Our Research

1. Research on Widening Participation in Education, Employment and Community

The Department of Adult and Community Education fosters critically inclusive and transformative approaches to living which support greater inclusion and social justice. This includes developing key initiatives in adult guidance and counselling, recovery education, disability and independent living, crisis pregnancy and CPD for greater cultural and ethnic inclusion.

Projects

Project Links and details

VETGOESRURAL: Innovating VET and FET practices in isolated rural and remote regions of the EU
Investigators: Michael Kenny , Margaret Nugent
Research Body/Funders/Partners: Co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme; Lead Partner Radio Ecca
Website: https://vetgoesrural.wixsite.com/vet-goes-rural

DEW: DIGITAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP FOR WOMEN
Investigators: Michael Kenny , Margaret Nugent
Research Body/Funders/Partners: Co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme;
Lead Partner Longford Women’s Link (LWL)
Website: https://www.dewproject.eu/index.php?lang=EN

Inclusion of Adult Literacy support in Further Education & Training in Ireland (2021-2022)
Investigators: Bernie Grummell
Research Body/Funders/Partners: Adult Literacy Organisers Association (ALOA)
Website: www.aloa.ie

Teachers’ Upskilling aiming at a holistic inclusivity in learning (TUTOR) (2022-2025)
The TUTOR project aims to develop an European outlook in teacher education focusing upon inclusivity through innovative and practical collaboration.
Specifically TUTOR aims to upskill teachers, who work with students from socio-economically disadvantaged, migrant and LGBTQI+ cohorts.
Investigators: Bernie Grummell, Margaret Nugent
Research Body/Funders/Partners: European Commission - Erasmus Teachers Academies
Website: https://tutor-project.eu/

Social Inclusion and Common Values: the contribution in the field of Education and Training (SMILE) (2020-2023)
Investigators: Camilla Fitzsimons, Bernie Grummell
Research Body/Funders/Partners: European Commission Smile Website: http://smile.eucen.eu/

TEN: Transformative Engagement Network (2008- Current)

Investigators/Contacts: Bernie Grummell, Anne Ryan, Conor Murphy, Martin Downes, Maggie Noone
Research Body/Funders/Partners: Programme for Strategic Cooperation between Irish Aid and Higher Education Authority (2012-2015) | Masters Research Overview |Concept article about TEN (2020)

Disciplines Inquiring into Societal Challenges (DISCs) (2019 -2020)
Investigator: Bernie Grummell
Research Body/Funders/Partners: The DISCs project is a collaborative study conducted in partnership between students and staff from University College Cork, Dublin City University, and Maynooth University. Funder: T he National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Educatio n

CREATE: Competitive Regions and Employability of Adults Through Education (2020-2022)
Investigator: Michael Kenny Margaret Nugent
Research Body/Funders/Partners: Co-funded by the Erasmus+Programme, http://www.erasmusplus.ie/ CREATE Website: http://www.projectcreate.eu/project.php

DIVERSITY Including Migrants through Organisational Development Programme Planning in Adult Education (2019 - 2022)

Investigator: Michael Kenny

Visit https://sites.google.com/view/dacemaynooth/diversity-2019-21

Research Body/Funders/Partners: Erasmus + Plus http://www.erasmusplus.ie/
DIVERSITY Website: https://www.aewb-nds.de/themen/eu-programme/diversity/

CREATE: Competitive Regions and Employability of Adults Through Education (2019)
Investigator: Michael Kenny
Research Body/Funders/Partners: Co-funded by the Erasmus+Programme, http://www.erasmusplus.ie/ CREATE Website: http://www.projectcreate.eu/project.php

DELSA - Digital Empowerment for Up-Skilling Adults (2018- KA204-038771)

Investigator: Michael Kenny
Research Body/Funders/Partners: http://www.digitaldelsa.eu/index.php, Erasmus + Plus http://www.erasmusplus.ie/
Learning Materials http://www.digitaldelsa.eu/training.php

HE4U2: Integrating Cultural Diversity in Higher Education (2016-2018)

HE4U2: Integrating Cultural Diversity in Higher Education innovative approaches to researching and developing inclusive pedagogy

Investigators/Contacts: Bernie Grummell, Josephine Finn, Camilla Fitzimons ,Maggie Noone
Research Body/Funders/Partners: http://he4u2.eucen.eu/

MICRO: Enhancing Competitiveness of Microenterprises in Rural Areas (2016-18)

