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<p>This paper will set out the key planning considerations regarding the establishment of a dedicated online portal for Gaeltacht and Irish-medium schools at post-primary level as detailed in the <italic>Policy on Gaeltacht Education 2017-2022</italic> (PGE). The research topic is intrinsically linked with action points highlighted within strategy and policy papers concerning the improvement of online supports for teachers in recent years by the Department of Education (DE) in Ireland. The <italic>Digital Strategy for Schools 2015-2020</italic> refers to the objective of establishing digital communities of practice and the PGE highlights the need for a ‘dedicated online portal’ for Irish-medium schools. Embracing a problem-solving spirit, forging coalitions, building inter-agency collaboration, and ensuring teacher buy-in from the outset are all critical factors in the necessary planning process. Through the adoption of a mixed-methods approach, questionnaire and focus group respondents verified the most important thematic issues for L1 (Irish-medium) post-primary teachers respecting the establishment of what has the capacity to become a flourishing online community of practice (OCoP). The research process cast a spotlight upon how best to serve the teachers’ professional needs, confirmed the need for a collaborative approach that prioritised the significance of the collective, ascertained the existence of greater teacher openness to systemic change, and the centrality of transformative digital solutions in the L1 educational sphere.</p>
</abstract>

This paper will set out the key planning considerations regarding the establishment of a dedicated online portal for Gaeltacht and Irish-medium schools at post-primary level as detailed in the Policy on Gaeltacht Education 2017-2022 (PGE). The research topic is intrinsically linked with action points highlighted within strategy and policy papers concerning the improvement of online supports for teachers in recent years by the Department of Education (DE) in Ireland. The Digital Strategy for Schools 2015-2020 refers to the objective of establishing digital communities of practice and the PGE highlights the need for a ‘dedicated online portal’ for Irish-medium schools. Embracing a problem-solving spirit, forging coalitions, building inter-agency collaboration, and ensuring teacher buy-in from the outset are all critical factors in the necessary planning process. Through the adoption of a mixed-methods approach, questionnaire and focus group respondents verified the most important thematic issues for L1 (Irish-medium) post-primary teachers respecting the establishment of what has the capacity to become a flourishing online community of practice (OCoP). The research process cast a spotlight upon how best to serve the teachers’ professional needs, confirmed the need for a collaborative approach that prioritised the significance of the collective, ascertained the existence of greater teacher openness to systemic change, and the centrality of transformative digital solutions in the L1 educational sphere.

‘<italic>Meitheal Múinteoirí</italic>’: Planning for an Online Community of Practice (OCoP) with post-primary teachers in the Irish-medium (L1) sector

International Journal for Transformative Research

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

‘’: Planning for an Online Community of Practice (OCoP) with post-primary teachers in the Irish-medium (L1) sector

This paper will set out the key planning considerations regarding the establishment of a dedicated online portal for Gaeltacht and Irish-medium schools at...

‘Meitheal Múinteoirí’: Planning for an Online Community of Practice (OCoP) with post-primary teachers in the Irish-medium (L1) sector

Published Online: Dec 31, 2020

Page range: 10 - 18

Received: Aug 30, 2020

Accepted: Oct 15, 2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/ijtr-2020-0002

Keywords
Gaeltacht, Irish-medium schools, Collaboration, Planning, Change, Transformative, Online community of practice

© 2020 Pádraig Ó Beaglaoich et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

‘Meitheal Múinteoirí’: Planning for an Online Community of Practice (OCoP) with post-primary teachers in the Irish-medium (L1) sector

Published Online: Dec 31, 2020

Page range: 10 - 18

Received: Aug 30, 2020

Accepted: Oct 15, 2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/ijtr-2020-0002

KeywordsGaeltacht, Irish-medium schools, Collaboration, Planning, Change, Transformative, Online community of practice

© 2020 Pádraig Ó Beaglaoich et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Keywords
Gaeltacht, Irish-medium schools, Collaboration, Planning, Change, Transformative, Online community of practice