Civics Revisited? An Exploration of the Factors Affecting the Implementation of CSPE in Five Post-Primary Schools.

Civic, Social and Political Education, or CSPE, was introduced into Irish post-primary schools in 1996. The nineteen nineties are looked upon as a period of great innovation in Irish education. One of the prime aims of CSPE is the promotion of active and participative citizenship. CSPE is a new curricular initiative, which requires the teacher, a key agent of change, to deliver this programme of civic education at classroom level. Firstly, this study reviews the literature associated with educational change in order to get an overall picture of the challenges facing those who must implement change at classroom level. It then reviews the literature associated with a renewed interest in civic education in the final decade of the twentieth century and presents a history of civic education in Ireland. This study explores the factors that affect the implementation of CSPE in five post-primary schools. Five research sites were chosen. The researcher explored the attitudes, perceptions and opinions of both teachers and students to identify and explore any factors which militate against the successful implementation of CSPE. The research instruments employed by the research included a CSPE Teacher questionnaire, a CSPE Teacher interview and a series of focus group interviews with both current and former students of CSPE. . The research findings are presented in chapters four, five and six and the analysis of the data collected occurs in chapter seven

The mutual benefits of listening to young people in care, with a particular focus on grief and loss: An Irish foster carer's perspective

This article explores the mutual benefits for social workers and young people of active listening within a collaborative partnership incorporating foster carers, allowing the possibility to create a virtuous circle. The benefits for young people of increased self-esteem, positive identity and resilience among others are explored. The benefits for social workers include creating an effective, accountable, holistic and better-informed practice, leading to an increase in overall job satisfaction. One of the authors has drawn on her personal experience as a foster carer, with a particular focus on loss and grief as experienced by young people within the care system and foster families themselves. An argument is presented outlining the need for an expert knowledge of grief and loss and attachment theories on the part of social workers working with young people, along with excellent communication and engagement skills to facilitate an understanding of life as experienced by a young person in care. All too often, care plans are created for young people, or delivered to young people, by well-intentioned but under-resourced social-work departments; the author argues for care plans to be created and implemented with young people, thereby maximising positive outcomes. Listening, advocating and befriending do not require huge additional resources, but are dependent on all professionals actively engaging with young people, on their level and at their pace

Economics and Poverty - the links. An education and training resource.

As part of its role as a national community development centre, the Combat Poverty Agency provides information, advice, training and resource materials for the community and voluntary sector. Under the current Strategic Plan 2005-07 Combat Poverty initiated the Having Your Say Programme www.combatpoverty.ie/havingyoursay that aims to strengthen the policy voices and practices of communities experiencing poverty. One of the four Programme objectives is to: • Initiate and support work that enables people experiencing poverty, their representatives or organisations that support them to engage in the policy system. Economics and Poverty - the links was commissioned, by Combat Poverty, Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed and the National Women’s Council, under this objective. The overall aim of the title is, in an Irish context, to increase the understanding and policy analysis capacity of anti-poverty community and voluntary organizations on the relationship between poverty and economics. Its objectives are: • to increase knowledge and understanding of the relationship between policy or social objectives and economic activity • to increase knowledge and understanding of fundamental economic concepts • to increase knowledge and understanding of the role of government and market systems in the allocation of resources • to increase knowledge and understanding of economic policy instruments relevant to poverty • to enhance skills and capacities to critique and analyse economic and fiscal policies as they apply to the allocation of income, wealth and resources • to enhance skills and capacities to critique and analyse economic and fiscal policies as they relate to the redistribution of income, wealth and resources

Economics and Poverty - the links. An education and training resource.

As part of its role as a national community development centre, the Combat Poverty Agency provides information, advice, training and resource materials for the community and voluntary sector. Under the current Strategic Plan 2005-07 Combat Poverty initiated the Having Your Say Programme www.combatpoverty.ie/havingyoursay that aims to strengthen the policy voices and practices of communities experiencing poverty. One of the four Programme objectives is to: • Initiate and support work that enables people experiencing poverty, their representatives or organisations that support them to engage in the policy system. Economics and Poverty - the links was commissioned, by Combat Poverty, Irish National Organisation of the Unemployed and the National Women’s Council, under this objective. The overall aim of the title is, in an Irish context, to increase the understanding and policy analysis capacity of anti-poverty community and voluntary organizations on the relationship between poverty and economics. Its objectives are: • to increase knowledge and understanding of the relationship between policy or social objectives and economic activity • to increase knowledge and understanding of fundamental economic concepts • to increase knowledge and understanding of the role of government and market systems in the allocation of resources • to increase knowledge and understanding of economic policy instruments relevant to poverty • to enhance skills and capacities to critique and analyse economic and fiscal policies as they apply to the allocation of income, wealth and resources • to enhance skills and capacities to critique and analyse economic and fiscal policies as they relate to the redistribution of income, wealth and resources

Monitoring denaturation behaviour and comparative stability of DNA triple helices using oligonucleotide–gold nanoparticle conjugates

Gold nanoparticle labels, combined with UV-visible optical absorption spectroscopic methods, are employed to probe the temperature-dependent solution properties of DNA triple helices. By using oligonucleotide-nanoparticle conjugates to characterize triplex denaturation, for the first time triplex to duplex melting transitions may be sensitively monitored, with minimal signal interference from duplex to single strand melting, for both parallel and antiparallel triple helices. Further, the comparative sequence-dependent stability of DNA triple helices may also be examined using this approach. Specifically, triplex to duplex melting transitions for triplexes formed using oligonucleotides that incorporate 8-aminoguanine derivatives were successfully monitored and stabilization of both parallel and antiparallel triplexes following 8-aminoguanine substitutions is demonstrated

