Reference:
Nic An Bhreithiúnaigh, R. (2025, November 6-8). Teacher Communities as Ecological Networks: Sustaining Arts Educators Through Shared Practice [Paper presentation]. The National Society of Art and Design Education, iJADE conference, Arnolfini & UWE Bristol.
Abstract:
This paper presentation reports on a systematic literature review of 35 international empirical studies on teacher communities (TCs) which supported primary, post-primary teachers and early years educators in the delivery of arts education in the years 2010–2025. The methodology draws from the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA). Findings were thematically analyzed using a narrative method and revealed many types of TCs for arts educators.These TCs, which can act as ecological systems, support educators to collaborate and co-develop practice in visual arts, music, drama, dance, integrated arts or arts integration. In response to ecological challenges such as isolation, it can be argued that TCs promote educators’ autonomy in arts professional learning (PL) when leadership and policy fail to provide adequate professional development (PD) opportunities. This review also includes online TCs where social media platforms in posthuman contexts shape how educators collaborate and engage in shared learning. Conditions under which PL outcomes are likely to be achieved also feature. This paper draws on the themes of transformation and sustainability from Emma Talbot’s work as arts TCs act as rich habitats for transformative artistic education, sustaining educators’ PL beyond once off courses, workshops or webinars across international contexts.
Reference:
Murray, S. (2025, November 9). Language practices of student teachers in Irish medium schools in SEE lessons. [Paper Presentation]. 50th Literacy Association of Ireland Conference, Dublin City University, Dublin.
Abstract:
This paper will discuss proposed research on language practices SEE lessons in immersive education environments. It will examine literature available on how teachers teach language- vocabulary specific terminology through geography lessons in at primary level. The paper will mainly refer to CLIL- content, language, translanguaging and other practices sector. It also will refer to proposed doctoral research in this area.
Reference:
O’Sullivan, J. (2025, November 9). Mixing oil and water? Examining balanced literacy in the Irish context. [Paper Presentation]. 50th Literacy Association of Ireland Conference, Dublin City University, Dublin.
Abstract:
This paper explores the evolution of reading instruction in Ireland through the metaphor of oil and water—two elements that are notoriously difficult to mix. It considers the enduring tension between meaning-based and skills-based approaches to reading and the persistent struggle to integrate them coherently in both policy and practice.
At the heart of this analysis is the concept of balanced literacy, first introduced by Michael Pressley in the 1990s. Pressley (1998) envisioned a deliberate emulsification of practices: combining systematic instruction in foundational skills with meaningful engagement in reading, writing, and oral language. His version of balanced literacy was less about equal measures and more about thoughtful integration. However, over time, the term has lost its clarity—often morphing into a vague mixture of eclectic practices (Moats, 2020; Shanahan, 2021).
Ireland presents a compelling case. Historically, its literacy policy and curricula have sought to blend structured instruction with holistic, child-centred pedagogy. This combination has arguably contributed to Ireland’s strong performance in international assessments of reading such as PIRLS and PISA. As a result, international observers are increasingly looking to Ireland for guidance. Yet the continued use of the term balanced literacy to describe Ireland’s approach to reading risks misrepresenting the intentionality and coherence of the Irish model—casting it as yet another unstable mix rather than a well-emulsified system.
Drawing on curriculum documents, national strategies, and contemporary research in reading, this presentation questions whether the term balanced literacy still serves a productive purpose in Irish education. It suggests that a reframing—or even rebranding—is needed to reflect a more stable integration of reading components, grounded in a shared, evidence-based understanding of reading pedagogy. Crucially, it highlights teacher knowledge as the emulsifier—the active agent that can bind skills and meaning into a cohesive whole.
Reference:
Ingle, J. & Ní Dhuinn, M. (2025, November 19-23). Learning their Stories: Children's Literature to Prepare New Educators to Teach Newcomer, Migrant and Displaced Children. [Paper Presentation]. NAME - National Association for Multicultural Education - 2025 Conference, New Orleans.
