships much further.”
For more information please contact Professor Paul Connolly.
For the first time NICVA is able to offer accreditation by Queen's University Belfast for this popular fundraising course. It is one of the few fundraising courses for which you can get accreditation and carries 5 CATS points. This course is designed for volunteers, staff and trustees of voluntary and community organisation to help them to fundraise better.
http://www.nicva.org/events/managing-fundraise OR http://www.communityni.org/event/managing-fundraise
UCD QUB All Ireland Conference for Doctoral Researchers in Education - call for papers: Doing Your Doctoral Research: Forging Links in Education.
Application deadline 26th February 2010. A submission form can be downloaded here.
Conference 21st and 22nd May 2010 at QUB. Application forms available at doctoralconference@yahoo.com. Travel bursaries available.
Keynote Speaker: Professor Gill Crozier
President McAleese acknowledged the important contribution of community development workers to the regeneration of communities and the added significance of community development workers in Northern Ireland in dealing with the issues of peace-building and the legacy of the conflict.
This is a challenging time for community development workers but there are also exciting developments. The Forum has been developing all-Ireland standards for community development training as well as contributing to Lifelong Learning UK’s review of National Occupational Standards. At a time when funding constraints are becoming a reality it is even more important that community development workers have the confidence and skills to ensure quality as well as value for money in the projects they develop.
They also had the opportunity to reflect on the role of higher education in times of recession and the importance of opening up opportunities for part-time study.
On the 12th of January Karola Dillenburger gave a presentation on the MSc in Autistic Spectrum Disorders and Applied Behaviroual Analysis to the All Party Assembly Group on Autism. Further information on the Assembly Group can be found here.
The Graduate Acceleration Programme (GAP) was launched today by Business in the Community in partnership with Queen’s University Belfast and the University of Ulster and hopes to help graduates get on to the career ladder in 2010.
The Graduate Certificate in Organisation at the School of Education is an exciting new 15 week programme designed to help graduates develop the skills and knowledge they need to be successful in the work-place. GAP is a new 26-week work placement programme designed to improve employability skills and help accelerate job prospects. As well as giving graduates the opportunity to gain vital work experience, it also provides them with the chance to study for a specifically designed qualification at no cost. Those on the GAP programme will have to actively seek work during their placement and will be allowed time off to attend interviews and study.
For further information click here.
Volume 1, Issue 2 now published and available online here.
Contents:
Unobserved but not unimportant: the effects of unmeasured variables on causal attributions - Robert Coe
The effectiveness of the Success for All reading programme on primary EAL pupils in Hong Kong - Alan Cheung; Jenilyn A. Ledesma; Alexander Fung
How first year students perceive the fit between secondary and university education: the effect of teaching approaches - Marjolein Torenbeek; Ellen Jansen; Adriaan Hofman
The ‘re-imagining’ of evidence under New Labour: policy and practice in education in uncertain times - Robert Hulme; Moira Hulme
Quantitative measures of respect and social inclusion in children: overview and recommendations - Colin G. Tredoux; Noraini M. Noor; Lisa de Paulo
The latest issue of LEARNing Landscapes (Literacy: Multiple Perspectives and Practices) includes a paper by Shelley Tracey on using arts-based methods with adult literacy practitioners engaged in tutor education. The online version offers multimedia features not available in printed journals.
Shelley is the Coordinator of the Essential Skills tutor qualifications programme in the School of Education.
The School of Education Prize Winners, from left to right: Beverley Coomber, Gerard Heaney, Annetta McCullough and Nuala Bannon.
Local companies recognize excellence in Marketing by part-time students at Queen’s
At the recent School of Education Winter Graduation ceremony, Professor Tony Gallagher presented four outstanding part-time students with prizes for their success in Marketing, either as part of the BA Degree in Management and Business Studies or the .
- Beverley Coomber from Muckamore received the Asg Award for the best essay in the Diploma of Marketing, Advertising and Public Relations, also presented by Richard Elliot from Asg.
- Gerard Heaney from West Belfast received the Belfast Telegraph Award for the top student in the Marketing module of the BA Degree.
- Annetta McCullough from South Belfast received the Asg Award for the best essay in the Marketing module of the BA Degree, also presented by Richard Elliot from Asg.
- Nuala Bannon from Bellenleck, Co. Fermanagh, received the Belfast Newsletter Award for the top student in the Diploma in Marketing, Advertising and Public Relations.
During his address, Professor James McElnay (Pro-Vice Chancellor for Research and Postgraduates), who presented graduation certificates to around 200 students, highlighted the importance of lifelong learning and spoke of Queen’s University’s commitment to part-time students. The School of Education offers a number of other part-time courses in Business and Management, including:
| Certificate in Management Studies Certificate in Business Management Certificate in Personnel Practice Certificate in Coaching and Mentoring |
Graduate Certificate in Organisation and Management MSSc/PG Dip Work-Based Learning (Occupational Health and Safety) MSSc/PG Dip in Organisation and Management MA/PG Dip Human Resource Management |
To see the full range of courses on offer at the School of Education visit the section of our website.
These appointments formalize the link between the Assessment and Learning Cluster here in the School of Education with the Centre for Assessment and Learning studies at Bristol University. The CReST 14-19 Research Project that Jannette and Jo-Anne are leading is a 5 year study funded by the Qualification and Assessment Development Agency for £1.2m and investigates the impact of qualification reform on schools and colleges in England. For further information please visit the website http://www.14-19crest.org/ or contact Jannette Elwood at j.elwood@qub.ac.uk.
For details of how this event is being marked around the world see: www.unicef.org/rightsite
On the 20th anniversary of the UNCRC Dr Laura Lundy will be speaking at Foyle View School at an event celebrating the anniversary and the work of UNICEF’s Rights Respecting Schools Programme ( www.rrsa.unicef.org.uk ) which has been adopted by over 60 schools in Northern Ireland.
On 21st November 2009, Dr Laura Lundy will deliver the UNESCO Piets Akkermans Memorial lecture on the topic of “The UNCRC at 20: its impact in Europe” in a joint event for the College of Europe and European Education Law and Policy Association in the University of Antwerp.
The global children’s charity, UNICEF, have commissioned the Centre for Effective Education to conduct a formative evaluation of the national children’s television series, ‘Keremet Koch’ (‘Magic Journey’). The extremely popular series is the first to be developed in Kyrgyzstan in the last 20 years and comprises cartoons in which preschool children can learn through the magic trips of the main characters.
The formative research will include a large-scale survey of the current viewing habits and levels of awareness and attitudes towards the series among children as well as qualitative interviews with children and parents, teachers and other key stakeholders. The research will be led by Dr Angela Eakin within the Centre for Effective Education.
Commenting on the new project, CEE Director Professor Paul Connolly said: “we are absolutely delighted to be working in partnership with UNICEF on this project. Being commissioned to undertake this evaluation is testament to the growing international reputation we are developing for high quality evaluative research in the area of early childhood and our ability to work inclusively and in partnership with service providers and local organisations.”
The evaluation builds upon the expertise the CEE has already gained over recent years evaluating young children’s media programmes such as Sesame Tree here in Northern Ireland as well as the Media Initiative for Children: Respecting Difference programme.
For further information on the Magic Journal television series please visit: http://www.unicef.org/ceecis/reallives_13024.html For more information on this project please contact Dr Angela Eakin.
The Centre for Effective Education has won the contract to undertake two reviews for the Department of Education into pupils’ emotional health and wellbeing. One review will look at existing audit tools that schools can use to self-evaluate their ‘whole school’ practice with regard to promoting pupil’s emotional health and wellbeing and to recommend elements that could be applied in a Northern Ireland context. The second review is of existing good practice that promotes pupils’ emotional health and well-being within our schools, the key drivers to obtaining successful outcomes and integration of emotional health and wellbeing programmes throughout a school community.
The findings of this research will be used by the Department of Education in partnership with key statutory and voluntary/community organisations to design a ‘Pupils’ Emotional Health and Wellbeing Programme’.
The reviews will consist of a comprehensive search of emotional health and wellbeing assessment tools and literature as well as a substantial survey of school principals. The project will be led by three Dr Liam O’Hare (Principal Investigator), Professor Paul Connolly and Dr Caryl Sibbett. For further details on the reviews please contact Dr O’Hare at l.ohare@qub.ac.uk.
The Queen’s University Belfast School of Education and the information and survey centre, ARK, invite you to a keynote seminar
Keynote speakers
- Sue Palmer - Writer, broadcaster and consultant. Author of Toxic Childhood and 21st Century Boy
- Professor Peter Tymms - Director, Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring, School of Education, Durham University
Monday 19th October 2009 - 12.30pm-2.00pm - Great Hall, Queen’s University Belfast
For more information click here.
Friday 23rd October 2009 - 1.00pm - 2.00pm - Room G6 School of Education, 69/71 University Street
School of Education & Stranmillis University College - Lunchtime Research Seminar
“Schools fit for Children? Student voice, rights and social justice”Audrey Osler, University of Leeds & Institute of Education Hong Kong
In this presentation, Audrey Osler will report on a large scale study of young people in an English Midlands city, which set out to explore their perceptions of schooling. Audrey will critically examine the current interest among researchers and education professionals in ‘student voice’ and question why some social justice concerns come to the fore, whereas others relating, for example, to freedom of religion and diversity, are neglected, even at a time when they are prominent in political and media discourse. The presentation is designed to provoke debate on children’s rights and on the potential of the Convention on the Rights of the Child to serve as a tool for analysis in education and social justice research.
For further information click here.
A research team from the Centre for Effective Education has won the prize for ‘best poster’ at the British Educational Research Association Annual Conference. The prize, sponsored by the CfBT Education Trust was awarded to Professor Paul Connolly, Dr Emma Larkin and Dr Susan Kehoe for their poster reporting the findings of the evaluation they have recently completed of the effects of the children’s television series, Sesame Tree, on young children’s attitudes and awareness in Northern Ireland.
The BERA Conference is the largest annual gathering of educational researchers within the UK and this year attracted over 800 delegates at its meeting at the University of Manchester between 2-5 September. The prize was awarded during a packed plenary session and the poster was particularly commended for “excelling at communicating the findings of a complex research study in a clear and highly accessible way for policy makers and practitioners.”
Speaking of the prize, Professor Connolly said: “we were delighted to have received this prestigious award. Much of the credit for the poster is due to Emma and Susan who spent a lot of time planning very carefully how to present the findings.”
He went onto add: “This prize means a lot to us at the Centre for Effective Education where we pride ourselves on undertaking strong and scientifically-robust research but where we are also committed to ensuring that the findings are reported in an accessible and relevant way so that they contribute to policy and practice.”
The poster reported on two, linked, studies that were conducted during 2008 into the effects of Sesame Tree – the Northern Ireland version of the popular US-based Sesame Street – on the attitudes and awareness of 5-6 year olds. The first studied comprised a cluster randomized controlled trial involving 20 primary schools and 440 children whereas the second study comprised a naturalistic longitudinal survey of a separate sample of 697 children from 37 primary schools selected randomly from across Northern Ireland. A copy of the poster can be downloaded here.
During his stay Professor Ritter will be delivering a workshop on conducting randomised controlled trials in a social context and a lunchtime seminar on the role of tutoring programmes in enhancing academic performance.
Gary W. Ritter is the holder of the Endowed Chair in Education Policy in the Department of Education Reform at the University of Arkansas. He is also the Director of the University's Office for Education Policy and serves as a principal investigator on the US Department of Education’s “What Works Clearinghouse” project (leading the review of middle school math curricula). He has taught courses in program evaluation, education policy, and research methods at the University of Arkansas since 2000, when he earned a Ph.D. in Education Policy from the University of Pennsylvania.
Gary has conducted research in the areas of program evaluation, school finance, standards-based and accountability-based school reform, racial segregation in schools, and teacher compensation. His work has been published in journals such as Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, the Review of Educational Research, the Journal of Education Finance, Education Finance & Policy, the American Review of Public Administration, the Journal of Research in Education, the International Journal of Testing, the Georgetown Public Policy Review, Black Issues in Higher Education, Educational Leadership, and Education Next.
All welcome to the Workshop and Seminar - details below:
- Workshop - 11:00 - 15:30, Wednesday 30 September2009, G13 (Cathcart Room), School of Education
- Seminar - 13:00 - 14:00 (sandwich lunch at 12:30), Thursday 1 October 2009, G13 (Cathcart Room), School of Education
From Swahili to solar power, feminism to family trees, and hill walking to humanism, there is a course to suit everyone in Queen's University's new Open Learning Programme.
Over 300 short-courses are on offer through Queen's School of Education, ranging from popular options in languages, art, music and literature, to new courses such as Great Moments in Jazz, Reading Ulster Scots Poetry and Gothic Churches.
Dr Tess Maginess from Queen's School of Education said: "Queen's Open Learning Programme has something to suit everyone, regardless of their interests or abilities. Our courses usually take place one day or evening every week and are ideal for anyone who wants to pursue a new hobby, learn more about a topic in which they have a particular interest, or advance their personal development.
“With online registration at www.qub.ac.uk/edu/ol it has never been easier to sign-up for our classes. Many courses fill up quickly, so we would encourage you to enrol early, online or by telephone at 028 9097 3323.”
Learn how to reduce your carbon footprint with Making Green Energy Work in Your Home. The course explores the potential of green energy such as solar, wind and water power. How does it work? How much does it cost? What, if any, are the drawbacks? And are there any grants available? This course is a must for anyone who wants to reduce their household energy demands and carbon emissions by harnessing the power of renewable energy.
Get an insight into the ‘battle of the sexes’ with Myths of Modern Misses: A new look at Feminism, which takes a broad look at the feminist movement its relevance for today’s women. From the women of Wisteria Lane to the wives of the Mad Men, Television and the Suburban Housewife looks at the portrayal of suburban women on TV and what this tells us about gender roles in our society; while What Men Want: How to Manage the Men in Your Life looks at mutual understanding between the sexes as a key to greater harmony in the home and the workplace.
If you have ever watched ‘Who do you think you are’ and wondered about your ancestors, why not try Family History for Beginners. The course provides an introduction to genealogy to help you on the way to tracing your family tree. If you fancy your chances in Dragons’ Den, but you don’t know where to start, check out So You Want to be an Entrepreneur?. From finance to legal issues, the course explores what it takes to get your business idea off the ground.
Put on your dancing shoes for our Irish Ceili Dancing or Tango Salon classes, or sample some African language and culture with Swahili for Beginners or West African Hand Drumming, Dance and Song.