A Silent Cry: Paediatric Palliative Care in Ireland

Abstract Paediatric Palliative Care, being an evolving speciality with the unique challenges of children living longer because of advancing technology, has met with some difficult hurdles. With a variety of conditions, which are unique to paediatrics, this has led to many ethical and legal dilemmas. Health policy and easy access to information regarding treatment options, has led to a more autonomous patient and family. The need for a Paediatric Palliative Care service has resulted. Paediatric Palliative Care, whilst still in its infancy, has met with many challenges, but the overarching benefits for the child and family has helped to secure its place as a medical speciality. The evolution of the service in Ireland is explored, along with the barriers faced and the plans for the future. In 2001 the Department of Health and Children, after assessing the palliative care services nationwide, realised that children with palliative care needs were unique to adults. Out of this the ‘Palliative Care Needs Assessment for Children’ document was published in 2005. Many challenges ensued, but with determination and compassion, Ireland has made steady progress in getting an effective equitable service off the ground. Progress to date and the plans for the future will be identified

Effect of base stacking on the relative thermodynamic stability of oligonucleotide complexes: A spectroscopic study

Three-strand oligonucleotide complexes are employed to assess the effect of base stacking and base pair mismatch on the relative thermodynamic stabilities of oligonucleotide duplexes. The melting behavior of three-strand oligonucleotide complexes incorporating nicks and gaps as well as internal single base mismatches is monitored using temperature-dependent optical absorption spectroscopy. A sequential three-state equilibrium model is used to analyze the measured melting profiles and evaluate thermodynamic parameters associated with dissociation of the complexes. The free-energy of stabilization of a nick complex compared to a gap complex due to base stacking is determined to be -1.9 kcal/mol. The influence of a mispaired base in these systems is shown to destabilize a nick complex by 3.1 kcal/mol and a gap complex by 2.8 kcal/mol, respectively.This work was supported by the HEA PRTLI1 Nanoscale Science and Technology Initiative.Peer reviewe

Combining mathematics and coaching to encourage student success in repeat exams

As part of the ‘Maths Positive’ initiative in Cork Institute of Technology (CIT), Maths modules have been identified which are impacting negatively on student success and progression. It was discovered that a particular first year business Mathematics module in CIT was causing difficulties to some of the students involved. When several years of exam results were analysed for this module, it was discovered that some of the students repeatedly fail and get caught in a ‘Maths Loop’. In order to break this cycle, an intervention workshop was developed and piloted which sought to challenge the students to examine their own behaviour and mindset around Mathematics study. The workshop combined Academic Success Coaching with practical study techniques specific to the module. The feedback from participants was positive and we plan to expand this interdisciplinary approach in addressing other similar modules

Policy fudge and practice realities:Developing teacher leadership in Scotland

Scottish policy developments in initial teacher education, professional standards and careerlong professional learning reflect a growing understanding of the leadership role teachers can play, particularly in curriculum and pedagogy, in improving the experiences and outcomes of pupils. In the policy rhetoric of re-professionalisation, unpromoted teachers liberate their professional creativity, leading ‘bottom-up’ approaches to school improvement. However, there are policy and conceptual tensions in the construction of ‘teacher leadership’, the related term ‘teacher leader’ and the practice realities experienced by teachers seeking to play this leadership role in their professional settings. This article explores these tensions in a small-scale mixed methods study of teachers participating in Masters-level ‘leadership development’ programmes. The study considers the policy and practice environments, motivations, supports and barriers that faced these Scottish teachers seeking to develop their leadership practices and capacities. A lack of clarity at national level for framing the practice of teacher leadership is identified. School staff require to develop for themselves understandings of the complex interplay between bottom-up and top-down leadership, local understandings of ‘what teacher leadership means and how it works in our school’, within a supportive culture. This was not found to be the norm. The article concludes by outlining implications for policy and practice, including the need to address a national ‘policy fudge’ around teacher leadership that adversely affects practice realities. As part of that, there is a need for further discussion around who is responsible and accountable within a distributed leadership perspective, for what and to whom

An exploration of the experience of post-natal depression support services in Cork

This research was carried out of behalf of Post Natal Depression Ireland (PND Ireland) in association with Community Academic Research Links (CARL). This is an initiative in University College Cork (UCC) which works with Civic Society Organisations (CSO) by assisting them with research they wish to pursue. In this case the research will be facilitated by two final year Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) students. The research explores the experiences of support services for mothers with post-natal depression in Cork. The research is a qualitative study based on interviews with mothers who have or had post-natal depression (PND) and professional support service providers. To facilitate this research a literature review of the social and medical constructions of post-natal depression was conducted. A previous study undertaken by (CARL) on behalf of PND Ireland in 2012, revealed the prevalence of PND and the importance of peer and professional supports in reducing the symptoms of PND. This study will make a distinctive contribution to research into how PND support services are experienced by mothers in Cork. In conducting personal interviews it will allow a depth of analysis based on the lived experiences of the mothers interviewed. It aims to identify what supports mothers with PND had access to, both professional and social supports, and whether the supports were beneficial or not. Building on this knowledge of what services are available the researchers seek to identify why support services are experienced in the manner in which they are