An Teastas iarchéime i dTeagasc Ábharbhunaithe (TTA) san Iarbhunscolaíocht Lán-Ghaeilge agus Ghaeltachta

Who is the programme for?
Are you a subject teacher in a Gaelcholáiste, in Aonad Lán-Ghaeilge or in a Gaeltacht post-primary school?

Would you like to improve your Irish-language competence or ability?

Would you like to undertake professional development specifically based on the particular requirements involved in teaching through Irish?

Would you like to focus on your ability to function effectively and confidently as a subject teacher in the classroom?

Would you welcome the opportunity to be part of a community of other subject teachers who are facing the same challenges?

If so, the TTA programme is particularly suited to you and to your requirements as a post-primary subject teacher teaching through Irish either in the Gaeltacht or outside the Gaeltacht.

Customised professional development for post-primary subject teachers in Mary Immaculate College

It is well documented that subject teachers in Gaelcholáistí, in Irish-medium immersion units and in Gaeltacht post-primary schools face considerable challenges. Post-primary subject teacher attrition from Gaelcholáistí and Gaeltacht schools is growing. There is a lack of tailored professional development initiatives which address specific linguistic and pedagogical needs. This postgraduate programme (TTA) will attend to the specific professional development requirements as well as the mandatory language proficiency required to teach content through Irish in Irish-medium and Gaeltacht post-primary schools. The TTA programme is being offered by Mary Immaculate College in conjunction with Education and Training Boards Ireland and an Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta agus Gaelscolaíochta (COGG).

Programme learning outcomes

On completion of this bespoke programme, students will be able to:

Demonstrate an understanding of the role of teacher language awareness in instruction through Irish in Irish-medium/Gaeltacht post-primary schools, along with development of language awareness and enrichment strategies in subject teaching

Reflect on and assess the systems and structures of the Irish language in targeted content areas and engage in self-directed strategic language planning to enable them to function effectively and confidently as subject teachers in the immersion classroom

Define and investigate the key concepts of content and language integration in the context of post-primary immersion education

Implement and evaluate instructional strategies to improve and enrich language and content learning

Critically review and evaluate the quality of aspects of provision in their own classroom in order to promote language and literacy skills on a continuous basis in the context of subject instruction.

The programme will be delivered entirely online from January 2021. Both asynchronous strategies (where students work on programme assignments in their own time) and synchronous strategies (live online workshops) will be used to support language learning. Online communication activities will be designed to both develop and enrich the subject teacher's linguistic skills. The language e-portfolio (language learning journal) will allow the subject teacher to become more aware of their proficiency in Irish, the role of proficiency in teaching Irish, and the role of proficiency in teaching content through Irish. The language e-portfolio will be used to demonstrate the teacher's learning and development journey.

A needs analysis questionnaire will be distributed to participants at the start of the programme outlining linguistic and technological competencies and learning styles and preferences. The data from this questionnaire will be used to inform and shape the programme structure and delivery.

Programme timetable
Students will be grouped according to subjects, and online classes will be provided on Tuesdays and Thursdays (19:00 – 21:00). The classes will develop the specific language used in each subject along with the aspects of grammar which specifically relate to the classroom language.

A needs analysis questionnaire will be distributed to participants at the start of the programme outlining linguistic and technological competencies and learning styles and preferences. The data from this questionnaire will be used to inform and shape the programme structure and delivery.

Critically review and evaluate the quality of aspects of provision in their own classroom in order to promote language and literacy skills on a continuous basis in the context of subject instruction.

Programme Taught Modules
Spring semester (January 2021 – April 2021)

Teaching through Irish (15 ECTS)

Autumn semester (September 2021 – December 2021)

The Subject Teacher's Language Learning Journey: Action Research Project (15 ECTS)

Qualified post-primary subject teachers:

who hold a relevant primary degree / Postgraduate Diploma in Education / Professional Master in Education at 2.2 Honours Level or higher, recognised by the Teaching Council (Level 8 - National Framework of Qualifications)

who are registered with the Teaching Council and who have completed induction and probation

who hold a recognised post in a recognised school in the field of Irish-medium immersion and Gaeltacht education (including Aonaid Lán-Ghaeilge)

*Applications from English-medium schools are also welcome provided applicants engage with a CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) project in their school contexts.

Closing date for receipt of completed applications: 10 January 2022.

1 year

Students will be grouped according to subjects, and online classes will be provided on Tuesdays and Thursdays (19:00 – 21:00).