Reflective Pedagogy & Early Childhood Studies
About
The Department of Reflective Pedagogy and Early Childhood Studies at Mary Immaculate College comprises of a dynamic team with a range of diverse experiences and expertise in the field of Education. Departmental staff contribute to all the main undergraduate programmes delivered in the Faculty of Education including the BA Early Childhood Care and Education, the BA Early Childhood Practice and the Bachelor in Education (B Ed)/ B Ed in Education and Psychology.
We, in the department, are committed to promoting the principle of reflection to enable early years’ educators and primary teachers to reflect on their practice and thereby enrich their knowledge and beliefs about curriculum, pedagogy and children as learners. The concept of life-long learning is cultivated within the department through our contribution across several postgraduate programmes in the Faculty of Education.
In accordance with the mission statement of Mary Immaculate College, the Department seeks to foster an ethos that is grounded in respect for cultural diversity and individual values, the promotion of equity in society and a spirit of justice and compassion in the service of others. In this context, the holistic development of each student is valued and students are encouraged to be active and critical participants in their own learning.
Doctoral Research in Professional Learning for Teachers & Other Education Professionals
Subject Overview
Undergraduate
BA in Early Childhood Care and Education (BA ECCE)
The BA in Early Childhood Care and Education is an innovative four-year Level 8 degree programme, which focuses on providing students with the knowledge, understanding and skills to enable them to become professional leaders in the provision of care and education for children from birth to six years in a variety of education and care settings. The strong practical element of the programme provides opportunities for students to develop their skills through engaging in placements in a range of early years settings. The inclusive focus of the programme develops students' awareness of the needs of children from a diversity of backgrounds and children with special educational needs. More information on BA in Early Childhood Care and Education here.
The following are modules on the BA ECCE programme, in descending order from First Year onwards:
| ECE153: Chid Development |
| ECE101: Foundation Studies |
| ECE102: Child, Family and Community 1 |
| ECE103: Language Development in the Early Years |
| ECE154: Child Health and Well-being 1 |
| ECE155: Professional Development 1 |
| ECE104: The Role of Play in Development |
| ECE151: Creative Music Making in the Early Years |
| ECE202: Child, Family and Community 2 |
| ECE403: Curriculum and Pedagogy: Birth to Three Years |
| ECE200: Professional Development 3 |
| ECE201: Creative Arts in the Early Years |
| ECE202: Child, Family, and Community 2 |
| ECE203: The Early Years: Historical and Philosophical Perspectives and Analysis |
| ECE204: Child Health and Wellbeing 2 |
| ECE250: Professional Development 4 |
| ECE251: Models of Curriculum |
| ECE252: Educational Psychology |
| ECE253: Language and Literacy in the Early Years |
| ECE254: Sociological and Global Perspectives |
| ECE300: Professional Development 5 (Off-Campus Placement) |
| ECE350: STEM in the Early Years |
| ECE351: Management 1: Policy for Early Childhood Education and Care Management |
| ECE352: Research Methods |
| ECE353: Cultural and Linguistic Diversity: Implications for Professional Practice |
| ECE354: Including Children with Special Needs in the Early Years |
| ECE400: Professional Development 6 |
| ECE401: Management 2: Early Childhood Education and Care Leadership and Management |
| ECE402: Advanced Issues in Child Psychology |
| ECE403: Curriculum and Pedagogy: Birth to Three Years |
| ECE404 Dissertation 1 |
| ECE450: Professional Development 7 |
| ECE451: Curriculum and Pedagogy: Three to Six Years |
| ECE452: Dissertation 2 |
B Ed/B Ed in Education and Psychology
Department staff contribute across the B Ed/B Ed in Education and Psychology programmes in areas including School Placement, Microteaching, Educational Methodology, Early Childhood Education, Research Methods and Dissertation. More information on the B Ed programme here and the B Ed in Education and Psychology here.
