DCU Research Charts Opportunities, Challenges and Priorities for the Teaching and Learning of Irish in English-Medium Schools

Researchers from Sealbhú, the DCU Research Centre for the Teaching and Learning of Irish, have launched two research reports based on a national consultation conducted by the Department of Education and Youth (DEY). These reports form the basis for a two-year action plan focused on improving the teaching and learning of Irish in English-medium schools.

The national consultation, which involved a wide range of stakeholders and school communities (teachers, student teachers, principals, parents, children and young people) showed that children and young people generally have a strong desire to be able to communicate using Irish. Participants, in general, acknowledged the wide range of potential benefits to be gleamed from learning Irish in terms of culture and identity, as well as potential benefits associated with education and employment.

The majority of children and young people in Ireland learn Irish in an English-medium  setting. Principal investigators of the project, Dr Aisling Ní Dhiorbháin and Dr Patrick Burke, welcomed the DEY’s renewed emphasis on supporting the use of Irish and fostering positive attitudes towards the language.

‘The research is showing that there is a really strong sense that children and young people do want to learn Irish and that they want to be able to speak the language. This is supported by feedback received from parents, teachers, student teachers, and principals who participated in the research too,’ said Dr Ní Dhiorbháin.

Dr Burke added, ‘at times the experiences children and young people have of learning Irish at school may run counter to their positive aspirations to learn Irish, so understanding and addressing this will be an important first step in supporting students in improving their abilities to use the language.’ 

The reports highlight positive experiences children and young people have of learning Irish at school when they get to actively use/speak the language and when Irish is used outside of formal language lessons. However, challenges emerged in terms of the dominance of textbook-based teaching at upper primary level and rote learning due to the backwash effect of State examinations at post-primary level. The reports also highlighted the need to re-examine how literacy skills are developed in Irish. In addition, teacher competence and confidence to teach Irish at primary level was reported as a significant issue.

The Sealbhú reports share many achievable recommendations for Irish in English-medium schools, emphasising a clear need to increase opportunities for all children and young people to use Irish inside and outside school. Increased supports for the teaching and learning of Irish and supporting the inclusion of all children and young people in learning Irish are further key themes arising from the consultation.

The team of DCU Sealbhú researchers who worked on the reports were:  Aisling Ní Dhiorbháin, Patrick Burke, Pádraig Ó Duibhir, Deirbhile Nic Craith, Conall Ó Breacháin, Pearse Aherne, Eithne Ní Dhubhghaill and Anne English.

You can read the reports here