Abstract:
Drawing on findings from a systematic literature review and empirical qualitative work with BSU students, this paper demonstrates how narratives embedded within children's literature can challenge deficit-oriented perspectives and affirm the cultural wealth and lived experiences of migrant children.
By centering the stories of displaced children through carefully selected literature, TCs develop both empathic understanding and foundational instructional strategies to foster belonging, cultural empowerment, and social advocacy in their future classrooms (Kovinthan Levi, 2019; Walker, 2023).
The significance of this work is substantiated by the demographic realities confronting education systems globally. According to UNICEF, approximately 36 million children worldwide are migrants, with 3 million residing in the US. In Massachusetts approximately 8% of K-12 students are classified as newcomers with close to 20% as migrant children. In Ireland approximately 6% of students are identified as newcomers with over 17% identified as migrants. Despite this demographic reality, many teacher preparation programs provide inadequate specialized preparation for addressing the complex academic and social-emotional needs of children who have experienced educational interruption, trauma-induced displacement, and cultural dissonance (Bousalis et al., 2021; Hanna, 2023).
This research extends Kovinthan Levi's (2019) work on preparing TCs to support children with refugee experiences, situating it within Bronfenbrenner's (1979) ecological systems framework to analyze the multiple environmental contexts influencing children's developmental trajectories. This approach aligns with recent scholarship by Buell et al. (2020), who specifically advocate for using the ecological model as a guide when working with young refugees and their families.
The study's findings reveal significant shifts in TCs' pedagogical dispositions, cultural competence, and instructional self-efficacy after engaging with strategically selected children's literature alongside complementary scholarly materials and practitioner dialogues. This work contributes substantively to the field of multicultural education by addressing a critical gap in teacher-preparation (Herzog-Punzenberger et al., 2022), providing empirically validated strategies and demonstrating how narrative/stories functions as both a window into the experiences of displaced children and a mirror reflecting individual biases.
Reference:
Fiorentini, C.M. (2025, December 3-5). Locating Preschool Literacy Practices. [Paper Presentation]. Literacy Research Association Conference, Las Vegas, USA.
Abstract:
Literacy development begins early in life and is correlated with the interrelated and interdependent domains of children’s development (Brown, 2014; Dickinson & Tabors, 2001; Neuman & Dickinson, 2001; Roskos & Vukelich, 2006; Seefeldt, 2005; Strickland & Riley-Ayers, 2006). Preschool offer a unique window of time to support development of early literacy skills prior to formal schooling. This paper presents recommendations for preschool literacy practices across all contexts facilitated through negotiation of proximal processes in the early years (Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 2006).
Reference:
Fiorentini, C.M., Magennis-Clarke, G., & Pratt, Sharon. (2025, December 3-6). CoSTaR: A Cross Atlantic Venture. [Paper Presentation]. Literacy Research Association Conference, Las Vegas, USA.
Abstract:
This design-based study explored a cross-Atlantic collaboration between Ireland and the United States in coaching pre-service teachers in read-aloud instructional practices. Data from pre- and post-questionnaires reflect that the participants increased in their understanding of the purposes of read-alouds, pedagogical knowledge of effective practices for read-alouds, and valued the importance of careful text selection and planning. They adopted identities as reading teachers, or teachers who read and readers who teach.
Reference:
Hill-Jackson, V., Harvieux Pitner, J., Butler, A., Chang, S., Collett, V., Eicher, L., Horn, C., Manzone, J., & Theisen-Homer, V. (2026, February 20). It's time for a hard reset: Reimagining teacher preparation in the United States by elevating residencies [Special feature panel session]. Annual Meeting of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE), New Orleans, LA, United States.
