Children’s School Lives Study

Initiated in 2018, the Children’s School Lives research follows 4,000 children in 189 schools through their primary years to learn, in detail, about and from their experiences. The innovative study design and mixed methods approach draw on significant expertise and experience, nationally and internationally, in longitudinal research. The study is carried out by University College Dublin’s (UCD) School of Education on behalf of the NCCA.

Report 3, Children’s School Lives in Junior Infants, focuses on the experiences of 128 junior infants classes in 83 primary schools across Ireland. The timeline for gathering the data about the children, their families and schools begins in Autumn 2019 and continues into the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and the first lockdown in Spring 2020. It includes data on the family background and context of the children as well as capturing information on school types and the backgrounds of the teachers and principals. The transition to primary school marks an important phase in children’s school lives and Report 3 captures the experiences of children and families during this important educational milestone including:

• The school day
• Subject enjoyment
• The learning environment and curriculum
• Teaching and learning approaches.

Access the report here: www.cslstudy.ie