B.Ed (Primary) Year 4 Module Listings

Overview

Learning to teach through the practice of teaching is a critical component of teacher education programmes. (Furlong and Maynard, 1995). Field experiences in teacher education programs are excellent opportunities for preservice teachers to learn to teach in complex and authentic learning situations. Sawyer (2006) posits that knowledge is now considered as ‘situated, practised and collaboratively generated.’ Indeed it is because of this that learning to teach through the practice of teaching while on school placement is a critical component of teacher education programmes (Furlong and Maynard, 1995). Reflection is regarded as a key activity during this teacher development process (Postholm, 2008). Russell (2005) further argues that ‘teacher educators should create discursive context/communities to situate student teachers for reflective practices.’ By contextualising such a methodology within the primary school and classroom, students will be facilitated in engaging in a purposeful process of critical inquiry into Primary Education in Ireland

At Senior Sophister stage, students will have increased responsibilities for planning and teaching to include a significant period when they will have total responsibility for the teaching and learning within the classroom. Students reflect on their practice during the placement and discuss this with their tutor during feedback sessions. Students will be required to set learning goals for themselves based on their reflections and learning from their Junior Sophister practice. Students will be required to reflect on varying aspects of teaching and learning and to both contribute these reflections to their professional portfolio and discuss them with their tutor.

Overview

This module is designed to extend the learning from students Research Methods module which they completed in JS year, with a view to students preparing and submitting a substantial piece of independent research relevant to education. The module explores the practical applications of research methodologies and methods of analysis. Students will develop an advanced understanding of ethical conduct, instrument design, data gathering and data analysis. Students will be introduced to frameworks for conducting quantitative, qualitative and mixed-method data analysis, including thematic analysis; deductive and inductive methods; reliability and validity, triangulation possibilities and an introduction to the use of data analysis software. This module enables students to practice being novice researchers and activate a research methodology appropriate to the problem under investigation.

Students will develop an appreciation for systematic, relevant and robust inquiry in education, with a view to informing their practice into the future. Through the collection and analysis of research data, students will have the opportunity to apply and articulate their research skills in their work as teachers on professional placement. Students have the support of their supervisor as they engage in the process and a focus on enhancing practice will be employed. Finally, students will recognise the broader societal and educational implications of their research as they are introduced to creative and innovative presentation strategies to exhibit educational research; and are given the opportunity to share, collaborate and debate research with peers

Overview

The module taps into emerging research on teacher knowledge, with a focus on mathematics, in order to prepare students for doing the work of teaching. Mathematical knowledge for teaching includes several domains of subject matter knowledge (common content knowledge, specialised content knowledge and horizon content knowledge) and of pedagogical content knowledge (knowledge of content and students, knowledge of content and teaching and knowledge of content and curriculum). The module is focused on developing the students’ mathematical knowledge in each of the domains. Until the last decade of the twentieth century teachers’ subject matter knowledge tended to be downplayed as an area of research and as a component of teacher education. A key feature of the module involves making explicit the connections between the knowledge being developed and its relevance to the practice of teaching. Therefore the relationship between developing teachers’ own knowledge and enhancing the mathematical quality of the instruction they offer is highlighted. In this module, assessment consists of a written examination and continuous assessment.

Overview

This course provides an opportunity for students to engage with the major philosophical approaches to education from ancient Greece to the present day. Students will be exposed to a range of ideas, policies and practices in such areas as: the authority to educate; the nature and aims of education; equitable provision of education and the responsibilities therein; educational ethics. Through interrogation of these approaches, the students will be enabled to interrogate their own personal philosophical positions regarding educational practice.

Overview

This course at Senior Sophister level seeks to build on the preceding three years in Social Environmental and Scientific Education (SESE) with a particular emphasis on inquiry and education for sustainability across all class levels in the primary school.

Science education enables us to develop our interest in, and understanding of, the living, material and physical world and develops the skills of collaboration, research, critical enquiry and experimentation. Education through, about and for the environment can be pursued through a range of learning experiences across all class levels.

The STEM Education Implementation Plan for 2017-2019 highlighted the importance of providing “the highest quality STEM education experience for learners that nurtures curiosity, inquiry, problem solving, ethical behaviour, confidence and persistence, along with the excitement of collaborative innovation”.

Areas of study include curriculum content, methodologies and approaches, integration and planning, assessment, resource planning and use of technology in teaching history, geography and science. The study of the Science curriculum (1999) and the associated Teacher Guidelines will be the main focus of the course.