Abstract:
When teachers of colour professionalise their teaching, they encounter tensions between their personal and professional identities, causing dissonances. This study examined 36 teaching residents of colour and their professional identity development in one northeastern urban teacher residency (UTR) program in the United States. We used narrative research to explore how participants constructed themselves as teachers in their stories. We analysed program archival data through the lens of perezhivanie, a mental model that individuals establish to resolve dissonances. Narrative analyses of admissions essays, interviews, journals, and autobiographies revealed that participants’ personal histories inform their equity pedagogy. Specifically, participants constructed their own professional identities in the UTR program via cultural filters shaped by their life experiences being historically minoritized, particularly to (a) develop their teacher-selves to construct practical knowledge and (b) transform their personal-selves to foster equity pedagogy. The implications for supporting the professional identity development of teachers of colour are discussed.
Reference:
Austin, S., Murray, S. & Naughton, Y. (2026, February 27-28) Using an integrated approach to social and environmental education to explore the locality of Charney Bassett [Workshop presentation]. 28th Charney Manor Primary Geography Conference. Oxfordshire, United Kingdom. This workshop comprised the following three presentations:
Austin, S. (2026, February 27-28). Connecting to Place: Using embodied and sensory learning to promote place connection. [Oral presentation]. 28th Charney Manor Primary Geography Conference. Oxfordshire, United Kingdom.
Abstract 1:
Connection to place is at the heart of education about, through and for the environment. Kingsnorth (2012) suggests that, rather than teaching abstract concepts, effective environmental education embraces the messiness and complexity of the immediate locality, fostering connections between children and the natural world they encounter every day. Selby (2017) argues that we cannot expect children to think critically about and take responsibility for the environment unless they first connect with that environment. Children’s engagement with issues like climate change may be first kindled by finding magic and wonder in their own local places, in the natural world that surrounds them (Boxley, Clarke, Witt & Dewey, 2015). It is this connection that will lead to transformative action and new ways of being in the world (Selby, 2017).
Place-based learning (PBL) can be transformative, changing attitudes and behaviours, and providing opportunities for young learners to develop several of the key competencies envisioned in the redeveloped Irish Primary Curriculum Framework (PCF) (NCCA, 2023). Direct experience of the local environment encourages and empowers children to take positive action for sustainability. This paper discusses how a variety of sensory and embodied pedagogical approaches can be used to meet the learning outcomes of the redeveloped Social and Environmental Curriculum (NCCA, 2023) in the context of ITE in Ireland.
Murray, S. (2026, February 27-28). The language of Place: Using place to promote language. [Oral presentation]. The 28th Charney Manor Primary Geography Conference. Oxfordshire, United Kingdom.
Abstract 2:
In Ireland, ‘curriculum overload’ is regularly cited as an issue in the primary education sector (NCCA, 2010) with teachers feeling they had insufficient time to plan for the size of the curriculum (NCCA, 2005), while also meeting the range of children’s needs (NCCA, 2010). Curriculum integration has been regularly suggested as a possible solution (Government of Ireland, 1999; Bacon, 2018), yet challenges arise on how best to implement this practice (NCCA, 2018; Burke and Lehane, 2023). The aim of this paper is to provide a rationale for using place-based education to integrate language and geography, with reference to appropriate literature. Place based education, at its core, is a ‘pedagogical approach that emphasises the connection between a learning process and the physical place in which teachers and students are located’ (Yemini, Engel and Ben Simon, 2023). This approach is often associated with geographical learning (Yemini et al., 2023; Misiaszek, 2021), with recognised benefits of identity (Mc Inerney et al., 2011), relevance (Pike, 2011), and increased spatial capabilities (Catling, 1998). However, this paper wishes to highlight the opportunities for incorporating place-based education to language learning- including oral language development and creative writing (Kuehl, 2023; Azano, 2011; Wolf, 2006). It will examine possible approaches in primary classrooms, while identifying challenges also. Finally, it will also examine its relevance to the new Social and Environmental Curriculum (NCCA, 2025), which is due to be enacted next year.
Naughton, Y. (2026, February 27-28). The power of place: Using place-based education to promote an integrated approach to curriculum. [Oral presentation]. The 28th Charney Manor Primary Geography Conference. Oxfordshire, United Kingdom.