| School Placement Modules |
|---|
| EDU109: Professional Placement 1 |
| EDU161: Professional Placement 2 |
| EDU267: Professional Placement 3 |
| EDU353: Early Primary Education |
| EDU400: School Placement 6 |
| EDU401 School Placement 7 |
| EDU404: Professional Placement 4: Alternative Educational Experience |
| Educational Methodology Modules |
|---|
| EDU110: Introduction to Technology and Educational Methodology |
| EDU353: Early Primary Education and Advanced Educational Methods |
| Early Childhood Education Core Module |
|---|
| EDU352: Early Childhood Education: Curriculum, Research and Pedagogy |
| Early Childhood Studies Elective/Specialism Modules |
|---|
| EDE354: Play and Learning in Early Childhood Education |
| EDE369: Early Childhood Education and the Psychology of Motivation |
| EDE403: Inclusion in the Early Years |
| EDE404: ECS Dissertation 1 |
| EDE404: ECS Dissertation 2 |
| Electives |
|---|
| EDE453: Becoming a Professional: Linking Initial Teacher Education and Induction through Reflective Practice |
| Research Methods and Dissertation |
|---|
| EDU302: Research Methods - Ethical Foundations for Teaching and Research |
| EDU356: Research Methods 2 |
| EDE460: Multi-Disciplinary Dissertation 1 |
| EDE461: Multi-Disciplinary Dissertation 2 |
Postgraduate
Professional Master in Education (Primary Teaching)
Department staff contribute to the Professional Master in Education (PME) programme in the areas of School Placement, Microteaching, Educational Methodology, Early Childhood Education and Dissertation. More information on the Professional Masters of Education here.
The following is a list of modules for the PME:
| School Placement Modules |
|---|
| PME608: Professional Placement 1 |
| PME636: Professional Placement 2 |
| PME637: Professional Placement 3 |
| PME638: Professional Placement 4 |
| Education Modules |
|---|
| PME624: Early Primary Education: Educational Methodology and ECE |
| Research and Dissertation |
|---|
| PME633: Professional Master of Education Dissertation |
Department staff contribute to a number of modules across a range of M Ed programmes in the Faculty including the following:
| M Ed in Professional Studies in Education |
|---|
| PSE600: Principles and Practice of Research in Education |
| PSE601: Dissertation |
| PSE602: Dissertation |
Graduate Diploma/M Ed in Adult and Further Education
There are two programmes available which offer a qualification for teaching in Further Education: The Graduate Diploma in Adult and Further Education and the Professional Diploma in Education (FE). More information about Adult and Further Education here.
Structured PhD in Education
Dr Emmanuel O’Grady is the Course Leader for Structured PhD in Education. Staff across the Department are involved in the supervision of Structured PhD students’ research. More information about Structured PhD in Education here.
Professional Development
Level 8 Special Purpose Certificate in Professional Mentoring for Early Childhood Practice
Department staff will be delivering this new special purpose certificate programme from September 2021. This 15 credit module considers the concept of mentoring in the context of early childhood education and care settings and empowers participants to apply the principles of mentoring within their practice in settings. Funded by the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, this programme is free of charge to all participants.
See an MS Sway presentation on Professional Mentoring for Early Childhood Practice here.
Staff
Research
Doctoral Research in Professional Learning for Teachers & Other Education Professionals
Members of the Department in partnership with colleagues across the College and in other third-level institutions are engaged in the wide range of additional research-related activities.
The Centre for Early-childhood Research at Mary Immaculate College (CERAMIC) has an exceptional track record in conducting research. Members of the department have recently been involved in two large national research projects. The first of these projects was a collaboration with Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) and involved an investigation of parents’ and educators’ perspectives on school readiness while the second collaboration with colleagues in the Department of Educational Psychology, Inclusive and Special Education (MIC) involved an evaluation of educational provision for children with Autism.
An Examination of Concepts of School-Readiness among Parents and Educators in Ireland, Dublin: Department of Children and Youth Affairs.
Ring, E., Mhic Mhathúna, M., Moloney, M., Hayes, N., Breatnach, D., Stafford, P., Carswell, D., Keegan, S., Kelleher, C., McCafferty, D., O’Keeffe, A., Leavy, A., Madden, R. & Ozonyia, M. (2016)
An Evaluation of Education Provision for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Ireland, Trim: National Council for Special Education.
Daly, P., Ring, E., Egan, M., Fitzgerald, J., Griffin, C., Long, S., McCarthy, E., Moloney, M., O’Brien, T., O’Byrne, A., O’Sullivan, S., Ryan, M., Wall, E., Madden, R. and Gibbons, S. (2016)
Autism from the Inside Out
Autism from the Inside Out: A Handbook for Parents, Early Childhood, Primary, Post-Primary and Special School Settings, a collaboration with colleagues across the Faculty of Education and PhD students, was launched at the International Play Conference Revolutionising Play: Possibilities, Perspectives and Promise at MIC in September 2018 by Adam Harris, CEO AsIAm. The book is co-edited by Dr Emer Ring, Dr Patricia Daly and Professor Eugene Wall, with chapters being provided by a range of experts in education and psychology at Mary Immaculate College. The book emerged from the findings of the national evaluation of education provision for children with autism spectrum difference in Ireland referred to above.