Overview

Fostering a robust culture of reading in primary school is essential in motivating children to read. A fundamental strategy in creating an effective culture of reading is the consistent facilitation of opportunities to read for pleasure. A crucial factor in developing a culture of reading in a primary school community of reading, is teacher knowledge. This module provides students with an insight into the many educational and emotional benefits associated with reading for pleasure and the necessary steps in the creation of a culture of reading. This elective aims to prepare students for the implementation of reading for pleasure practices within the primary school to support the enjoyment of reading, reading attainment, book talk and motivation to read a variety of genres for pleasure. Throughout the module, students will gain an insight into a wide variety of purposeful and pedagogically-sound procedures that facilitate the creation of a culture of reading in the primary classroom and school community. An effective culture of reading embraces relational pedagogy, reciprocity and interaction which the social nature of reading for pleasure practices depend upon. Module content is coupled to the learning outcomes of the 2019 Primary Language Curriculum, and illustrates for students how reading for pleasure systems can be integrated with learning extension experiences across the curriculum and as a means of facilitating oral language development through book talk.

Overview

Garden-based learning (GBL) is becoming increasingly important in Irish schools. GBL can contribute to all aspects of basic education, including academic and life skills, personal, social and moral development. The garden is a foundation for integrated learning in and across disciplines – including science, maths, art, geography and history, as well as literacy and numeracy. Growing and caring for plants provides active, engaging and real-world experiences that have personal meaning for the learners. Schools growing programmes can be of particular benefit in urban and disadvantaged areas, where exposure to green space can be limited. This module will give students practical growing experience, building their confidence to create and use a garden as an outdoor classroom and to engage in growing activities with children. Workshops will encompass a range of growing skills, including seed-sowing, propagation from cuttings, garden design and construction, crop care, composting and recycling. The role of gardens and outdoor learning in promoting increased environmental awareness and environment-friendly behaviour will also be explored

Overview

This module will deepen the work the students began in Year 1 in the module on Equality Studies (or in Year 2 in their lectures on Intercultural Ed & Development Ed). It will take a particular focus on global justice themes, including human rights education; racism and anti-racism; critical perspectives on ‘development’ and ‘development education’; trade justice; and education for sustainable development. While many of these topics were introduced in Year 1 (or Year 2), this elective will enable students to investigate them in a deeper way, thus strengthening their ability to address such issues in the classroom. This module will also provide students with the opportunity to re-visit these themes through the lens of their school placement experiences from Years 1 to 4 of the B.Ed.

Overview

This advanced module extends the knowledge and understanding of inclusive special education modules undertaken by students in Year 2 (Inclusive and SEN 1 and 2). This elective will provide an opportunity for students to critically examine the research underpinning the support of learners with a range of complex needs in the classroom setting. This module provides an opportunity for in-depth study of universal design for learning, and will deepen students’ understanding of working with children with autism, dyslexia, social and emotional behavioural difficulties (SEBD), general learning disability (GLD) and Down Syndrome. Informed by high quality international research and practice, students will be challenged to reflect on theoretical perspectives in practical settings in preparation for their professional teaching careers.

Overview

This elective aims to equip students to become professionally effective in supporting and promoting early literacy in DEIS schools and in the wider community. The National Strategy to Improve Literacy and Numeracy among Young People 2011-2020, reports that ‘one in ten children in Irish schools has serious difficulty with reading or writing; in some disadvantaged schools this is as high as almost one in three students’. These statistics highlight gaps in relation to literacy attainment levels in DEIS schools in particular, and provide the rationale for this elective – to promote and support the effective teaching and learning of early literacy in DEIS schools.

Literacy is a critical component in the lives of young children to enable them to participate fully in schooling and in their wider communities. The National Strategy to Improve Literacy and Numeracy among Young People 2011-2020 emphasises the key role that literacy plays in children’s lives – ‘without the skills of literacy and numeracy, a young person or adult is cut off from full participation in many aspects of life: they cannot perform basic tasks, such as reading or sending an e-mail; advertisements and notices are meaningless to them; they cannot jot down a shopping list or understand a utility bill; and they are cut off from participating in and contributing to many aspects of the society and culture in which they live’ (2011, p.9).

The report (2011), highlights the importance of improving the professional skills of those teach in the early years in particular. Early childhood, the period from birth to six years of age is identified as a time of significant opportunity for learning during which time children have an innate capacity to learn from the experiences they have in their homes and in the wider environment. Taking into account therefore, the context within which children develop and learn is significant. Environmental factors, including socioeconomic background, impact significantly on children’s learning and development. This elective aims to explore and address the impact of environmental factors on children’s early literacy skills in the context of DEIS schools.