Abstract 3:
Place-based learning and integration have been identified as key pedagogical approaches that reflect the ‘interconnected nature of the world children experience daily’ in Irish Curriculum Specifications (NCCA, 2025, p. 35). Place-based learning provides opportunities for learners to develop key competencies, such as being an ‘active citizen’ and ‘active learner’, as envisioned in the Primary Curriculum Framework (PCF) (NCCA, 2023). Opportunities to connect with place act as a starting point for developing relationships ‘with people within a community’ and supports ‘an ethic of citizenship and care’ (Higgins, 2009, p. 48). Furthermore, the PCF clearly outlines the way in which children’s learning is shaped and nurtured by physical learning environments, both indoors and outdoors, as an overarching principle of learning, teaching and assessment (NCCA, 2023, p. 6).This work will emphasise the Irish curriculum’s ‘openness to new possibilities and change’ (Bacon, 2018, p. 2) and the powerful connection between place-based learning and integration. ‘Curriculum integration occurs when learners confront personally meaningful questions and engage in collaborative experiences to answer those questions’ (Bacon, 2018, p. 3; Beane, 1997). This aim of this paper is to provide a rationale for place-based learning and present an integrated space for learning, with reference to literature. It will highlight opportunities for integration across the Social and Environmental Education (SEE) and Science, Technology and Engineering (STE) curriculum specifications in Ireland (NCCA, 2025). This work will present examples of cross-curricular integration, including geography, science and history at primary level, with a focus on blending the dimensions of place (Scoffham, 2013) and presenting an integrated space in curriculum teaching and learning.
Reference:
Knezek, G., Christensen, R., Langran, E., Bower, M., Cernochova, M., Cohen, J., Egan, A., Furuta, T. & Slykhuis, D. (2026, March 23-27). EDUsummIT 2025 Issues and Outcomes: Highlights for the Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education (SITE). In Proceedings of Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference (pp. 2416-2421). Philadelphia, PA: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE). https://www.learntechlib.org/primary/p/2129305/.
Abstract:
This panel will present issues addressed and consensus outcomes resulting from an international summit of 120 researchers, policymakers and practitioners held in Dublin, Ireland, in June 2025, with a focus on discussions and published recommendations relevant to preservice and inservice faculty engaged in information technology and teacher education. Under the patronage of UNESCO, nine thematic groups convening at the 2025 International Summit on IT in Education (EDUsummIT 2025) collaborated for three days on complex issues associated with the effective integration of IT in education. Discussions were anchored in the summit theme of Designing Education Ecosystems for the Future: The Role of Digital Technologies. Detailed reports of thematic working group outcomes can be found in chapters of the EDUsummIT 2025 e-book published by the Association for the Advancement of Computers in Education (AACE) (see https://www.learntechlib.org/p/2128761/).
Reference:
Cherner, T., Trust, T., Hurlbut, A., Krutka, D. G., Yao, X., Heath, M. K., Mouza, C., Clausen, J. M., Cohen, J. D., Crawford, D., Heinsfeld, B. D., Williams, M. K., West, R. E., Ritzhaupt, A., Barger, A., Lipsmeyer, L. L., Vasconcelos, L., Barreto, D., Egan, A., Margerum-Leys, J., & Asim, S. (2026, March 23-27). Picturing the theory of GenAI: Frameworks for teaching and learning in the age of artificial intelligence. Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 26(1). https://citejournal.org/volume-26/issue-1-26/editorial/picturing-the-theory-of-genai-frameworks-for-teaching-and-learning-in-the-age-of-artificial-intelligence
Abstract:
This will be a provocative discussion about theoretical frameworks developed for genAI. As genAI continues to move education into a new era, frameworks are crucial to help ensure this technology is used ethically, responsibly, and effectively for teaching and learning. In response, faculty members came together at the National Technology Leadership Summit (NTLS) in the fall of 2025, and a dedicated NTLS working group reviewed existing frameworks for using genAI in educational contexts. They first identified gaps that have yet to be addressed and then worked in groups to develop four innovative frameworks, which will be showcased during this discussion-based panel. By joining this session, attendees will gain practical insights into these frameworks, with the potential for future collaborations.
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