Pictured L-R: Dr Fionnuala Tyan, Lecturer & Programme Coordinator: Graduate Certificate in Autism Studiess at MIC; Dr Gerard Farrelly, Lecturer in Education (SPHE) & Course Leader of the M Ed in the Leadership of Wellbeing in Education; and Donna Dey, Senior Lecturer in Primary Education at University of Dundee
The inaugural Wellbeing Research for Education Conference took place in Mary Immaculate College (MIC), Limerick on Saturday 7 June, with the theme of 'Well what? Interrogating wellbeing across the education continuum'.
The one-day event welcomed attendees with an interest in wellbeing, including participants from both inside and outside of education, educators, students, researchers, and others who wanted to share their views or research in this area. The conference also provided a platform for the exchange of ideas, perspectives, and personal research findings among attendees.
The day’s keynote speakers were Donna Dey, senior lecturer in primary education at the University of Dundee, and Dr Fionnuala Tynan, lecturer at MIC. Throughout the day, participants took part in workshops, presentations and several parallel sessions.
The conference opened with an address by the Dean of Education at MIC, Prof. Emer Ring, who referenced the recent release of the UNICEF Report ‘Child Well-being in an Unpredictable World’ and its finding that since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, children in some of the richest countries experienced significant declines in their academic performance, mental well-being and physical health and that growing up in a wealthy country with abundant resources does not therefore guarantee a happy and a healthy childhood. Prof. Ring noted that: “while Ireland’s performance remains stable and/or improving across the six indicators associated with child well-being, there is no room for complacency in what remains an unpredictable world for so many children”.
She also drew attention to the high quality of inputs from the two keynote speakers, together with the multi-faceted, dynamic and innovative research being presented by colleagues, early career researchers, more seasoned researchers and students. In particular, Prof. Ring commended the intergenerational workshop for its inclusivity and potential to share and deepen our understanding of wellbeing through music.
Speaking before the event, Dr Gerard Farrelly, Lecturer in Education and Programme Coordinator of the M Ed in Leadership of Wellbeing in Education at MIC, highlighted the importance of creating space for open discussion around wellbeing and how it “is constantly evolving and changing at a societal and individual level, and all of us conceptualise it differently”.
“This conference is an opportunity to bring people together with an interest in wellbeing, to reflect and engage in dialogue about wellbeing, and what it means for each of us, and how it positions itself within education in particular.”
The conference aligns with the M Ed in Leadership of Wellbeing in Education, a two-year part-time Level 9 programme launched by MIC in 2019. Delivered in a blended format, the programme prepares students for leadership roles in promoting wellbeing across education and the wider community. Dr Farrelly emphasised that developing a positive culture and climate in schools is hugely important. Since its inception, 36 students have graduated with either a full M Ed or Graduate Diploma, and the programme has been endorsed by Oide, reflecting strong and growing interest.
As part of MIC’s broader contribution to this area, Dr Gerard Farrelly—alongside Dr Richard Bowles (Lecturer in Physical Education) and Dr Margaret Nohilly (Lecturer in Education and Programme Coordinator of the Professional Master in Education - Primary Teaching)—is also currently involved in the development of the new curriculum for Social, Physical and Health Education (SPHE) in conjunction with the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA).
For more information about the M Ed in Leadership of Wellbeing in Education programme, click here.
Click here to read the full Unicef report: ‘Child Well-being in an Unpredictable World’.