Investigator: Michael Kenny
Research Body/Funders/Partners: Micro, http://www.microsmetraining.eu/index.php , Erasmus + Plus http://www.erasmusplus.ie/

Return to Learning Certificate - Review (2016-2017)

Investigators/Contacts: Camilla Fitzimons, Jerry O’Neill
Research Body/Funders/Partners: Maynooth Access Programme https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/access-office

Unlocking Freedom through Adult Education Project Introduction (2015 - 2018)

Investigators/Contacts: Bernie Grummell, Josephine Finn, Camilla Fitzsimons, Laura Burke, Michael Gannon, Mark Smith
Report: Facilitation Inclusive Learning Report:

ESREA: 8th Triennial European Research ConferenceImagining diverse futures for adult education: questions of power and resources of creativity

Investigators: Fergal Finnegan

EMPLOY: Enhancing the Employability of Non-Traditional Students in HE (2015-2017)

EMPLOY is a European project which promotes the enhancement of the employability of students in higher education from a non-traditional background to identify best practices, policies and guidelines.

Investigators: Fergal Finnegan, Jerry O'Neill
Research Body/Funders/Partners: http://employ.dsw.edu.pl/language/en/ British Council https://www.britishcouncil.org/

DIMA - Adult Education Strategies (2018 - 2020)

Focuses on developing a practical and innovative toolkit for developing, implementing and monitoring Adult Education strategies, policies and practices.

Investigator: Michael Kenny
Research Body/Funders/Partners: Erasmus + Plus http://www.erasmusplus.ie/ https://dima-project.eu/index.php/en/

Further Education teachers’ experience of assessment frameworks (2015-2016)

Investigator: Fergal Finnegan

REGIONAL: Comparative analysis of Adult Learning policy formulation (2014-2015)

Investigator: Michael Kenny
Research Body/Funders/Partners: http://www.regionalproject.eu/index.php, https://www.welcomeurope.com/european-funds/llp-grundtvig-612+512.html#tab=onglet_details

DIALOGUE (Opportunities for Dialogue between Researchers, Practitioners and Policy Makers (2010 – 2013)

Investigators/Contacts: Josephine Finn, Fergal Finnegan, Maeve O’Brien,
Research Report: AdultEducation_EUCEN_PolicyReportDoc.

Enhancing Knowledge Workers Adult Learning Solutions (EKWALS) Project (2009 - 2011)

Investigator: Michael Kenny
Research Body/Funders/Partners: http://www.ekwalslearningsolutions.com/index.php

2. Research to Support Transformative Learning, Democracy and Engaged Citizenship

Adult education as a field of practice is strongly orientated to democratic and active citizenship, and the Department of Adult and Community Education has a long history of analysing how education and its institutions contribute to reproduction and possibilities of power in society. This is focused on a commitment towards progressive change, equality and a desire to produce research and education that is relevant to communities, movements and practitioners.

Project

Project Details

Teachers’ Upskilling aiming at a holistic inclusivity in learning (TUTOR) (2022-2025)

The TUTOR project aims to develop an European outlook in teacher education focusing upon inclusivity through innovative and practical collaboration. Specifically TUTOR aims to upskill teachers, who work with students from socio-economically disadvantaged, migrant and LGBTQI+ cohorts.

Investigators: Bernie Grummell, Margaret Nugent
Research Body/Funders/Partners: European Commission - Erasmus Teachers Academies
Website: http://tutor-project.eu/

Researching the Experiences of Muslim Women in Irish Maternity Settings (June 2020-March 2021)
This research explored Muslim women’s experience of maternity care in Ireland from a human rights perspective. It drew from the experiences and insights of over 100 women who identify as Muslim, culturally as well as through their faith who have engaged with Irish maternity services at some stage in the last 3 years. Its findings will be published later in 2021.

Investigators: Camilla Fitzsimons, Lilian Nwanze, Philomena Obasi, Basma Hassan.
Research Body/Funders/Partners: Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission /Amal Women’s Association.

Inclusion in Adult Literacy Services (2020 - 2023)
The Centre for Research in Adult Learning and Education (CRALE), Maynooth University is currently engaged in research funded by SOLAS to support the Further Education and Training Strategy 2020-2024. This research involves comparative analysis to identify the cross-cutting themes of recent research projects with SOLAS, ETBI and NALA about inclusion in the adult literacy services in Ireland and to prepare briefing papers and consultations with SOLAS and key stakeholders in the sector.

