Mayo teacher awarded prestigious DCU research scholarship
Castlebar native Lucy Nyland is among seven recipients of the Drumcondra 150 PhD Scholarship
A Mayo teacher has been awarded a prestigious Dublin City University research scholarship as part of a landmark initiative celebrating 150 years of teacher education in Drumcondra.
Lucy Nyland, originally from Castlebar and a past pupil of St Joseph’s Secondary School, has been named among seven recipients of the Drumcondra 150 PhD Scholarships at DCU’s Institute of Education.
The scholarships mark a major milestone in Irish education history, recognising the legacy of St Patrick’s Campus in Drumcondra, which first opened to student teachers in 1875. Today, the campus forms part of Dublin City University’s Institute of Education, one of Ireland’s largest education faculties with more than 4,000 undergraduate, postgraduate and research students.
Currently a post-primary mathematics teacher and assistant principal at a school in Greystones, Co Wicklow, Ms Nyland will undertake a PhD focusing on curriculum reform in mathematics education.
Her research project, ‘Mathematics Teachers and Curriculum Reform: Aligning Curriculum Goals, Professional Beliefs and Classroom Practices at the School Level’, will explore how teachers can be best supported as significant changes are introduced to the Senior Cycle curriculum.
Throughout her teaching career, Ms Nyland has promoted positive engagement with mathematics and ensuring educational research has a practical impact in classrooms.
She said she was delighted to receive the scholarship and is looking forward to contributing to ongoing discussions around curriculum reform in Ireland.
“This is a particularly important time for curriculum reform in Ireland, especially at Senior Cycle,” she said. “I am looking forward to exploring how we can best support teaching and learning in our classrooms throughout this period of change.”
DCU President Professor Daire Keogh said the scholarships honour the long-standing legacy of teacher education at Drumcondra and will help shape the future of teaching and learning in Ireland.
“Over the past 150 years, the St Patrick’s campus in Drumcondra has played a pivotal role in the development of generations of talented and dedicated teachers who helped transform the nation through education,” he said. “The awarding of these PhD scholarships is a fitting way to celebrate St Patrick’s rich heritage and its pivotal role in our country’s history.”
Ms Nyland was awarded the scholarship alongside Grace Fitzgerald, Claire McGill, Michelle Kinsella, Roe McDermott, Amy Ryan MacNamara, and Lisa Walsh, following a competitive national call for applications.
The Drumcondra 150 initiative reflects DCU’s commitment to expanding its doctoral research community and supporting innovation in education across Ireland.