Get an introduction to Irish History with Ten Key Moments. From the coming of Christianity to the Battle of the Somme, this course is designed for those who have never studied Irish history but are keen to explore some of its defining moments. Forty years after the rise of the Civil Rights movement, Reform and Revolution: Ireland in the 1960’s looks back at its impact on our history. And as we approach the 70th anniversary of the beginning of the Second World War, The Phoney Peace: The World between the Wars asks if it was a war that could have been avoided, as Winston Churchill argued.
Dr Maginess said: “Open Learning is open to everyone over the age of 16. You don’t need any ‘ologies’ or prior qualifications to enrol and we are always pleased to welcome new learners. Whilst many of our courses take place at Queen’s, others run in towns across Northern Ireland.”
To find out more about Queen’s Open Learning Programme visit www.qub.ac.uk/edu/ol or call 028 9097 3323 or 3539.
The first issue of the new, international journal 'Effective Education' has just been published. Centre for Effective Education Director, Professor Paul Connolly, is the founding editor of the journal and the journal is run from the CEE. The journal has an impressive international Editorial Board and seeks to play a leading role in shaping the field of research into the effectiveness of educational programs, interventions and differing types of provision. What makes the journal distinctive is its aim of creating a space for critical debate and encouraging new ways of thinking in relation to evaluative research in education.
Published by Routledge Journals (an imprint of Taylor and Francis), the first issue is available to view online for free at the Effective Education website. Professor Connolly said: “I am absolutely delighted to see the first issue in print. There has been a lot of hard work that has gone into preparing this and I would like to thank all of the members of the Editorial Board, the publishers and also Joanne Mulgrew, here at the Centre for Effective Education, who has done a terrific job as the Editorial Assistant for the journal. I am also grateful to The Atlantic Philanthropies for part-sponsoring the journal.”
“In seeking to promote rigorous, high quality research into the effectiveness of educational programmes and interventions and to do this in an inclusive way that encourages critical debate and dialogue, the journal very much reflects the values of the Centre for Effective Education. Indeed this first issue includes an article by Laura Lundy and Lesley McEvoy that reports on one of the recently completed projects within the Centre that has sought to develop a children’s right-based approach to undertaking outcomes-focused research with children.”
For more information contact: Professor Paul Connolly.
The Centre for Effective Education have just published the findings of one of the largest ever randomised controlled trial evaluations of a pupil mentoring scheme. The trial, involving 734 9-10 year old children from 50 primary schools in Northern Ireland, ran for two years and was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of Business in the Community's Time to Read programme. The programme involved volunteers from local businesses visiting schools once per week to listen to children read.
The evaluation used a mixed methods design and included a qualitative element running alongside the randomised trial. The findings from the qualitative element confirmed the findings of previous evaluations that Time to Read was extremely well received by all of those involved, including the children, teachers and volunteer mentors. There was also a strong belief that the programme was having a positive effect especially in relation to the children's enjoyment of reading and their confidence as readers.
The findings from the randomised trial suggested that the Time to Read programme was having a positive effect on the children's future aspirations. However, the trial was unable to find quantitative evidence that the programme had any effect in relation to the other three outcomes focused on (the children's general levels of self-esteem, their enjoyment of education in general and their reading skills). The report argues strongly that these findings need to be treated with caution. It is stressed that while the trial has been unable to find quantitative evidence that the programme has had an effect in these three specific areas, this does not mean that it is not having effects in other areas.
Dr Sarah Miller, the Principal Investigator for the research, said: "This is an extremely important report that presents the findings of one of the largest and most robust evaluations ever undertaken internationally on volunteer mentoring programmes. For this particular trial, we have found strong evidence of a positive effect in relation to Time to Read increasing children's future aspirations. However the evidence in relation to the other outcomes is inconclusive."
"It is important to note that the design for this evaluation and the outcomes focused on were pre-specified and given before we as a research team were commissioned to undertake the evaluation. As we explain in our report, our findings suggest that the outcomes specified may have been too general in nature and possibly not specific enough to capture the particular effects the Time to Read programme may have been having."
As Dr Miller went onto explain: "The findings from the qualitative interviews indicated, for example, that there was a strong belief that the programme was having a positive effect in relation to improving the children's confidence as readers and also their enjoyment of reading. Unfortunately, the evaluation, as pre-specified, only focused on children's general levels of confidence and also their enjoyment of education in general. There is actually little evidence in the research literature that factors such as general self-esteem are related to educational attainment. However there is much stronger evidence that particular aspects of self-esteem - such as academic self-esteem - are related to how well children do."
In commenting on these findings Professor Paul Connolly, Director of the Centre for Effective Education, said: "This is a very valuable study that not only provides some of the strongest evidence available to date concerning the effects of volunteer mentoring schemes but also contains important lessons for the design and conduct of evaluations in education. We are continuing to work very closely with Business in the Community and are currently exploring the possibility of conducting a second, follow-up evaluation of the Time to Read programme. For this second evaluation we would be involved directly in working with Business in the Community to identify and select the outcomes to use. We would do this in careful consultation with all of the key stakeholders involved and would ensure that the outcomes chosen are more closely matched to the programme and better reflect the current stateof the research evidence in this area."
To download copies of the report please click here. For more information please contact Dr Sarah Miller on (028) 9097 5944 or at: s.j.miller@qub.ac.uk
As part of a major strategic investment by Queen's into childhood research, the university is currently advertising 12 full-time PhD studentships. 6 of these are being provided through the Improving Children's Lives research initiative and 6 through the Research Forum for the Child.
The 6 studentships associated with Improving Children's Lives project are open to home and EU applicants. The studentships relate to specific projects that will be jointly supervised across various Schools within Queen's. For more information on the initiative as well as on eligibility criteria, potential projects, guidance notes on how to apply and who to contact for informal enquiries please visit www.improvingchildrenslives.org .
The 6 studentships associated with the Research Forum for the Child are open to home, EU and international applicants. These studentships are open to any area of interdisciplinary research on childhood. For more information on eligibility criteria, guidance notes on how to apply and who to contact for informal enquiries please visit www.qub.ac.uk/child.
All of these studentships are available from October 2009, and cover University fees and a maintenance allowance of £13,290 per annum, for three years.
A professor from Queen's has secured a prestigious visiting professorship at Oxford University as a result of his outstanding research into educational assessment.
Professor John Gardner from Queen’s School of Education is particularly well-known for his research into the 11-plus. He and his colleague, Dr Pamela Cowan, showed that the technical aspects of the exam were fundamentally flawed.
He said: “The research spelled the end of this form of testing for the high stakes process of allocating grammar school places."
Professor Gardner is also a member of the internationally renowned Assessment Reform Group, which is made up of a small group of UK experts who have made a considerable impact in many countries.
Their work has featured in assessment developments in countries such as the USA, Canada, Australia, Singapore, China and New Zealand.
Professor Gardner joined the group in 1992 and has contributed to many changes including the promotion and adoption of Assessment for Learning principles in the curricula of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland over the past ten years.
He said: “The now widespread recognition of the importance of using assessment information to support student’s learning is a major triumph of the group’s work.”
Professor Gardner began his new post at Oxford earlier this month where he is focusing on assessment-related research. He said: “I am delighted to be appointed as Visiting Professor to Oxford and I am looking forward to a fruitful collaboration between our two departments,” he said.
“Assessment remains a hot topic from primary schools right through to universities and it is a privilege to have the opportunity to work at Oxford with some of the most important people in the field,” he added.
Professor Gardner is working with Professor Gordon Stanley, Director of the Oxford Centre for Educational Assessment, and his team in Oxford University’s Department of Education.
For further information please contact: Emma Blee, Press & PR Unit, Tel: +44 (0)28 9097 2576, press.office@qub.ac.uk
Martina Carey from the School of Education encourages people to sharpen up their skills with part-time learning at Queen's.
The School of Education has launched its new range of part-time courses for those who want to sharpen their skills, but don’t have the time or resources to invest in full-time education. Courses at all levels across a wide range of areas, from Management and Human Resources , to Education and Counselling , are on offer.
What better way to meet the challenge of these difficult economic times than to grasp the initiative and upgrade your skills base? Part-time learning can open the door to new opportunities, improve your career prospects and increase your earning potential.
If you are considering a new career path, or you want to enhance your chances of promotion, studying part-time is the ideal solution. Cost-effective and flexible, it can accommodate the busiest of lifestyles. We allow you to work at a pace that suits you, so that you can balance your studies with your existing work and home life.
People who already have jobs, careers and families sometimes feel that there are gaps in their professional or personal lives that could be filled by returning to education. However, because of their already busy lifestyles, they don’t feel able to commit to a full-time university course.
Part-time study at Queen’s offers these people the opportunity to gain a qualification from one of the most respected universities in the UK, whilst continuing with their lives at home and in the workplace.
From those who already have a degree to those who are coming to university for the first time, Queen’s has a part-time course to suit everyone. There are over 40 courses to choose from and each one comes with the guarantee of excellence that distinguishes the standard of teaching and facilities at Queen’s.
If you want to achieve your educational goals, develop your career and enrich your life, take a look at our part-time courses and find the course that’s right for you.
For further information you can also email the School of Education at education@qub.ac.uk or telephone 028 9097 5941/3323.
Time is running out for parents to access the free advice and support on offer in a study being conducted by jointly by the Institute of Child Care Research and the Centre for Effective Education on behalf of the Lifestart Foundation.
Researchers are looking for parents with babies under 12 months to take part in one of the largest studies of families and parenting ever undertaken on the island of Ireland.
The aim of the Lifestart Study is to evaluate the Lifestart Home Based Parenting Programme. Those who participate will receive free feedback on their child’s development. Over 300 families have already signed up for the study. The researchers are particularly calling on parents in Derry, Dungiven, Enniskillen, Strabane, Limavady, Lifford, Letterkenny, Newtowncunningham, Inishowen, Donegal Town, Ballymunn (Dublin), Sligo, Offaly and Kildare to take part.
The study, funded by Atlantic Philanthropies, is being led by Dr Sarah Miller from the Centre for Effective Education and Dr Helga Sneddon from the Institute of Child Care Research. Dr Sneddon said: "The Lifestart programme aims to support families, with children aged from birth to five, through the ups and downs of parenting by helping them learn and understand more about their child’s development on a month by month basis.
“Of the 500 families we are seeking to take part in this research, 250 of them will be entered into the Lifestart programme. This will allow us to find out more about their experiences of parenting compared to those who are not involved in the Lifestart programme.
“The Lifestart Study will evaluate how well the Lifestart Home Based Parenting Programme works for parents and children. Rather than making assumptions about what we think parents need, we are giving them the opportunity to share directly with us their experiences and the type of support they find useful in their role as parents.
“Those families who volunteer to take part in The Lifestart Study will be visited by us in their homes during their child’s first year, again when the child is two, and finally when the child is five years old. Throughout this time, we will talk with mums and dads about their parenting experiences and be able to provide some useful free feedback to them on their child’s development.
“Participating in the study will help us improve early years parenting support and identify gaps in the services available to parents throughout Ireland. Anyone who is interested in taking part should contact us for more information before the end of June. From Northern Ireland freephone 0800 0855031 or text 07870 509677, from the Republic of Ireland freephone 1800 818 688 or text 08583 48617; or email lifestartstudy@qub.ac.uk”
Pauline McClenaghan, Executive Director of the Lifestart Foundation, said: "This evaluation is very important to Lifestart and to local parents. We believe that the Lifestart Programme is a very useful resource for parents in that it provides them with information and tools to support their child’s learning and development. We at Lifestart are delighted that our programme has been chosen for this study."
As the conflict in Gaza continues, Queen's University is offering the opportunity to learn about the origins of the conflict.
The Battle for Palestine is one of over 100 short courses on offer through the University's Open Learning Programme. Course tutor, Richard Irvine said: “Beginning with the pogroms of Russia, this ten week course outlines the tragic history of the Palestinian/Israeli conflict, helping students understand why this region is almost permanently in a state of crisis"
The ongoing crisis in the middle-east is just one of the issues facing Barack Obama as he takes his place at the White House. Another of those issues – the ‘war on terror’ – is the subject of America at War. This course aims to explain the current ‘war on terror’ and the conflict in Iraq in the context of America’s history of war. Going right back to the War of Independence, the course explored how and why America fought the wars she did.
Dr Tess Maginess from Queen’s School of Education said: "Queen’s Open Learning Programme has something to suit everyone, regardless of their interests or abilities. Our courses usually take place one day or evening every week and are ideal for anyone who wants to pursue a new hobby, learn more about a topic in which they have a particular interest, or advance their personal development.
"There are dozens of courses in languages, philosophy, religion, history, law, leisure and counselling, to name a few.
"The programme offers a range of courses to help chase away the winter blues. Look forward to spring and get some great ideas for your garden with The Story of Gardening. If you prefer to explore nature from your armchair, try Literary Nature Writing.
"If you want to get away from it all, and beat the credit crunch, Travel on the Internet provides useful tips on finding cheap flights and bargain hotels online. The money-saving theme continues with Inheritance Tax: A Guide to Preserving Family Wealth.
"Music enthusiasts can discuss and play their favourite music while exploring Defining Moments in Fifty Years of Rock, Pop and Soul, while anyone who’s ever been lied to should check out Allen Baird’s one-day course on How to Become a Human Lie Detector. There are also lots of practical courses in areas like painting, creating film scripts and digital photography."
Queen’s Open Learning classes begin week commencing 26 January 2009. For more information call 028 9097 3323/3539 or book online at www.qub.ac.uk/edu
Nicola Ingram, full-time PhD student in the
The postgraduate poster competition is an event open to second and third year PhD students throughout the university. Overall 150 students entered the competition and 3 prizes were awarded to students in each faculty. The event was mainly sponsored by Hewlett Packard, who also provided the prizes.
Nicola’s poster focused on her doctoral research that is exploring issues of identity with teenage boys, using visual methods. Speaking of the award Nicola said: “I’m delighted to have won first prize at such a popular event. It’s a bit of a challenge to have to communicate your ideas to people from outside your own discipline but I found it helped me to pin down the main focus of my research”.
Nicola is supervised by Professor
Nicola was awarded her prize of a HP Laptop by a representative of Hewlett Packard and Professor James McElnay, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Postgraduates.
For further information please contact Nicola Ingram at: ningram01@qub.ac.uk
The School of Education has experienced a phenomenal increase in the number of applications for part-time study with applications for undergraduate courses rising by 140% and postgraduate courses by 16%. This is contrary to the national trend, with other universities witnessing a major decline in numbers due to the uncertain economic conditions
Of particular note is the increased interest in the part-time undergraduate degree, which until now had been in long-term decline. Recruitment to the Management and Business Studies pathway increased by over 174% while Arts, Culture and Society rose by 150%.
