Tag: DEIS designated schools

Access, not Ability: Why are young women not engaging with STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Maths) and what can we do about it?

Social Lives

Author- Neasa Boyle- Researcher in the ALL (Assisting Living & Learning) Institute, Department of Psychology, Maynooth University.

Picture of ALL Microsoft Interns image shows 6 women smiling at the camera 4 sitting on a blue large armchair and 2 standing with a poster in the background and a white wall.
ALL Microsoft Interns

It has been well documented that STEM learning is the key to societal growth and economic prosperity considering STEM graduates are becoming more sought after, the benefits of effective STEM education may extend past those who wish to pursue STEM careers. STEM prepares students to adapt to any industry, by enhancing in skills problem-solving, adaptability, and creativity. However, despite these clear advantages, female students are significantly less likely to participate in STEM in school or continue these subjects into 3rd level education. This is particularly true for female students from lower socioeconomic areas.

In Ireland, we see girls in DEIS (disadvantaged, or, delivering equality of opportunity in schools) schools are particularly under-represented in STEM. According to an OECD report less than one-third of engineering and one-fifth of computer science undergraduates were female. Additionally, at age fifteen, only 4.7% of female students compared to 18% of their male counterparts showed interest in STEM, even amongst the highest achieving pupils.

Continue reading “Access, not Ability: Why are young women not engaging with STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Maths) and what can we do about it?”

The ALL Internship Story so Far: Mentoring for Education and Career Uplift

Stories/Lived Experience

Author: Kathleen Cunningham, Undergraduate Arts Student at Maynooth University

Kathleen Cunningham Picture

I am a first year Undergraduate Arts Student at Maynooth University, studying English, Sociology, Psychology and Law. 

Last year I completed the Turn to Teaching programme at Maynooth, on the Foundation Certificate in the Initial Teacher Education course. During this programme, I learned that my own lived experience in education gives me a beneficial skillset and great insight that I can bring back to a career in the field of education. On the Turn to Teaching (TTT) programme we also learned about key concepts affecting teaching in Ireland today. We learned ways in which the school experience can be improved for students of all backgrounds, especially for students coming from backgrounds similar to my own – from DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools) designated schools, from the flats, from council estates. 

Continue reading “The ALL Internship Story so Far: Mentoring for Education and Career Uplift”
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