Lead Investigator: Bernie Grummell
Research Body/Funders/Partners: (SOLAS-ETBI-NALA, 2020 - 2023)

NALA Social Inclusion for people with Intellectual Disabilities in Adult Literacy (2019-2020)
The aim of this research is to support adult literacy services in using:
the ‘Guidelines on the inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities in adult literacy services’ (2018).
We worked with SOLAS, ETBI and NALA to capture learning in order to inform relevant developments across the Further Education and Training (FET) sector.

Investigator/Contacts: Bernie Grummell, Conor Magrath, Meliosa Bracken
Research Body/Funders/Partners: (SOLAS-ETBI-NALA)

The Centre for Studies in Irish Protestantism (2020 - 2022)
The Centre (CSIP) was formed in 2012 in association with the Department of Adult and Community Education at Maynooth University.

Investigators/Contacts: Tony Walsh, Earl Storey
Research Body/Funders/Partners: Department of Foreign Affairs Reconciliation Further information Availalble on this link

Wellness and mental health in the workplace (2019)
The Department of Adult and Community Education fosters critically reflexive and transformative approaches to living which support greater inclusion and social justice and wellbeing. This includes developing key initiatives in adult guidance and counselling, recovery education, disability and independent living, crisis pregnancy and CPD for greater cultural and ethnic inclusion.

Investigators/Contacts: David Mc Cormack, Mary Ryan

Embracing Diversity (2017-2018)
Eamines experiences of diversity, and supporting mutual understanding and dialogue between People of African Descent (PAD) and service providers in the Dublin 15 area

Investigators/Contacts: Anne Ryan, Margaret Noone
Research Body/Funders/Partners: IHREC, www.ihrec.ie/

Fourth Meeting of the Citizens' Assembly on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution (2017)

Contact: Mary Ryan
Report Final Report on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution

Political Citizenship and Participation - This research explores how the nature of political engagement and citizenship has been transformed in recent times.

Investigators/Contacts: Michael Murray

Inclusive Learning Initiative - Facilitate inclusion of students with intellectual disabilities

Investigators/Contacts: Josephine Finn, Saranne Magennis, Laura Burke

Research Body/Funders/Partners: KARE, St John of God Services, Camphill and Stewarts’ Hospital

Lifelong Learning in Palestine - supporting Lifelong Learning provision in formal and informal networks across the West Bank and Gaza

Investigators/Contacts: Josephine Finn, Tony Walsh, Anne Ryan, Bernie Grummell, Michael Kenny
Research Body/Funders/Partners: European Commission TEMPUS Lifelong Learning

Transformative Narrative Inquiry

Investigators/Contacts: David Mc Cormack

3. Postgraduate Research Repository

PhD in Adult and Community Education

Doctorate in Higher and Adult Education Students and Research Projects

The Structured PhD Programme in Adult and Community Education is designed to facilitate students to make an original contribution to the knowledge base in the field of adult and community education through research, in order to develop and strengthen it. PhD students come from diverse backgrounds in adult, higher, further and community education.

The Doctorate in Higher and Adult Education (DHAE) brings together experienced professionals in teaching and management roles from diverse environments and disciplines. The programme supports educational practitioners and managers to develop their research capacities and to critically reflect on their professional practices within a course that promotes transformation, critical thinking and democracy.

The following are samples of some of our research thesis, please visit this link to our Research Archive eLibrary