Professor Tony Gallagher, Head of the School of Education, commented
“I am delighted with the number of applications and enrolments and it’s particularly encouraging when we consider it alongside the credit crunch and the change in peoples’ economic circumstances. This year we implemented a major marketing campaign in conjunction with central marketing and the results have been outstanding. We are continuing to develop a number of new programmes to ensure that the local community has access to an even broader range of high quality part-time courses for personal and professional development. “
Professor Gallagher believes that with the expected demographic downturn in Northern Ireland, the university will have to move away from "nine-to-five thinking" and offer more part-time courses both at an undergraduate and postgraduate level.
His recent Times Higher interview on future trends in part-time study can be viewed here:
http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=26&storycode=403960
The Open Learning Programme has been shortlisted for a Times Higher Education Award in the Outstanding Contribution to the Local Community category. Tess Maginess, Cathal McManus and Wendy Hunter will represent the School at the black-tie awards dinner and presentation in London on 23 October.
The nomination reflects the success the Open Learning team has had in engaging positively with diversity and difference in order to meet the needs of the local community as it emerges from more than 30 years of conflict.
The Peace-building in Interface Communities course is delivered in North Belfast, which suffered badly during the years of violence. The Understanding Prejudice and Discrimination project worked with community groups to study the roots and consequences of prejudice. The Disability and Cultural Traditions project looks at exclusion by comparing the experience of disabled people with those who are excluded on sectarian grounds. It will become part of a publicly funded three-year project focusing on mental health in rural areas.
Altogether Queen’s has been nominated in three categories; the other two are in the Excellence and Innovation in the Arts and Entrepreneurial University of the Year categories. More than 130 institutions have submitted 500-plus entries across the 18 categories, so managing to make it onto the short-list is already a tremendous result for all involved at Queen’s.
Excitement is building in the Open Learning office and we wish them all the best of luck.
Teachers from all over Ireland are going back to school to learn how to advance inclusive education from concept to standard everyday practice in our schools and invoke the correct teaching methods for pupils with special or additional learning needs.
Teachers from schools as far apart as Antrim and Cork have signed up to take part in this the first accredited course of its type in Ireland. The course is delivered by Queen’s University School of Education and the Institute of Child Education and Psychology Europe (ICEP). The online nature of the course is unique to the School of Education. It allows students to study in any location by means of interactive learning activities, online tutorials, class discussion boards and access to experienced tutors via email and telephone.
The Advanced Diploma in Professional Development (Adv Dip PD) Inclusive Education is designed to equip teachers with the skills needed to teach pupils with special or additional learning needs. Such pupils, including those with disabilities, are now entitled to a place in their local mainstream school – posing an obvious additional challenge to every teacher.
Some of the teachers who are undertaking the course attended an induction ceremony at Queen’s University.
Richard Jay, Director of Education at the School of Education, told the teachers: “This Advance Diploma is designed to build the capacity of teachers and other professionals, enabling them to respond effectively to the diverse educational needs of all pupils, especially those with special and additional educational needs”.
Jenny Robinson, Regional Director (NI and Scotland) of ICEP, said: “We know that there is a sizeable number of children with special educational needs in our schools at any one time. Quite correctly, these children have the right to be educated alongside their peers in the mainstream education system and it is imperative that teachers acquire the skills set to enable them to respond to this challenge. Through this course we will give teachers those skills and by delivering it online we give them the opportunity to obtain the qualification at a time and pace compatible with the demands of their busy working lives.”
The Advanced Diploma is specifically aimed at assisting teachers to manage the increasing range of pupil needs in mainstream classrooms. This includes pupils with special or additional learning needs such as dyslexia or autism, and pupils who may have emotional or behavioural difficulties or other exceptional needs.
Further information about the Diploma may be obtained at www.icepe.eu or by contacting Jenny Robinson, Regional Director Tel: +44 (0) 78 2878 0567.
On a 12 month secondment to the School, Philip O'Sullivan is working on a research project - Education and A Shared Future - funded by the European Union Peace II Programme and supported by the Community Relations Council.
The aim of this project is to critically analyse the content of the Independent Strategic Review of Education (ISRE – Bain Review] and the Education Reform (NI) Order 2006 (ERO) as delivery mechanisms for A Shared Future and make a number of informed recommendations aimed at improving structures and procedures concerning the development of education policy and promotion of shared education in practice.
Part of the project entails identifying a series of opportunities for the promotion of shared education in two identified local area case studies where falling rolls within schools and cross-community sharing and cross-sector collaboration are live issues.'
A new book 'Addressing Ethnic Conflict through Peace Education; International Perspectives' co-edited by Dr Claire McGlynn has just been published by Palgrave Macmillan USA
This compelling collection on peace education includes contributions from an international group of scholars representing a wide variety of geographical conflict areas and exemplifies the multiple venues of peace educational labor. A strong emphasis is given to integrative and sustained long-term peace education
efforts.
"Bekerman and McGlynn have drawn together an impressive range of case studies to illustrate the complex relationship between education and conflict. These are real life experiences from a variety of cultural settings covering issues related to desegregation and integration through education, the curriculum, pedagogy, and teacher education. An impressive addition to an important and growing field of study and essential reading for anyone with an interest in peace education."—Alan Smith, UNESCO Chair, University of Ulster
"Peace education activities face formidable challenges in the form of mutually exclusive identities, opposing historical memories, contradicting belief systems, inequalities, bad feelings and, often, a belligerent social and political environment. This book provides insightful analyses and case descriptions of peace and reconciliation education programs in such contexts, coming from a variety of conflict-ridden countries and representing different perspectives. It offers a rich and well thought-out mosaic of chapters, the reading of which would be very important to whoever is involved in peace and reconciliation education." —Gavriel Salomon, Director of the Center for Research on Peace Education, University of Haifa
"We are offered hope that we can live in peace by authors whose societies have experienced terrible conflicts and we are offered a pathway to this future. The authors represent a new breed of revolutionary theorists and practitioners who have devised techniques of changing people’s attitudes and behaviors toward war and inter-group violence. While education has always been used to prepare people to function in their societies, in this case education is being used in the service of creating a new world order —a world at peace. This book goes a long way toward making this vision a lived reality." —Walter G. Stephan, Professor of Psychology, New Mexico State University
Zvi Bekerman teaches Anthropology of Education at the School of Education and The Melton Center for Jewish Education, Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Claire McGlynn teaches Initial Teacher Education and Continuing Professional Development at the School of Education, Queen’s University, Belfast.
Promoting shared education is a key commitment within the Programme for Government for Northern Ireland and the Advisory Group will advise the Minister on how best this can be done.
In announcing the membership of the Group, the Minister said: “There is scope, and need, for more shared education which will deliver quality education to all children, as well as equality, good relations and community cohesion benefits. Shared education has an important role to play and now is an opportune time to debate this across civic society.”
“I have appointed Professor Connolly, chair of the Advisory Group and he will be assisted by Dawn Purvis and PJ O’Grady in this important work. The members of the Group have been chosen because of their personal commitment to improving education – not because they represent any organization or sector.”
Over the next six months, the Ministerial Advisory Group will consider existing evidence and examples of good practice and will consult widely with parents, pupils and key stakeholders.
Speaking of his appointment, Professor Connolly said: “We are delighted to have been invited to undertake this fundamental review of how best to take forward shared education in Northern Ireland. Being one of they key commitments in the Programme of Government we are also aware of how strategically important our advice to the Minister will be.”
“As a Group we are committed to being open and inclusive in our approach and will seek to consider all arguments and options. Underpinning our work will be a commitment to being evidence-based.”
“We are due to meet over the next few weeks to set out our methods and programme of work and will issue a further statement with details of this in due course.”
For further information please contact Queen’s University Communications Office at: comms.office@qub.ac.uk or at: (028) 9097 3091.
All those who knew Karen Cromie at the School of Education were shocked to hear of her passing. Over the past two years, Karen had been a student on the MSc Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Karen was a full-time sportswoman, having excelled in rowing. She took part in the Paralympics in Beijing in 2008 when she achieved an amazing 5th place in the doubles. She was in training for London 2012.
With her background in Occupational Therapy she became interested in learning more about ASD when she met fellow sportsmen and women with the condition. She applied herself to the course with the same enthusiasm that she had for her sports. Karen told us how much she enjoyed the course and that she learned much but I know that in turn she taught so much more. Thank you Karen. She will be sorely missed by fellow students and tutors.
On January 22nd, the Centre for Children’s Rights recent research on the legal implementation of the UNCRC in twelve countries was launched in the Scottish Parliament in an event chaired by Neil Bibby MSP, shadow Minister for Children and Young People. Professor Laura Lundy outlined the key findings of the report and in response, Aileen Campbell MSP, Minister for Children and Young People welcomed the research and said that it would inform their next steps in relation to the Children and Young People Bill and ongoing efforts to implement the UNCRC. Anita Tiessen, Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF-UK addressed the implications for the UK government and Professor Kay Tisdall of the University of Edinburgh reflected on the implications of the research for Scotland.
These helping strategies will be taught in a practical interactive way, using multimedia training resources, so that participants can utilise them at home or work settings.
This course will be taught by Nichola Booth (PEAT) in Collaboration with Centre for Behaviour Analysis. This course carries 5CATS points at Level 1. For more information visit our Open Learning pages.
A team from the Centre for Shared Education returned to Macedonia in November 2012 to support the work being carried out to overcome division within the Macedonian education system. The visit followed a project funded by UNICEF which explored closer integration and sharing within the countries schools.
As a result of the UNICEF funded Centre for Shared Education report further funding has been found through USAID to support a sharing education programme between ethnic Macedonian and Albanian schools. Professor Joanne Hughes, Professor Ruth Leitch and Mark Baker from the Centre were delighted to have the opportunity to further advise on the development of the programme. Project schools were visited in Skopje and Kichevo and seminars were given to key stakeholders including representative from the Ministry of Education.
The Centre members found it a useful opportunity both to continue research into the area of division within education but also to present information on Northern Ireland and compare the two contexts and the role shared education can play in bringing pupils together in the classroom.
It is expected that there will be a number of future visits.
At this Research Impact Event Professor John Gardner from the University of Stirling will introduce discussion on the outcomes of the ESRC funded Consulting Pupils on the Assessment of their Learning (CPAL2) project.
Venue: Riddel Hall, Queen’s University Belfast
Date: Friday 1 February 2013
Time: 4pm - 6.15pm
Refreshments available.
Please RSVP: Jan Speer
One of the outcomes of the project is a video.
3:30-5:00pm, Room 08, 18 College Green (entrance via 20 College Green)
Please note change of venue
Designing and Conducting Collaborative Multi-Site Qualitative Research
This workshop will be interactive and students are asked to come with some issues they have in relation to the topic which can be addressed through. The workshop will begin by Ingrid introducing some aspects and dilemmas of a qualitative funded study that focusing on issues of critical literacy, identity and ideology emerging from student teachers' responses to multicultural picture books and the potential of the texts for teaching. She will raise methodological issues of research approaches, data collection methods, ethics, data analysis, dilemmas etc in this multi-site case-study and then move to an open discussion with students on their understandings and issues which resonate with some of these concerns.
Professor Ingrid Johnston is former Dean of the Faculty at UoA, Professor of English Education in the Department of Secondary Education. She completed her first degrees at the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal in South Africa before moving to Canada. Professor Johnston has had a wide experience of undertaking qualitative research. Her research and teaching interests focus on teacher education for diverse contexts, postcolonial literary theories and pedagogies, and Canadian children's literature.
Please contact Lara Sittlington if you wish to attend
Paul Connolly and Lesley Emerson from the School of Education were invited to talk specifically about the development of interdisciplinary research centres and innovative approaches to research with children and young people respectively.
Paul Connolly, Head of the School of Education, focused on the experiences of establishing the School's and the wider cross-university initiative Improving Children's Lives. Lesley Emerson, Deputy Director of the School's shared some of the innovative child rights-based methods that the Centre has developed.
Speaking of the event, Paul Connolly said: "We were absolutely delighted to have been invited to contribute to this strategically important event for higher education in Morocco. The fact that we were invited specifically demonstrates the strong reputation the School of Education has for applied and interdisciplinary research internationally in the area of children and young people. While in Morocco we made a number of important connections and plan to follow these up over the year ahead."
For further information contact Lesley Emerson at: l.emerson@qub.ac.uk
Queen's holds a Silver institutional honour by Athena SWAN Charter
The pilot aims to recognise that, in addition to university-wide policies, the School is working to promote good practice in employment and gender equality and to address challenges particular to the discipline. This pilot submission and subsequent evaluation by a panel of experts will allow recommendations to be made to ECU regarding the issues to be addressed and identify good practice to recommend for recognition through a possible future award scheme.
Recently, Queen’s has been named as the lead university in the United Kingdom for tackling the unequal representation of women in science and engineering. It is the only UK University to be awarded a Silver institutional honour at the Athena SWAN Charter awards, which recognise the commitment of institutions, and science, engineering and technology (SET) departments, to addressing gender inequalities and improving career progression for female academics. Read more here.
Professor Cook-Sather is currently the Jean Ruddock visiting scholar at the University of Cambridge. As part of this fellowship, she has been running an annual workshop at Cambridge which brings together invited experts on student voice. Professor Laura Lundy, who is continuing her work on children's right to participation in educational decision-making, has been participating in these workshops.
While at Queen's, Professor Cook-Sather ran a Masterclass on the theme of Student Consultation as a Right in Secondary Teacher Preparation. This was attended by teachers, child rights advocates, academic staff and students. Participants had time to share their own experiences of student participation and have formed a special interest group to disseminate information on theory and practice.
To view the Masterclass please click here
The conference is jointly organized by the Schools of Education in Queen’s University Belfast, the University of Ulster, University College Dublin and the National University of Ireland Galway.
Where and When?
The conference will be held on the upper floors of the Queen's Students Union () on Friday 18th May and Saturday (morning only) 19th May with registration in the Students Union at 9:45am on the Friday.
Conference timetable
Representatives will be present to ensure you find your way to the conference area. Visitors to all or parts of the conference are welcome and there is no registration fee. If you have any further questions regarding the conference please email.
