Fully funded PhD Studentship - 2018

Applications are invited from excellent candidates for a funded PhD project under the supervision of Dr. Neil Kenny (neil.kenny@dcu.ie) and Dr. Paula Flynn (Paula.Flynn@dcu.ie) at the School of Inclusive and Special Education at DCU. Situated in the DCU Institute of Education, The School of Inclusive and Special Education is the first such school in an Irish university. It has a critical mass of expertise in areas of inclusive education and special education and is committed to supporting the rights of all children and young people to an appropriate education and to learning for all. There is a strong research focus with staff and students creating a vibrant community of inquiry.

This doctoral research aims to explore the experiences of students on the autism spectrum in Irish mainstream education through the lens of student voice. While many children and young people with high functioning autism have the academic and cognitive skills to access education through the common curriculum (Norwich, 2005), there is an emerging evidence that such children can experience negative academic and socio-behavioural outcomes in mainstream settings, including high rates of bullying (McIntyre, Blacher and Baker, 2006; Humphrey and Symes, 2010; Hebron and Humphreys, 2015). However, there is substantial evidence from international research that student voice engagement has the potential to empower young people with, and without, disabilities to participate meaningfully and collaboratively in improving their engagement with learning in school (Rudduck and McIntyre 2007; Tangen 2009; Robinson and Taylor 2007). Given the emphasis in Irish educational policy and practice on the inclusion of children with high functioning autism within mainstream settings, it is demonstrably important that the voices of young people with autism are considered in future inclusive planning. The proposed research aims to recruit student voices to inform best practices in the inclusion of students in mainstream education settings at both primary and post-primary level in Ireland.

Criteria: The ideal candidate will have:

1. A minimum 2.1 honours level degree or preferably a master’s qualification in a relevant domain

2. Hold a teaching qualification or have experience of working with young people with autism;

3. Experience of conducting interviews or focus groups with young people;

3. Evidence of a high standard of critical research and academic writing skills;

4. A high level of competence in written and oral communication;

5. The ability to work independently and collaboratively in meeting demanding research goals.

The PhD studentship is fully funded, inclusive of stipend and EU fees for the duration of four years. As part of the scholarship, successful candidates will undertake a maximum of six hours per week learning support activities such as tutoring, consistent with furthering their professional development. The candidate will also assist with School administrative processes.

How to Apply:  Applications can be made by submitting current CV and expression of interest document to neil.kenny@dcu.ie The expression of interest document should be submitted in Word (.doc or .docx) format, and should be no more than 500 words long. The applicant should describe their own suitability for the project (50% weighted) and how they would like to develop the project (50% weighted). It is recommended that potential applicants contact the supervisors informally in the first instance.

Selection for studentships will be competitive and will take place in late March 2018. Shortlisted candidates should be available for interview in April.  The closing date for applications: 5pm, Friday 16^th of March.