PhD/DHAE

Researcher	Title	Link

Earls, Desmond (2023)	“Not all things in the real world can be done by the book”: A self-study examination of teaching practice in sport science. PhD thesis, National University of Ireland Maynooth.	https://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/18147/
O'Connell, Catherine-Ann (2023)	Care Matters in Higher Education: A Narrative Inquiry with a Community of Educators in a Technological University. PhD thesis, National University of Ireland Maynooth.	https://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/17995/
Prendergast, Margaret (2023)	Chasing Paddy: And finding Hope in a hostile place. An Autoethnographic exploration of my practice and experiences as a lecturer in Mental Health Nursing. PhD thesis, National University of Ireland Maynooth.	https://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/17993/
Murray, Bridget (2023)	Heart and Lungs: Education and Agency in the context of a Pandemic. An exploration of the experiences of Respiratory Clinical Nurse Specialists and Advanced Nurse Practitioners. PhD thesis, National University of Ireland Maynooth.	https://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/17822/
Croke, Miriam J (2023)	First-generation Migrant Student Experiences in Higher Education Spaces in Ireland.	https://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/17281/
Parce, Lisa (2022)	Beyond the And/Or divide \| Exploring the potential for experiential learning during horsehuman interactions. PhD thesis, National University of Ireland Maynooth.	https://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/17573/
Dowling, Elizabeth (2022)	There are so many moving parts. Epistemologies in physiotherapy: An exploration of disconnection.	https://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/16568/
Wilson, Niamh (2022)	Thinking Together: A feminist collaborative inquiry into pedagogical approaches for domestic violence work in Ireland.	https://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/15844/
Conroy, Maeve (2021)	Practice, Interrupted Narratively exploring a pedagogy for leadership development with emphasis on knowledge and power.	https://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/16030/
McSweeney, Daniel (2021)	Speaking into the Abyss: An Exploratory Study of Academics’ Use of Educational Technology and its Impact on Practice.	https://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/15682/
Gallery, Richard (2021)	A Qualitative Study into the Impact of Outcomes Based Education on Engineering Educators and Engineering Education in the Technical Higher Education Sector in Ireland.	https://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/14869/
Russell, Michael Patrick (2021)	Privileging Tacit Knowledge within a Software Engineering Curriculum: A Living Educational Theory of Practice.	https://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/14868/
O'Reilly, Niamh (2020)	‘Voice is the Process’ A Study Exploring the Access Potential of the An Cosán Model of Higher Education. PhD thesis, National University of Ireland Maynooth.	https://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/18028/
Sarah, Meaney Sartori (2020)	‘Education will set you free?’ – A creative exploration of the experience of educational exclusion, from the perspective of prisoners and youth.	https://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/14863/
McPartland, Eileen (2020)	A Journey of Enquiry: a historical, legal and economic analysis of further education in Ireland from 1800 to 2020.	https://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/14873/
Noonan, Gina (2020)	‘Restor(y)ing their position in the spotlight, please welcome back on stage… Postgraduate Students who teach… or Graduate Teaching Assistants... or Teaching Postgrads… or…’.	http://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/13543/
Darby, Fionnuala (2020)	Belonging on Campus: An exploratory study of the continuities, the contradictions and the consequences for Black and Minority Ethnic students in higher education.	http://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/13535/
Watson, Chanel Louise (2020)	PRESCRIPTION FOR CARE? An exploration of the experiences of nurse and midwife prescribers in the maternity setting.	http://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/13615/
Homan, Eoin (2020)	The Engineer in Society: an exploration of the treatment of ethics in engineering education and practice.	http://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/13534/
Finn, Winifred Josephine Marian (2019)	Re-cognising RPL – A Deleuzian enquiry into policy and practice of Recognition of Prior Learning.	https://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/11167/
Madden, Siobhan (2017)	The mermaids dive for freedom: Voices of feminist community activists plunging through neoliberal times	http://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/12115/
Hegarty, Ann (2017)	Masculinity, fathers and family literacy: Glimpses behind the ‘hard-man’ front.	http://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/8778/
Condon, John (2017)	The Experience of Migrant Students in an Irish Second Level School.	http://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/8853/
Dillon, Eilish (2017)	How Critical is Talk? Discourses of Development Education among Facilitators in Ireland.	http://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/9558/
De Brún, Christa (2016)	Teaching for Thinking: an action research inquiry into the Pedagogical potential of modern literature to foster critical thinking and facilitate critical consciousness in third level students.	http://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/7558/
Fitzsimons, Camilla (2015)	Re-Kindling Community Education in Neoliberal times.	http://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/6420/
Harvey, Gerry (2015)	The Evolving Model of School Self-Evaluation in Ireland: How a Person’s Perception of Purpose and Power Determines Practice.	http://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/6423/

