An exploration into School Age Childcare to evaluate & improve the current practice through gaining insights into the features of School Age Childcare practice in Ireland

O'Shea Doyle, Katherina (2024) An exploration into School Age Childcare to evaluate & improve the current practice through gaining insights into the features of School Age Childcare practice in Ireland. Masters thesis, Dublin, National College of Ireland.

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Abstract

By learning more about the characteristics that define school-age childcare (SAC) in Ireland, this mixed-method action research study seeks to assess and improve current practices. The study collects detailed data from School-Age Childcare (SAC) practitioners using a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. The literature review situates SAC in Ireland and offers comparative evaluations of national approaches in the USA, Australia, and other European states. This gives Ireland a broad perspective and suggests possible areas for development. The results offer different viewpoints on present practices, challenges, and opportunities for change captured using a questionnaire given to a sample of SAC practitioner perspectives. After the questionnaire phase, semi-structured interviews are conducted to offer more in-depth understanding of the questionnaire results. Purposive sample interviews with SAC practitioners highlight specific areas that require improvement and provide detailed insights into SAC procedures. The findings are integrated with the body of research and their implications for practice and policy in the Irish SAC industry are discussed. It also discusses the limits of the study, including possible biases in the self-reported data. To sum up, this study sheds light on SAC practices in Ireland and makes evidence-based suggestions for improving quality through focused professional development. To improve results in SAC settings, the proposed SAC qualification seeks to provide practitioners with the fundamental abilities and information needed to support children's growth and well-being.

Item Type:	Thesis (Masters)
Supervisors:	Name Email Oke, Meera UNSPECIFIED
Subjects:	L Education > L Education (General) L Education > LB Theory and practice of education > LB1501 Primary Education H Social Sciences > HQ The family. Marriage. Woman > Children
Divisions:	Centre for Education and Lifelong Learning > Master of Arts in Educational Practice
Depositing User:	Tamara Malone
Date Deposited:	26 Nov 2024 14:53
Last Modified:	26 Nov 2024 14:53
URI:	https://norma.ncirl.ie/id/eprint/7203

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