Exploring the nature and implications of student teacher engagement with development education initiatives

Abstract

In this article, the authors outline and discuss the findings of a research study, which explored student teacher engagement with development education (DE) interventions implemented within Professional Master of Education (PME) programmes across eight Irish Higher Education Institutions. Interpretivist methods were employed incorporating questionnaires administered to 536 student teachers pre and post the DE intervention and 6 focus group discussions conducted with 26 student teachers. Findings indicate that the capacity of PME students to engage with development issues and integrate DE into their teaching has strengthened considerably because of their participation in the intervention. However, in order to build upon this more must be done with respect to: strengthening student teachers’ knowledge of development issues; embedding DE further across PME programmes; enhancing practical engagement with DE on School Placement and prioritising DE-related research and reflection. Findings align with a conceptual understanding of DE as a complex system.

Keywords:

• development education
• initial teacher education
• critical pedagogy
• complex and adaptive systems

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Dr. Fiona Baily is a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow with the Ubuntu Network, Department of Education and Professional Studies, University of Limerick. Her Ph.D. research examined the process and impact of Irish-African partnerships for teacher education and research development. She has conducted several development education studies and evaluations at primary, post-primary and initial teacher education levels in Irish contexts. She has also worked in the NGO sector both in Ireland and the Global South.

Dr. Joanne O’Flaherty is a Lecturer in the School of Education and Academic Coordinator of the Ubuntu Network, University of Limerick, Ireland.

Deirdre Hogan is Coordinator of the Ubuntu Network, School of Education, University of Limerick, Ireland.

ORCID

Fiona Baily http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2731-6980

Notes

1. University of Limerick (UL); University College Cork (UCC); Trinity College Dublin (TCD); National College of Art and Design (NCAD); National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG); Maynooth University (MU); St. Angela’s College, Sligo; St. Patrick’s College, Thurles; Crawford College of Art and Design (CCAD); Limerick School of Art and Design (LSAD); Dublin City University Institute of Education (DCU IoE); University College Dublin (UCD) Hibernia College and Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (Letterfrack).

2. Pre- and post-surveys were disseminated to all PME students who participated in an Ubuntu-supported Development Education intervention.

 

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Irish Aid under Grant [Development Grant DE/16/A/45]. The ideas, opinions and comments therein are entirely the responsibility of its author(s) and do not necessarily represent or reflect Irish Aid policy.