Masters

Researcher	Title	Link

Nassli, Kinda (2023)	Learning about Ireland through a Syrian Woman's Life Story An autoethnographic research of education resources for Syrian refugees in Ireland. Masters thesis, National University of Ireland Maynooth.	https://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/17779/
Sceeny, Paul (2023)	“I have to know. I have to understand how to do this!” Exploring personal and professional experiences of ESOL practitioners in Ireland during and since the COVID-19 pandemic. Masters thesis, National University of Ireland Maynooth.	https://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/17684/
O’Dowd, Ruth Marie (2023)	Cui Bono? Masters thesis, National University of Ireland Maynooth.	https://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/17683/
Beaumont, Noella (2023)	"The Poor Relation.” ESOL in Ireland: A Holistic View from the Experiences of Tutors in Adult Education. Masters thesis, National University of Ireland Maynooth.	https://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/17682/
Maguire-Giles, Nicola Annick (2023)	Exploring the Experiences of Students with Additional Educational Needs in Further Education: An Investigation into the Transition from Mainstream Education to Further Education. Masters thesis, National University of Ireland Maynooth.	https://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/17681/
Kelly, Linda (2023)	Girls Interrupted. What is the nature of the barriers and challenges that women face when re-engaging with “interrupted” education? Masters thesis, National University of Ireland Maynooth.	https://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/17679/
Olabinjo, Atinuke Dayo (2023)	An exploration of the racial experiences of black teachers in the Irish Adult learning and education (ALE) sector. Masters thesis, National University of Ireland Maynooth	https://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/17672/
Connell, John (2023)	Painting by Numbers: How Provision of Education for People with Intellectual Disabilities Leads to Exclusion from Further Education.	https://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/17678/
Kelly, Maria-Ana (2023)	Female subjectivity and agency in cultural time: a politicised space where women can florish.	https://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/17680/
Mbwika, Stephen Kiio (2022)	Centering voices from the political margins: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Civil Society Organisations' Civic Education approaches in Promoting Youth Political Participation in Kenya. Masters thesis, National University of Ireland Maynooth.	https://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/17701/
Popovic, Mila (2022)	What’s the (digital) story? Engaging with practitioners through alternative and participatory forms of adult education. Masters thesis, National University of Ireland Maynooth.	https://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/17700/
Dempsey, Niall (2022)	The Ramblings of a Bockedy Man, Vol. 1: an autoethnographic review of disability in the context of reorienting a 'spoiled identity.'.	https://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/17699/
Hennessy, Lisa (2022)	“I didn’t know it was going to be such a life changing experience” An inquiry into the experiences and impacts of higher education on a group of mature students.	https://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/17698/
Monstvilaite, Viktorija (2021)	Geography of Heart: Home and Belonging in the light of Adult and Community Education.	https://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/16398/
Tracey, Scully (2021)	What are the Implications for Working-class Adult Learners within the structures of Higher Education?	https://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie//16397
Conlon, Sharon (2019)	A Search for Authenticity: An Adopted Adult’s Autoethnographic Account of the Search for Authenticity: Through an Adult Education Lens.	http://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/12341/
Nelson, Dawn Margaret (2019)	A Reflexive Inquiry into Grief Support Needs for Healthcare Assistants in Residential Care settings. Masters thesis, National University of Ireland Maynooth.	http://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/12342/
McHale, Mairead (2018)	Who Cares? Exploring the inequalities of the role of special needs assistants and positioning of care in education.	http://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/12236/

Connolly, Ann (2017)	Exploring how the experience of tutors and the use of visual images and web-based technology enhance critical reflection in adult learners.	http://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/9579/
Burke, Laura (2017)	Fostering Inclusion; Challenging the Illusion Critically Reflective Educational Stories: Facilitated by students and graduates with different learning abilities on a Fully Inclusive Higher Education Initiative in Ireland.	http://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/12234/
Sinnott, Christina (2017)	Giving a voice to lone mothers: Investigating the impact of neoliberal policies on accessing and participating in further education.	http://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/9593/
Curran, Ian (2017)	The experience of coercion and forced education in a labour market activation context.	http://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/9603/
Dalton, Patrice (2017)	Ability not disability: A transformative exploration of student experiences in higher education.	http://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/9628/

CRALE Membership

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Research

Undergraduate Studies

Postgraduate Studies

International

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Maynooth University Department of Adult and Community Education

Welcome to CRALE, the Centre for Research in Adult Learning and Education

Research Publication from the Department of Adult and Community Education

TUTOR - Teachers’ upskilling aiming at a holistic inclusivity in learning

Maynooth University has published ‘The Youthreach Employee Wellbeing Report 2022: A review of employees experience of working in

Welcome to the Centre for Research in Adult Learning and Education - CRALE
The aim of CRALE is to enhance the educational experiences of disadvantaged communities.

1. Research on Widening Participation in Education, Employment and Community

2. Research to Support Transformative Learning, Democracy and Engaged Citizenship

3. Postgraduate Research Repository

PhD/DHAE

Masters

CRALE Membership

Further Information

Research

Undergraduate Studies

Postgraduate Studies

International

Search form

Maynooth University Department of Adult and Community Education

Welcome to the Centre for Research in Adult Learning and Education - CRALE The aim of CRALE is to enhance the educational experiences of disadvantaged communities.

PhD/DHAE

Masters

Further Information

Welcome to the Centre for Research in Adult Learning and Education - CRALE
The aim of CRALE is to enhance the educational experiences of disadvantaged communities.