The Department's major teaching interests are in preservice courses in primary education. It is also involved in Continuing Professional Development for teachers and educators in pre-five and primary establishments. These include postgraduate courses in Early Education, Environment and Language, along with a wide range of short inservice courses for local authority staff. Over 80 per cent of full-time staff in the Department are involved in research projects. Staff strive to ensure that the outcomes of these are published in peer-reviewed academic journals and also communicated to teachers through professional publications, consultancies and inservice courses.
Many projects involve links with other departments, universities and institutions.
Talking Activities in the Primary School Study of the role, use and organisation of oral activities across the curriculum and stages. Recommendations to develop the Talking outcome of the 5-14 English Language Curriculum. Inquiry Learning and Teaching Developing a model of the process of inquiry learning and identifying what the teacher needs to plan to help children learn to inquire and learn through inquiry. Application of the model has led to a range of projects on inquiry learning in language, science, drama and mathematics. The status of play within the Early Years curriculum and teachers' involvement during play.