From lakes, rivers and peatlands, to buzzing towns, ancient sites, and a thriving food and drink scene, the Midlands is a wide open space for you to explore. Come pay us a visit, and discover a more relaxed time.

🚨New publication (Open Access in Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy 🔓) w/ Ciaran O’Carroll (Masters student DCU Institute of Education): An outdoor educator’s self-study of enacting a pedagogical model for OAE. Paper shows the power of self-study! Read at: tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.10… Deakin University - Arts & Ed Maura Coulter

Starting 2024 handing in my Masters by Research thesis 🎉 What a journey it has been! Researching #outdoorlearning has been so rewarding. Special mention to the amazing Maura Coulter for her supervision and DCU Postgraduate Research (IoE) students for the support and friendship. School AEM Dublin City University

Are you an Irish primary teacher interested in learning more about effective practice in PE? Please consider joining our project!

Thank you to the incredible Rachel Rafferty, who took time out of her busy schedule to engage with our second-year BSc Education and Training degree students DCU Institute of Education. The session focused on the influential factors shaping positive learning environments. As our second-year 1/4

students embark on their 1st teaching practice placements, Rachel's input on learner identity, especially in the context of outdoor learning, proved to be an enlightening exploration of unconventional perspectives and the utilisation of various teaching environments. 2/4

Rachel's invaluable insights have left a lasting impact on our students. Judging by their active participation and interactions during and after the session, it is evident that she successfully encouraged them to embrace creative thinking and incorporate diverse learning 3/4

environments, while effectively managing behaviour. A wonderful talk which I hope the students will benefit from and bring with them into their placements and educational practices. @dcu School of Policy and Practice: DCU IOE FETRC Further Education & Training Research Centre #OutdoorLearning #Education #PositiveLearningEnviornments #Creativity

Smiles all around today at #graduation Dublin City University Congratulations to our wonderful PE TA Rachel Rafferty and all our students School AEM DCU Institute of Education who were awarded research degrees today. Enjoy the celebrations 👋👋👋 Daire Keogh

Not only graduating but featuring in the ceremony booklet ⁦Rachel Rafferty⁩ graduates today with a Masters by research- proud supervisors ⁦Audrey Bryan⁩ and I!!

Masters by Research in Outdoor Learning and children's Learner Identities ✅️ Fabulous day Dublin City University graduation last week 🎓 DCU Institute of Education DCU Postgraduate Research (IoE) School AEM Thank you to my supervisors Maura Coulter and Audrey Bryan

We had visitors after our surf this weekend 🍀

What a fabulous day finishing up our Partnership for Learning course in #OutdoorLearning. It was a pleasure to work with such enthusiastic and passionate teachers over 3 sessions focusing on bringing learning outdoors in a thematic, cross-curricular way Dublin City University DCU Institute of Education School AEM

7 years after my own erasmus, I'm back in the city and with the people that inspired and taught me so much about Norwegian Friluftsliv and Outdoor Learning. What a pleasure to bring 10 PE specialism students here for a week of Outdoor Education Erasmus+ DCU Institute of Education School AEM

It was so special presenting my research to the lectures that taught me all those years ago! In 2017 I spent 6 months studying and practicing Norwegian Friluftsliv (outdoor life) on #erasmus. This was transformative for my teaching and inspired my research DCU Institute of Education Universitetet i Stavanger

🌳Super excited to deliver this workshop next week 🌳 Irish Primary PE Association (IPPEA)

International seminar on Hiking and Outdoor teaching: Day 1 saw presentations from Norway, Dublin Susan Marron and Spain. We visited a local kindergarten and ended the day with dinner in the forest and a 'hike and talk' to Dalsnuten while our students set off on their 4 day hike.

On #outdoorlearningday myself and Maura Coulter are delighted to invite student teachers, early years educators, primary teachers, teacher educators, parents and other stakeholders to a professional learning opportunity in DCU Institute of Education on Thurs 13th Jun 5-8 eventbrite.ie/e/adventurous-…

doi.org/10.1177/135633… Teachers learning to use student voice in primary PE. OPEN ACCESS. IrishResearch Maura Coulter Richard Bowles Irish Primary PE Association (IPPEA) Grace Cardiff Michelle Dillon Niamh Kitching LAMPE Tim Fletcher Rachel Rafferty

I had a fabulous time facilitating this Outdoor Learning in Physical Education workshop for Irish Primary PE Association (IPPEA). We focused on including cross-curricular Outdoor Learning during Outdoor and Adventdure Activities for more meaningful experiences in the outdoors DCU Institute of Education School AEM 🌳