CSL
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News & Publications
Reports
Report 1: Children’s School Lives: An Introduction
Please click on the link below to get a summary synopsis of Report 1 which presents outline findings from the first wave of data collection (Cohort B - 2nd class children) of CSL
Report 2: Experience of Remote Teaching and Learning in Ireland during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Please click on the link below to get a summary synopsis of Report 2 which presents outline findings from the Covid Sub study of CSL
Report 3: Children's School Lives in Junior Infants
Please click on the link below to get a summary synopsis of Report 3 which presents outline findings from the Junior Infants (Cohort A) of CSL
Report 4: Children's School Lives: Preschool to Primary School Transition
Please click on the link below to get a summary synopsis of Report 4 which presents outline findings from the Preschool to Primary School Transition of CSL
Report 5: Primary Pedagogies: Children and Teachers Experiences of Pedagogical Practices in Primary Schools in Ireland 2019-2022
Report 6: Curriculum and Assessment in Children's School Lives: Experiences from Primary Schools in Ireland 2019-2023
Report 7: Children's School Lives: Children's Wellbeing in Irish Primary Schools 2019-2023
Please click on the link below to read the summary of Report 7 which presents outline findings from the Children's Wellbeing in Irish Primary Schools report.
Report 8a: Children's School Lives: Equalities in Children's School Lives - The Impact of Social Background
Please click on the link below to read the summary presentation of Report 8a and the Key Findings about the Impact of Social Background on Children's School Lives in Irish Primary Schools.
Report 8b: Children's School Lives: Equalities in Children's School Lives - The Impact of Gender
Please click on the link below to read the summary presentation of Report 8b about the Impact of Gender on Children's School Lives in Irish Primary Schools.
Report 8c: Children's School Lives: Migration and Ethnicity in Children's School Lives
Infographic
Please click on the link below to read the summary presentation of Report 8c about the Impact of migration and ethnicity on Children's School Lives in Irish Primary Schools.
Academic publications
Greaves, M., Devine, D., Martinez-Sainz, G., Moore, B., Crean, M., Barrow, N., Sloan, S., Symonds, J., & Ioannidou, O. (2024). Failing by design; exploring the currere lived experiences of a low-socioeconomic status boy in primary school. The Curriculum Journal. https://doi.org/10.1002/curj.308
Gleasure, S; Devine, D, Martinez Sainz, G., Sloan, S., Symonds, J. (2024) Understanding Children’s Experiences of Care in their School Lives through Participatory Research Methods: a Comparative Analysis of Focus Group Discussions and Photovoice; International Journal of Qualitative Methods. https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069241286849
Farrell, E., Symonds, J., Devine, D., Sloan, S., Crean, M., Cahoon, A., Hogan, J. (2024) “What does well-being mean to me?” Conceptualisations of wellbeing in Irish primary schooling. Health Education. https://doi/10.1108/HE-03-2024-0023/full/html
Crean, M., Moore,B., Devine,D., Symonds, J., Sloan, S. and Martínez Sainz, G. (2024) Qualitative research during the COVID19 pandemic: the impact of remote research on the collaborative production of methodological knowledge. International Journal of Research & Method in Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/1743727X.2024.2341707
Martinez Sainz, G., Devine, D., Sloan, S., Symmonds, J., Moore, B., Barrow, N., Crean, M., Donegan, A., Greaves, M., Samonova, E., Gleasure, S. & Ioannidou, O. (2024). A rights-based exploration of children’s pedagogic voice in the classroom. Education 3-13, 0(0), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004279.2024.2331953
Gleasure, S., Devine, D., Martinez Sainz, G., Sloan, S., Crean, M., Moore, B., Symonds, J (2024). “This is Where the Care Can Step Up”: A Typology of Nurturing Pedagogies in Primary Schools Serving Low-Income Communities During COVID-19 Closures. Early Childhood Educ Journal. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-024-01636-6
O’Halloran, T.; Symonds, J.; Bhreathnach, L.L.; Sloan, S.; Devine, D.; Martinez Sainz, G.; Davies, A. (2023) How School-Based Wellbeing Interventions, Socioeconomic Status, and Gender Impact Anxiety Development in Middle Childhood. Education Sciences. 13, 994. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13100994
Jones, Martin H., Symonds, J., Downey, S., Sloan, S., Devine, D. & Kinsella, W. (2023) The social acceptance of neurodiverse children in Irish primary schools, International Journal of Inclusive Education, https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2023.2195861
Crean, M., Devine, D., Moore, B., Martínez Sainz, G., Symonds, J., Sloan, S. & Farrell, E. (2023) Social class, COVID-19 and care: Schools on the front line in Ireland during the COVID-19 pandemic, British Journal of Sociology of Education, https://doi.org/10.1080/01425692.2023.2174077
