Award: Access Office Fellowship
2013/14
Title: Accessing Initial Teacher Education: An exploration of best practice in the support of student teachers with disabilities on school placement
Recipients: Maeve Daly, Dr Catriona O’Toole
Description of Project:
We are interested in supporting diversity within the teaching profession and widening access to initial teacher education (ITE). This project focuses on the best practice in supporting student-teachers with disabilities undertaking both primary and second-level ITE programmes. It places particular emphasis the school placement component of ITE. We seek to explore student-teachers’ experiences while on school placement, including their perceptions of the factors that either hindered or enabled progression. We also seek to explore the perceptions of other key stakeholders including, placement tutors and supervisors, cooperating teachers, and school principals. Through this process, and in parallel with a national and international literature review, we seek to raise awareness of disability and identify models of best practice in the support of student teachers with disabilities.