Tuesday 29 May 2012, 17.00 - 18.30, Canada Room, Lanyon Building
The School of Education in conjunction with the Research Forum for Child present an Open Lecture -
The Right to Education: A Historic Moment in India
By Professor Anita Rampal, Dean of the Faculty of Education, University of New Delhi, India
Please RSVP to Stewart McKibbin
Monday 28 May 2012, 14.00 - 16.30, Cathcart Room School of Education, 69 University Street
Please note that the date of this event has changed
Children’s Voices: Visual and Participatory Research Methods with Children
Professor Anita Rampal, Dean of the Faculty of Education, University of Delhi, India with Professor Ruth Leitch, School of Education, Queen’s University
This workshop is open to students (and staff) who are interested in learning more about creative possibilities for engaging children and young people in research. Professor Rampal has had extensive experience of researching with children (e.g. literacy campaigns) in India using creative verbal and visual methods and Professor Leitch will share her experience of analysing visual images and children’s narratives. Cross-cultural differences will be discussed. Students may bring children's writings/recordings/drawings and activities and commentary will be provided on possibilities for understanding/analysing such data with children.
Places limited: please contact Stewart McKibbin to secure a place.
The General Teaching Council for Northern Ireland is committed to supporting teachers’ professional development. This fellowship programme seeks to give two teachers an opportunity to spend one term at Queen’s University Belfast or one of the other Northern Ireland teacher education providers to develop innovative and best practice relating to teaching, learning and assessment. The programme is aimed at teachers with ten or more years experience who are currently involved in the development of innovative practice in their own school and for whom the fellowship will provide the opportunity to work with local academics and experts in the related area to move their initiative or project forward.
Closing date for applications: 11 May 2012, at 4 pm
More information on the Teaching Fellowship Programme is available here.
Summer Graduation - Schedule Announced
The University has announced the dates for Summer Graduations, commencing on Monday 2nd July, please click here for full schedule.
Graduation is one of the most exciting and prestigious events in the University's calendar. We would like to wish all our Final Year students 'Good Luck' as their hard work comes together.
Children and Young People participating in Project 500 enjoy an event such as science show or talk by a leading scientist in their local library, take part in a book-based or ICT-facilitated activity and then undertake a reading challenge.
Speaking about the visit, Dr Jarman said: "At Queen’s we are committed to the STEM agenda, so we are delighted today to have been joined by Her Royal Highness, The Princess Royal. Her visit highlights the importance of ensuring our children have access to today’s fascinating and captivating science books. Such books open up exciting new worlds, and through Project 500, with the help of Libraries NI, we are encouraging our children to visit their local library and discover for themselves just how enjoyable reading about science can be." Our hope is that those who participate in the project will develop the interest and confidence to become life-long readers of science books and, perhaps, some may even be inspired by what they read to continue to study science beyond school. Many practising scientists report that their interest in the subject was kindled by books they read as a child.
Irene Knox, Chief Executive, Libraries NI, added: “It is a great privilege for us to welcome HRH The Princess Royal to our recently refurbished Holywood Library. Libraries NI staff, in collaboration with the School of Education at Queen’s University Belfast, have been working hard to ensure the success of this programme ‘Project 500: Public Libraries as Science Learning Environments’ so it has made their efforts all the more worthwhile to have been acknowledged by this special VIP guest”
Peace Schools Surrounded By Conflict
Teachers from Israel, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, Croatia and Cyprus gather in Belfast this week to look at the model of integrated education in Northern Ireland and to discuss their experiences and challenges in developing integrated education in their own regions. First Minister Peter Robinson has spoken about his wish to end the “benign apartheid” of the Northern Ireland education system; now an international spotlight is turned on Belfast as campaigners evaluate what progress has been made.
A conference for integrated peace education, running in Belfast from 6-8 March 2012, looks at the importance and the difficulty of bringing cultures together in an environment of openness and understanding. How does a teacher achieve this in a school operating in a society with a history of conflict and division? Delegates will bring experiences from some of the most discordant regions in the world, where they are working to bring children together to learn and grow across cultural and political barriers.
The teachers, academics and visitors from NGOs will visit Belfast integrated schools and tour sites in the city connected with the Troubles. They will also attend a dinner at which the guest speaker is Baroness May Blood, Campaign Chair of the Integrated Education Fund, trade unionist and member of the House of Lords.
Dr Claire McGlynn, of Queen’s University School of Education, describes the event as “...a unique opportunity to bring together the pioneers of integrated education from a number of troubled societies in order to share their knowledge and experiences. Building on work by Queen’s University, we hope to establish an international network for practice and research in integrated education that will provide support for each other and for societies planning integrated education initiatives.’’
Ljuljjeta Brkic of Nansen Dialogue Sarajevo comments “I will come to the conference bringing my experience from Bosnia and Herzegovina, where education is segregated in three parts. I’m looking forward to gaining insight into integration processes in other places from other delegates”.
Dr Zvi Bekerman of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem says “Paradoxically there is something nice about knowing that others might have similar problems. If you share your story you realize it is not so unique; gaining knowledge about others facing similar issues gains you perspective and - even more important - knowledge of other people’s problems and solutions. Add to all this a serious attempt to learn and recognize historical and contextual differences and you get a basic idea of why our conference might be of significance…”
The conference is hosted by Queen’s University Belfast, the Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education and the Open Society in conjunction with the Hebrew University Jerusalem and the Open University of Cyprus. The main venue is the Wellington Park Hotel, Belfast, with the conference dinner on Wednesday night held in the Great Hall at Queen’s.
For further information or to arrange interviews, please contact Maddy Bridgman, Press Officer, Integrated Education Fund (44) 28 9033 0031/07841 927724/maddy@ief.org.uk
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: organisers would like to help the Open Society for their major contribution; without funding from the Open Society this event could not have happened. Thanks also to the Integrated Education Fund and the Belfast Trust for Integrated Education for their support.
A further word of thanks to the Comparative and International Education Society [CIES] who awarded the first ever Jackie Kirk Outstanding Book Award to the book Peace Education in Conflict and Post-Conflict Societies: Comparative Perspectives edited by Claire McGlynn, Michalinos Zembylas, Zvi Bekerman and Tony Gallagher. The prize money from this award was donated to this conference.
The Foyle Contested Space programme was officially launched on Wednesday 29th February at Lisnagelvin Primary School. The project is managed by the Sharing Education Programme based in the School of Education. A video and further information can be found here.
The Foyle Contested Space programme is a schools based initiative made up of 3 post-primary and 5 primary schools in Derry/Londonderry. The schools are Lisneal College, St. Cecilia's College, St. Mary's College, Ballougry Primary School, Ebrington Primary School, Lisnagelvin Primary School, Holy Child Primary School and St. John's Primary School.
The core aims of the programme involve offering sustained shared classes, focusing on a number of key areas which impact both on pupils and the community at large. The eight schools are now sharing expertise, resources, space, pupils, energy and ideas. This is significant because as a collaborative network they represent the city as a whole and demonstrate what can be achieved by working together.
The programme is funded by OFMDFM and Atlantic Philanthropies. The launch was attended by Junior Ministers Bell and Anderson. Speaking at the event Junior Minister Bell said:
“The contacts made in the course of this Programme will, we all hope, not only lead to sustained collaboration between the schools in the Foyle contested space but will also leave a legacy characterised by lasting and constructive relationships between the young people.”
For further information on the Sharing Education Programme please contact Mark Baker - m.baker@qub.ac.uk.
Project Title: Intensive behavioural interventions is ASD: A comparison between Chinese and UK practices
1st Supervisor: , School of Education
2nd supervisor; Dr Eugen O’Hare. School of Psychology
The student will be part of the QUART Centre.
Behavioural intervention, especially if they are offered intensively and early in childhood, have shown to be highly effective in establishing adaptive behaviours in children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). ASD are pervasive developmental disorders of social interaction, communication, imagination, that affect an estimated 1:100 children across all cultures.
Policies and practices in the application of Intensive Early Intensive Behavioural Interventions (EIBI) for ASD differ across countries and this project will focus on the differences and similarities between Chinese and UK applications of behaviour analytically based interventions with young children with ASD. The methodology will include a thorough review of international literature as well as focussing on policies in both jurisdictions and quantitative and qualitative data collection through a mix methods approach. Study participants will include policy makers, service providers and service users.
This China Scholarship Council/Queen's University Scholarship is aimed at Chinese students from specific Chinese universities. Further information on the application procedure and closing date can be found here.
We are currently inviting applications for full-time Phd studentships for 2012-13 with a closing date of 28 February 2012.
There are three options available:
These awards are available only to candidates who wish to enrol on a full time basis and who meet residence criteria for studentships [ie DEL funding awards].
Applications are invited from students for any area of study in education who wish to devise their own research project that related to one of our research clusters. Several projects have also been identified and applicants may select one of seven PhD projects and write a 2000 word proposal to explain how you will undertake research in this field (Research Option 1A).
All proposals must include references to academic literature and provide evidence of academic reading within the research field including a paragraph on any ethical issues that are likely to arise in the course of the research. All applicants must contact the relevant named project director/potential supervisor prior to submitting their application and proposal. Please note that funding is limited and the process is competitive. For further information on the PhD programme, projects, proposal writing and application process click here.
The closing date for the DEL Studenships is 28 February 2012. Click here for more information on this open competition.
2. Two full-time PhD Strategic Studentships (DEL studentships)
These awards are available only to candidates who wish to enrol on a full time basis and who meet residence criteria for studentships [ie DEL funding awards].
Two specific projects have been identified and applicants may choose one of the PhD projects below and write a 2000 word proposal to explain how you will undertake research for this project.
All proposals must include references to academic literature and provide evidence of academic reading within the research field including a paragraph on any ethical issues that are likely to arise in the course of the research. All applicants must contact the relevant named project director/potential supervisor prior to submitting their application and proposal. Please note that funding is limited and the process is competitive. For further information on the PhD programme, projects, proposal writing and application process click here.
The closing date for the Strategic Studenships listed below is 28 February 2012. For further information, please click on the project links below:
| Project Title | Contact |
|---|---|
| An evaluation of targeted programmes designed to improve educational outcomes for primary school children in state care. | Professor Paul Connolly (Education) and Dr Karen Winter (Sociology, Social Policy and Social Work) |
| Autism Spectrum Disorder and modern technology: An evidence-based approach. | (Education) and Dr Eugene O'Hare (Psychology) |
3. One University Studentship (EU and International)
This award is available only to candicates who wish to enrol on a full-time bases; there are no residence criteria for this studentship and we particularly welcome EU and International applicants.
One specific project has been idenitified. Applicants must write a 2000 word proposal to explain how you will undertake research for this project.
All proposals must include references to academic literature and provide evidence of academic reading within the research field including a paragraph on any ethical issues that are likely to arise in the course of the research. All applicants must contact the relevant named project director/potential supervisor prior to submitting their application and proposal. Please note that funding is limited and the process is competitive. For further information on the PhD programme, projects, proposal writing and application process click here.
Closing date for the EU and International University Studenships listed below is 28 February 2012. For further information, please click on the project link below:
| Project Title | Contact |
|---|---|
| Implementing the UNCRC in schools: comparative approaches | Professor Laura Lundy (Education) |
Download the PhD leaflet
As a leading educationalist, Professor Tony Gallagher was invited to contribute to an important and influential report on the future of education compiled by the UK’s first independent, cross party, education think tank – The Education Foundation.
The report, ‘Education Britain: The journey to education reform’, details the thinking of an inspiring, influential mix of 35 teachers, policymakers and other practitioners and the areas covered include educational reform, redressing the academic vocational divide and visions for the future of education in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
As well an inspiring range of views and opinions the report also includes a catalogue of the achievements of key organisations, schools, colleges and universities at the cutting edge of education reform.
In his contribution – Education in Northern Ireland – Professor Gallagher focuses on ‘recognising and realising the ambition of education in Northern Ireland in helping to prepare young people to live and work and become architects of a shared and better future.’
The report can be downloaded from The Education Foundation’s website by clicking here
The closing date for PGCE applications for entry in September 2012 was the 1st November 2011, however late applications for Physics and Chemistry are still being accepted. If you wish to make a late application, the form can be found here.
The report identifies a range of barriers to the development and implementation of policies and strategies for children and young people in Northern Ireland. It highlights that while there are a number of positive gains in respect of government delivery for children in Northern Ireland, a number of significant barriers remain with respect to: commitment to children’s rights; coordination and joined up government, delays in policy development and implementation; translating strategic visions into specific and measurable outcomes; training and awareness around children’s rights; data collection and disaggregation; child impact assessment and evaluation; resourcing; and engagement with children in the development and implementation of policies and strategies.
Based on these findings, the report makes a number of recommendations for Government and for NICCY, including the need for a more consistent application of a children’s rights framework to policy development and implementation and that consideration be given to a statutory duty to co-operate at both central government and intra agency level.
Dr Byrne said: “The research has identified concrete examples of good practice which must be encouraged; however it is crucial that the issues identified in the report are addressed so that the rights to which children and young people are entitled can become reality.“
Ms Lewsley-Mooney, Commissioner for Children and Young People concluded: “Some good practice has been identified in this report, but on the whole it does not paint a positive picture of government delivery for children. However, although it clearly identifies the barriers to effective delivery for children, it also provides advice on how to break through those barriers.”
The report can be downloaded here. For more information on the report, please contact Dr Bronagh Byrne, b.byrne@qub.ac.uk
The Queen’s Interdisciplinary Linguistics Group (ILinG) is a joint initiative of doctoral students in the Schools of Education, English, and Modern Languages. While Queen’s does not have a linguistics department, there are staff and students working on linguistics or language-related studies within their own schools. However, the school boundaries may restrict broader interaction among students and researchers in language-related studies, and information of relevant events does not always reach those who might be interested. ILinG was then conceived with the aim to facilitate continuous academic exchange among students and researchers on linguistics and language related studies at Queen’s.
The group is supported by the School of Education as a student-driven platform for sharing and communication across disciplinary boundaries. Two EdD TESOL students are involved in the organising committee of the group. Dr Caroline Linse, EdD TESOL coordinator, indicates that ‘this is an outstanding opportunity for students to be introduced and professionalized into the exciting and dynamic world of TESOL’.
Starting with the first Interdisciplinary Linguistics Conference (ILinC) on 14th-15th October 2011, this group intends to present a year-long programme, including seminars, workshops, reading group, film screening, round-table discussions and an Internet forum, with its first member meeting to be held in late November. It welcomes and encourages participation within Queen’s and beyond.
For more information about ILinG, please visit the website, or follow it on Facebook ilingqub and qubiling.
WRITING A BOOK PROPOSAL
Friday 14th October 2011 / School of Education, Queen’s University Belfast / 10.30 –15.00
The workshop aims to help prospective authors get ready for discussion with a publisher about their proposed book.