Murphy, G. & Devine, D. (2023). Sensemaking in and for times of crisis and change: Irish primary school principals and the COVID-19 pandemic. School Leadership and Management, 43(2), 125–144. https://doi.org/10.1080/
Tobin, E., Symonds, J., Sloan, S., Devine, D., Torsney, B., & D’Urso, G. (2023). Multigroup model of transition experiences: how parents’ school readiness beliefs and practices change with another child in school. Irish Educational Studies, 43(4), 1249–1269. https://doi.org/10.1080/
Donegan, A., Devine, D., Martinez-Sainz, G., Symonds, J., & Sloan, S. (2023). Children as co-researchers in pandemic times: Power and participation in the use of digital dialogues with children during the COVID-19 lockdown. Children & Society, 37, 235– 253. https://doi.org/10.1111/chso.12665
Chzhen, Y., Symonds, J., Devine, D., Mikolai, J., Harkness, S., Sloan, S. & Martinez Sainz, G. (2022) Learning in a Pandemic: Primary School children’s Emotional Engagement with Remote Schooling during the spring 2020 Covid-19 Lockdown in Ireland. Child Indicators Research, 15, 1517–1538 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12187-022-09922-8
Tobin, E., Sloan, S., Symonds, J. & Devine, D. (2022) Family–school connectivity during transition to primary school, Educational Research, 64:3, 277-294. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131881.2022.2054451
D’Urso, G., Symonds, J., Sloan, S. & Devine, D. (2022). Bullies, victims, and meanies: the role of child and classmate social and emotional competencies. Social Psychology of Education 25, 293–312. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-021-09684-1
Latest updates and media features
- CSL Study Launches Winter 2018 Read more
- Prioritising Children’s School Lives. Feature on UCD Today Winter 2018. Read more
- What impact is hot housing having on children in school today? Irish Times , Oct 5th, 2018. Read more
- Study of 4300 primary school pupils to gain insight into improving the curriculum, Irish Independent Oct 26th, 2018. Read more
- Grandparents' roles in lives of pupils examined in new six year investigation, Irish Examiner, Nov 2nd 2018. Read more
- Extended School closures will hit the most vulnerable the hardest. Irish Times, June 9th, 2020 Read more
- Junior infants ‘over-prepared’ in numeracy and literacy when starting school, Irish Times, Aug 25th, 2022. Read more
- ‘Disconnect’ between parents and teachers on what skills are important, UCD Research, Aug 26th, 2022. Read more
- Junior infants ‘over-prepared’ in numeracy and literacy when starting school, Newstalk, Aug 25th, 2022. Read more
- Primary schoolchildren acutely aware of their level of ‘smartness’ compared to others - study, Irish Times, June 20th, 2023. Read more
- Children's perception of homework 'grows more negative with time’, Irish Examiner, June 20th, 2023. Read more
- Primary pupils have mixed views on homework but by fifth class more than half see no point in it, Irish Independent, June 20th, 2023. Read more
- Primary schools under parental pressure to raise standardised test scores, principals say, Irish Times, Dec 11th, 2023. Read more
- Primary school children suffering exams anxiety, study finds, Irish Independent, Dec 11th, 2023. Read more
- Children’s School Lives: Primary pupils enjoy school less as they progress to senior classes, Irish Examiner, Dec 11th, 2023. Read more
- Primary school children mostly happy and positive about learning, study finds, Irish Examiner, May 28th, 2024. Read more.
- Children’s happiness drops as they approach secondary school, study finds, Irish Times, May 29th, 2024. Read more.
- Rising cost of living and housing insecurity identified as challenges in supporting children’s learning, Irish Times, October 9th, 2024. Read more.
- Report highlights impact of poverty on children's education, Irish Examiner, October 9th, 2024. Read more.
- .Interview with Prof. Dympna Devine (from 1 min 40 secs), RTÉ Drivetime, October 9th, 2024. Read more.
- Colman Noctor: Educational outcomes determined by financial resources of parents, Irish Examiner, October 15th, 2024. Read more.
- Poorer girls more likely to be placed in lowest maths ability groups, research shows, Irish Examiner, December 6th, 2024. Read more.
- Children who attend mixed schools have more friends, study finds, Irish Times, December 6th, 2024. Read more.
- Children who attend mixed schools have more friends - study, RTÉ News, December 6th, 2024. Read more.
- Interview with Prof. Dympna Devine (from 16 mins 38 secs), RTÉ Drivetime, December 6th, 2024. Read more.
- Boys will be boys: why gender attitudes of today’s schoolchildren are remarkably traditional, December 8th, 2024, Irish Times. Read more.
- Colman Noctor: Gender equality is about equal opportunity for boys and girls, Irish Examiner, December 10th, 2024, Irish Examiner. Read more.
Child-friendly publications
- What Children and Teachers Think about Learning and Teaching in Primary Schools in Ireland. Read more
