Aisling Leavy
Biographic Data
| ID | 5399682 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Aisling Leavy |
| GIVEN NAMES | Aisling |
| FAMILY NAME | Leavy |
| SIGNATURE | LEAVY A |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Limerick |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-1816-0091 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 13 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 30 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 13 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2003 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
Designing Data Science Learning in Initial Teacher Education: The Educate Conceptual Framework
Data science has become central to contemporary social, civic, and professional life, yet its integration into initial teacher education remains fragmented and undertheorised. This paper addresses the need to support teacher educators in designing learning experiences that develop pre-service teachers, who are non-data science specialists, competence in data science. A systematic scoping review of the literature was conducted across major academi…
The first decade of teachers’ professional lives: A scoping review of research in the Republic of Ireland
Evidence points to the importance of teachers’ early career experiences in influencing their development, yet synthesised accounts that holistically capture evidence of teachers’ professional lives in the first decade of teaching is lacking. Framed by theoretical perspectives on teacher development, this scoping review sought to identify the extent and type of evidence in relation to primary, post-primary and further education teachers’ experienc…
Primary teachers’ learning experiences of integrated STEM education
With increasing focus on primary curricular reform in Ireland, there is a growing recognition of the significance of early childhood education. As a result, professional development organisations are now examining the effectiveness of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education for young children. This study investigates how teachers in a multi-grade primary school initially approached teaching integrated STEM lessons to chi…
From bespectacled, bearded and bald to explosions, potions and vaccines: Irish children’s changing perceptions of scientists and the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on those perceptions
Concern that stereotypical perceptions of scientists may influence attitudes towards science and willingness to pursue STEM-related careers has motivated interest in children’s perceptions of scientists. This study investigated primary children’s drawings of scientists at work based on Chambers’ ‘Draw-A-Scientist Test’ (DAST) and explored the influence of living during the COVID-19 pandemic on perceptions of scientists. One hundred and ninety-fou…
The prevalence and use of emerging technologies in STEAM education: A systematic review of the literature
Integrated STEM – a step too far in primary education contexts
The focus on integrated STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education that prepares students for an ever-changing society is gaining momentum. Recent STEM education research has concentrated on developing guiding principles for integrating STEM amid the lack of a unified definition and varied implementations of STEM integration. Aware of the challenges posed by the inconsistent language and lack of consensus on a common defin…
The Emerging Interplay Between Subjective and Objective Notions of Probability in Young Children
A case study exploring primary teachers’ experiences of a STEM education school-university partnership
This paper explores the experiences and professional learning of a group of in-service primary school teachers, participating in a STEM education programme in Ireland. Four primary teachers from the same case school engaged in a two-year project to explore STEM teaching and learning. This STEM project was structured as a multi-tiered partnership involving these four in-service teachers collaborating with six STEM teacher educators and a group of …
‘The green potion is the virus. The blue one is the corona test. The coloured one makes your wish come true’: Irish children’s changing perceptions of a scientist as a result of the onset of Covid-19
This study explored the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on primary school children's perceptions of scientists. Perceptions of scientists were examined using Chambers, D. (1983. "Stereotypic Images of the Scientist: The Draw-a-Scientist Test." Science Education 67 (2): 255–265) 'Draw-A-Scientist Test' (DAST) and involved children (n = 104), from senior infants and fourth class, making drawings of scientists. Half the drawings were created in Marc…
Developing potentiality: Pre-service elementary teachers as learners of language immersion teaching
Research has shown immersion to be effective, yet our understanding about the integration of language and content in Irish-medium immersion (IMI) pedagogy remains incomplete. This article reports on how the teaching of mathematics in the IMI elementary setting, supported pre-service teachers in bridging the language and content gap. The study utilised Japanese Lesson Study (LS) to design and implement mathematics lessons and qualitative data were…
Using lesson study to support knowledge development in initial teacher education: Insights from early number classrooms
An examination of what metaphor construction reveals about the evolution of preservice teachers’ beliefs about teaching and learning
Gifted Students’ Understanding of Statistics: Analysis of Data Arising from a Small Group Teaching Experiment
The principal objective of the study was to gain insight into cognitive processes related to three gifted students understanding of data. A small group teaching experiment was used to uncover students understanding of the notion of distribution and consisted of a clinical interview phase, teaching phase, and analysis phase. Fifteen teaching episodes followed the initial clinical interview and involved students working together on a variety of mat…