A framework will be presented for understanding the conceptual and writing work involved in developing a book proposal. Key issues of focus, readership and style will be explained. Common issues such as choosing a publisher, writing before the contract and turning the thesis into a book will be addressed.
Participants will then work on an idea for a book which will then be discussed in a ‘proposal clinic’.
There will be an opportunity to see successful book proposals, learn about the process of publishing decision-making, and to discuss issues with the presenters.
Presenters
Philip Mudd, Publisher, Routledge Education
Professor Pat Thomson, University of Nottingham
About the presenters
Philip Mudd is a Publisher at Routledge with international responsibility for books on Research Methods, Academic Writing and Higher Education. In his career he has worked on a broad range of publications including high level library reference material, academic monographs, practical resources for academics and students texts and study guides and is highly skilled at helping academic authors turn ideas into books.
Pat Thomson is author/editor of eleven books, eight of them with Routledge. These include Helping doctoral students write: pedagogies for supervision (2006, Routledge with Barbara Kamler), The Routledge Doctoral Student’s Companion and The Routledge Doctoral Supervisor’s Companion (with Melanie Walker, Routledge 2010), Researching creative learning: methods and issues (with Julian Sefton Green, 2010) and The Routledge Internaitonal Handbook of Creative Learning (With Julian Sefton Green, Ken Jones,and Liora Bresler, Routledge, 2011). She is an editor of the Taylor and Francis journal Education Action Research, a David Fulton book series for teachers on creative teaching and learning and, with Helen Gunter and Jill Blackmore, Editor of the forthcoming Critical Studies in Educational Leadership book series (Routledge).
Registration
To register for this masterclass please complete the on-line registration form at http://tinyurl.com/3wqoogm. Places are limited so confirmations will be on a first come, first served basis.
Conference registration is FREE to BERA members and£20 for non-BERA members, including refreshments.
For more information please contact Mark Donoghue at the BERA office on 020 7612 6987 or email: mark.donoghue@bera.ac.uk
Venue: Queen’s University Belfast (http://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/SchoolofEducation/)
A new research initiative that involves the design, delivery and rigorous evaluation of a suite of volunteer tutoring programmes has been launched by PhD students at the Centre for Effective Education.
The initiative, "Learn-a-Long", involves university students volunteering two hours of their time to work on a one-to-one basis with young children (aged 4-8) from primary schools across Northern Ireland who are struggling to achieve academically. The initiative currently includes three programmes that focus on boosting early skills in reading, maths and language (for those whose first language is not English) respectively. The three programmes are being devised by PhD students Pauline Connolly, Nicole Craig and Naoimh Fox respectively. Volunteer students are currently being recruited to deliver the three programmes in the Spring term 2012. A huge incentive for students is the fact that participating in the Learn-a-Long programme is accredited of the award of Degree Plus (Route A).
Speaking of the initiative, CEE Director Professor Paul Connolly said: "we are delighted to be launching this major new research initiative. This is a truly innovative programme that: provides an important service for local schools and young children; gives hundreds of our students the opportunity to gain invaluable volunteering experience that is also accredited; and also enables our PhD students to conduct doctoral research that is cutting edge. It is a truly win-win situation for everyone."
Over the coming years, the Centre aims to recruit more PhD students to add more tutoring programmes to the initiative. With a commitment to providing full details of each programme along with the findings of the evaluations of their effectiveness, the Learn-a-Long initiative aims to make an important contribution to the evidence base of effective educational programmes in Northern Ireland.
For more information please visit the website: http://learn-a-long.info
"When schools work together, principals and teachers benefit, pupils and young people benefit, and the wider community benefits. Resources are used more effectively, and the quality of learning for all in the school community, teachers and pupils alike, is improved. Most important, young people learn together and they learn from each other, and this will help them build a shared and better future, together."
The Sharing Education Programme is managed by a team within the School of Education at Queen’s. Further information on the conference including videos and materials can be found. Further information on the conference including videos and materials can be found here.
Queen's University and a number of partner organisations have been awarded Transfer of Innovation funding as part of the Leonardo programme to continue development on the SIMPLE STEPS multimedia package. The package is already available in English, German, Spanish and Norwegian (funded under a previous Leonardo grant, 2008-2010). The new grant (2011-2013) will allow translation into four more European Languages (Italian, Swedish, Icelandic and Dutch) and for development of further curriculum.
The grant is good news for the Queen's University Autism Research and Treatment (QUART) Centre Initiative, a group of academics and community groups that aim to set up a non-profit making international research centre based in the School of Education with associations from across Queen's, other national and international universities, and the local and international community.
Work focus on individuals and families affected by Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and related cognitive, emotional, social, and communication difficulties. International research shows that ASD affects an estimated 1:100 people and while the exact etiology is still not fully known, the diagnosis is based on pervasive difficulties in social interaction, communication and imagination. ASD affects individuals right across the life span. Children and young people are particularly affected by failure to make inclusion work as effectively as the vision promised. Adults can experience difficulties in employment, social life and relationships. Effective educational interventions can go a long way to mitigate many of these issues. At the School of Education, we already conduct research in a number of areas including diagnosis, behavioural interventions, social skills, parent and professional training, and multimedia development. We aim to extend this remit through this initiative and the new grant.
The chance to dive into the history of Belfast’s most famous creation is now on offer at Queen’s University. The Titanic Story: History and Legacy is part of a new Centenary lecture series offered to mark the 100 year anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic and the course will be held in the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum to coincide with its exciting new exhibition TITANICa. This course is just one of over 200 courses offered as part of the new Autumn Open Learning programme at Queen’s University. From massage to music, painting to public speaking, counselling to ceili dancing, and history to Hebrew, Open Learning at Queen’s offers everyone the chance to try something new and enjoy learning in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere. The latest round of courses begins at the end of September and online registration is open now.
Dr Tess Maginess, Senior Teaching Fellow and Open Learning Co-ordinator at Queen’s School of Education, said: “This Autumn we have a new Centenary lecture series which looks at the major events of 1912. This, of course, includes The Titanic Story: History and Legacy as well as Reassessing the Home Rule Crisis and Gunpowder and Bible.
“Alongside old favourites, we have a huge selection of new courses this year including Short Film Script Writing and Citizen Journalist which is an introduction to ‘blogging’ and new media to platform personal expression. There are also new courses in our expanded language programme focusing on literature -French Literature in French, Italian Culture and Travelling in Italy and Italian Literary Club to name a few. We also have new languages including Hebrew and Arabic available this year.
If you want to know more about Northern Ireland we have courses from On the Banks of the Lagan: A History of the River to The Protestant Working Class in Northern Ireland: Politics and Culture from ‘Pre Troubles’ to ‘Post-Conflict’.
“If you feel like indulging your literary and artistic side you will not be disappointed. The very successfulThe Blackbird Bookclub, funded by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, returns featuring Michael Longley, Malachi O’Doherty, Sinead Morrissey and many more.
“We’re also offering a huge range of new practical courses including Thinking Like a Lawyer, Climate Change: Science and Society and A practical Guide to Green Living. The old favourites Lunchtime Yoga De-Stress, and Wine Appreciation return again this Autumn. "Queen’s Open Learning programme has something to suit everyone. People do not need to have any prior qualifications to participate. Our courses usually take place one day or evening every week and are ideal for anyone who wants to pursue a new hobby, learn more about a topic in which they have a particular interest, or advance their personal development. Dr Maginess concluded: “With online registration it has never been easier to sign up for our classes. Many courses fill up quickly so we would encourage people to enrol early, online or by post. Request a prospectus or telephone 028 9097 3323 / 3539 for more information.”
Queen’s University Belfast is pleased to announce its 1st Interdisciplinary Linguistics Conference (ILinC), a student-led initiative co-organized by the Schools of Education, English, and Languages, Literatures and Performing Arts. This two-day conference is designed to offer participants a stimulating and friendly forum in which they may present and discuss their research findings. Additionally, the event aims at bringing together researchers from different academic divisions carrying out language studies in order to foster cross-disciplinary contact.
This year’s conference theme is Crossing Boundaries: The Impact of Language Studies in Academia and Beyond. With this theme we seek to look into the role played by language studies both within the academic scenario and outside it, paying special attention to the relevance of current language research findings to society in general.
The following distinguished scholars have confirmed their participation at the conference:
- Prof. Deborah Cameron (University of Oxford);
- Prof. Michael Halliday (University of Sydney);
- Prof. Ruqaiya Hasan (Macquarie University).
Key dates
- Notification of reviewers’ decision: 15 August 2011
- Presenters’ registration deadline: 26 August 2011
- Conference: 14-15 October 2011
Online registration is now OPEN - click here
Early bird registration (until 2 September 2011)
Student: £25
Staff: £40
Regular registration (from 3 September 2011)
Student: £30
Staff: £50
Fees include coffee breaks and lunch on both days, as well as a conference pack.
Programme
The full programme is available on the conference website.
Contact
- If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact us as ilinc@qub.ac.uk.
- Please continue to check this site for updates and further information about the conference.
- For first-hand updates on the conferece, join us on Facebook
The 12-month project will undertake additional knowledge exchange and impact generation activities to disseminate and deepen the impact of ‘pupil voice findings’ arising from the ‘Consulting Pupils on the Assessment of their Learning’ (CPAL) Project.
The original CPAL project found that much of the deeper understanding of key elements of effective assessment for learning was absent, not only in classroom practice but also in teacher INSET support. However in classrooms where AfL practices were integrated authentically into learning and teaching, pupils, were able to identify key principles, in their own words, that made them feel more involved and motivated in their learning and assessment.
Specifically, the current project will extend this work by refining and disseminating widely – in pupil language – the 10 key principles of effective assessment for learning practices that pupils identified in the CPAL project. The student-centred principles mirror, but simplify, the principles developed and circulated by the Assessment Reform Group (ARG, 2002). The development work will be piloted in 4 case study schools working with students in order to adapt and develop these messages into an easy to use on-line tool for direct use by teachers, pupils and parents. The goal will be to improve classroom interaction, feedback and communication about assessment on specific tasks.
Additionally, in partnership with key stakeholders, a further range of pupil-centred AfL tools that arose from the original CPAL project (including, for example, skills progression grids; templates and examples of assessment criteria; visual models for the effective and objective use of assessment criteria in teacher, peer and self assessment; examples of specific level-related, supportive feedback to improve learning) will be developed, evaluated and subsequently disseminated through a number of INSET events.
Laura O’Hare, Project Co-ordinator and Language Teacher, Shimna Integrated College with Rory Bremner (left) and TES Editor Gerard Kelly at the TES Schools Awards, London Hilton on Park Lane. Photo: Eleanor Bentall
Queen’s University’s Sharing Education Programme (SEP), which encourages Northern Ireland schools to make cross-community partnerships an integral part of everyday life for their pupils, has received UK recognition at the Times Educational Supplement Schools Awards.
Shimna Integrated College in County Down won the Outstanding Community Partnership Award for its work in developing shared classes and building partnerships with a number of different schools in the community. The model is particularly interesting as it involves not only cross-community collaboration but also primary / post-primary schools working closely together.
Leading educationalist Sir Tim Brighouse, one of the award judges, said: “The main hope for Northern Ireland’s peaceful and prosperous future lies in its schools and the brave pioneers who are devising shared education programmes between educators in either sector. Shimna’s example is at once humbling and inspirational.”
Mark Baker, who co-ordinates the Sharing Education Programme at Queen’s School of Education, said: “We are absolutely delighted that the schools involved in the Sharing Education Programme are getting the recognition their commitment deserves. We congratulate Shimna Integrated College on its well-deserved award. This is further acknowledgement of the need for sharing education between our communities in Northern Ireland.”
The Sharing Education Programme (SEP) supports cross-sectoral sharing and collaboration through accredited curriculum based activities. The resulting sharing provides educational, societal and economic benefits to the schools, communities and pupils involved. Recently the Northern Ireland Assembly’s Education Committee made Sharing Education its key priority for 2011.
Since 2007 the programme has been funded by the International Fund for Ireland and Atlantic Philanthropies and is managed by Queen's School of Education. Over this time the programme has supported 24 partnerships involving over 120 of Northern Ireland’s schools.
More information about the Sharing Education Programme can be found here.
We are delighted to announce that the team has been successful in gaining a teaching award from the University. The team award was given for our ’approachable learning style’ and ‘our learning partnerships with a wide range of community organisations.’
The award will be presented by the Vice-Chancellor, Sir Peter Gregson, at the summer graduation. Credit must go to the whole Open Learning team, support staff just as much as teaching staff.
We would like to thank all our learners who have taught us so much and supported us so faithfully over the years.
Tess Maginess
Cathal McManus
Applications are invited for a full-time PhD studentship in the School of Education starting September 2011. The funding is provided through the Sharing Education Programme (SEP) based in the School of Education. The funding amount will match the DEL studentship awards which provide funding for both fees and maintenance.
Project title: The Role of Sharing Education in a Divided Society
Schools have a key role to play in the drive to create more cohesive communities, but how that is best achieved has been much debated. In Northern Ireland measures to promote cohesion through education have included curricular interventions, contact programmes and integrated schools. A key focus of debate has been provided by the existence of de facto denominationally separate schools. Although most commentators recognise the need for some processes to encourage contact across the denominational divide, views vary on the appropriate level of contact and the conditions under which it will be most efficacious.
The Sharing Education Programme (SEP) has sought to promote sustained collaboration between schools with the aim of both enhancing the educational experience of pupils and promoting reconciliation, with over 65 schools involved in collaborative activities between 2007-10 and an additional 61 schools involved in a second cohort. The rationale behind the SEP was derived from critical analysis of the weaknesses and limitations of previous efforts to promote contact and the considerable body of social psychological evidence that endorses the value of contact in ameliorating prejudice and promoting mutual understanding.
The aim of this project is to explore inter-group contact in a variety of school settings, with a view to understanding the outworking of contact in day-to-day practice in order to better understand the variables that can mediate positive inter-group relations. The study will most likely take the form of in-depth examination of schools engaged in collaborative practice and will be part of a larger programme of research on shared education.
Application process: You are asked to submit a 2000 word research proposal in respect of this research objective. In designing the proposal you should take account of the policy context for community relations in schools and the body of evidence on contact theory. The research methodology section should outline a clear rationale for the methods selected and identify some key characteristics of potentially relevant research sites. Although the main focus of this study should be Northern Ireland, comparative analysis with jurisdictions that offer similar examples of inter-school initiatives aimed at building social cohesion are encouraged.
This project will be supervised by staff members of the Education in Divided Societies Research Cluster.
