Limerick-based teacher one of seven awarded DCU research scholarship
Ms Ryan MacNamara was announced as one of seven educators to be awarded the prestigious research scholarship from Dublin City University following a competitive open call for submissions.
LIMERICK-based teacher Amy Ryan MacNamara has been announced as a recipient of the Dublin City University Drumcondra 150 Scholarship.
Originally from Tipperary and a primary teacher at St Vincent’s Special School in Limerick, Ms Ryan MacNamara was announced as one of seven educators to be awarded the prestigious research scholarship from Dublin City University following a competitive open call for submissions.
The research Ms Ryan MacNamara will carry out at DCU will investigate the factors that contribute to perceptions of efficacy among teachers of students with complex needs.
Ms Ryan MacNamara's primary area of experience is in teaching students with complex learning needs, having taught students ranging in age from four years to adulthood in a range of education settings. The teacher has published research both internationally and in Ireland on topics relating to inclusion, teacher self-efficacy, socio-emotional development and Deaf education.
The Drumcondra 150 PhD scholarships mark 150 years of teacher education at St Patrick’s Campus in Drumcondra, first opening its doors to student teachers in 1875.
Today, the DCU Institute of Education, a dynamic education faculty of more than 4,000 undergraduate, graduate and research students, continues to support new generations of educators focused on all sectors of the education system in Ireland and beyond.
On receiving the scholarship, Ms Ryan MacNamara said, “It is an honour to receive this scholarship and the opportunity to contribute to such an important and under-researched area of education. I hope this research will highlight the incredible work my colleagues in special schools across Ireland are doing and help identify ways to support them better.”
DCU President Daire Keogh said, “Over the past 150 years, the St Patrick’s campus in Drumcondra has played a pivotal role in the development of generations of talented and dedicated teachers who helped transform the nation through education. The awarding of these PhD scholarships is a fitting way to celebrate St Patrick’s rich heritage and its pivotal role in our country’s history. Their research will inform the further progression of teacher education in Ireland, and of teaching and learning, more broadly.”
The Drumcondra 150 Scholarships reflect the Institute of Education’s commitment to DCU’s stated ambition to grow the DCU doctoral community and nurture the next generation of researchers.