Scholars Ireland is an excellent opportunity for students to get an understanding of student life, gain confidence in written communication and resilience. St Joseph's links with TAP ( Trinity Access Programme) gives 12 Second Year students the opportunity to take part in this initiative.Scholars Ireland is designed to give young people an authentic experience of university. From being taught by PhD tutors, to studying undergraduate-style topics, it aims to break down barriers to university. The programme includes 12 pupils and PhD tutor Dermot Grant . Their topic of research was Ancient Social Network Analysis. Students are supported by Ms McGowan, the Scholars Ireland coordinator in St Josephs.
Pupils begin their Scholars Ireland journey during which they learn about university life from university staff, hear keynote speeches, undertake a skills session, and take part in an introduction tutorial with their PhD tutor. Following the Launch Event, the PhD tutor conducts tutorials on a weekly basis.
There was a real taste of University style pedagogy including independent research, critical thinking and higher-order questioning. The tutorials culminated in students completing a challenging university -style assignment, which was marked by PhD tutors.