Gifted Students’ Understanding of Statistics: Analysis of Data Arising from a Small Group Teaching Experiment
The principal objective of the study was to gain insight into cognitive processes related to three gifted students understanding of data. A small group teaching experiment was used to uncover students understanding of the notion of distribution and consisted of a clinical interview phase, teaching phase, and analysis phase. Fifteen teaching episodes followed the initial clinical interview and involved students working together on a variety of mat…
An examination of what metaphor construction reveals about the evolution of preservice teachers’ beliefs about teaching and learning
Using lesson study to support knowledge development in initial teacher education: Insights from early number classrooms
A case study exploring primary teachers’ experiences of a STEM education school-university partnership
This paper explores the experiences and professional learning of a group of in-service primary school teachers, participating in a STEM education programme in Ireland. Four primary teachers from the same case school engaged in a two-year project to explore STEM teaching and learning. This STEM project was structured as a multi-tiered partnership involving these four in-service teachers collaborating with six STEM teacher educators and a group of …
‘The green potion is the virus. The blue one is the corona test. The coloured one makes your wish come true’: Irish children’s changing perceptions of a scientist as a result of the onset of Covid-19
This study explored the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on primary school children's perceptions of scientists. Perceptions of scientists were examined using Chambers, D. (1983. "Stereotypic Images of the Scientist: The Draw-a-Scientist Test." Science Education 67 (2): 255–265) 'Draw-A-Scientist Test' (DAST) and involved children (n = 104), from senior infants and fourth class, making drawings of scientists. Half the drawings were created in Marc…
Developing potentiality: Pre-service elementary teachers as learners of language immersion teaching
Research has shown immersion to be effective, yet our understanding about the integration of language and content in Irish-medium immersion (IMI) pedagogy remains incomplete. This article reports on how the teaching of mathematics in the IMI elementary setting, supported pre-service teachers in bridging the language and content gap. The study utilised Japanese Lesson Study (LS) to design and implement mathematics lessons and qualitative data were…
Integrated STEM – a step too far in primary education contexts
The focus on integrated STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education that prepares students for an ever-changing society is gaining momentum. Recent STEM education research has concentrated on developing guiding principles for integrating STEM amid the lack of a unified definition and varied implementations of STEM integration. Aware of the challenges posed by the inconsistent language and lack of consensus on a common defin…
The Emerging Interplay Between Subjective and Objective Notions of Probability in Young Children
From bespectacled, bearded and bald to explosions, potions and vaccines: Irish children’s changing perceptions of scientists and the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on those perceptions
Concern that stereotypical perceptions of scientists may influence attitudes towards science and willingness to pursue STEM-related careers has motivated interest in children’s perceptions of scientists. This study investigated primary children’s drawings of scientists at work based on Chambers’ ‘Draw-A-Scientist Test’ (DAST) and explored the influence of living during the COVID-19 pandemic on perceptions of scientists. One hundred and ninety-fou…
The prevalence and use of emerging technologies in STEAM education: A systematic review of the literature
Primary teachers’ learning experiences of integrated STEM education
With increasing focus on primary curricular reform in Ireland, there is a growing recognition of the significance of early childhood education. As a result, professional development organisations are now examining the effectiveness of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education for young children. This study investigates how teachers in a multi-grade primary school initially approached teaching integrated STEM lessons to chi…
The first decade of teachers’ professional lives: A scoping review of research in the Republic of Ireland
Evidence points to the importance of teachers’ early career experiences in influencing their development, yet synthesised accounts that holistically capture evidence of teachers’ professional lives in the first decade of teaching is lacking. Framed by theoretical perspectives on teacher development, this scoping review sought to identify the extent and type of evidence in relation to primary, post-primary and further education teachers’ experienc…
Designing Data Science Learning in Initial Teacher Education: The Educate Conceptual Framework
Data science has become central to contemporary social, civic, and professional life, yet its integration into initial teacher education remains fragmented and undertheorised. This paper addresses the need to support teacher educators in designing learning experiences that develop pre-service teachers, who are non-data science specialists, competence in data science. A systematic scoping review of the literature was conducted across major academi…
Psychology (10 works) · Mathematics education (7 works) · Pedagogy (6 works) · Irish (5 works) · Professional development (5 works) · Teacher education (5 works) · Statistics Education and Methodologies (4 works) · Computer Science (3 works) · Educational Research and Pedagogy (3 works) · Mathematics (3 works)