Applicants for this funding should apply for a place on the PhD programme via the University's online application system and should indicate that they wish to be considered for this SEP funded award.
Contact: Research Cluster Director Professor Joanne Hughes for further details.
Conditions for the award: The successful applicant will work with the Sharing Education team in the School of Education as the PhD work progresses. It is intended that the student will provide a report to the team at 6 monthly intervals, though this may be subject to change.
Closing date for applications: 8 July 2011.
School of Education student Jonathan Evans (MSSc Social and Community Development) has won one of the Prime Minister's Initiative for International Education (PMI2) travel awards which will allow him to travel to India and the University of Hyderabad later this summer. Winners of this Faculty-wide opportunity had to demonstrate an interest in Indian/postcolonial studies, literatures, arts, histories or cultures, be in good academic standing and display ambassadorial and leadership qualities.
Jonathan is the first student from the School of Education to win this competition and was highly commended for his proposed research which will focus on micro-finance and alternative credit systems.This gives him the opportunity to add an international dimension to his Masters dissertation, which focuses on the community development role of Credit Unions in Northern Ireland. Selectors particularly liked his proposal to go beyond the university gates and visit microfinance and other community-based finance initiatives in the area.
The PMI2 travel award aims to give students the opportunity to visit a premier postgraduate and research institution in India, the University of Hyderabad, under the British Council administered scheme, PMI 2: Strategic Alliances and Partnerships (international mobility of students).
‘Opportunities and Challenges: Implementing the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child’
The Research Forum for the Child is holding its annual seminar on the theme of ‘Implementing the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child’ at Queen’s University, Belfast on 1st and 2nd June 2011. The opening address will be given by Professor Michael Freeman, Professor of English Law at University College London and Founding Editor of the International Journal on Children’s Rights. Guest speakers also include Professor David Archard, Professor of Philosophy and Public Policy at the University of Lancaster; Dr Asher Ben-Arieh, from Hebrew University, Jerusalem, an international expert on social indicators; Dr Ursula Kilkelly, expert on children’s rights litigation and Director of the Child Law Clinic, University College Cork; Gerison Lansdown, International Children’s Rights Consultant and a Forum visiting scholar in 2011; and Professor Audrey Osler, University of Leeds, a leading expert on children’s rights education.
To see call for papers please click here.
Please click here to view the conference webpage for further information.
Contact: Dr Bronagh Byrne, b.byrne@qub.ac.uk.
Registration for this event is now Closed
Thursday 9 June, 13.00 - 14.15, Room G6, 69/71 University St
“Education in the post-conflict environment: The case of Nepal adopting a political economy analysis”
Tejendra Pherali,
Faculty of Education, Community and Leisure,
Liverpool John Moores University
The presentation will provide an introduction to the ‘People’s War’ in Nepal and discuss historical antecedents in the development and ‘success’ of the Maoist insurgency. It will draw on a study examining the political economy of Nepal’s education particularly considering post-accord political dynamics and the process of educational development. It will be argued that unintended outcomes of decentralisation in education have been manifested in the form of excessive politicisation, corruption and tensions in the school system, which has detrimental effects on children’s learning.
Tejendra Pherali is a Senior Lecturer in Education Studies in the Faculty of Education, Community and Leisure in Liverpool John Moores University, UK. His research interests lie in the area of education, conflict and peacebuilding. Tejendra is completing his doctoral study investigating the impact of armed conflict on school education in Nepal and also coordinates the British Council-funded Education for Peacebuilding Project aiming to design peacebuilding education course for teacher education programmes in Nepal and Cambodia. He is a visiting academic at the UNESCO Centre in the University of Ulster and currently involved in the DFID-EU funded political economy analysis of education in Nepal and UNICEF’s global project on education and peacebuilding.
27 May 2011
13.00 – 14.00, Room G6, School of Education, 69/71 University St
“Catholic Schools and Sectarianism in Scotland:
Educational Places and the Production and Negotiation of Urban Space”
Professor John Flint
Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research,
Sheffield Hallam University
This seminar presentation explores the role of state-funded Catholic schools in debates about the causes and manifestations of sectarianism in Scotland. The presentation suggests that debates between proponents and opponents of state-funded Catholic schools (and indeed faith schools more generally) have been largely aspatial; focusing on the teaching ethos within schools, empirically weak conceptions of the impacts of segregated schooling on social networks and abstract national-level accounts of religion, ethnicity, identity and belonging. The presentation argues for a focus upon the productive power of schools as place nodes within a network of urban spaces and the agency of pupils in identity and friendship construction. It suggests the need to recognise the specifics of the social, spatial and political national and local contexts within which faith schools are situated. The presentation concludes with an examination of educational policy responses to sectarianism in Scotland, arguing that they have focused on disrupting the spatial ordering of faith schools in an attempt to realign the physical boundaries of segregation and the visibility of difference in urban space.
John Flint is Professor of Housing and Urban Governance in the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research at Sheffield Hallam University. His research interests include urban governance, education, religion, community cohesion and sectarianism.
For further information email s.mckibbin@qub.ac.uk
or log on to: www.qub.ac.uk/schools/SchoolofEducation/Research/Seminars
From 1st August 2011, all Business and Management-related courses in the School of Education will be transferred to the Queen’s University Management School (QUMS). There will be no change to the courses and studies but after 1st August all students completing courses will receive their awards (certificates, diplomas, degrees) from QUMS – unless those who have begun their courses in the School of Education make a request to have them awarded by Education.
We believe this development will be of considerable benefit to all Business and Management students. The Queen’s University Management School, which will soon move to the newly refurbished Riddel Hall on the Stranmillis Road, is preparing to welcome you as their students in the new academic year (2011-12).
If you have any questions about this exciting development please contact Martin Mulholland, Director of Education (Adult Education).
The courses moving to the Queen's University Management School are:
| Undergraduate Courses |
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| Postgraduate Courses |
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| Short Course Training and Development Programme |
Qualitative and Creative Inquiry Methods with Children
27th May 2011, 12.45 pm – 2.15 pm
Intersectionality and the use of narrative to explore children’s identity
Dr Victoria Showunmi
Institute of Education, University of London
Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Postgraduate Research Centre, 18 College Green
While identity development is a complex task for all youths, it is particularly complicated for children and adolescents belonging to ethnic and racial minority groups in England. Definitions of identify are difficult to describe, however, most definitions refer to one or more of these features: ethnic/racial background: tradition; occupation/class and other aspects of social identity as defined by others and ourselves.
‘We and children are constructed by the labels we associate with particular identity forming categories – such as gender or class’
Iram Siraj-Blatchford (1996).
I intend to use various statements along with group activity to provide a stimulating discussion on the notion of children’s identity.
Dr Victoria Showuni, Faculty of Policy and Society, University of London is an educationalist, with extensive knowledge within the school, FE and HE sectors and someone whose research shows has an acute understanding of equality and diversity. She has been a member of a range of government Task Groups including New Deal for Lone Parents, New Deal for The Community, New Opportunities Funding Panel.
Please contact Ruth Leitch, SIG co-ordinator, if you are interested in attending.
Qualitative and Creative Inquiry Methods with Children SIG
Monday 16th May 2011 12.30-2.15pm
Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Postgraduate Research Centre, 18 College Green, School of Education.
Professor Pat Thomson, University of Nottingham: Pat is author and editor of the popularbook: Visual research with Children and Young People: Routledge (2008)
Abstract: It is increasingly the case that those who want to do research with children and young people who are considered ‘hard to reach’, ‘at risk’ and/or ‘vulnerable’ are turning to visual methods. It is now commonplace to hear researchers suggest that the use of images – drawings, cartoons, photographs and videos – will open up new avenues for young people to communicate their views. In this presentation I will explore this idea, using a series of examples from my own and others’ work, where visual methods have been ‘successful’ and less ‘successful’. I will suggest that institutional settings, relationship building and ownership are key issues for researchers to consider in any research with these groups of young people and children, and that there are particular and very specific considerations in the case of the visual.
If attending please contact: Ruth Leitch - r.leitch@qub.ac.uk
| Professor Paul Connolly is interviewed by Hilda the Hare from Sesame Tree about the Centre for Effective Education's research into the Effects of Sesame Tree on 5-6 Year Old Children's Attitudes and Awareness. For further information please click here. |
Ruth Jarman and Joy Alexander have just been awarded a grant from the Science and Technology Funding Council (STFC) to work with librarians in Northern Ireland to investigate how science-related activities and challenges can best be incorporated into library programmes.
Project 500, named after the Dewey Decimal classification for ‘Science’, will run initially as a pilot scheme in four libraries in Northern Ireland. Capitalising on the librarians’ experience and expertise in running general reading programmes for children and young people the intention is to organise science-based reading challenges or activities which will capture the interest and imagination of participants. At least one programme will cater for children in their last year of primary education and every effort will be made also to involve family members, with consideration being given to a ‘lads and dads’ initiative. With young people of secondary-school age, the focus will be on astronomy and particle physics with the aim of conveying something of the excitement of science at the frontiers of knowledge. In this connection, at least one reading challenge will have as its starting point current research being conducted in the University’s School of Mathematics and Physics and Professor Alan Fitzsimmons has agreed to act as advisor for this aspect of the project. In addition to our work with children and young people, the researchers may take on the challenge of planning and presenting a programme for adults promoting some of the excellent popular science books which are currently available.
Toward the end of the project, the knowledge and experience gained will be used to prepare a ‘Librarians Guide’ describing activities and approaches though which public libraries may encourage and enable children and young people to take advantage of their resources to promote or further their interest in science.
The findings of a randomised controlled trial of Business in the Community’s literacy intervention programme Time to Read will be launched today (Wednesday 26 January 2011) at the Ulster Museum, Belfast. The trial, undertaken by the Centre for Effective Education, and funded by Business in the Community with the support of Atlantic Philanthropies, involved 512 P5 children (8-9 year olds) selected from 50 primary schools across Northern Ireland.
More information can be found on the CEE website.
EUR-ALPHA group members celebrating International Literacy Day 2010
The School of Education recently hosted a week-long workshop for teachers working in the field of adult literacy across Europe. The workshop was part of a 3 year European Lifelong Learning Grundtvig project for teachers and learners in the field of literacy known as EUR-ALPHA
The workshop which focussed on technology enhanced learning and reflective practices provided the opportunity to extend traditional models of reflective practice using creative approaches. Topics covered included the use of image, video, social-networking tools and arts-based approaches to support reflective practice. The EUR-ALPHA seminar was well received by participants who also created a web site using wikispaces to allow them to continue to collaborate and share good practice. Countries representative at the QUB workshop included Belgium, France, Turkey, Spain, Scotland and Northern Ireland . The partners plan to organise further seminars across Europe over the next two years.
The workshop also coincided with a celebration and reception for International Literacy Day on 8TH September A number of local guests also attended the event including representatives from the Department for Employment and Learning. A Google representative from San Francisco, California demonstrated a new internet-based resource for teachers at the reception.
The study, which was conducted by researchers at Queen’s School of Education on behalf of the Wellcome Trust, is the first study to look at the attitudes and concerns of children and parents on the way science is assessed in primary schools in England and Wales.
It is hoped the findings will be used to inform the debate about the best way to conduct assessments in science and around statutory national curriculum testing, or SATs, in other subjects. SATs in England and Wales have been shrouded in controversy, and have been accused of driving a ‘teach to test’ culture in schools to the detriment of pupils’ enjoyment. In 2009, it was announced that science SATs in primary schools in England and Wales were to be scrapped.
Dr Colette Murphy, who led the study, believes it has clear implications for the ongoing transfer debate in Northern Ireland. Under the new transfer arrangements, 11 year olds here will no longer be formally assessed in science.
Dr Murphy said: “This report couldn’t have come at a better time. Adults may have the responsibility of making the decisions, but it is the children who live with the consequences.
“As the debate continues as to the best way to assess 11 year olds in Northern Ireland, it is vital that we give children the opportunity to express their views and listen to their responses. We have to make sure that children’s voices are taken into consideration by the policy makers who decide their future. By including the children’s perspective, we can make better decisions regarding the way children are assessed.
“In relation to Northern Ireland, the study suggests that formal assessment of science in primary school, although not purely by pen-and-paper tests in which children recall facts, should be an important part of primary children’s education so that children can be better prepared to become active and informed citizens.”
Around 1000 school children in England and Wales took part in the survey, which was designed with the involvement of children themselves in collaboration with researchers from Queen’s. Groups of children also helped analyse and interpret the results, helping the researchers to get to grips with the issues surrounding this subject from the child’s perspective.
According to the findings, the vast majority of children surveyed found science assessment useful and liked to know how well they were performing. Most preferred the use of end-of-topic testing, however, and investigations to assess their performance, rather than SATs testing.
When asked how assessment could be improved in schools, the children suggested that more variety in the way they are tested, with a greater emphasis on investigative work, would put the fun back into the subject and help them to learn more. Some also suggested that children should be given choice in the type and timing of their science assessment.
Professor Derek Bell, Head of Education at the Wellcome Trust, emphasised: “What is striking about this report is not that younger children like science, but that they value assessment and the importance of feedback in helping them with their learning. We need to respect these views and find ways to nurture their natural curiosity whilst helping them, and their parents, to understand how well they are performing. As we have seen from other reports, an undue focus on testing and grades too often kills off children’s enthusiasm for the subject.”
The research was carried out by Dr Colette Murphy, Professor Laura Lundy, Ms Lesley McEvoy and Dr Karen Kerr. All four are members of the Queen’s University interdisciplinary Research Forum for the Child, which aims to promote high quality, interdisciplinary research that provides a better understanding of the issues that affect children and young people, in order to improve their life chances and experiences.
For more information on Queen’s University Research Forum for the Child visit www.qub.ac.uk/sites/TheResearchForumForTheChild/ For more information on the Wellcome Trust visit www.wellcome.ac.uk. For an article in The Guardian visit here.
June Clawson from the School of Education launches the new Open Learning programme
The chance to delve into the lives of some of the island of Ireland’s most historic figures is now on offer at Queen’s.
Ian Paisley, Daniel O’Connell and James Craig will be under the spotlight during the University’s new Open Learning programme. The Irish Biographies courses are among 300 on offer to everyone.
From painting to public speaking, walking to wine appreciation, counselling to ceili dancing, and astronomy to assertiveness, Open Learning at Queen’s offers everyone the chance to try something new and enjoy learning in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere. The latest round of courses begins at the end of September and online registration is open now at www.qub.ac.uk/edu/ol
Dr Tess Maginess, Senior Teaching Fellow and Open Learning Co-ordinator at Queen’s School of Education, said: “Open Learning is the perfect opportunity to pursue an old interest or try something completely new. The courses are open to everyone over the age of 16, and you don’t need any ‘ologies’ or qualifications to enrol.