Department staff have expertise in supervising research in a range of academic areas at under-graduate and post-graduate level. Department staff are currently providing research supervision to students undertaking PhD by research and the Structured PhD in Education.
Current PhD/Structured PhD in Education Students being Supervised in the DRPECS
- Marie Claire Murphy: Teacher and Children’s Perceptions of Forest School sessions in an Irish Primary School context: A Case Study. Supervisors: Dr Emer Ring, Dr Kathleen Horgan & Dr Lisha O’Sullivan.
- Shirley Heaney: An investigation of how the well-being of children with additional needs is supported within Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) settings in Ireland. Supervisors: Dr Emer Ring, Dr Lisha O’Sullivan & Dr Jennifer Pope.
Meet the Researcher - Florence Ajala
Florence Ajala is a current PhD candidate and assistant lecturer in Early Childhood Studies in the Department of Reflective Pedagogy & Early Childhood Studies.
I completed a Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Care and Education and a Graduate Diploma in Adult and Further Education in MIC. Currently, I am pursuing my PhD in MIC under the supervision of Dr Michele Dunleavy and Dr Aimie Brennan.
My research is about the lived experiences of Nigerian immigrant mothers' engagement with their children's early childhood care and education within an Irish context. Precisely, my study includes the voices of fifteen Nigerian mothers and explores how they engaged with their children's ECCE, the challenges they face due to their immigrant status, and how cultural differences manifest in home-school interactions during early childhood. My motivation for my research is to give voice to Nigerian mothers of preschool children in Ireland, as they are often not heard in Irish educational research. Nigerian mothers have important insights into matters that concern their children’s ECCE and, like other parents, benefit hugely from being active participants in their children’s ECCE.
Fifteen Nigerian mothers whose children availed of the universal ECCE programme from 2020 to 2022 were recruited through ECCE settings to participate in my research. The universal ECCE programme is a state-funded two-year preschool programme available to all children in Ireland between the ages of 2 years and 8 months to 5 years and 6 months before they commence primary school (Hanley and Garrity 2022; Wolfe et al. 2013). My study used a qualitative inquiry based on one-to-one semi-structured interviews. These were transcribed and coded using Braun and Clarke's reflexive thematic analysis (2019; 2022).
My study identified five distinct definitions of parental engagement given by Nigerian mothers, which were:
- Active involvement in their children's lives
- Liaising with the early years educators on matters relating to their children's early childhood care and education
- The interaction between them and their children
- Supporting their children
- Fostering and nurturing their children's holistic growth and development
Likewise, my study showed the different ways the Nigerian mothers engaged in their children's ECCE, which were:
- Questioning and talking to their children on preschool matters
- Dropping off and picking up their children from preschool
- Virtual engagement with early years educators
- Engagement in play-based learning activities with their children
- Providing financial support towards their children's early childhood care and education
- Seeking feedback from the early year’s educators about their children's early childhood care and education
- Attendance at preschool events
Similarly, my study showed that the engagement of Nigerian mothers in their children's ECCE is more home-based (e.g., questioning and talking to their children on preschool matters; engagement in play-based learning activities with their children) than preschool-based (e.g., attendance at preschool events; seeking feedback from the early years educators about their children's early childhood care and education). This was because these mothers viewed their roles in their children's ECCE as mainly at home and their home involvement practices, such as playing and talking to their children, rather than preschool involvement.
Also, my study ascertained the role of Nigerian mothers in their children's ECCE as ascribed to them by the Nigerian culture on gender roles, which influence crucial decisions in the family and assigns the roles of childbearing and childrearing to women. Likewise, my study showed that Nigerian mothers' engagement with their children's ECCE is influenced by their cultural norms and beliefs. This is peculiar to all parents from culturally diverse backgrounds, as their involvement in their children's education is shaped by their cultural values.
What I enjoyed most about undertaking my research was how the participants felt comfortable sharing their stories with me. I believe this was because I share the same culture with them.
What I like about supervising students is that I get to support them in completing their desired research.
Go for it. Do not procrastinate. If you are thinking of doing your postgraduate research at MIC, no doubt, MIC is the best place to do a Research Postgraduate programme. The support here is fantastic.
MIC’s Meet the Researcher series focuses on the breadth of research output from MIC academics and student researchers.
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Department of Reflective Pedagogy and Early Childhood Studies Departmental (DRPECS) Assistantships 2022 - Applications Open
The Department of Reflective Pedagogy and Early Childhood Studies is now accepting applications from current and potential research MA and PhD students for a funded Departmental Assistantship beginning in September 2022.
Further information on the DRPECS assistantship here, and the DRPECS Departmental Assistantship application form can be accessed here.
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