Vision Sports Ireland and DCU Institute of Education MA Research Studentship
Building on research being conducted by DCU in conjunction with Vision Sports Ireland (Vision Sports Open Eyes Research) investigating physical activity levels of people who are blind or vision impaired across the lifecycle, this Masters by Research Studentship will establish a new collaboration between the Institute of Education, DCU and Vision Sports Ireland. There are 2,598 (NCBI, 2023) children with vision impairment currently in Irish primary schools.
The focus of the studentship will be on enhancing provision of physical education for children with vision impairment and will involve investigating the experiences of primary teachers as they teach physical education to these children. The aim of this MA by Research is to identify the supports that teachers require to enhance the experiences of children with vision impairment in primary physical education. This is a particularly important time to undertake this research given the planned publication of the redeveloped primary physical education curriculum in 2024. Understanding the successes and challenges of teachers and children will inform the development of supports designed to benefit providers of teacher professional development at pre-service and in-service levels within the Institute and beyond.
Postgraduate Research Study at DCU institute of Education
Committed to academic excellence and innovation, DCU Institute of Education provides a transformative student experience through its postgraduate research programmes. As a centre of excellence in post-graduate research, the IoE hosts internationally recognised experts in its research centres across all sectors of education, from early childhood right up to and including further and higher education. It has an ambitious programme of education research and provides a research environment that is student-centred and inclusive.
Belonging to an academic community is central to any research student’s experience here. Working with, and learning from, global leaders in education research, ensures our students participate in an active academic community. We are committed to a culture of career readiness, providing an education that will equip our research graduates to develop valuable transferable skills. In a world of new opportunities, today’s research graduates need to be adaptable, flexible and innovative. We are confident our research graduates will flourish in the challenging and complex contexts of 21st century societies.
The successful candidate will enjoy a range of supports within the University and the Faculty, including Graduate Training Elements as well as having the opportunity to interact with research students and staff members. In addition, the research student will be mentored by members of a supervisory panel. The research student is expected to commence studies on or before 1st February 2024 and to attend the University Orientation and Induction Programme for Postgraduate Research Students and will contribute to Faculty activities commensurate with their studies. The student will be encouraged to publish during the Masters by Research journey, at a level reflecting good performance for their discipline.
An annual package for a maximum of three years will be awarded comprising:
Fee contribution of up to €2,942 per annum (part-time Masters by Research)
Research expense fund of €500 per annum for a maximum of three years (to facilitate travel to conferences and purchase of materials, to be managed through the research supervisor or their nominee).
Conditions of the Vision Sports and DCU Institute of Education MA Research Studentship
Applicants should have a specialised interest in primary physical education. The successful candidate will be required to register for a part-time research degree (Masters by Research) at DCU Institute of Education. This scholarship is open to EU fee eligible applicants only. You will be required to provide supporting documentation to confirm your EU status before a decision on your fee status can be confirmed. The successful candidate will be allocated a supervisory panel for the duration of their studies which will contain at least one primary supervisor and an Independent Panel member. The successful applicant will meet the eligibility requirements of Postgraduate Research students at IoE, Dublin City University as follows:
Applicants will have
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obtained a primary degree classification (Level 8) equivalent to a second-class honours degree, grade two, in an appropriate discipline, from an approved university or an approved equivalent degree-awarding body, or have an approved equivalent professional qualification in an area cognate to the proposed research topic.
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a deep curiosity and understanding of inclusion in primary physical education
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the ability to conceptualise and undertake a research project related to children with vision impairment in physical education
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very good data collection and analysis skills
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excellent communication skills- including a passion for speaking about ideas to others but also taking the time to write these ideas down coherently
- the ability to work independently to meet shared goals.
To Apply:
Please email the following documents to frances.murphy@dcu.ie
Please put Vision Sports and DCU Institute of Education MA Research Studentship in the subject bar of all email communications.
Closing date for receipt of application documentation is Tuesday 19th December 2023 6.00pm
● Cover letter
● Full Curriculum Vitae
● Copy of transcripts of qualifications
Informal queries should be sent to Dr Frances Murphy, School of Arts Education and Movement, Institute of Education, DCU at frances.murphy@dcu.ie
All shortlisted applicants will be interviewed. Interviews will take place week commencing January 8th 2024.