“Alongside old favourites, we have a huge selection of new courses this year including three Irish Biographies courses will explore the lives and times of some of Ireland’s most notable political figures.
“We will explore the path taken by Ian Paisley and his conversion from ‘Dr No’ to ‘Rev Yes’, Daniel O’Connell and his role in securing Catholic Emancipation, and James Craig’s political legacy and his resistance to Home Rule.
“There are also courses on those who shaped history outside Ireland, including Hitler, Mussolini, JFK and Ronald Reagan.
“This year, we also have two very special courses kindly supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. The Blackbird Bookclub, in association with the Seamus Heaney Centre for Poetry and the Bookshop at Queen’s, features guest writers including Sinead Morrissey, Polly Devlin, and Chris Marsh. And Celebrating Contemporary Northern Irish Arts, co-hosted by the Crescent Arts Centre, will mix talks by leading artists, such as Rita Duffy, with gallery visits and seminars on a range of art forms including architecture, crafts and photography.
“Aspiring authors can overcome writer’s block and put pen to paper with courses in creative, travel or nature writing. If you are feeling inspired to pen your own account of your life experiences, the Writing a Memoir course with Malachi O’Doherty will help you on your way.
“Escape the autumn chill and find a bargain holiday with Travel on the Internet, and make sure your know your rights when it comes to online purchases with What effect has IT law on our daily lives?
“Learn about the real Pirates of the Caribbean with Dead Men Tell No Tales, which explores the history of piracy in the Americas, or Explore the ancient stories of Cú Chullainn, Deirdre and Luch with a course in Irish Mythology.
“If you have ever wondered how the bible was written and translated, and how it can be best understood, try The Bible: FAQ’s, or find out more about the humanist outlook in Living Without Gods.
“Brush up on your language skills with courses in French, Spanish, Italian, German, Irish, Chinese or even Swahili. And get ahead in life with our range of personal development courses, covering everything from time management, public speaking and interview skills, to life coaching, assertiveness and anger management.”
Dr Maginess concluded: “With online registration at www.qub.ac.uk/edu/ol it has never been easier to sign up for our classes. Many courses fill up quickly, so we would encourage people to enrol early, online or by post. Visit our website or telephone 028 9097 3323 / 3539 for more information
Some of the world’s most experienced mediators are to deliver a new professional mediation course at Queen’s University Belfast.
The course, which offers the option of qualifying with a postgraduate diploma or masters degree, is the first professional course of its kind in the UK and Ireland to focus on mediation as a peace-building tool.
In partnership with Mediation Northern Ireland, the PgD/Masters in Work-Based Learning (Mediation Studies), draws on the unique experiences of practitioners who have developed models of practice in Northern Ireland for use locally and in other conflicts internationally.
The launch of the course comes as the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister (OFMDFM) begins its consultation on the Programme for Cohesion, Sharing and Integration, which encourages dialogue between and within all sections of the community.
Peter O’Reilly, Director of Mediation NI, said: “During the conflict here and the peace process that followed, Northern Ireland developed a huge amount of skill and practical knowledge of mediation - helping people to have the difficult conversations that were needed to move our society forward.
“Northern Ireland’s mediators are often asked to share their expertise with others around the globe, but despite their unrivalled skills and experience, many do not have an academic background in mediation.
“This course gives skilled mediators the opportunity to fill that gap in their CV, advance their theoretical knowledge of mediation and gain an academic qualification. It will bring together a community of mediators from Northern Ireland and further afield, who can learn from each other and apply that learning to their work.
“This course is open to all experienced mediators who want to develop their theoretical knowledge of mediation, for community cohesion and peace-building, and apply this knowledge to their day-to-day work.
“The course will begin in September 2010 and couldn’t be more timely, given the recent launch of OFMDFM’s Programme for Cohesion, Sharing and Integration. Local mediation capabilities will be key to delivering the changes described in this document. This course will make a contribution to developing the knowledge and skills necessary to facilitate that process.”
Elda Nikolou-Walker, Senior Teaching Fellow in Work-Based Learning at Queen’s School of Education, said: “The course will be delivered by experienced and practising mediators from Mediation NI, alongside work-based learning specialists from Queen’s, and will focus on mediation processes in Northern Ireland and around the world.
“The work-based element requires learners to take the theory they have learned and apply it to their paid, unpaid or voluntary mediation work. Underpinning academic theory with practical experience, this course will ultimately make its students more employable.
“The course is open to all experienced mediators, whether or not they hold an existing degree, and the teaching format makes the course accessible to international students and those who work full-time.”
The course begins in September and enrolment closes on 1September.
For out more information on the PgD/Masters in Work-Based Learning (Mediation Studies).
Supporting the Programme for Government Commitments on Shared Education
Riddel Hall at Queen’s University Belfast hosted the Second Annual Sharing Education Learning Forum Conference (SELF) on Thursday 13th December 2012. The conference showcased the work carried out by the SELF members over the last number of years and particularly how learning and expertise can be used to support the Department for Education’s Programme for Government commitments.
Keynote speakers at the conference were Professor Miles Hewstone, University of Oxford and Professor Mark Hadfield, University of Wolverhampton; also presenting at the conference was Professor Joanne Hughes and Dr Gavin Duffy from Queen’s University Belfast, School of Education.
SELF is comprised of three groups: Queen’s University Belfast, The Fermanagh Trust and the North Eastern Education and Library Board’s Primary Integrating/Enriching Education (PIEE) Project. Since the programme launched in 2007 over 162 schools, across 47 separate partnerships involving more than 12,771 of pupils throughout Northern Ireland have benefited from shared curricular and extra-curricular activities.
The programme is funded by the International Fund for Ireland and Atlantic Philanthropies.
Richard Lineham
Q. Richard, you are Graduating on Friday 14th December with a Masters degree in Educational Studies. Please explain why this award is of
particular significance to you?
A. The award is significant to me in terms of finishing a two year project that has required at significant amount of focus at a time when life was not that easy. I also see this was confirmation of the belief that others have put in me. Receiving my distinction felt like a suitable reward/ return for all the days spent tapping away at my computer.
Q. As well as achieving the award of a Distinction for your academic study, you also won a bursary based on your Dissertation subject. Could you let us know what this was about and what this means for you?
A. I received a Jeff Thompson Research Award from the International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO). The awards are given out by the IBO to further support ‘ research which is relevant and important to the IB community, including Contribution of studies in international education and the impact of IB programme study on the acquisition of international mindedness’ (further details can be found here). The award met the costs of my research into the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. Receiving this award was a massive bonus, keeping me motivated and focused on my work. The award also added an extra dimension to my research knowing that it would continue to have a life after my MEd. I am also hoping that having received the award it will open doors in the future.
Q. Will you take this area of research further and has it led to any interesting developments?
A. Since finishing my MEd I have rewritten my dissertation for the IBO under the following title: ‘Is the international baccalaureate diploma programme effective at delivering the international baccalaureate mission statement?’The IBO have helped me edit the work and have organised a critique of the work by members of the Jeff Thompson Research Award committee. This has helped me increase the quality of my original piece of work and it is now noticeably more polished and focused than my Masters work! The IB are going to include this work in the International Education Research Database and are helping me with publication. I would love to take the work further and look more into the ability of curriculums to help shape student values and attitudes. Anyone wish to sponsor my PhD?
Q. Thinking about your Masters course, what did you find most interesting or useful?
A. After graduating as a teacher in 1998, the Masters course was an excellent way of updating and increasing my knowledge. It has changed my everyday teaching and enabled me to have more positive input into curriculum matters in school.
I found all of the option areas that I studied interesting and the lecturers form Queens providing the correct balance of challenge and support. I chose to do my dissertation on international education not a topic that I had covered previously but one that I found interesting and relevant to my work.
Q. You are an inspirational person who has overcome the most difficult of circumstances to be particularly successful in your course
of study. What advice can you offer from your personal circumstances and as a graduating student, to fellow students and those
contemplating further study?
A. I find it slightly bemusing to be called an inspirational person; yes, I did have a difficult time after my wife passed away but I was still alive and had a duty to keep living. Alex (my wife), was my inspiration despite receiving a terminal diagnosis she lived every day to the full and without complaint. The last few years have reinforced something that I always thought and I now pursue daily and that is to ensure that ‘I am living and not just existing’. Completing my masters to the best of my ability was what I needed to do to fulfil this philosophy.
Q. Are there any other final words that you would like to leave with us?
A. The glass is always half full.
Richard will be graduating with the rest of the students from the School of Education on Friday 14th December at 10.30am. The School wishes everyone graduating, the very best of wishes and many congratulations for your success and hope that you will enjoy your day with your families and supporters. We also hope that you have a peaceful Christmas and enjoy the well-deserved rest.
The first workshop for teachers involved in the ‘New Approaches to Key Stage 2/3 Science Teaching in the Outdoor Classroom’ (NASTOC) was recently held in the School of Education. This project is being led by Dr. Karen Kerr and is generously funded by the AstraZeneca Science Teaching Trust (AZSTT).
The project aims to enhance links between transition teachers working with Primary 7 children and a Year 8 science class, through the use of outdoor science. The yearlong project will support teachers in coplanning, coteaching and coevaluation shared learning days in the outdoor classroom. The first workshop involved sessions on urban outdoor science, planning, funding and building your own outdoor classroom and garden as well as enthusiastic participation in outdoor science games and activities to include teachers acting as a bear, a midge or a salmon and measuring trees by peering through their legs!! Let’s just say that we attracted quite a bit of attention in Botanic Gardens in our coloured welly boots!
The sessions were led by fabulous facilitators: Dr. Ruth Amos (Institute of Education, London), Patricia Deeney (Field Studies Council) and Teresa McKeever (Rosemount Primary School). Commenting on the workshop, one teacher said: “I had a really great day and took away some great ideas for an outdoor learning experience!” A second workshop is due to take place on 4th February.
Further information on the project can be found here or by contacting Dr. Karen Kerr on (028) 9097 5945 or at k.kerr@qub.ac.uk
To mark United Nations Human Rights Day, the Human Rights, Equality and Social Cohesion Research Group will hold a seminar on 10th December from 2.00-3.30pm in the Cathcart Room, 69 University Street.
Laura Lundy and Jannette Elwood will be offering refreshments with a view to raising some money for charities supporting girls’ right to education internationally.
The seminar will be led by Laura Lundy, Lesley Emerson and Katrina Lloyd from the Centre for Children’s Rights and will focus on education policy reform in Northern Ireland from a human rights perspective. A research report carried out by the centre for the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission will provide the basis for the presentation.
The seminar will provide space for discussion and questions. We hope that it will stimulate a lot of discussion relating to the research topic and connect to your own research interests.
This is the first Research Group seminar and we are hoping that it will provide these seminars with opportunities to share ideas and to bring colleagues together.
Everybody with an interest in the work of each Research Group is very welcome to come along to these seminars.
Click here for the seminar flyer.
We are currently inviting applications for two full-time Phd studentships for 2013-14, funded by the Department for Employment and Learning (DEL), with a closing date of 1 February 2013.
These awards are available only to candidates who wish to enrol on a full time basis and who meet residence criteriafor studentships [ie DEL funding awards].Applications are invited from students for any area of study in education who wish to devise their own research project that related to one of our research themes. Two projects have also been identified and applicants may select one of these PhD projects and write a 2000 word proposal to explain how you will undertake research in this field.
All proposals must include references to academic literature and provide evidence of academic reading within the research field including a paragraph on any ethical issues that are likely to arise in the course of the research. All applicants must contact the relevant named project director/potential supervisor prior to submitting their application and proposal. Please note that funding is limited and the process is competitive. For further information on the PhD programme, projects, proposal writing and application process click here.
The closing date for the DEL Studentships is 1 February 2013. Click here for more information on this open competition.
The School of Education invites applications from outstanding Chinese students from Project 985 and 211 universities to pursue PhD study at Queen’s University Belfast in collaboration with the China Scholarship Council (CSC).
The School has two fully funded three year research studentships, commencing October 2013. The studentships provide fees and living costs.
PhD Studentships
| Area of Research | Supervisor |
| Children's right to education in China | |
| Intensive behavioural interventions in ASD- a comparison between Chinese and UK practices |
|
For details on how to apply, click here.
If you have any questions about the Scholarships, please contact Monica Yang in the International Office (m.yang@qub.ac.uk; +4428 9097 5358).
To find out more about the International student experience at Queen's University, please click here.
The Education and Training Inspectorate (ETI) recently reported on its evaluation of the School's PGCE pilot programme, undertaken in collaboration with the University of Ulster (UU), to develop students' knowledge and skills in Special Educational Needs (SEN) and inclusion.
The project within Queen's was led by who is delighted that the findings of the evaluation are excellent. One quote from the report states:
"The project has achieved, to a high level, its key aims of improving the student teachers' knowledge, understanding and skills in relation to teaching pupils identified as having a wide range of SEN."
Ron is currently working with Jackie Lambe at UU to submit a follow-up proposal to the Department of Education to extend this work with the aim of addressing some of the recommendations for future developments set out in this report.
The School would like to take the opportunity to congratulate Ron and all involved for the hard work put into achieving this outcome. The report highlights the issue of special needs education and inclusive pedagogies, not just in initial teacher education, but through into early and continuing professional development.
The report is available on the ETI’s website here.
A recent launch of the CEE report evaluating the Doodle Den literacy programme in Dublin has been welcomed with a wave of media attention. The positive findings of the evaluation were reported in the Irish Examiner (“Calls to roll out literacy scheme nationwide”), Irish Mirror (“Calls to help literacy with extra classes”) and the Irish Times online (“Programme ‘helped child literacy’”).
Doodle Den was independently evaluated by researchers from the Centre for Effective Education through a randomised controlled trial and a process evaluation. It is an after-school literacy programme aimed at 5 and 6 year olds and operated in six schools in Tallaght West, Dublin.
The three year evaluation followed three different year cohorts of children and showed the programme succeeded in its initial aims of making moderate improvements in the children’s literacy. Not only was the programme shown to improve children’s overall literacy ability, there was also evidence to suggest that it had a positive impact on improving concentration and reducing problem behaviours in school, family library activity and the child’s reading at home.
