Abstract

In Ireland, most school-aged students are required to take Gaeilge (the Irish language) as a compulsory subject. For some, this is not a favourable experience. This study was designed and structured to help support student teachers who wish to deliver secondary school science through Gaeilge. Specifically, this study used a dynamic and iterative instructional coaching intervention that was designed to be relevant, useful, and meaningful in applying culturally responsive and sustaining teaching practice. Over the course of one university semester, eleven student teachers voluntarily agreed to attend Gaeilge workshops in how to use their Gaeilge in their teaching practice. These ten workshops focused on collaboration between peers using effective pedagogy in meaningful contexts. This research suggests that these student teachers found instructional coaching based on culturally responsive and sustaining teaching practice to be effective. Specifically, it was these student teachers working in collaborative relationships both student teacher to coach and student teacher to student teacher, which improved their confidence and willingness to use Gaeilge. There has been no research into how instructional coaching is able to support Irish student teachers in using Gaeilge in teaching secondary science. This study addresses this gap in the research literature concerning Gaeilge-speaking teachers in secondary science.

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