Commenting on the results, Dr Andy Biggart who led the research team said: “These results are very encouraging, especially given the fact that literacy is such an important gateway subject and demonstrates that a well-designed and structured literacy after-school programme can be effective in improving children’s literacy in disadvantaged areas. We are pleased to see the programme has received further funding to continue in Tallaght West as well as its expansion to three schools in Limerick under the School Completion Programme.”
The CEE has been awarded further funding to follow the children over a further two years to assess the longer-term benefits of the programme.
A copy of the full report of the evaluation can be found by clicking the image below.
For further information on the evaluation contact .
Prof Karola Dillenburger to deliver keynote address on the evidence for behaviour analytic interventions in Autism and workshops (Task Analysis and Observation Skills) to audience of Australian Educational and Developmental Psychologists. The Conference brings together researchers and practitioners in order to recognise and offer input on how theory affects practice and new research initiatives enhance school psychology.
Applied Behaviour Analysis is the scientific basis for well established, evidence-based interventions for individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders and many other conditions. The US Federal government considers the application of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) to be not only educationally valuable, but medically necessary. This is not the case in other parts of the world where the research evidence favouring ABA-based methods is not recognised and an eclectic approach is recommended. This presentation will explore these issues and illustrate the effectiveness of ABA-based interventions with a range of research methodologies.
Workshop 2 & 5: Task analysis and fine-tuning observational skills Task analysis and behavioural observation form the basis of many skills-based interventions. This workshop will provide task analysis and observational skills training. The workshop will be interactive based on multimedia presentations and practical exercises. It will be suitable for psychologists from varied background from beginners to those with experience in the area.
http://www.groups.psychology.org.au/cedp/conference2012/
Prof Jannette Elwood will be speaking at the Association of Educational Assessment Europe 13th Annual Conference in Berlin. Jannette will be speaking about evolving theoretical perspectives in assessment that are raising fundamental questions about current large-scale assessment systems and practice. This association is the biggest professional group of assessment researchers and practitioners in Europe with over 200 delegates attending the conference. Queen’s School of Education were the successful hosts of this conference in 2011 and details of the 13th Annual event can be found here.
Prof Karola Dillenburger delivered a paper at the Autism Today: Winter Meeting 2012 to approx 70 delegates, mainly medical professionals. The paper outlined the overwhelming evidence-base for behavior analytic interventions in ASD and the need for University validated and BACB approved training in behavior analysis.
Further information can be found here
Exploring contexts: language at crossroads of society and culture
November 9-10, 2012
The theme for the 2012 conference is ‘Exploring contexts: language at crossroads of society and culture’, with which we seek to examine the interactional, communicative, societal and cultural functions of language. The conference will promote internationalisation by bringing researchers from across the globe together and by providing vital networking opportunities.
ILinC 2012 is most honoured to confirm the participation of three of the most prominent researchers on language studies:
Prof. Paul Kerswill (University of York): “The objectification of Jafaican: the discoursal embedding of ‘Multicultural London English’ in the British print media.”
Dr. Catrin Rhys (University of Ulster): “Hegemonic femininity as an interactional accomplishment in the mundane interactions of women who smoke.”
Prof. Ruth Wodak (Lancaster University): “Decision-making in meetings in political and business contexts: Different genres – similar strategies?”
The programme also includes poster and paper sessions on several language-related topics, such as Critical Discourse Analysis, English as a Foreign Language, Language Change, Language Teaching and Learning, Semantics, Stylistics, Pragmatics, among others. We will also host a publishing workshop on Saturday morning, sponsored by Elsevier. Please see our detailed programme (attached to this e-mail) for more information on exact times and dates.
Should you wish to attend ILinC 2012, registration is available online at http://blogs.qub.ac.uk/ilinc2012/registration/. Unfortunately we have limited spaces available, so delegates will be accepted on a first come, first served basis. Thank you for your understanding.
Please visit our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/QUBILinC) and follow us on Twitter (www.twitter.com/ILinC2012) for daily updates on the conference. We are looking forward to seeing you at ILinC!
4.00pm - 5.30pm
By Dr Ingrid Johnston
Professor, Department of Secondary Education
Faculty of Education, University of Alberta, CANADA
This Centre for Shared Education seminar will raise issues of respecting diversity and of belonging through presenting a case study of a collaborative project between university researchers and a large urban high Canadian school with a high immigrant and refugee population.
Professor Johnston has been Dean of Research. Her research interests include cultural difference and teaching, preparing student teachers for working inethnoculturally diverse classrooms and developing literary curricula with relevance to the backgrounds of immigrant and Aboriginal students. Her research is grounded in postcolonial literary theories, and psychoanalytic approaches to teacher identity.
Please reply to School of Education: d.piekar@qub.ac.ukEveryone Welcome
Prof Paul Connolly
A Ministerial Advisory Group is calling on people across Northern Ireland to have their say on the future of shared education here.
Chaired by Professor Paul Connolly from the School of Education at Queen’s University, and including Dawn Purvis and P.J. O’Grady, the independent group has been set up by the Minister for Education, John O’Dowd, to advise him on the advancement of shared education.
From today (Monday 15 October) until 9 November, parents, pupils and anyone else with an interest in the future of education in Northern Ireland can have their say on the issue by submitting their views to the group.
Professor Connolly said: “Promoting shared education is a key commitment in the Programme for Government. The Ministerial Advisory Group is considering the best way to advance shared education to ensure that it provides for the education together of children and young people in Northern Ireland, and meets the needs of all learners regardless of their background or circumstances.
“We are calling on the public to help inform our advice to the Minister by sending us their views and suggestions on how this can be achieved. Responses should be sent, in writing, to the Ministerial Advisory Group on or before 9 November. Further information on how to do this can be found on our website at: http://www.qub.ac.uk/mag
“Following our consultation with parents, pupils and other key stakeholders, we will formulate and submit our report to the Minister on 1st February 2013. Our aim is to formulate a way forward for the delivery of quality education to all our children in a way that fosters equality, good relations and community cohesion. The issue of shared education is crucial to the future of our society, and now is the opportune time for anyone with a view on this to join the debate.”
In developing its advice for the Minister, the group must take account of a number of factors, including the preferences of learners and their parents, the effectiveness and value-for-money of existing approaches, best practice in education here and around the world, any barriers to the future of shared education, and how shared education might address issues such as ethos and identity.
The closing date to submit applications for the PGCE commencing in September 2013 has now passed. Late applications are being accepted but will be held in reserve and processed if all on time applications are exhausted.
Further information and an application form can be found here.
Anne Boyd, Bob Lingard, Terry Laverty (L-R)
The seminar was organised by Professor Joanne Hughes, Director of the in the School of Education and attracted an audience of teachers and principals as well as academics.
Professor Lingard’s topic ‘Confronting Schools and Social Inequality: Policies, Practices and Pedagogies’ was highly relevant to various debates in Northern Ireland schooling. One of the key themes he developed was the ways in which a high stakes testing approach reduces the emphasis on intellectual demand in pedagogies and thus potentially reduces the impact of the teacher. He has agreed to act as international consultant to the OFDFM supported research project, Investigating Links to Achievement and Deprivation (ILiAD), which is exploring these themes in seven areas of Northern Ireland.
NICCY report
Prof Laura Lundy
Young people with learning disabilities face a flawed system when moving from children services to adult services, a report from the Children’s Commissioner, Patricia Lewsley-Mooney, has found.
The ‘Review of Transitions to Adult Services for Young People with Learning Difficulties’ found inconsistencies, weaknesses and gaps in existing arrangements for children with learning disabilities moving from child to adult services.
The report by researchers at Queen’s University, Belfast (QUB) looked at the transition arrangements for young people with learning disabilities across education, health and social care, as well as other areas such as employment.
Professor Laura Lundy (School of Education) who completed the report with Dr Bronagh Byrne (QUB) and Dr Paschal McKeown (Mencap) said:
“The report indicates that there is a pressing need for greater communication and co-operation between public services in education, health and social care as well as accessible information and support for parents and young people about the services available to them on transition”
She continued, “Concerns relating to young people with learning disabilities attending Further Education (FE) courses, centred on the lack of a choice of courses which meet the young person’s own interests and aspirations as well as opportunities for genuine progression”.
“In the context of employment, again there is variation across NI in terms of supported employment opportunities, the availability of suitable work experience placements, and the impact of part-time working on social security benefits.” concluded Professor Lundy.
Mrs Lewsley- Mooney, who commissioned the report, said: “I am regularly contacted by concerned parents telling me about the difficulties faced by their children moving from child to adult services.
“The transition to adulthood should be a time of excitement and opportunity, however for young people with learning disabilities and their families it is often a time of stress and anxiety about the possible loss of support and services which are currently in place, and uncertainty about the future.”
The report, which examined current law, policy and services relating to transitions highlighted ongoing difficulties with current arrangements and demonstrated there can be a stark contrast between international child rights obligations placed upon Government and the reality experienced by young people and their families in Northern Ireland.
Young people move to adult services at different ages across education, health and social care. The age they leave school and range of options they have can vary depending on where they live.
“I acknowledge that attempts have been made to alleviate some of the difficulties faced by young people and their families at times of transition, said the Commissioner.
“However we must recognise that barriers continue to persist for young people and their families. I call on the Northern Ireland Executive to make sure that the service planning process is fully integrated across education, health and social care, that there is effective cooperation between agencies and that the views of young people themselves are properly taken account of.”
The Commissioner concluded: “As young people prepare to leave the structure and support of school based arrangements it is essential that the transition is well planned, properly resourced and has the rights and best interests of each young person at its heart.”
“When young people with learning disabilities are adjusting to new environments like further education, training, day care or independent living it is vital they get the support they need to make sure the move is successful.”
We are delighted to welcome Katrina Crilly who is joining us for a term from St Patrick's College, Maghera on a GTCNI Teacher Fellowship. While in the School of Education, Katrina will be researching approaches to School-Based Professional Development (with a special emphasis on Research Lesson Study) and she will be making an important contribution to teaching on the PGCE Science Programme.
Distinguished writers Paul Muldoon, Polly Devlin, Carlo Gebler and Robert Welch have signed up to be a part of the new Autumn/New Year Open Learning Programme at Queen’s. They will contribute to the World Literature series which is just one of a vast array of courses on offer at Queen’s this Autumn.
The new Autumn/New Year Programme offers hundreds of short courses open to the public. This year, as always, the programme responds to major international themes. In addition to Aung San Suu Kyi and the Struggle for Democracy in Burma, there is a topical spotlight on the forthcoming US elections, with So, You Still Want To Be President: A Guide to the 2012 Presidential Election.
In this very special year for Belfast, there is also a special series, funded by the Arts Council’s One City, One Book initiative, celebrating the musical, literary and visual arts heritage of the capital.
Cathal McManus, Programme Co-ordinator of the Open Learning programme said: “We are really delighted to launch the new Autumn/New Year Open Learning Programme, and as always there are a huge range of programmes available to people from all walks of life. From wine-tasting to film making and personal finance to first aid – there really is something for everyone at Queen’s this Autumn.
“There are courses on aspects of Belfast’s history and walking tours concentrating on the most important citizens of Belfast and its most significant buildings and builders, as well as a course about the history of life on the River Lagan. As always there are plenty of practical courses including building a website, interview skills, yoga, and documentary film making.”
Sadly, the Open Learning Programme lost one of its most exceptional literature lecturers with the passing of Dr Edith Newman Devlin in July. The Programme is, however, keen to remember her legacy.
Dr Tess Maginess, Director of Undergraduate Programmes in the School of Education said: “Edith was legendary, and irreplaceable. But we hope to continue the World Literature series in her memory, and have attracted some very distinguished contributors including Paul Muldoon, Polly Devlin, Carlo Gébler and Robert Welch.”
The wide-ranging programme, encompassing daytime, evening and weekend courses, also includes language courses at various levels to enable learners to progress from one year to the next, as well as courses in everything from investigating your family tree to Indian culture to Celtic literature and spirituality.
There are no entry requirements for any of the courses and there are concession rates available to ensure they are affordable. You can enrol online for any of the courses at www.qub.ac.uk/edu/ol or, alternatively, by post, by telephoning or just calling in. the Open Learning office is at 20 College Green, Belfast BT7 1LN, telephone, 028 9097 3323/3539.
The School of Education recently held a charity coffee morning to raise funds for this year's chosen charities- Buddy Bear and Kids 4 School. Thanks to everyone who baked (or bought!) buns and a big 'Thank you!' for all the donations. We're delighted to have raised £75.51.
Fulbright Awards Now Open to Applicants
• Funding available for postgraduate study and research across ALL DISCIPLINES in the USA• Funding to teach Irish language in the USA
• Awards competition runs until November 14th 2012
The Fulbright Commission in Ireland officially opens to applicants on Friday, the 24th of August 2012. The 2013 - 2014 competition for the Fulbright Awards include a monetary grant for post-graduate students, scholars, and professionals to travel to the US to lecture, research, and study for a maximum period of one year. Further information about the application process is available on www.fulbright.ie.
All applications must be received by 3:00 p.m. in hard copy an online on 14th November 2012.
The following three types of awards are on offer:
1. Fulbright Student Awards: For up to one academic year for postgraduate study or research in the United States in any discipline, including the arts. Grants are a maximum of $20,000. Applicants may stay to complete their academic program if it is longer than one year.
2. Fulbright Scholar and Professional Awards: Grants available for up to €35,000 (Irish Language) and $20,000 (General Awards) for academics and professionals with more than five years’ experience to research and/or lecture in the US, lasting between and three and twelve months.
3. Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistantship (FLTA) Awards: Ten-month Awards for Irish language teachers to refine their teaching skills in the US by teaching at a US college and taking classes at a post-graduate level. Grants are available for approximately €20,000.
Applications are encouraged in all disciplines.
We are delighted to congratulate all School of Education students who will be celebrating their hard work and success with family and friends at the Summer Graduation ceremony, on Friday 6th July. The Graduation ceremony will see students from Undergraduate degrees right through to PhDs awarded. Whatever the award, this is a major achievement and one that they should all be rightly proud of.
All of my colleagues in the School are particularly proud as we are aware that many of our students are undertaking degrees whilst in full-time employment and at a stage in their life when they have many other responsibilities on their time.
On behalf of the School, I would like to wish all our students, graduands and those continuing in their studies, a relaxing and fulfilling Summer. For those graduating this summer, we do hope to keep in touch and are always delighted to hear how they are getting on in their careers.
With warm regards
Professor Paul Connolly
Head of School
Key Links
Contact Info
School of Education69-71 University Street
Queen's University Belfast
Belfast
BT7 1NHL
+44 (0)28 9097 5941/3323
+44 (0)28 9097 5066
education@qub.ac.uk
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